God's Wisdom is Greater Than Man's Wisdom - FBWS

Good afternoon everyone. I am so glad to be back with you, after the last couple weeks. Last week and a half as you know Deb and I were sick. Two weeks ago I had a chance to share a message Sunday morning in a small church east of here, and –full disclaimer—the message today is going to be that same message.

Our text this afternoon is 1 Corinthians chapter 1, you can turn there. While I assure you this message is not about computers and technology, I am going to begin with a story on technology. A book was recently published on technology and Christian life that concludes with a chapter on the question “How should we use technology today?” Now in this chapter, he observes that technology works through four stages – discovery, production, adoption, and adaption. In the first phase of discovery, he refers to the finding of new tech. Lets consider the first automobile. In the case of the second phase of production, think of the process whereby the new technology can actually be provided to others – such as the manufacturing plants of Henry Ford in Dearborn MI when the earliest automobiles were built en masse. Then, in the adoption phase, there is the place where technology actually gets to you and me. Eventually, cars got to us. The car at its fundamental reality amplifies our ability to use our physical abilities—in the case of the automobile, it enables us to travel father away to get the basic needs of life, it enables us to move more stuff at once in the case of a pickup truck. Surely, for such a community like this, can you imagine life without the automobile? Most of us normally actually take it for granted today. Our society, this community, has surely been changed by the use of the automobile. However, there is a fourth stage that technology should get to, and that is the adapting stage where these new abilities for what is best for mankind. The problem with technology, with an automobile, is that it cannot tell us what is the best way to use that technology. It doesn’t have a built in “instruction book”. We have to look elsewhere to find this—what we need to properly use technology, Now man has its own wisdom it tries to use to figure out the best way to use technology, but are they figuring it out yet? Well, that remains to be seen. More important than just technology, is man’s basic needs. We all face common issues, and the Bible presents man’s sin and our most basic need. It is here that God’s wisdom is most needed. Today, we are going to talk about how God’s wisdom is greater than man’s foolish wisdom.

Paul is writing to the church of Corinth, a city in Greece in the 1st century shortly after Christ lived. If you heard Pastor’s Sunday morning message last week, I am going to repeat some of the same ground he covered—I told you this is the same message I had already shared two weeks ago! But no The city of Corinth was a cosmopolitan city, with lots of different kinds of people, permissive morals seeing it was known for sexual behaviors that were very promiscuous. Given its geography, at a key juncture in the Greek area, it also had a lot of commerce too. Think of the large cities of the world today, perhaps a place like New York City. Corinth was along those lines. Yet, even for all its worldiness, we know Jews, people who knew the one true God were there. In Acts, and even here in this epistle as we shall see, there was interactions with Jews. So, Corinth was quite a diverse place. Paul has a lot of issue he needs to deal with. Foundational for him though is the centrality of Jesus Christ and the wisdom of God which Christ brought to us.

Lets read in 1 Corinthians 1, our text will be verses 18-31, but I’d like to begin with v10.

1 Corinthians 1:10–31 (KJV 1900)

10Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

(This is the first issue of several problems Paul addresses the church, the issue of divisions. He moves on to explain why this is an issue)

11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

(so someone wrote to him or spoke with Paul in person).

12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

(So Paul is noting that there is no place for factionalism, noting that all men are but servants of Christ and that there is also a unity between Christ and those who work with him. He then goes on to explain how he did not exhibit this kind of sectarian).

14I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

15Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

16And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

(this is where he gets to the key idea with which we are dealing here)

18For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

So, this passage is summarized in the idea that God’s wisdom which brings salvation is greater than man’s foolish wisdom. Mankind may have wisdom but it is actually foolish wisdom.

One commentator summaries it by saying “Against the spirit of factionalism, Paul carefully presents the wisdom of the cross. As humble saints, our only boast is in the Lord Jesus, who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.” That’s what we’re going to unpack here.

