1 Corinthians 1:17 (DRB)

Passage

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 1:15 Lest any should say that you were baptized in my name.

1 Corinthians 1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanus. Besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness: but to them that are saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise: and the prudence of the prudent I will reject.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "christ", "sent", "baptize", "preach", "gospel", "wisdom", "speech", and "lest". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "christ" and "sent", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "And I baptized also the household of..." into verse 18's "For the word of the cross to...", so "christ" and "sent" 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 "christ" and "sent" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.