18-3-25, 1 Cor. 1:18-31, God Shames the Worldly Wise

Sages and Stooges: Having the Right Kind of Wisdom & Being the Right Kind of Fool

In this series, we are looking at wisdom and folly. Inside of us, there is a natural desire to be wise. No one wants to be a fool, right? We want to be sages instead of stooges.

We want to make wise decisions in life about important things like our families, careers, money, and especially what to believe and the destiny of our souls.

Wise decisions result in the gain (of what’s really important) and foolish decisions that will result in loss (of what we care about).

So we are looking at wisdom, and how to be wise.

The Bible says there are only two sources of wisdom: worldly wisdom and godly wisdom.

Over the last two weeks we’ve looked at the differences between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom.

Over the

Those who have money

In the Bible, godly wisdom comes from the heart of God and is revealed to us in the Bible. It teaches us to begin with the Lord and to put our faith in Him. It starts and ends with the gospel and teaches us to make ourselves nothing and become humble servants of God in this life. It teaches us a delayed gratification, that all the gains that you really want (ultimate gain), God will give to you in heaven. In godly wisdom, God gets all the credit and He celebrates the humble who trust in Him.

Worldly wisdom worries about gaining earthly treasure in this life. It’s most concerned about money, power, physical beauty, talent, ability, intelligence, education, rhetoric, class, family pride, and fame.

Those who have power

It’s not that these things are inherently bad, it is just that worldly wisdom teaches that these things are the key to having the full life. Worldly wisdom teaches people to want these things more than anything else. It celebrates those who have them. So people strive for them with all their hearts, minds, and souls. But these things will fizzle away at the end of this life. They are lousy as the meaning of life.

It celebrates those who have them. If you have these then your will find open doors and favor from others. If you have these then you become part of a club of people who cling to one another, guarding what they have from those who have not.

Those who have physical beauty

Among the problems of worldly wisdom, its sages are tempted to believe they are somehow responsible for their good fortune in life. People who follow worldly wisdom often become proud. Sadly, the Bible says they tend to put their faith in earthly things instead of the Lord.

Those who have talent

Those who are intelligent and educated

Those who can persuade

Those who have strength

Those who come from famous families

Such people find open doors and favor from others. These people find opportunities and resources. People with these things support one another and cling to one another, guarding what they have from these who have not. They scratch one another’s backs. Folks with these attributes are tempted to put their faith in them. They are tempted to believe to become proud because they possess these attributes (never mind that everyone of these attributes were given to them). Those who have these things believe that these are the key to having the full life, to get everything a person could want. Worldly wisdom teaches people to want these things more than anything else.

enjoy success.

God is very opposed to human pride. How could the created boast in himself instead of boasting in the Creator who gives him everything? It’s like a clay vessel talking back to the potter.

As we’ve been working through , you’ve probably noticed God’s strong words for those who follow the tenets of worldly wisdom and those who are wise in their own eyes and boast in themselves.

Those who have power

This morning we are going to see that God enjoys setting the record straight regarding who is really wise and who are really fools. He shames the wordly wise and He humiliates the strong. He puts humans in their place. His word will be the last word. His wisdom will be the only one that stands. This satisfies His glory.

In doing this, He also exalts the weak and lowly.

Matthew 23:12 ESV

12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

This morning your going to want to listen intently for two reasons.

You may resonate with being weak and lowly. You’ve been trying to figure out how you are going to have a meaningful and purposeful life when you are so lacking in the things the world calls important. This morning, I hope that you see that you are in the perfect place to call out to God and trust in the Gospel- to follow godly wisdom.

You may be quite accomplished according to worldly standards. Today’s passage should be a welcome invitation to ask yourself, “Am I trusting in these things or am I trusting in God?” It’s not wrong to have the things I mentioned earlier. God is the one who gave them to you as a gift.

Yet, they are to be possessed very carefully, with constant evaluation, to make sure that your trust remains first and foremost on the Lord. Think about what you have.

