1 Corinthians 1:21 (GNV)

Passage

For seeing the worlde by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of GOD, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue:

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisedome of the wise, and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent.

1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? where is the disputer of this worlde? hath not God made the wisedome of this worlde foolishnesse?

1 Corinthians 1:21 For seeing the worlde by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of GOD, it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue:

1 Corinthians 1:22 Seeing also that the Iewes require a signe, and the Grecians seeke after wisdome.

1 Corinthians 1:23 But wee preach Christ crucified: vnto the Iewes, euen a stumbling blocke, and vnto the Grecians, foolishnesse:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "seeing", "worlde", "wisedome", "knewe", "pleased", "foolishnesse", and "preaching". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "seeing", 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 "Seeing also that the Iewes require a...", so "world" and "seeing" 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 "seeing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.