Paul turned from the content of the gospel to the Corinthian believers to strengthen his argument that the gospel he preached contradicted human expectations. God had chosen "nobodies" rather than the "beautiful people" of Corinth. They themselves were evidence that God"s "foolishness" confounds the "wise." Jeremiah 9:23-24, with its emphasis on boasting in one proper thing or another improper thing, lies behind this pericope. [source][source][source]