1 Corinthians 1:27 (DBY)

Passage

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may put to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world, that he may put to shame the strong things;

Nearby Context

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

1 Corinthians 1:26 For consider your calling, brethren, that [there are] not many wise according to flesh, not many powerful, not many high-born.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may put to shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world, that he may put to shame the strong things;

1 Corinthians 1:28 and the ignoble things of the world, and the despised, has God chosen, [and] things that are not, that he may annul the things that are;

1 Corinthians 1:29 so that no flesh should boast before God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "chosen", "foolish", "things", "shame", "wise", and "weak". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "chosen", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "For consider your calling brethren that there..." into verse 28's "and the ignoble things of the world...", so "world" and "chosen" 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 "chosen" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.