the Second Week after Easter
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THE MESSAGE
1 Corinthians 1:26
Bible Study Resources
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- DailyParallel Translations
Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence. Not many of you came from important families.
Just look at your own calling, believers; not many [of you were considered] wise according to human standards, not many powerful or influential, not many of high and noble birth.
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
For consider your calling, brothers, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.
Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn't think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families.
Just look at yourselves, brothers — look at those whom God has called! Not many of you are wise by the world's standards, not many wield power or boast noble birth.
For consider your calling, brethren, that [there are] not many wise according to flesh, not many powerful, not many high-born.
Brothers and sisters, God chose you to be his. Think about that! Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence, and not many of you came from important families.
For brethren, you see your calling, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.
For consider also your own calling, my brethren, not many among you are wise in terms of worldly things, and not many among you are mighty, and not many among you belong to the nobility.
Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing.
For consider your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to human standards, not many were powerful, not many were well born.
For you see your calling, brothers, that there are not many wise according to flesh, nor many powerful, not many wellborn.
For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble:
For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;
Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards,according to the flesh">[fn] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.John 7:48;">[xr]
26 For you see also your calling, my brethren, that not many among you are wise after the flesh, and not many among you are powerful, and not many among you are of noble birth; [fn]
For look also at your calling, my Brethren; that not many among you are wise, according to the flesh; and not many among you are mighty, and not many among you are of high birth.
Brethren, ye see your callyng, howe that not many wise men after the fleshe, not many myghtie, not many noble [are called.]
For behold your calling, brethren, how that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:
For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;
Behold your calling brethren: that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called:
For consider, brethren, God's call to you. Not many who are wise with merely human wisdom, not many of position and influence, not many of noble birth have been called.
But, britheren, se ye youre clepyng; for not many wise men aftir the fleisch, not many myyti, not many noble.
For look at your calling, brothers, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:
For ye see your calling, brethren, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble [are called]:
Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.
Christian brothers, think who you were when the Lord called you. Not many of you were wise or powerful or born into the family of leaders of a country.
Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
For be looking at the calling of you, brethren, - that there were not many wise, according to flesh. Not many powerful, not many high-born:
For see your vocation, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.
For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth;
Brethren loke on youre callinge how that not many wyse men after the flesshe not many myghty not many of hye degre are called:
for see your calling, brethren, that not many [are] wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
Brethren loke on youre callinge, how that not many wyseme after the flesh, not many mightie, not many of hye degre are called:
for consider, brethren, that not many worldly wise, not many men of power, not many men of birth are among you that are called.
Don't forget cowboys, there were very few of you who were considered wise by worldly standards or thought to be rich and powerful. But then God got ahold of you.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
that: 1 Corinthians 1:20, 1 Corinthians 2:3-6, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1 Corinthians 3:18-20, Zephaniah 3:12, Matthew 11:25, Matthew 11:26, Luke 10:21, John 7:47-49, James 3:13-17
not many mighty: Luke 1:3,*Gr: Luke 18:24, Luke 18:25, John 4:46-53, John 19:38, John 19:39, Acts 13:7, Acts 13:12, Acts 17:34, Philippians 4:22, James 1:9-11, James 2:5, 2 John 1:1
Reciprocal: 2 Kings 5:4 - and told his lord Nehemiah 3:5 - their nobles Job 32:9 - Great Job 37:24 - he Ecclesiastes 9:16 - the poor Isaiah 23:9 - bring Isaiah 26:6 - General Isaiah 29:19 - the poor Isaiah 41:9 - called Jeremiah 8:9 - The wise men are Zechariah 12:7 - save Matthew 19:23 - That Mark 10:23 - How Luke 1:48 - regarded Luke 1:53 - and Luke 6:20 - Blessed Acts 5:38 - for Acts 13:50 - honourable Acts 17:12 - honourable Romans 9:16 - General 1 Corinthians 2:8 - none 1 Corinthians 4:10 - are fools
Cross-References
God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.
God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good.
God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!" God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!" It was evening, it was morning— Day Five.
God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds." And there it was: wild animals of every kind, Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good.
Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was.
God said, "The Man has become like one of us, capable of knowing everything, ranging from good to evil. What if he now should reach out and take fruit from the Tree-of-Life and eat, and live forever? Never—this cannot happen!"
This is the family tree of the human race: When God created the human race, he made it godlike, with a nature akin to God. He created both male and female and blessed them, the whole human race.
Know this: God is God, and God, God . He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep.
Still, God , you are our Father. We're the clay and you're our potter: All of us are what you made us. Don't be too angry with us, O God . Don't keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people—all of us. Your holy cities are all ghost towns: Zion's a ghost town, Jerusalem's a field of weeds. Our holy and beautiful Temple, which our ancestors filled with your praises, Was burned down by fire, all our lovely parks and gardens in ruins. In the face of all this, are you going to sit there unmoved, God ? Aren't you going to say something? Haven't you made us miserable long enough?
