1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Chapter 1
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Brothers and sisters, look and see whom God has called. Few among you are considered cultured or wealthy, and few come from noble families.
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Yet God has chosen what the world considers foolish to shame the wise; he has chosen what the world considers weak to shame the strong.
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God chose the lowly and despised in the world, using those who are considered nothing to bring to nothing those who are considered something,
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so that no one can boast before God.
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But by God’s grace, you are in Christ Jesus, who has become our wisdom from God and who makes us just, holy, and free. Scripture says: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
Commentaries
The Message of the Cross.
We enter the most critical section of the letter, where Paul, who has previously said his primary mission is to evangelize, explains what his gospel truly is—the message he proclaims as Christ’s ambassador. It is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the key texts of the entire New Testament, which will then validate or undermine everything we think, write, say, or do in God’s name throughout history. His message is the cross of Jesus. Through a series of bold and powerful contrasts, Paul brings us closer to the mystery of Christ crucified: “scandal” for the Jews who expect a triumphant Christ; “Foolishness” for the Greeks who seek and rely on reason and wisdom. Paul presents to the Corinthians—and to us—the project that Jesus announced in the synagogue of Nazareth (cf. Lk 4:14-21).