1 Corinthians 1:27

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 1:27

God chose; not, hath chosen out. We may remark, once for all, that there was no reason why the translators of 1611 should thus have turned the Greek aorists of the New Testament into perfects. In this and in many instances the change of tense is unimportant, but sometimes it materially and injuriously affects the sense. The foolish things… the weak things. So, too, the psalmist, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength" ( Psalms 8:2 ); and St. James, "Hath... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 1:27

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... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 . But God hath chosen the foolish things Or, supplying the word προσωπα , the foolish persons of the world. Such persons as are of little esteem in the world, for want of learning, parts, eloquence, and such other endowments as some have attained, and who are judged altogether unfit to teach others, especially the Greeks and Romans. To confound the wise To shame those who account themselves, and are accounted wise; and of whom the world is most ready to boast. In... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Contrasts in wisdom and power (1:18-31)The whole idea of salvation from sin through the death of Christ on the cross appears foolish to the average person, but to believers it shows God’s power (18). God’s way has always been different from that of people in general. Whether they be Greek philosophers, Jewish scholars, or just ordinary citizens, people always think their schemes and ideas are full of wisdom; but God shows them up to be foolish (19-20).God, in his wisdom, saves people by way of... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Corinthians 1:27

hath chosen = chose. Greek. eklegomai. See Acts 1:2 . to = in order to. Greek. hina . confound = put to shame. Greek. kataischuno. See Romans 5:5 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 1:27

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.Those "foolish" Christians of Corinth triumphed over all the vaunted learning of the philosophers; those "weak" followers of Christ spread the truth over the world while Corinth and Athens crumbled. To go with Christ is to go with the future! read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 1:27

27. the foolish things—a general phrase for all persons and things foolish. Even things (and those, too, foolish things) are chosen by God to confound persons, (and those too persons who are wise). This seems to me the force of the change from neuter to masculine. to confound—The Greek is stronger, "that He might confound (or put to shame)." God confounds the wise by effecting through His instruments, without human wisdom, that the worldly wise, with it, cannot effect, namely, to bring men to... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

The folly of the Corinthian believers 1:26-31Paul turned from the content of the gospel to the Corinthian believers to strengthen his argument that the gospel he preached contradicted human expectations. God had chosen "nobodies" rather than the "beautiful people" of Corinth. They themselves were evidence that God’s "foolishness" confounds the "wise." Jeremiah 9:23-24, with its emphasis on boasting in one proper thing or another improper thing, lies behind this pericope. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 1:27-28

The Old Testament is full of illustrations of God choosing less than promising material as His instruments. In the Book of Judges, for example, we see Him using an ox goad (Judges 3:31), a nail (1 Corinthians 4:21), trumpets, pitchers, and lamps (Judges 7:20), a millstone (Judges 9:53), and the jawbone of an ass (Judges 15:15). His method did not change with the coming of Christ nor has it changed since then."Things that are not" are things that are nothing. They are non-entities in the eyes of... read more

John Darby

Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament - 1 Corinthians 1:27

1:27 wise; (g-18) Or 'those that are wise,' alluding to ver. 26. the word is masculine. read more

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