¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless. ¹⁸For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” ²⁰Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching. ²²For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom, ²³but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. ²⁴But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. ²⁶Think 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. ²⁷But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. ²⁸God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,²⁹so that no one can boast in his presence. ³⁰He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”