哥林多前书 1:28

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

他也揀選了世上卑賤的和被人輕視的，以及算不得甚麼的，為了要廢棄那些自以為是的，

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
神 也 拣 选 了 世 上 卑 贱 的 ， 被 人 厌 恶 的 ， 以 及 那 无 有 的 ， 为 要 废 掉 那 有 的 。

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ Christ did not send me to baptize people but to preach the Good News. And he sent me to preach the Good News without using words of human wisdom so that the cross of Christ would not lose its power. ¹⁸ The teaching about the cross is foolishness to those who are being lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ It is written in the Scriptures: "I will cause the wise to lose their wisdom; I will make the wise unable to understand." Isaiah 29:14 ²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the educated person? Where is the skilled talker of this world? God has made the wisdom of the world foolish. ²¹ In the wisdom of God the world did not know God through its own wisdom. So God chose to use the message that sounds foolish to save those who believe. ²² The Jews ask for miracles, and the Greeks want wisdom. ²³ But we preach a crucified Christ. This causes the Jews to stumble and is foolishness to non-Jews. ²⁴ But Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God to those people God has called—Jews and Greeks. ²⁵ Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. ²⁶ Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence. Not many of you came from important families.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

things which: Romans 4:17, 2 Corinthians 12:11

to bring: 1 Corinthians 2:6, Deuteronomy 28:63, Job 34:19, Job 34:20, Job 34:24, Psalms 32:10, Psalms 37:35, Psalms 37:36, Isaiah 2:11, Isaiah 2:17, Isaiah 17:13, Isaiah 17:14, Isaiah 37:36, Isaiah 41:12, Daniel 2:34, Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 2:45, Revelation 18:17

Reciprocal: Leviticus 14:32 - whose hand Numbers 22:30 - upon which thou hast ridden Judges 15:15 - slew 1 Samuel 17:49 - smote Proverbs 8:5 - General Song of Solomon 8:1 - I should not be despised Ezekiel 17:24 - have brought Daniel 2:25 - captives of Judah Daniel 4:17 - the basest Amos 5:5 - come Micah 5:2 - yet Zephaniah 3:12 - leave Zechariah 4:10 - despised Matthew 3:9 - God 1 Corinthians 1:23 - foolishness 1 Corinthians 10:19 - that the 2 Corinthians 4:7 - in Galatians 4:14 - ye

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the sky and the earth.

Genesis 1:3
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Genesis 1:4
God saw that the light was good, so he divided the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:5
God named the light "day" and the darkness "night." Evening passed, and morning came. This was the first day.

Genesis 1:17
God put all these in the sky to shine on the earth,

Genesis 1:18
to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that all these things were good.

Genesis 1:22
God blessed them and said, "Have many young ones so that you may grow in number. Fill the water of the seas, and let the birds grow in number on the earth."

Genesis 8:17
Bring every animal out of the boat with you—the birds, animals, and everything that crawls on the earth. Let them have many young ones so that they might grow in number."

Genesis 9:1
Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Have many children; grow in number and fill the earth.

Genesis 9:7
"As for you, Noah, I want you and your family to have many children, to grow in number on the earth, and to become many."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And base things of the world,.... Who are reckoned the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things; men of mean birth, education, and business of life:

and things that are despised; and set at nought, as poor persons generally are; yet God

hath chosen them; even the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of a kingdom:

yea, and things which are not; some think the Gentiles are here intended, who by the Jews are called "things that are not": as in the apocryphal books:

"O Lord, give not thy sceptre unto "them that be nothing", and let them not laugh at our fall; but turn their device upon themselves, and make him an example, that hath begun this against us.'' (Esther 14:11)

"56 As for the other people, which also come of Adam, thou hast said that "they are nothing", but be like unto spittle: and hast likened the abundance of them unto a drop that falleth from a vessel. 57 And now, O Lord, behold, these heathen, which have ever been "reputed as nothing", have begun to be lords over us, and to devour us.'' (2 Esdras 6)