Is there anything that would completely devastate you if it were gone tomorrow? Would God be enough for you if those were gone. Remember Jesus’ words,

Mark 8:36 ESV

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

He enjoys doing this by working His wisdom through the weak and the

As we’ve been working through , notice that is not as impressed by people who boast in these things and in their own merits. Instead, He wants people to trust in Him, not in themselves. He is the ultimate source of gain, not the things the world boasts in. He favors opposite attributes like poverty, weakness, beauty of the heart, inability, simpleness, commonness. These attributes foster humility and set the tone for dependents on Him.

that is not as impressed by people who boast in these things and in their own merits. Instead, He wants people to trust in Him, not in themselves. He is the ultimate source of gain, not the things the world boasts in. He favors opposite attributes like poverty, weakness, beauty of the heart, inability, simpleness, commonness. These attributes foster humility and set the tone for dependents on Him.

I notice that is not as impressed by people who boast in these things and in their own merits. Instead, He wants people to trust in Him, not in themselves. He is the ultimate source of gain, not the things the world boasts in. He favors opposite attributes like poverty, weakness, beauty of the heart, inability, simpleness, commonness. These attributes foster humility and set the tone for dependents on Him.

You see this time and time again in Scripture: God’s choice of Israel, Moses, Gideon, David, Mary the mother of Jesus…the people God celebrates portray a lot of foolishness or weakness by worldly standards.

Those who have talent

This is best demonstrated by the gospel, where the Son of God sets aside His glory to become a poor carpenter, deny Himself in obedience to God, even to suffer undeserved death on the cross. Those who recognize their weakness and, in humility, put their trust in Christ are the ones who gain everything in the end.

Those who are intelligent and educated

wh

Those who have strength

Those who come from famous families

This is godly wisdom and there is great irony in it. Today, we are going to learn that God takes great pleasure in shaming the strong and boastful and exalting the weak and lowly.

You may be a pretty pathetic human being and you know it. You’ve been trying to figure out how you are going to have a meaningful and purposeful life when you are so lacking in the things the world calls important. This morning, I hope that you see that you are ripe for God’s wisdom. You’ve got a lot going for you friend. In your humility, you are in the perfect place to call out to God and trust in the Gospel, without having to shed your dependence on worldly things.

You may be quite accomplished according to worldly standards. Today’s passage should be a welcome invitation to ask yourself, “Am I trusting in these things or am I trusting in God?” It’s not wrong to have the attributes I mentioned earlier. God is the one who gave them to you as a gift. Yet, they are to be possessed very carefully, with constant evaluation, to make sure that your trust remains first and foremost on the Lord. Think about what you have. Is there anything that would completely devastate you if it were gone tomorrow? Would God be enough for you if those were gone. Remember Jesus’ words,

Mark 8:36 ESV

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Mark 8:36 ESV

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Mark 8:35–36 ESV

35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

The church in Corinth became a troubled congregation. Paul evangelized Corinth and helped to establish a church there during his second missionary journey. Many Jewish and Gentile Corinthians experienced the mighty power of Christ and were born again.

Paul spent 18 months in Corinth teaching the Christians about the Scriptures and showing them how to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.

However, after Paul left…cultural forces, divisive personalities, and false teachers invaded the congregation.

The Corinthians lost their focus on Christ and became intrigued with worldly wisdom. They started to long for markers of success based on the world’s standard. As a result, they became divisive, haughty, and they adopted attitudes and actions which were in conflict with the wisdom of God.

They were getting off track and they were heading toward loss. Paul writes to them to help them to get back to the right perspective...

1 Corinthians 1:18–20 ESV

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

As we’ve discussed before, the Word of the Cross refers to the gospel message. It is the epitome of the wisdom of God. It centers on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Paul explains that people of worldly wisdom scoff at the gospel. They don’t see it as useful to get what they want. Yet, ironically, the worldly wise are the ones who will having nothing when it is all said and done.