Paul has begun this epistle, as we read, by dealing with the issue of division in the Corinthian church. In that context, he took a moment to explain the essence of his ministry. Back in v17, the beginning of our text, he says ”For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” Paul was a preacher—he began preaching from the very beginning, you may recall. After he met the Lord on the Road to Damascus, was blinded by seeing him, and eventually healed, he right away starts preaching in the city of Damascus.

What introduces our main passage is his comment that he did not preach with “wisdom of words” or “cleverness of speech.” In another translation. In the Corinthian context, another thing that was a big deal, was this issue of profound speech. Really, the Greek way of speaking focused more on the form than the actual content. The Corinthians would’ve been looking for Paul to sound good, but as he is saying, he did not come speaking like that in order to preach to them.

He is saying here that his mission was the preaching of the gospel, not baptism. But he has in view that he does not want to make the cross less effective, and that is going to depend on the subject of which we speak in this message.

The focus of vv18-31 is actually an explanation for why the cross is indeed foolishness to the world, but wisdom to us. In chapter 2, notice He will pick back up the theme of a description of his manner of ministry on this point. However, here, the focus is on explaining the reality of the world in which Paul had to minister – where the gospel is foolish and man’s wisdom is treated as wisdom. Lets take a look at how he describes the contrast between the world and the believer.

Verse 18 jumps out off the page with its profound statement on which this entire section is built

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” The for at the beginning is what signals this is an explanation. Paul begins his explanation of the reason for his avoidance of Greek rhetoric by contrasting two groups – to one group, the cross is foolish, to the other it is the power of God. Note that even later again in chapter 2, there is a link between wisdom and power in this discussion – chapter 2 verses 4-5 Paul elaborates that “[his] speech and [his] preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Wisdom, in God, is not weak or without power. Rather, it is powerful. “The power of the cross” is real.

It is telling that the fundamental way he describes the people of God and the people of this world are in the terms of “saved” and “perish.” Paul clearly identifies himself with those being saved, saying “us who are being saved.” Now, some other translations with some validity translate these terms in terms of a process on going – so “being saved” or “perishing” Even if that is an acceptable way to take it as the intended mean, Paul would be not denying that salvation happens at a moment. But, it is possible to see this in at least two ways—first, we are continually being saved by Christ in his never ending intercession for us in heaven.

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb 7:25

Second, though, is the idea that we are being saved from sin through this life – through progressive sanctification where God is making us like Christ as we obey him, submitting to Him, in this life. Later, the text will touch on our positional sanctification where we are set apart to God at salvation but here, my point is referring to the progressive salvation from sin.

Both of these ideas help us see that theologically it is not inconsistent with “being saved.” But the point is indeed the contrast between the group of the saved and the group of the lost.

Now, I have two additional points on this verse to shed some light.

First of all, it is not that the Greeks for whom the wisdom of God was foolishness had no concept of salvation. Rather, many Greek systems would’ve viewed salvation in terms of being saved from this physical body through some kind of existence after death. In light of this, it’s noteworthy that even beyond the cross itself they would’ve stumbled at the Christian doctrine of resurrection—

Paul deals with that later int his very book in chapter 15, read it some time if you get a chance. A Biblical example of their stumbling at the truth of the resurrection may be found in Acts 17 just before Paul visits Corinth, he is in the Greek city Athens and when he brings up the resurrection that’s been seen as a dividing point in that narrative. So, when Paul speaks of the Greeks perishing, it is from a different perspective than the Greeks themselves would’ve viewed themselves with respect to salvation. He has in view that we are either saved from sin or perishing in our sin.

Second, note that the verse references that the “word of the cross is foolishness”. Paul here especially focuses on the preaching about the cross- In the modern world, with the Christian influence and the distance from the Roman Empire, the symbol of the cross may lose its significance.

One study Bible said “[t]his method of execution was considered so crude it was not even mentioned in polite company.” Think about this – our culture, doesn’t understand what the deal is about the cross. Often, we probably need to explain it – like Paul did frankly. But for Paul, he also had to overcome this stigma associated with it. Oh what a wonderous Savior – “He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3).