:- for note on non-entities, or such who are not in being, are meant; but who are not accounted of, or are reckoned as nothing; and these the Lord calls by his grace, as a fruit and evidence of electing love:

to bring to nought things that are; who, on the account of their noble birth, large possessions, and high attainments in knowledge and learning, thought themselves something; all which will one day be abolished, and will stand them in no stead with regard to future happiness and glory. The Jews q have a saying quite contrary to all this, that

"the Shekinah, or presence of God, does not dwell on any but upon a wise man, a mighty man, and a rich man.''

q T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 92. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And base things of the world - Those things which by the world are esteemed ignoble. Literally, those which are not of noble, or illustrious birth τὰ ἀγειῆ ta ageiē.

Things which are despised - Those which the world regards as objects of contempt; compare Mark 9:12; Luke 18:19; Acts 4:11.

Yea - The introduction of this word by the translators does nothing to illustrate the sense, but rather enfeebles it. The language here is a striking instance of Paul’s manner of expressing himself with great strength. He desires to convey in the strongest terms, the fact, that God had illustrated his plan by choosing the objects of least esteem among people. He is willing to admit all that could be said on this point. He says, therefore, that he had chosen the things of ignoble birth and rank - the base things of the world; but this did not fully express his meaning. He had chosen objects of contempt among people; but this was not strong enough to express his idea. He adds, therefore, that he had chosen those things which were absolutely nothing, which had no existence; which could not be supposed to influence him in his choice.

And things which are not - τὰ μὴ ὄντα ta mē onta. That which is nothing; which is worthless; which has no existence; those flyings which were below contempt itself; and which, in the estimation of the world, were passed by as having no existence; as not having sufficient importance to be esteemed worthy even of the slight notice which is implied in contempt. For a man who despises a thing must at least notice it, and esteem it worth some attention. But the apostle here speaks of things beneath even that slight notice; as completely and totally disregarded, as having no existence. The language here is evidently that of hyperbole (compare the note at John 21:25). It was a figure of speech common in the East, and not unusual in the sacred writings; compare Isaiah 40:17.

All nations before him are as nothing.

And they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity.

See also Romans 4:17, “God, who - calleth those things which be not, as though they were.” This language was strongly expressive of the estimate which the Jews fixed on the Gentiles, as being a despised people, as being in fact no people; a people without laws, and organization, and religion, and privileges; see Hosea 1:10; Hosea 2:23; Rom 9:25; 1 Peter 2:10. “When a man of rank among the Hindus speaks of low-caste persons, of notorious profligates, or of those whom he despises, he calls them “alla-tha-varkal,” that is, “those who are not.” The term does not refer to life or existence, but to a quality or disposition, and is applied to those who are vile and abominable in all things. “My son, my son, go not among them ‘who are not.’” “Alas! alas! those people are all alla-tha-varkal.” When wicked men prosper, it is said, “this is the time for those ‘who are not.’” “Have you heard that those ‘who are not’ are now acting righteously?” Vulgar and indecent expressions are also called, “words that are not.” “To address men in the phrase ‘are not,’ is provoking beyond measure” - Roberts, as quoted in Bush’s Illustrations of Scripture.

To bring to naught - To humble and subdue. To show them how vain and impotent they were.

Things that are - Those who on account of their noble birth, high attainments, wealth, and rank placed a high estimate on themselves and despised others.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 28. And base things - and things which are despised — It is very likely that the apostle refers here to the Gentiles and to the Gentile converts, who were considered base and despicable in the eyes of the Jews, who counted them no better than dogs, and who are repeatedly called the things that are not. By these very people, converted to Christianity, God has brought to nought all the Jewish pretensions; and by means of the Gentiles themselves, he has annihilated the whole Jewish polity; so that even Jerusalem itself was soon after this, trodden under foot of the Gentiles.