The Pure Brilliance of God, the Loftiest Aspirations of Humanity, and the Stark Contrast Between the Two

God Laughs At Man’s Ideas About Wisdom

(1st Corinthians chapter 1, verses 18–31; Joel chapter 2, verses 28–32)

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 mere foolishness. I’m beginning today’s lesson from where we left off last week, starting at verse 18, so here we go.

“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.” (1st Corinthians 1, verses 18–25)

“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 even as I write this. 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…