the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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THE MESSAGE
1 Corinthians 1:27
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- DailyParallel Translations
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong,
but God hath chosen the folysshe thinges of the worlde to confounde the wyse. And God hath chosyn the weake thinges of the worlde to confounde thinges which are mighty.
but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed. God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed.Psalm 8:2; Matthew 11:25; James 2:5;">[xr]
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame those that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world, to shame the things that are mighty:
But God has chosen the things which the world regards as foolish, in order to put its wise men to shame; and God has chosen the things which the world regards as destitute of influence, in order to put its powerful things to shame;
But God chees tho thingis that ben fonned of the world, to confounde wise men;
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.
But God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance], and God has selected [for His purpose] the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong [revealing their frailty].
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong;
But God chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise; God chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the strong;
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may put to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world, that he may put to shame the strong things;
but Aloha hath chosen the simple of the world, to shame the wise, and he hath chosen the weak of the world, to shame the mighty,
But God hath chosen the foolish ones of the world, to shame the wise; and he hath chosen the feeble ones of the world, to shame the mighty;
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weake things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty:
Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise. He has chosen what the world calls weak to shame what is strong.
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
But God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde, to confound the mightie things,
But God has chosen the foolish ones of the world to put the wise to shame; and God has chosen the weak ones of the world to embarrass the mighty;
On the contrary - the foolish things of the world, hath God chosen, that he might put to shame them who are wise, and, the weak things of the world, hath God chosen, that he might put to shame the things that are mighty,
But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong.
But God hath chosen the foolyshe thynges of the worlde, to confounde the wise: And God hath chosen the weake thynges of the worlde, to confounde thynges which are myghtie:
God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful.
Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong,
But God chose the foolish things of the world that the wise might be put to shame, and God chose the weak things of the world so that He might put to shame the strong things.
but the foolish things of the world did God choose, that the wise He may put to shame; and the weak things of the world did God choose that He may put to shame the strong;
but that foolish is before the worlde, hath God chosen, that he mighte cofounde the wyse: And that weake is before ye worlde, hath God chosen, yt he mighte confounde the mightye.
but God hath chosen those who are foolish in the opinion of the world, to confound the wise; and the weak men of the world to confound the mighty:
But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
God chose the lowest of us to shame those on high. He personally chose nobodies to show the somebodies what he could do. He chose the weak to put the powerful in their place.
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Psalms 8:2, Isaiah 26:5, Isaiah 26:6, Isaiah 29:14, Isaiah 29:19, Zephaniah 3:12, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 9:9, Matthew 11:25, Matthew 21:16, Luke 19:39, Luke 19:40, Luke 21:15, Acts 4:11-21, Acts 6:9, Acts 6:10, Acts 7:35, Acts 7:54, Acts 17:18, Acts 24:24, Acts 24:25, 2 Corinthians 4:7, 2 Corinthians 10:4, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 2 Corinthians 10:10
Reciprocal: Exodus 4:17 - General Exodus 39:21 - as the Lord Leviticus 14:32 - whose hand Numbers 22:23 - the ass saw Numbers 22:30 - upon which thou hast ridden Judges 4:21 - took Judges 7:2 - too many Judges 7:13 - a cake Judges 11:5 - to fetch Judges 15:15 - slew 1 Samuel 13:22 - there was neither 1 Samuel 17:40 - staff 1 Samuel 17:49 - smote 1 Kings 20:14 - young men 2 Kings 5:4 - and told his lord 2 Kings 5:13 - how much rather Nehemiah 4:2 - feeble Job 32:9 - Great Job 32:13 - We Isaiah 33:23 - the lame Jeremiah 9:23 - wise Jeremiah 49:20 - Surely Ezekiel 17:24 - have brought Daniel 2:25 - captives of Judah Amos 1:1 - who Amos 7:14 - an herdman Micah 5:2 - yet Matthew 3:9 - God Luke 10:21 - revealed Luke 18:24 - How Acts 4:13 - were Acts 9:22 - confounded 1 Corinthians 1:25 - the foolishness James 3:15 - but
Cross-References
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
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 said, "It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion." So God formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn't find a suitable companion.