Paul continues with a quote from Isaiah, “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

These two phrases, probably synonymous parallelism meaning they are communicating the same basic idea. God’s wisdom, embodied in the cross, is going to have the effect of destroying the supposed wisdom of the wise of this world. The second part another way to take it is that He will confound their understanding. This speaks of the kind of victory from war where one triumphs over your enemy who has remained alive and not merely killed by you.

Paul continues “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

Paul includes two new categories, though again like with the previous quotes from Isaiah, it isn’t necessarily that he’s envisioning an entirely different class of person in “scribe” and “disputer of this world” but they may be related to the general idea of “wise person”. The “disputer of this world” makes one think of the kind of philosophical debates which Greeks were tending to do. The question Paul asks at the end is indeed a rhetorical question, and it is clear it is intended to have a negative answer. As far as the true reality, the wisdom of the world is indeed foolish.

Verse 21 concludes this section where Paul says that “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” As elsewhere in the New Testament, faith alone is the means by which we receive salvation in Christ. This salvation really is at the heart of the wisdom of God as Paul conceives it. In this verse, it is clear that the focus is not on the act of preaching as foolishness but the content of the message—going back to the cross, to the resurrection, as has been discussed earlier.

Knowing God is an interesting concept in Scripture—in general revelation, it is clear that all men know God exists – whether they accept it or not. However, there are times in Scripture where the idea of knowing God has to do with being in a living relationship with Him, and in fact such a relationship is marked by obedience – see for example 1 John 2. By getting saved, we do know God in a sense above the world, but it still depends on our walking in obediences to live in full light of that reality.

The next mini-section is found in vv22-25 where Paul explains further the two different types of foolish responses to his message as found in two different groups, the Jews and the Greeks. Paul begins “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” These two groups personify the religious rejector of Christ, seen in the Scriptures especially in Acts and in the Gospels, and the Greeks, the skeptical rejector of Christ. These two groups are still with us today but in the west, especially the large cities in our country but also such rural parts as here, most favor this kind of Greek skeptical attitude. The contrast is seen in the Jewish unwillingness to receive Christ, treating him as a stumbling block, but in the Greek rejection of the message of Christ as utter foolishness. However, at the end of the day, both are as foolish by rejecting the Son of God.

Regardless of what one may be naturally, as we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, Paul makes clear that some see Christ as he rightly is. He says “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God..”, recalling how these two ideas are joined.

Wisdom has the power of God. God’s power is manifest through the wisdom seen in the cross. He saves sinners who could not be saved.

But even more noteworthy is his statement that Jews and even Greeks, it seems there may be a slight emphasis on the idea that even Greeks who were so steeped in this worldly wisdom could be saved. On the word of calling, I will admit that one may think of certain theological doctrines—one has a sense of fearing where the angels fear to tread in such doctrines of election and calling. All I would point out today is, comparing Scripture with Scripture, that every believer is indeed called of God, seen in such passages as Romans 8:28-30 where you have that golden chain of redemption – foreknown, predestined, called, justified, glorifed. However, the method of this call is perhaps where there is difficulty. Paul will reference the idea of calling in a few more verses. This is a topic that Christians have debated and studied for years. I can hardly claim to figure it out, but all I would say is that you do not have to subscribe to the popular five-point Calvinism to avoid being what’s called an “Arminian.” But in a nutshell, I see this here as a reference to the position we all have as Christians – we are called as evidenced by our reception of the gospel.

Paul concludes “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” It’s like a child playing with his father, and no matter how weakened the father may be, still overpowering the child’s attempts to beat his father, so is God greater than the best of mankind even in his so called lowest point. Perhaps no other point was God “weak” or “foolish” than in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Before we move on to the rest of the passage, a final qualification needs to be made. For the Greeks, they often exercised a speculative kind of philosophy, the pursuit of knowledge about areas that are so abstract, but Paul here focuses on the real action of the work of Christ in the cross. One commentator notes – and I agree – “Paul does not want the Corinthians to think that the gospel is nothing more than a philosophical system, a supremely wise system that stands over against the folly of others. It is far more: where human wisdom utterly fails to deal with human need, God himself has taken action.” It is not that Christianity does not have a philosophical system—beliefs about the nature of reality, the nature of language, and other important areas. It is just not Paul’s focus here. We do have practical needs for living which God also wants to address through wisdom found in the wisdom books of the Bible. But, we are seeing as we develop this exposition that there is definitely a salvation dimension to God’s wisdom, and it is because our salvation from sin is so foundational to our need.

