The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 3:20 Explained

1 Corinthians 3:20

KJV: And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

YLT: and again, 'The Lord doth know the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.'

Darby: And again, The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.

ASV: and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  again,  The Lord  knoweth  the thoughts  of the wise,  that  they are  vain. 

What does 1 Corinthians 3:20 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Corinthians 3:10-23 - Build On The Sure Foundation
We are called upon to contribute our share to the building of saved souls which is rising through the ages, to be an habitation of God through the Spirit, Ephesians 2:21-22. But in addition, we must not neglect the building of our own character on the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ. God has placed Him to be the foundation of every structure which shall stand firm in all the tests of fire through which we are destined to pass. We must needs go on building day by day. Whatever we do or say is another stone or brick. It is for us to choose which heap of material we take it from; whether from that of the wood, hay, or stubble, or from that of the gold, silver, or precious stones.
All things serve the man or woman who serves Christ. The lowliest life may be a link in a chain of golden ministry which binds earth and heaven. Our Lord was constantly described in the Old Testament as the Servant of God. He said that He had come down to earth to do His Father's will. "I am among you as he that serveth." When we serve Him as He serves the great purposes of God, then everything begins to minister to us. The extremes of existence, of creation, and of duration, all serve us. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 3

1  Milk is fit for children
3  Strife and division, arguments of a fleshly mind
7  He who plants and He who waters are nothing
9  The ministers are God's fellow workmen
11  Christ the only foundation
16  You are the temples of God, which must be kept holy
19  The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 3:20

And again [και παλιν]
Another confirmatory passage from Psalm 94:11. [source]
Reasonings [διαλογισμους]
More than cogitationes (Vulgate), sometimes disputations (Philemon 2:14). Paul changes “men” of lxx to wise Useless, foolish, from ματη — matē a futile attempt. [source]
Vain [ματαιοι]
Useless, foolish, from ματη — matē a futile attempt. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 3:20

