1 Corinthians 3:19 kjv
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1 Corinthians 3:19 nkjv
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness";
1 Corinthians 3:19 niv
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";
1 Corinthians 3:19 esv
For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness,"
1 Corinthians 3:19 nlt
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise
in the snare of their own cleverness."
1 Corinthians 3 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| God's foolishness is wiser than men | "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men..." | 1 Cor 1:25 |
| God chooses the weak | "... and the weakness of God is stronger than men." | 1 Cor 1:25 |
| True wisdom from above | "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason..." | James 3:17 |
| Spiritual man judges all | "But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one." | 1 Cor 2:15 |
| Worldly wisdom vs. Spiritual wisdom | "For the mind of the flesh is enmity toward God, for it is not subject to God's law..." | Rom 8:7 |
| God's judgment of the wise | "Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?" | 1 Cor 1:20 |
| No one can know God's thoughts | "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." | 1 Cor 2:16 |
| Spiritual understanding | "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God..." | 1 Cor 2:12 |
| The hidden wisdom of God | "but we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages..." | 1 Cor 2:7 |
| God's revelation | "These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything..." | 1 Cor 2:10 |
| Humility in pursuing wisdom | "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach..." | James 1:5 |
| The cross as God's wisdom | "but Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." | 1 Cor 1:24 |
| The weakness of God | "For the weakness of God is stronger than men." | 1 Cor 1:25 |
| God's ways are not man's ways | "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways..." | Isa 55:8-9 |
| Man's pride in wisdom | "They are puffed up in vain by their sensuous minds..." | Col 2:18 |
| Guarding against deception | "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition..." | Col 2:8 |
| God's foundation | "For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." | 1 Cor 3:11 |
| Testing the work of builders | "Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw..." | 1 Cor 3:12 |
| The day of revelation | "...each one's work will become manifest, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire..." | 1 Cor 3:13 |
| Receiving reward | "If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward." | 1 Cor 3:14 |
| Being tested by fire | "If any man's work is burned up, he suffers loss, though he himself will be saved..." | 1 Cor 3:15 |
| God's temple | "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" | 1 Cor 3:16 |
| Defiling God's temple | "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." | 1 Cor 3:17 |
| Earnestly contend for the faith | "so that I might win the Gentiles. I would have you wise about what is good and innocent about evil." | Rom 16:19 |
| Worldly wisdom contrasted with divine | "And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit..." | 1 Cor 2:13 |
| True unity in Christ | "This is the ultimate goal of my instruction. If you are united in spirit and mind, you have the power to accomplish what is intended." | Unstated Verse Echo |
1 Corinthians 3 verses
1 Corinthians 3 19 Meaning
The wisdom of this world, as pursued and celebrated by men, is ultimately foolish in God's sight. It leads to a dead end, void of spiritual substance and divine approval. God, through the divine revelation in scripture, establishes true wisdom, which acknowledges His sovereignty and divine plan.
1 Corinthians 3 19 Context
This verse is part of a larger discussion in 1 Corinthians 3 regarding divisions within the church in Corinth and the different spiritual maturity levels of believers. Paul is addressing the fact that some believers were boasting in human leaders (like Apollos or himself) rather than in Christ. He emphasizes that these leaders are merely servants of God, working together in God's vineyard, and that true spiritual growth and understanding come from God alone. This verse serves as a strong concluding statement to Paul's argument that worldly wisdom, often prized and relied upon by the Corinthians, is fundamentally flawed and destined to fail when contrasted with the wisdom that comes from God through His Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3 19 Word Analysis
- μωραίνουσιν (morainousin): This verb, from the root moros, means to make foolish, to make dull, or to become foolish. It describes the process by which something that appears wise in the world is rendered utterly foolish by divine judgment. This world's wisdom, while perhaps clever or impressive by human standards, is ultimately bankrupt in God's economy.
- γάρ (gar): A conjunction, meaning "for" or "because." It introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding statement.
- ἡ σοφία (hē sophia): The wisdom. Refers to intellectual acuteness, skill, or the ability to discern and judge well. Paul is contrasting the wisdom that originates from the fallen human mind and systems of thought with divine wisdom.
- τοῦ κόσμου (tou kosmou): Of the world. Refers to the existing order, system, and course of human life apart from God; the sphere of human affairs, often characterized by opposition to God. This is not the physical creation but the fallen human society and its values.
- ἐστὶν (estin): Is. The third-person singular present indicative of the verb "to be."
- θεοῦ (theou): Of God. This is in the genitive case, showing possession or source. The wisdom belonging to God, or God's wisdom, stands in contrast to the world's wisdom.
- γέγραπται (gegraphtai): It is written. A perfect passive participle of graphō (to write). This is a reference to Scripture, indicating that what Paul is stating is a known and established truth derived from the written word of God. This implicitly points to Old Testament texts.
- ἵνα (hina): In order to, so that. Introduces a purpose clause, explaining why God wrote this.
- σὲ (se): You. Singular, referring to the individual believer in Corinth.
- ἁλίσῃ (halisē): You may ensnare or trap. From the verb haliskō, which means to capture, take captive, or ensnare. This implies that worldly wisdom is a subtle danger that can trap those who rely on it, preventing them from grasping divine truth.
1 Corinthians 3 19 Bonus Section
The phrase "it is written" is a significant rhetorical device, grounding Paul's argument in the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures. It implies that this truth about the foolishness of worldly wisdom was known to them from their own religious heritage, reinforcing his authority and the message's divine origin. The word halisē (ensnare) is powerful, suggesting that worldly wisdom is not just wrong, but actively dangerous and capable of leading people into spiritual error, much like traps are set to catch prey. This theme of spiritual entrapment by deceptive wisdom is also found in texts concerning false teachers.
1 Corinthians 3 19 Commentary
Paul establishes a foundational principle: what humanity deems wise is inherently foolish in God's eyes. This "world-wisdom" is bankrupt because it operates apart from divine revelation. It leads to entrapment, subtly deceiving those who prioritize it over God's revealed truth. The ultimate consequence of such worldly wisdom is not salvation or true understanding, but spiritual peril. Paul directly links this to the inadequacy of human systems to grasp God's plan, which was revealed through the prophets and ultimately manifested in Christ. He uses Scripture to underscore that God's "foolishness" (His perceived weakness or seemingly illogical plan of salvation through a crucified Messiah) is infinitely wiser and more powerful than any human endeavor. The context emphasizes that true understanding, the building of God's spiritual temple, comes only through the indwelling Spirit and reliance on Christ as the sole foundation, not through humanly devised wisdom.