For the word of the cross is, to the annihilated, stupidity; to us, being saved, it is God's power. It is written: For I will annihilate the wise man's wisdom, and the intelligent man's intelligence I will set aside. Where is the wise one? Where is the literate one? Where is the debater of this era? Has not God made stupid the universe's wisdom? For as in God's wisdom, the universe through wisdom did not know God, so God was pleased through the stupidity of the proclamation to save the faithful. Now Jews request signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, to the Jewish very much a stumblingblock but to the nations stupidity -- but to the invited, Jew and also Greek, Christ, God's power and God's wisdom.
For God's stupidity is wiser than humanity and God's weakness stronger than humanity. For examine your invitation, brothers, how not many fleshly-wise, not many powerful, not many well-born, but the universe's stupid have been picked out by God that he might disgrace the wise, and the universe's weak have been picked out by God that he might disgrace the strong, and the universe's low-born and ignored have been picked out by God, and the substanceless, that he might neutralize the substantial, so that no flesh at all may boast before God. Because of him, you, however, are in Christ Jesus, who has been made wisdom from God to us, justice, and also holiness and ransom, that it may be as it is written: Who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.
[1 Corinthians 1:18-31, my rough translation.]