1 Corinthians 4:6 That in us ye may learn [ινα εν ημιν ματητε]
Final clause with ινα — hina and the second aorist active subjunctive of μαντανω — manthanō to learn. As an object lesson in our cases It is no more true of Paul and Apollos than of other ministers, but the wrangles in Corinth started about them. So Paul boldly puts himself and Apollos to the fore in the discussion of the principles involved. Not to go beyond the things which are written (το Μη υπερ α γεγραπται — to Mē huper ha gegraptai). It is difficult to reproduce the Greek idiom in English. The article το — to is in the accusative case as the object of the verb ματητε — mathēte (learn) and points at the words “Μη υπερ α γεγραπται — Mē huper ha gegraptai apparently a proverb or rule, and elliptical in form with no principal verb expressed with μη — mē whether “think” (Auth.) or “go” (Revised). There was a constant tendency to smooth out Paul‘s ellipses as in 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 1:26, 1 Corinthians 1:31. Lightfoot thinks that Paul may have in mind O.T. passages quoted in 1 Corinthians 1:19, 1 Corinthians 1:31; 1 Corinthians 3:19, 1 Corinthians 3:20. That ye be not puffed up Sub-final use of ινα — hina (second use in this sentence) with notion of result. It is not certain whether πυσιουστε — phusiousthe (late verb form like πυσιαω πυσαω — phusiaōινα — phusaō to blow up, to inflate, to puff up), used only by Paul in the N.T., is present indicative with ζηλουτε — hina like ινα γινωσκομεν — zēloute in Galatians 4:17 (cf. Πυσιοω — hina ginōskomen in 1 John 5:20) or the present subjunctive by irregular contraction (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 203, 342f.), probably the present indicative. πυσις — Phusioō is from πυσαω — phusis (nature) and so meant to make natural, but it is used by Paul just like πυσιαω — phusaō or πυσα — phusiaō (from εις υπερ του ενος κατα του ετερου — phusa a pair of bellows), a vivid picture of self-conceit. One for the one against the other (υπερ — heis huper tou henos kata tou heterou). This is the precise idea of this idiom of partitive apposition. This is the rule with partisans. They are “for” (κατα — huper) the one and “against” (του ετερου — kata down on, the genitive case) the other (ετεροδοχ — tou heterou not merely another or a second, but the different sort, heterodox). [source]
1 Corinthians 4:6 Not to go beyond the things which are written [το Μη υπερ α γεγραπται]
It is difficult to reproduce the Greek idiom in English. The article το — to is in the accusative case as the object of the verb ματητε — mathēte (learn) and points at the words “Μη υπερ α γεγραπται — Mē huper ha gegraptai apparently a proverb or rule, and elliptical in form with no principal verb expressed with μη — mē whether “think” (Auth.) or “go” (Revised). There was a constant tendency to smooth out Paul‘s ellipses as in 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 1:26, 1 Corinthians 1:31. Lightfoot thinks that Paul may have in mind O.T. passages quoted in 1 Corinthians 1:19, 1 Corinthians 1:31; 1 Corinthians 3:19, 1 Corinthians 3:20. [source]
1 Corinthians 7:29 The time is shortened [ο καιρος συνεσταλμενος εστιν]
Perfect periphrastic passive indicative of συστελλω — sustellō old verb to place together, to draw together. Only twice in the N.T., here and Acts 5:6 which see. Found in the papyri for curtailing expenses. Calvin takes it for the shortness of human life, but apparently Paul pictures the foreshortening of time (opportunity) because of the possible nearness of and hope for the second coming. But in Philippians Paul faces death as his fate (Philemon 1:21-26), though still looking for the coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:20). That henceforth (το λοιπον ινα — to loipon hina). Proleptic position of το λοιπον — to loipon before ινα — hina and in the accusative of general reference and ινα — hina has the notion of result rather than purpose (Robertson, Grammar, p. 997). As though they had none This use of ως — hōs with the participle for an assumed condition is regular and μη — mē in the Koiné{[28928]}š is the normal negative of the participle. So the idiom runs on through 1 Corinthians 7:31. [source]
1 Timothy 5:18 The laborer is worthy, etc. []
A second scriptural quotation would seem to be indicated, but there is no corresponding passage in the O.T. The words are found Luke 10:7, and, with a slight variation, Matthew 10:10. Some hold that the writer adds to the O.T. citation a popular proverb, and that Christ himself used the words in this way. But while different passages of Scripture are often connected in citation by καὶ , it is not according, to N.T. usage thus to connect Scripture and proverb. Moreover, in such series of citations it is customary to use καὶ πάλιν and again, or πάλιν simply. See Matthew 4:7; Matthew 5:33; John 12:39; Romans 15:9-12; 1 Corinthians 3:20; Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 2:13. According to others, the writer here cites an utterance of Christ from oral tradition, coordinately with the O.T. citation, as Scripture. Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 7:10, appeals to a word of the Lord; and in Acts 10:35he is represented as quoting “it is more blessed to give than to receive” as the words of Jesus. In 1Corinthians href="/desk/?q=1co+9:14&sr=1">1 Corinthians 9:14) “even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel,” which resembles the combination here. This last is the more probable explanation. [source]
Titus 3:9 Vain [μάταιοι]
Only here in Pastorals. Twice in Paul, 1 Corinthians 3:20, cit.; 1 Corinthians 15:17(note). Very frequent in lxx. The sense is aimless or resultless, as μάταιος εὐχή aprayer which cannot obtain fulfilment. The questions, genealogies, etc., lead to no attainment or advancement in godliness. Comp. ματαιολογία jangling 1 Timothy 1:6; ματαιολόγοι vaintalkers, 1 Timothy 1:10; ματαιότης vanity Romans 8:20; Ephesians 4:17; ἐματαιώθησαν weremade vain, Romans 1:21; μάτην invain, Matthew 15:9. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 3:20 mean?

And again [The] Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile
καὶ πάλιν Κύριος γινώσκει τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῶν σοφῶν ὅτι εἰσὶν μάταιοι

πάλιν  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πάλιν  
Sense: anew, again.
Κύριος  [The]  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
γινώσκει  knows 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.
διαλογισμοὺς  thoughts 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: διαλογισμός  
Sense: the thinking of a man deliberating with himself.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
σοφῶν  wise 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: σοφός  
Sense: wise.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
εἰσὶν  they  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
μάταιοι  futile 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μάταιος  
Sense: devoid of force, truth, success, result.

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