1 Corinthians 1:19 (WEB)

Passage

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”Isaiah 29:14

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”Isaiah 29:14

1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1 Corinthians 1:21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "written", "destroy", "wisdom", "wise", "bring", "discernment", "discerning", and "nothing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "written" and "destroy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "For the word of the cross is..." into verse 20's "Where is the wise Where is the...", so "written" and "destroy" 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 "written" and "destroy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.