1 Corinthians 1:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

NIV: God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are,

NASB: and the insignificant things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,

CSB: God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world--what is viewed as nothing--to bring to nothing what is viewed as something,

NLT: God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

KJV: And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

NKJV: and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

Paul continues his thought from the previous verse. He has written that God chooses those who will believe in the seemingly foolish message of Christ crucified. God mostly does not choose those of great status in human terms. He does not tend to choose respected academics, people of great wealth, or those born into rank and privilege. Those people have rejected the idea of Christ crucified as weak and foolish. Despite evidence and reason, they are too arrogant to trust in God (Romans 1:18–23; James 2:19).

Instead God shames their unbelief by choosing people the world sees as weak and foolish. Now he adds that God chooses for belief those who are low and despised in the world. He turns what the world sees as "something" into "nothing." And, in another sense, God brings meaning and value to those the world ignores; God chooses the "nothings."

To call people "nothings" may sound harsh and exaggerated to modern and western ears. Most of us cannot imagine the daily lives of those in a strict caste system. We cannot fathom life without any social position due to being in the slave class, or servant class, or birth into a low-reputation family, or with the "wrong" ethnic origin. Or maybe we know it better than we realize. In such cultures, human life without the protection of social and political standing was considered worthless, and certainly expendable.

That's who God chooses, Paul writes. He calls the "nothings" to faith in Christ looking forward to the day when all the "somethings" who rejected faith in Christ as foolish and weak will become the true nothings, in a sense, as they stand before Him.

First Corinthians 1:18–31 describes the foolishness of the gospel in the world's eyes. Both Jews and Greeks rejected the idea of Christ crucified. Any god who would die on a Roman cross, especially as a sacrifice for human sinfulness, would be seen by worldly eyes as a weak and foolish deity. God, though, will shame the wise and strong by giving the ability to believe in the cross of Christ mostly to the weak and foolish of the world, in human terms. In the end, nobody will boast before him of their own strength and wisdom.

Paul's letter to the Christians in Corinth begins with thanks for the great and powerful gifts God has given to them by His grace and through their faith in Christ. They will stand blameless before God in the end. Right now, though, they must stop dividing themselves according to which Christian teacher they follow and become unified in and around Christ. The gospel message of Christ's death on the cross is weak and foolish to the world, but God has given faith in Christ to those who believe it and find God's power and wisdom.

First Corinthians 1 begins Paul's letter to the Christians in Corinth, a big, bustling city on a major trade route. Paul knows them well, having spent a year and a half leading people to Christ and establishing the church there. He writes from Ephesus to correct some of their wrong attitudes and behaviors and to answer some of their questions. First, though, he thanks God for His grace to the Corinthians, knowing they will stand blameless before Him on the day of the Lord. Still, they must stop being divided and unite in and around Christ.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.