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, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”[Isaiah 29:14] (I Corinthians 1:18-19)
In the prior lesson, we concluded with Paul writing to the church in Corinth, For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. (I Corinthians 1:17) We must not confuse the use of the words "wise" and "wisdom" in these scriptures. Paul is distinguishing between two different kinds of wisdom: the wise people of this world with the world's wisdom, vs. the wisdom that we have that comes from God. The wise of this world and their wisdom, God says He will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (I Corinthians 1:20-25)
In other words, the wisdom of this world has a hard time believing what it can't see. Therefore, the world seeks after signs and people who seem to know more than they do. In order to believe there is a God, they want to see Him. But He [God] said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:20) So then man asked for signs, of which God performed from the Garden of Eden even to today. But the signs weren't enough to convince them, so God sent wise men, prophets to tell the people what thus says the Lord. Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)
But even that was not enough, so God sent His Only Begotten Son, and how did the wisdom of this world respond to Him? Jesus explained it this way, “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:31-37)
Christ didn't meet the expectations of the Jews, nor did the Greeks see Him as anything compared to their "gods". Therefore, Christ was to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. But in spite of that, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe; but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 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. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”[Jeremiah 9:24] (I Corinthians 1:26-31)
What are the foolish, weak, base and things which are not that God has used to make foolish the wisdom of this world? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? (James 2:5) In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. (Luke 10:21; Matthew 11:25-26) The humble, the meek, the lowly, the needy, the ones who see themselves for who they really are, these are the ones who hear and believe the Truth. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)
But the wise, proud, boastful, conceited, who ...think of himself more highly than he ought to think... (Romans 12:3); these are the ones who hear the Truth, but can't allow themselves to believe it. The Pharisees proved this to be true. Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him [Jesus]?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” (John 7:45-52)
The Wisdom from God was telling the officers to believe, because “No man ever spoke like this Man!” But the wisdom of the Pharisees was saying do not believe in Christ Jesus, because "Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?" Plus, they didn't feel that Jesus was from the right place, had the right upbringing, "Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” Thanks be to God that the majority doesn't rule with Him! Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. "In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me; For then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord." (Zephaniah 3:11-12)
Jesus made it very clear, that we have to “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) That narrow gate is Christ crucified! But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord!” Let us be sure we are among the few who find it, that in the midst of all this wisdom of this world, that we are in their midst a meek and humble people, and that we shall trust in the name of the Lord!
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