Paul continues, entering the final section of the passage in vv26-31. Specifically in vv26-28, he gloriously turns his attention to the saved. So far, his discussion has focused on the foolish wisdom of the world. But in this later section, he turns to the saved.

He writes “For ye see your calling,,,” There’s that word again. “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:.”

It has been said that an “m” is what saved certain people of “high society” to become Chistians, because the verse implies that some wise, some mighty were called rather than saying not any wise, not any mighty.

But still the point in light of context, is that it is rare for the wise, mighty, and noble of this world to become believers. No, Scripture continues “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” In light of the point concerning the few wise who are saved, this verse seems to highlight that God does not only choose the “foolish things” but that he has taken a special interest in choosing the foolish of this world to shame the wise. Isn’t this true? Don’t you know some Christians through history who seem to defy worldly wisdom by doing much more than they should be able to?

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen,” This word ”despised” can even be translated disdained, and both words seem to communicate such an utter “good for nothing” attitude toward the people whom Paul is saying are actually people who are saved.

And then, Paul uses a very interesting expression—I find it interesting anyway—saying, “yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:,” So, this is the language of being. If I were to paraphrase it, I might say “[God chose] the things that don‘t even exist as far as the world is concerned, to render the things that appear to matter utterly useless.” God just turns the tables

As we turn to the conclusion of the message, Paul explains why --“ That no flesh should glory in his presence”

He is committed to His own glory, and it is right because He is greater than all created things. He has ordered the way of salvation such that He gets all the glory, and part of that is by what Paul has discussed here. Romans 3:27 points out that the principle of faith alone is a basis for excluding our boasting.

Paul continues, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Righteousness – I am taking this as justification before God, the heart of the gospel. Our sins put on Christ, and His righteousness put on us. Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

Sanctification or one translation was holiness. In this epistle, elsewhere it has to do with a positionally setting apart – see espeically 1 Cor 6:11 as an example – so Paul may be focusing on our being set apart to God in the moment of salvation.

Last, he references redemption. This word group has connections with OT concepts, but is found in the NT too, and it especially refers to our being bought back from the slave market of sin.

The grammar of this verse is interesting, and it Is not perfectly clear whether we have the four things – wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption together, or If, as some other translations shows it, there is a focus on Christ having been made wisdom to us, and that his wisdom is found in these three areas. That’s how I favor it. Why all this fous on these aspects of God’s wisdom? It’s because it is here that our need is clearest. We need righteousness, we need to be set apart to God, and we need to be bought back from God. And he repeats it again, “That, according as it is written, nHe that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” What a wonderful savior, he is our wisdom. His wisdom is wiser than the foolishness of men.

Our boast is in the Lord alone. Paul later revisits this section’s themes down in chapter 3:18, saying “let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” We belong to God, if we have indeed renounced the wisdom of the world and become foolish so that we can become wise. When we do this, Christ is made wisdom to us—righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. If you are listening today, have you come to see this wisdom of God? If so, this is meant to impact your life every day—you have died to sin, and can walk by the Spirit to fulfill the desires of the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

I would like to conclude with reading a song written several years ago by Ron Hamilton Calvary’s Blood (#253), and we’re going to close the service with singing it .

I carried a burden, a staggering weight, And struggled for freedom but could not escape.

I trembled and cried at the thought of my fate-What must I do to be saved?

I desp’rately searched for release from my pain But found that man’s wisdom was useless and vain.

Is there not a pow’r that can break ev’ry chain? What must I do to be saved?

Jesus’ blood flows from Calvary Breaking Satan’s pow’r, setting captives free

Greatest gift of the greatest love—Heaven paid the price with Calvary’s blood. Heaven paid the price with Calvary’s blood.