But Jesus defended himself. "My Father is working straight through, even on the Sabbath. So am I."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For ye see your calling, brethren,.... That is, those that were called by the grace of God among them; for as circumcision and uncircumcision stand for circumcised and uncircumcised persons, and election for elect persons, and righteousness for righteous persons, Romans 3:30 so here "calling" designs men called by grace; the manner of whose calling, and what sort of persons they were, the apostle signifies, they did or might, or ought, to see, observe, and consider; for respect is here had, not, as some have thought, to the first preachers of the Gospel, who were mechanics, fishermen, illiterate persons, very mean and despicable; but to the members of the church at Corinth, whether public preachers, or private members. The city of Corinth had in it many noble families, of high birth and quality, abounded with learned philosophers and rich merchants; and yet it was easy to be seen,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. The apostle does not say that there were none of the wise, the mighty, and noble called; for there were Crispus, and Sosthenes, rulers of the synagogue, and Gains a rich hospitable man, and Erastus the chamberlain of the city, and it may be some others of a like or better figure in life; but there were not many of them; instances of this kind are but few recorded in the Scripture; as Joseph of Arimathea a rich counsellor, Paulus Sergius a Roman deputy, Dionysius the Areopagite, and some in Caesar's palace; which show that nobility, riches, and learning, as they do not at all contribute towards a man's salvation, so neither can they hinder it where grace takes place; but, generally speaking, God has thought fit, for wise reasons, to choose and call persons of different characters.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For ye see your calling - You know the general character and condition of those who are Christians among you, that they have not been generally taken from the wise, the rich, and the learned, but from humble life. The design of the apostle here is, to show that the gospel did not depend for its success on human wisdom. His argument is, that “in fact” those who were blessed by it had not been of the elevated ranks of life mainly, but that God had shown his power by choosing those who were ignorant, and vicious, and abandoned, and by reforming and purifying their lives. The verb “ye see” βλέπετε blepete, is ambiguous, and may be either in the indicative mood, as our translators have rendered it, “ye do see; you are well apprised of it, and know it,” or it may be in the imperative, “see; contemplate your condition;” but the sense is substantially the same. “Your calling” (τὴν κλῆσιν tēn klēsin) means “those who are called” 1 Corinthians 1:9; as “the circumcision” means those who are circumcised. Romans 3:30. The sense is, “took upon the condition of those who are Christians.”
Not many wise men - Not many who are regarded as wise; or who are ranked with philosophers. This supposes that there were some of that description, though the mass of Christians were then, as now, from more humble ranks of life. That there were some of high rank and wealth at Corinth who became Christians, is well known. Crispus and Sosthenes, rulers of the synagogue there (Acts 28:8, Acts 28:17; Compare 1 Corinthians 1:1); Gaius, a rich, hospitable man Romans 16:23; and Erastus the chancellor of the city of Corinth Romans 16:23, had been converted and were members of the church. Some have supposed (“Macknight”) that this should be rendered “not many mighty, wise, etc. ‘call you;’ that is, God has not employed the wise and the learned ‘to call’ you into his kingdom.” But the sense in our translation is evidently the correct interpretation. It is the obvious sense; and it agrees with the design of the apostle, which was to show that God had not consulted the wisdom, and power, and wealth of men in the establishment of his church. So the Syriac and the Vulgate render it.
According to the flesh - According to the maxims and principles of a sensual and worldly policy; according to the views of people when under the influence of those principles; that is, who are unrenewed. The flesh here stands opposed to the spirit; the views of the people of this world in contradistinction from the wisdom that is from above.
Not many mighty - Not many people of power; or men sustaining important “offices” in the state. Comp, Revelation 6:15. The word may refer to those who wield power of any kind, whether derived from office, from rank, from wealth, etc.
Not many noble - Not many of illustrious birth, or descended from illustrious families - εὐγενεῖς eugeneis, “well-born.” In respect to each of these classes, the apostle does not say that there were no men of wealth, and power, and birth, but that the mass or body of Christians was not composed of such. They were made up of those who were in humble life. There were a few, indeed, of rank and property, as there are now; but then, as now, the great mass was composed of those who were from the lower conditions of society. The reason why God had chosen his people from that rank is stated in 1 Corinthians 1:29. The character of many of those who composed the church at Corinth before the conversion, is stated in 1 Corinthians 6:10-11, which see.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. Ye see your calling — την κλησιν. The state of grace and blessedness to which ye are invited. I think, βλεπετε την κλησιν, c., should be read in the imperative: Take heed to, or consider your calling, brethren that (οτι) not many of you are wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble: men is not in the original, and Paul seems to allude to the Corinthian believers in particular. This seems to have been said in opposition to the high and worldly notions of the Jews, who assert that the Divine Spirit never rests upon any man, unless he be wise, powerful, and rich. Now this Divine Spirit did rest upon the Christians at Corinth, and yet these were, in the sense of the world, neither wise, rich, nor noble. We spoil, if not corrupt the apostle's meaning, by adding are called, as if God did not send his Gospel to the wise, the powerful, and the noble, or did not will their salvation. The truth is, the Gospel has an equal call to all classes of men; but the wise, the mighty, and the noble, are too busy, or too sensual, to pay any attention to an invitation so spiritual and so Divine; and therefore there are few of these in the Church of Christ in general.
