Verse Lens · Concise explanation
1 Corinthians 1:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse states that worldly wisdom did not produce knowledge of God.
Read It With
- 1 Corinthians 1:18–25
Read 1 Corinthians 1:21 with 1:18–25. This verse states that worldly wisdom did not produce knowledge of God. The complete unit establishes: The message of the cross divides evaluations: it appears foolish to those perishing but is God's power to those being saved, overturning status wisdom and revealing Christ crucified as God's power and wisdom for Jews and Greeks who are called.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The cross supplies the criterion by which the community must reassess impressive speech, ethnic expectations, and claims to wisdom. At 1:21, this verse states that worldly wisdom did not produce knowledge of God.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom”
In plain language: This verse states that worldly wisdom did not produce knowledge of God.
It contributes specifically to God's Wisdom Appears in the Crucified Christ inside 1 Corinthians 1:18–25.
Why it matters: The wording identifies this verse's distinct contribution without requiring an independent extended treatment.
How certain? probableWhat Remains True
This verse states that worldly wisdom did not produce knowledge of God. This supports the unit's enduring conclusion: God's self-giving power in the crucified Christ overturns status systems that mistake domination for wisdom.
How It Can Shape Life
- Use 1 Corinthians 1:21 by attending to its actual contribution: it states that worldly wisdom did not produce knowledge of God. In the complete unit, this leads to the following response: Evaluate teaching and leadership by cruciform truth and care, not by spectacle, credentials, ethnicity, or applause.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 — God's Wisdom Appears in the Crucified ChristSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 Corinthians 1:18–25, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file 1Cor.txt, 1:18–25
Open the 1 Corinthians Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible - 1 Corinthians with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 print view with translator, study, and textual notes
Open the official NET 1 Corinthians PDF