Wisdom from God Sunday School July 26, 2026

The World’s stupidity compared to God’s wisdom

The Point: Believers have the wisdom of God because we have the Spirit of God.

We are going to learn about the role of the Holy Spirit in Revealing God’s Will to US

1 Corinthians 1:17-19

17 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.

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

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

In 1 Corinthians 1:17–19, Paul means that human cleverness cannot save people, and that relying on fancy speech ruins the true power of Jesus dying on the cross. He wants the believers in Corinth to stop arguing about human leaders and focus only on Christ. [1, 2, 3, 4]Key Meanings in the Text

The Cross Over Speech: Paul says his main job is to share the good news of Jesus, not to use fancy, high-class human wisdom that makes people praise the speaker instead of God. [1, 2]

God’s Power vs. Human Wisdom: To people who are lost, the story of a crucified Savior sounds foolish. But to those who believe, it is the true and mighty power of God. [1]

Failing Human Pride: Paul quotes the Old Testament (Isaiah 29:14) to show that God purposely shatters human pride and wisdom, proving that smart human ideas cannot reach God on their own. [1, 2]

The apostle decries the division among the Corinthian believers. They were behaving as if there were four different churches: the Pauline church, the Apollonian church, the Petrine church, and the Christian church. No, Paul says, you are all part of one church. Christ is not divided. It does not matter who baptized you; you were all baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), and the church has one Lord (Ephesians 4:5). Paul was sent to preach a specific message. He was literally “set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1). As the Lord told Ananias soon after Paul’s conversion, “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). The message of the gospel—Jesus’ sacrificial death for sin and His subsequent resurrection—is the only message that saves (see Romans 1:16). It is appropriate that Paul focused on proclaiming the gospel everywhere he went. Among the Corinthians, he chose to “forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2, NLT). We are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9). That includes the work of baptism. First Corinthians 1:17 is a refutation of baptismal regeneration. If baptism is necessary for salvation, why would Paul say that he is “thankful” that he did not baptize any but a few of the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:14)? And why would he say, “Christ did not send me to baptize”? If baptism is necessary for salvation, Paul would essentially be saying, “I am thankful that you are not saved,” and “For Christ did not send me to save people.” Paul preached the gospel; he kept his focus on the saving work Christ “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:17). To require baptism as a part of salvation destroys the meaning of grace, replaces faith with ritual, and empties the cross of its power to save.

Lesson verses start here!

The verses below are where Paul is saying Christ and His gospel are more powerful than anything the world has to offer. We should be anchored in that word

The first part this week is going to be about Wisdom and How Short man falls to God. When we get in the second parts of the lesson we will find out how we get the wisdom of God and that is through the Spirit and the Word.

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 (looked at Wes Henson as well)

King James Version Chapter 1

20 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?

Worldly Wisdom is foolishness

We need the wisdom of God to understand God

Look closely at OF this World

The scribe is the teacher of the law who thinks they get in by living the laws

The gentile is the disputer of this world: Greeks and all their knowledge

Human wisdom can never lead to salvation, only Christ on the cross can do that

King James Version Chapter 1

21 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.

Wisdom of God is so much greater than the wisdom of the world

Intellect philosophy and science cannot lead people to know God

You must have faith over intellect: The SMART people would think preaching a message of a crucified savior would be the way to salvation.

Eternal life would come through death

People Jews and Gentiles alike would not get Christ as Powerful because His power was so much different that the world’s view

King James Version Chapter 1

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

Jews always want a sign or a prophecy look at the Torah, the Greeks want to be great philosophers, debaters, etc.

King James Version Chapter 1

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

Jews cant get past the traditions, and the Greeks think dying for life makes no sense

King James Version Chapter 1

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

Christ is the center of the power and wisdom of which they both seek

Man can never achieve transcendence unless they find rest and trust in Jesus

King James Version Chapter 1

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

This is an irony because God can’t be week or foolish

Paul is really showing how silly anyone can be that thinks an all powerful God is not perfect in every way

ASK: How does our culture elevate man’s wisdom over God’s truth?

Part II

One God 3 Parts (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) 1 God 3 Persons

If God was small enough for our Brain He would not be big enough for our needs (pastor John Miller) 5 things below from his sermon

1 Holy Spirit gives Revelation: 9 and 10

2 Holy Spirit of Inspiration: 12-13 it teaches

3 Holy Spirit of Illumination: 14-16

4 Holy Spirit is Transforming Spirit

2 Cor. where Lonnie just preached veiled and unveiled glory to glory

5 Holy Spirit is Regenerating Spirit (not specifically addressed here but renewing in us)

1 Corinthians 2:9–11 (KJV 1900)

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

As it is written is like Isaiah 64:4

Isaiah 64:4 (KJV 1900)

4  For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear,

Neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee,

What he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Remember there is power here as the Jews would have accepted Isaiah as truth

God’s plan goes beyond anything we know and is beyond the physical realm

God prepared so that preparation transcends all time past to present

There is nothing of God we could understand on our own

Faith, belief, and assurance in God

Thus we need the Spirit which will be addressed below

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

The spirit does lots of things, inspired the Bible, illuminates the bible, applies the bible

The spirit indwells and empowers believers, convicts of sin, points to Jesus, the Sprit is a gift, a friend, assurer of salvation, helps resist sin, the Spirit produces empowers witness, allows us to walk with God, allows transformation, it is the connector, assists in prayer, and gives us the daily walk with God

God is way to deep for us to understand just as his Glory would blind us, a mere glimpse at His wisdom would blow our minds

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

If you really want to know someone ask the person (John Miller)

The Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God

God’s way is so much greater than ours

The beautiful thing is to know the Word is to know God. Our Bible is our source of wisdom. God will reveal through His word.

Also lets discuss by question: What obstacles do we face in knowing the mind of God?

Then discuss head knowledge vs heart knowledge.

Part III

1 Corinthians 2:12–16 (KJV 1900)

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

This we is we apostles which makes senses (John Miller)

In this spirit of the world Satan is the deceiver

This version of spirit of the world is where we are blinded and cannot see the light of the Gospel

This is the state of the unbeliever, and can be a trap to the believer as well

This where we are blocked to the free gift of salvation

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Verbal inspiration the Word of God and the Words of God. 2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture given by inspiration of God. (John Miller) The word inspiration in Greek means breathed out, God breathed out the Word

Man is the image barer of God but our image of Him is often Distorted

Worldly wisdom is useless in things of God

Only spiritual things can understand the spirit

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

To be spiritually discerned is that if you have the Spirit you can understand God’s word and will. If you don’t you will view God’s things as foolishness

"Spiritually discerned" means understanding deep truths through God's Spirit rather than by human brain power alone. This concept comes mainly from the Bible in 1 Corinthians 2:14, which states that people who rely only on normal human thinking cannot grasp God's ways because those truths look like foolishness to them

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

God is the judge of all. Man is foolish, man is week, man cannot judge God or people of God.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Isaiah 40:13

Isaiah 40:13 (KJV 1900)

13  Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD,

Or being his counseller hath taught him?

Isaiah 40:13 means that God is completely wise and all-knowing, so no human can ever teach Him, guide His actions, or give Him advice. [1, 2]

The big thing here is Paul relates them back to Isaiah but in those days the people did not have the Spirit inside. Now they do. That is the Mind of Christ

We as born again people

How do we decide what the Holy Spirit is directing and what our personal preferences are?

What would you describe as having a mind of Christ?