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth. This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world,.... So the Jews, in distinction from their wise Rabbins and doctors, call others, טפשין דעלמא, "the fools of the world" p; the persons whom God made choice of from all eternity, as appears by his calling them in time, are such who with respect to the wisdom of the world are foolish; have not those natural parts and abilities, that sagacity and penetration in things natural and civil, that knowledge and learning which many others have; and are therefore esteemed foolish by the men of the world, in comparison of whom; who are the wise and prudent, they are but babes: and God's end in his choice of them, and calling them, is
to confound the wise; who sooner or later will be brought to shame and confusion, to see such idiots, as they took them to be, wiser than they in the business of salvation; having been directed and influenced by divine grace to choose that good part, which shall never be taken from them, when they will be stripped of their nobility, wealth, and wisdom; to see these men go into the kingdom of heaven, and they themselves shut out:
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world; who cannot boast of their birth and pedigree, of their ancient and illustrious families; have no titles of honour to aggrandize them, nor estates, possessions, and worldly substance to support themselves with; and this he has done,
to confound the things which are mighty; as Haman was by the advancement of Mordecai. It will be to the utter confusion of the rich and mighty, to see persons of the lowest class in life made kings and priests by Christ, set among princes, and upon the throne of glory; and they themselves fleeing, and calling to the mountains to fall upon them, and cover them from the sight of him that sits on the throne, and the Lamb.
p Zohar in Numb. fol. 63. 3. & 65. 4.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
But God hath chosen - The fact of their being in the church at all was the result of his choice. It was owing entirely to his grace.
The foolish things - The things esteemed foolish among people. The expression here refers to those who were destitute of learning, rank, wealth, and power, and who were esteemed as fools, and were despised by the rich and the great.
To confound - To bring to shame; or that he might make them ashamed; that is, humble them by showing them how little he regarded their wisdom; and how little their wisdom contributed to the success of his cause. By thus overlooking them, and bestowing his favors on the humble and the poor; by choosing his people from the ranks which they despised, and bestowing on them the exalted privilege of being called the sons of God, he had poured dishonor on the rich and the great, and overwhelmed them, and their schemes of wisdom, with shame. It is also true, that those who are regarded as fools by the wise men of the world are able often to confound those who boast of their wisdom; and that the arguments of plain people, though unlearned except in the school of Christ; of people of sound common sense under the influence of Christian principles, have a force which the learning and talent of the people of this world cannot gainsay or resist. They have truth on their side; and truth, though dressed in a humble garb, is more mighty than error, though clothed with the brilliancy of imagination, the pomp of declamation, and the cunning of sophistry.
And the weak things - Those esteemed weak by the people of the world.
The mighty - The great; the noble; the learned.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 27. But God hath chosen the foolish things — God has chosen by means of men who are esteemed rude and illiterate to confound the greatest of the Greek philosophers, and overturn their systems; and, by means of men weak, without secular power or authority, to confound the scribes and Pharisees, and in spite of the exertions of the Jewish sanhedrin, to spread the doctrine of Christ crucified all over the land of Judea, and by such instruments as these to convert thousands of souls to the faith of the Gospel, who are ready to lay down their lives for the truth. The Jews have proverbs that express the same sense as these words of the apostle. In Shemoth Rabba, sec. 17, fol. 117, it is said: "There are certain matters which appear little to men, yet by them God points out important precepts. Thus hyssop in the sight of man is worth nothing, but in the sight of God its power is great; sometimes he equals it to the cedar, particularly in the ordinance concerning the lepers, and in the burning of the red heifer. Thus God commanded them in Egypt, Exodus 12:22: And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, c. And concerning Solomon it is said, 1 Kings 4:33: And he discoursed of trees, from the cedar on Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. Whence we may learn that great and small things are equal in the eyes of the Lord, and that even by small things He can work great miracles."
