1 Corinthians 1:21 (KJV)

Passage

For 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.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1 Corinthians 1:21 For 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.

1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "after", "wisdom", "knew", "pleased", "foolishness", and "preaching". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "after", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Where is the wise where is the..." into verse 22's "For the Jews require a sign and...", so "world" and "after" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "world" and "after" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.