Paul says here that they are perishing. This word means that even though they think they are living it up and have everything the world tells them to want, they we will fail to gain in the end.

Those who have power

Those who have physical beauty

Perishing- the worldly wise, those who will fail to gain in the end, those without spiritual life, wise in their own sight

Those who have talent

They will miss out on God and heaven. Everything they have will be taken away. The money, power, physical beauty, talents, intelligence, family.

Those who are intelligent and educated

Those who can persuade

Those who have strength

Those who come from famous families

Yet, in this passage, those being saved through faith in God, will be rescued from sin and hell and will result in all of these blessings in heaven in the glory of God (Every spiritual blessing Eph. 1:3). It will happen because of God’s power, not their own.

It will happen because of God’s power, not their own. The path to heaven comes in trusting God’s power to save, redeem, deliver from sin and death, and come into heaven, and dispense of every spiritual blessing.

Paul quotes

Isaiah 29:14 ESV

14 therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

which reveals God’s plan for the wordly wise who are so proud and wise in their own eyes.

Isaiah 64:4 ESV

4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

God will destroy wordly wisdom in the end. It will perish with its adherents

He will thwart (render ineffective; invalidate) the discernment of people who trust in themselves.

God is going to frustrate the plans of the self-styled intelligent.

This reminds me of the second half of psalm 1

Psalm 1:5–6 ESV

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

psalm 1:

So, God has both the power to save and to destroy.

It’s interesting in this, God has both the power to save and to destroy.

Paul goes on. The tone is almost mocking toward those who are proud. Particularly those who will reject the wisdom of God their entire lives.

Paul goes on

Scribe- an expert interpreter and teacher of a body of writings. In this case- of worldly wisdom. The genius who believes he has truth without God.

discernment- (synesis) comprehension; an ability to understand the meaning or importance of something.

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

The wise of this world are on their way to destruction (1:18) because the Scriptures declare that God will destroy the “wisdom of the wise” and will frustrate the plans of the self-styled intelligent (1:19). God’s power both to save and to destroy

Scribe- an expert interpreter and teacher of a body of writings. In this case- of worldly wisdom.

Debater- the evangelist of worldly wisdom

When all is made objectively known to everyone, this person God has made foolish. Made Foolish- to cause to be marked by lack of good sense or judgement. He will be wrong and his wisdom empty

Age- world’s system and standards

Made Foolish- to cause to be marked by lack of good sense or judgement.

Isaiah 29:14 ESV

14 therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

How has God done this? God used irony.

God revealed true wisdom by using the opposite of the values of worldly wisdom.

The world values money, power, physical beauty, talent, ability, intelligence, education, rhetoric, class, family pride, pride in self, and fame.

wisdom- finite wisdom (sophia) ability to acquire and discern truth about natural and supernatural matters without the assistance or revelation of God, perhaps denoted of a manipulative character.

wise- adherents to finite worldly wisdom

discernment- (synesis) comprehension; an ability to understand the meaning or importance of something.

Thwart- invalidate; take away the legal force of or render ineffective.

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

The wise of this world are on their way to destruction (1:18) because the Scriptures declare that God will destroy the “wisdom of the wise” and will frustrate the plans of the self-styled intelligent (1:19). God’s power both to save and to destroy

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

The wise of this world are on their way to destruction (1:18) because the Scriptures declare that God will destroy the “wisdom of the wise” and will frustrate the plans of the self-styled intelligent (1:19). God’s power both to save and to destroy

God revealed His wisdom, ultimately expressed in the gospel by using poverty, weakness, beauty of the heart, inability, simpleness, commonness. These attributes foster humility and set the tone for dependents on Him.

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

More significantly, however, “the ‘wonderful’ yet ‘shocking’ things (Isa 29:13–14) the prophet foretells, with messianic overtones, are what Paul declares have now transpired through Christ-crucified.”

