1 Corinthians 1:23 (KJV)

Passage

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

Nearby Context

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;

1 Corinthians 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "preach", "christ", "crucified", "jews", "stumblingblock", "greeks", and "foolishness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "preach" and "christ", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "For the Jews require a sign and..." into verse 24's "But unto them which are called both...", so "preach" and "christ" 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 "preach" and "christ" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.