This week's Bible study will be the second half of 1st Corinthians chapter one

Man's Wisdom Is Foolishness To God

[1^st Corinthians 1, verses 18-31]

In today's lesson we will finish up the first chapter of First Corinthians in our continuing series on the writings of the apostle Paul. In last weeks lesson we went into detail regarding Paul's appeal to the early church for unity among its members. But in the second half of chapter one, Paul changes gears and talks about the definition of wisdom from God's viewpoint, and how man's definition of wisdom is considered by God to be foolishness. I'm beginning today's lesson from where we left off last week, starting at verse 18.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block for Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.” [I Corinthians 1: 18-25 NIV]

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” There are those unfortunate individuals who simply refuse to believe in Jesus, or who deny that He was the Son of God who rose from the dead on the morning of the third day, and who scoff at Christianity. Many of these people who refuse to believe are atheists. While I will respect their opinions, the whole idea of there being no God at all is very foreign to many, including myself. Any person who says there is no God is really saying that mankind is the highest form of life and intellect in existence. Personally, I don't believe that for one second. There has got to be something more, and so I do not believe that mankind is the end of all things. Besides, in the very next sentences Paul writes, “'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” Albert Einstein, arguably one of the smartest men who ever lived, is incomparable to God in terms of wisdom and discernment. Paul wrote those words 1,900 years before Einstein lived.

But look at what Paul wrote in the very next sentence. “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” To explain this I can just say it another way: The world, wise though it may be in its own way, did not know God spiritually or intellectually. But God made the world to be this way because it pleased Him to do so. Because only in this way could He then make a path of salvation back to himself through His Son Christ Jesus. By the same token, God was similarly pleased with men who preached without the baptism of the Spirit (more on that later in a separate study), not because they did so willfully but rather because they had been unaware of the existence of Spirit baptism. In other words, the Spirit of the Lord can cause men to act as if they were in the Spirit whether they have received the baptism of the Spirit or not. One does not need to go to a church in order to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. God will continue to do so as He continues to pour out His Spirit upon all humankind here in the last days on earth as we have known it, as it is written in the Old Testament: “... And afterward I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will turn to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; for on Mt. Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.” (Joel chapter 2, verses 28-32, NIV)

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.” This bit of Scripture is a continuation of where Paul quoted further above from the book of Isaiah chapter 29 and verse 14; “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” And again it is written in the Old Testament, “Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?” Such are the stark reminders of man's place in the universe. Paul then continues this train of thought and picks up where he left off in verse 26:

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord'.” [I Corinth. 1: 26-31 NIV]

In the first sentence Paul is reminding the early Christians of where they were before they were saved. In the same way, we Christians are to be doing the same thing today. We should be ever mindful of where and what we were at before we were saved, especially spiritually. But God then reassures us through Paul's words: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him”. All those people who are in the highest echelons of government and of organized religion think they have things all figured out. They are sure that they know what is best for the rest of us. You can be sure that they boast about that among themselves. But it is the rest of us who know that God is in control. “Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'”

So now we have an improved way to keep a better perspective on things. We know what true wisdom is and its origin. And we know that part of true wisdom is recognizing the fact the we are very insignificant compared with God, and that we should never second-guess God. Instead we are to keep focused on Him and on His Word as a guide through life. Let's all start doing this together today as we draw closer to Him so He can be closer to us. And next week we'll move on to chapter two. Shalom!