I notice that is not as impressed by people who boast in these things and in their own merits. Instead, He wants people to trust in Him, not in themselves. He is the ultimate source of gain, not the things the world boasts in. He favors opposite attributes like poverty, weakness, beauty of the heart, inability, simpleness, commonness. These attributes foster humility and set the tone for dependents on Him.

You see this time and time again in Scripture: God’s choice of Israel, Moses, Gideon, David, Mary the mother of Jesus, the shepherds, the disciples, the resurrection revealed first to women… it seems that at almost every turn God utilized the “foolishness” or weak to bring redemption.

This is best demonstrated by the gospel, where the Son of God sets aside His glory to become a poor carpenter, deny Himself in obedience to God, even to suffer undeserved death on the cross. Those who recognize their weakness and, in humility, put their trust in Christ are the ones who gain everything in the end.

God did all of this to shame the wise and to humiliate the proud. He did this to make an emphatic point, that only His wisdom has any power in it- such that he could manifest it in the weak and lowly and it would still be victorious.

Gordon Fee...

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

Fee suggests that in the use of the Isaianic text Paul asserts, “In the cross, the promised ‘great reversal’ has been played out before human eyes in its ultimate way.”

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

In the cross God has “turned the tables” on the wise by turning their wisdom into its very opposite—foolishness.

Paul elaborates...

1 Corinthians 1:21–23 ESV

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,

World- the people constituting the world whose values, beliefs, and morals are in distinction and rebellion to God’s. People in their sin. People who have witnessed the general and special revelation of God and have rejected it.

1 Corinthians 1:21–22 ESV

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

The worldly wise did not know God. Have knowledge about through the senses

Pleased- high degree of pleasure, enjoyment, mental satisfaction.

God enjoyed revealing the gospel in a way that the self-indulgent and proud would miss.

This is not that He doesn’t love them and desire them to be saved.

Ezekiel 33:11 ESV

11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Ez. 33:11

Yet, if they are not going to humble themselves, then God will shock them in the unveiling of the truth. He is willing to use dramatic vindication.

I am reminded of Columbo episodes when the bad guy thought they had gotten away with it, but the Columbo walks away and then says, “If you don’t mind clearing one thing up for me.” The bad guy turns out not to be so smart in the end.

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

Simply stated, it is a matter of God’s own wisdom and pleasure that the world did not come to know him through its own wisdom. To put it another way, God determines how it is that people come to know him, and God is pleased to save those who believe “through the foolishness of what was preached.”

Keep in mind, Paul is thinking of the Jews who so obstinately denied Jesus, they had him crucified. He is thinking of the Gentiles who scoffed at Him at Mars Hill when he spoke of the resurrection.

God has the right to do this as He pleases

The College Press NIV Commentary: 1 Corinthians 2. Both Jews and Gentiles Offended (1:20–25)

Specifically, God so arranged matters that it would be impossible for humans to know God through and on the basis of their own wisdom. The Apostle’s declaration that God did what pleased him finds its theological roots in the Old Testament idea of the sovereign will of God.

Psalm 115:3 ESV

3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

ps.

The reason...

The College Press NIV Commentary: 1 Corinthians 2. Both Jews and Gentiles Offended (1:20–25)

Even though Paul does not spell out here why God did it in this way, there are an abundant number of Scriptures which make clear God’s disdain and hatred for boasting, pride and self-righteousness stemming from humanity’s sense of self-determination and self-actualization, all of which would eventuate had mankind through its wisdom come to know God.

It is an insult to God to be cut out of the equation, when He is supposed to be the center of it.

In comparing the wisdoms

World- the people constituting the world whose values, beliefs, and morals are in distinction and rebellion to God’s. People in their sin. People who have witnessed the general and special revelation of God and have rejected it.

1 Corinthians 1:18-20

Pleased- high degree of pleasure, enjoyment, mental satisfaction.

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

Fee puts it this way: “A God discovered by human wisdom will be both a projection of human fallenness and a source of human pride, and this constitutes the worship of the creature, not the Creator.” Thus, the wise and the powerful are in no better position to know God than anyone else. In fact, their self-sufficiency and supposed wisdom stands in the way.137

“Folly”- Wildly mistaken, scoff worthy, unfounded opinion (from the perspective of the world)

What we preach- the word of the cross, the gospel, godly wisdom

Who believe- to trust in Jesus as contained in the content of the gospel.

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

The language of salvation is decidedly against human performance and undermines the Corinthians’ present attitude of self-sufficiency.

1 Corinthians 1:25 ESV

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 corinthians 1.

“Foolishness of God”- stupidity, tongue in cheek. Hyperbole. From perspective of self-wise humans

this is non-existent; ironic statement

“weakness of God”- lacking strength failure under pressure

The New American Commentary: 1 Corinthians (1) The Wisdom of God and a Crucified Messiah (1:18–25)

In other words, Paul preaches a crucified Messiah because this supposed foolishness of God is wiser than men, and his apparent weakness is stronger than men. Barrett comments, “What God has done in Christ crucified is a direct contradiction of human ideas of wisdom and power, yet it achieved what human wisdom and power fail to achieve.”

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 ESV

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

1 Corinthians 1:27 ESV

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

Chose- to select for one’s own reasons or purposes from a number of alternatives.

God could have done things differently, but He reveals about Himself because He did things this way.

Shame- to bring shame or dishonor, humiliate

1 corinthians 1:

weak- wanting moral strength

insignificant- humble birth, especially in contrast to nobility

despised- to be or become treated contemptuously as if completely worthless

Think of all the societal castoffs that Jesus used as His primary witnesses. Women of scandal, laborers, tax-collectors, lepers, beggars

They are going to finish it all having everything!?

Bring to nothing- dethrone worldly wisdom and expose it as hollow and vain.

The reason- God’s glory

might boast, to display or proclaim (and ostentatiously) a satisfied contentment with one’s own achievement.

God will not share his glory with another

Isaiah 42:8 ESV

8 I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

You are in a good place if you are lowly. You are ripe for God’s wisdom. You are the kind of life God likes to use to make His wisdom and the gospel known. Jump on this opportunity.

Those who have much according to the worldly standards, take warning. Do not give such things your heart.

Stop boasting in yourself and what you have. Come to realize this world feeds us folly.

On that day, when the veil is off and all know what is real wisdom and what is real folly, on what side will you be.

Tommy Walker- You Word Will Be the Last Word

Your word will be the last word Your promises will stand forevermore Man's thoughts and plans, They will come to an end but Your word will be the last word

Your word says I'm forgiven Your covenant says You will always be with me Though some may scoff and write me off Your word will be the last word

Your word, it is my guiding light It comforts me when in the deepest, darkest night Troubles come and go but in my heart I'll always know Your word will be the last word Your word will be the last word

Bridge Man in all his wisdom and all his foolish pride Puts his hope in only things he can see with his eyes Claiming to be wise, they became as fools instead But Lord I'm banking all my faith on the Truths of what You’ve said

1 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

Rethink your resume. What would your kingdom resume look like. It would be made up of your weaknesses that God must overcome.

hide yourself behind the Lord- perhaps your shortcomings are your greatest assets.

Your word will be the last word Your promises will stand forevermore Man's thoughts and plans, They will come to an end but Your word will be the last word

Your word says I'm forgiven Your covenant says You will always be with me Though some may scoff and write me off Your word will be the last word

Your word, it is my guiding light It comforts me when in the deepest, darkest night Troubles come and go but in my heart I'll always know Your word will be the last word Your word will be the last word

Bridge Man in all his wisdom and all his foolish pride Puts his hope in only things he can see with his eyes Claiming to be wise, they became as fools instead But Lord I'm banking all my faith on the Truths of what You’ve said

18-3-25, 1 Cor. 1:18-31, God Shames the Worldly Wise

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