1 Corinthians 1:18 – 25
In our lesson today we see that Paul is writing to the Church at Corinth, a church that he founded on his second missionary journey. Corinth was a major cosmopolitan city, a seaport and a major trade center which made it a perfect place to spread the Gospel of Christ in the region. But eighteen months after he left, arguments and divisions arose, and some of the church members had slipped back into immoral lifestyles. Trusting in themselves more than in God.
Corinth was in love with human wisdom, its exaltation of human philosophies, and its reliance upon this treasure of human wisdom were dividing the church. These Christians at Corinth were arguing over what Paul calls “the wisdom of words,” the words and intellect of man, relying on their “wisdom” rather than on trusting God and his wisdom for personal and collective spiritual growth.
Paul had heard from several people that this quarreling and divisiveness over man’s wisdom was sabotaging the impact of this church upon the city. That much of what had started out with tremendous power was beginning to fade away. So, Paul writes to them to help change their ways.
He tells them that when he had come to them, Christ sent him to them preach the gospel, not with wisdom and eloquence, but so that the cross of Christ would not be emptied of its power. He was sent because the message of the cross was foolishness to those who are perishing, but those who are being saved, the cross is the ultimate salvific power of God. What does that mean, the message of the cross is foolishness, to those that are perishing? How can that possibly be true?
For the Jews in the first century, what they were being told seemed like foolishness, silliness. Their expectation of the Messiah was that of a conquering king, a warrior king who would reestablish David’s glorious kingdom of God in Israel. He would be strong enough to expel the occupying Roman army from their territory. But instead of a powerful king sitting on a throne, they got a prisoner hanging on a cross. That’s not the majesty that they were expecting. To suggest that their long awaited Messiah was executed as a criminal was laughable.
D. Marion Clarke asks: What about the Greeks, or Gentiles that were perishing? They prized wisdom, they wanted knowledge. They looked for the same thing we look for, a philosophy of life that makes sense. This may be the wisdom of the philosophers or the wisdom of the mystery religions. For the Gentiles in Corinth, wisdom is the means by which man discovers and acquires truth, and what they want from Paul is teaching that appeals to their concept of higher truth. What they get instead is considered foolishness to them.
Paul echos the words of Isaiah “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” He asks the Corinthians, where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
Ray Steadman writes: The Jewish scribes gave their whole lives to reading the ancient Scriptures and ancient writings of wise men, trying to gather it all and reduce it to practical applications for their day. But Paul says, “Where does that get you?” The answer is it did not get you any closer to God.
What about the debater of this age? That was the Greek approach. The Greeks loved to get together to debate the philosophies of their day. They would sit around and intellectually debate which argument was better, which is right. They debated all the conflicting philosophies and opinions of the day. Paul is raises the question again, “Where does that get you?” Again, the answer is clear, despite all of the intellectual debate you still aren’t any closer to God.
Please understand that this scripture isn’t suggesting the quest for knowledge, the desire to understand the truths of the universe around us isn’t good and reasonable. Knowledge is the understanding of His creation and God always encourages it. He gave us minds; he gave us intelligence to see the His creation and adapt to it for our use and purposes.
Steadman tells us: that God has set man on a search to unravel and discover the millions of secrets he has hidden in the universe. Man is given the gift of reason to search these out. To investigate any realm of knowledge is perfectly right and proper in God’s plan for us.
Our ability to understand the laws of physics for example allows to drive cars, fly planes, turn the darkness into light, and to cook of food in 30 seconds. Our ability to understand the wonders of the human body and the science of medicine, allows man to be the hands and feet of his healing nature. To cure the broken heart of a child, to heal the lame, to battle cancer and as we know all too well these days, find curative therapies and preventative vaccines for deadly viruses. But man needs to be careful not to substitute his knowledge of the creation that God created, for the wisdom of the God that created it. What man sees in amazement; God foresaw in his wisdom!
From the Garden of Eden, man was led by the evil one to want to be as wise as God. Friends we are still being deceived into believing that we are as wise as God and can manage on our own without him.
We believe that because of our knowledge we can make decisions without His help. We believe that while God created the universe, we are the rulers over that creation. Yet as we learn in our lesson today not only are we not rulers over creation ultimately, but we also cannot free ourselves from the burden of our sinful nature without the “foolishness” of the saving work by and through Jesus on the Old Rugged Cross.
God offers eternal life, which the wisdom of the world can never give us. We can spend a lifetime accumulating human wisdom and yet never learn how to have a personal relationship with God. We must come to the crucified and risen Christ to receive eternal life and the joy of our personal relationship with our savior.
For those of you who don’t know, I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science, I have an MBA in executive management, and I have a Master’s degree in practical theology.
I don’t say that to brag about how smart I am but rather I am telling you that none of that knowledge, that learning, that pursuit the wisdom of the world was necessary for me as a 10-year-old boy to come to understand that all that foolishness of a child born in a stable to unwed parents, crucified as a criminal against society and then apparently resurrected from the tomb finally and instantly made sense for me. I was compelled in that instant by God’s grace to ask that child, that man into my life as my Lord and savior. In that moment the Foolishness was Wiser than Man’s Wisdom and Stronger than Man’s Strength.
I just finished a Course of Study class that I am required to take by the Church, and the first thing that we had to do in the class was give our testimony, our story of how we came to Jesus. Not even one of those other Local Pastors said, “when I got smart enough, when I got enough knowledge, enough of the wisdom of man I allowed Jesus into my life”. Not a one. Instead, it was when they were weak and defeated and lost and broken enough that the “foolishness” made sense and they committed their life to Him.
Just after I arrived in the Chatham Charge, I asked all of you to reflect on, if you have invited Christ into your life, to reflect on your own testimony, your own salvation story. I won’t ever force you to tell that story in public, you can if you wish however, but it is important for us to remember that time, not when you had acquired enough of man’s knowledge, but rather when you were low enough, bewildered enough, and lost enough that the “foolishness” made sense to you and vital to you.
Dear ones remember that time, relive that time, embrace that time, live your life for that moment! It reformed you and continues to refine and define your faith. If you haven’t made that decision yet but need to or want to today, come up to the front during our next song and we will talk.
Hear the Good News my Friends…….
The good news of Jesus Christ still sounds foolish to many and our society that still worships man’s intellect, power’ influence and wealth. Jesus came as a humble poor servant and he offers his Kingdom to those who find faith. This looks foolish to the world but for Christians it is our power, and the only way we can be saved. Knowing Christ personally is the greatest wisdom anyone could have.
The message of Christ’s death for our sin sounds foolish to those who don’t believe. Death seems to be the end of the road, the ultimate weakness. But Jesus did not stay dead, his resurrection demonstrated his power over death. And he will save us from eternal death and give us everlasting life if we trust in him as savior and Lord.
This sounds so easy that many people simply can’t believe it or accept it. They try to find other ways to obtain eternal life; by being good and being wise. But none of their attempts will not work, only the foolish people who simply accept Christ’s offer are the wisest of us all, because they alone will live eternally with God, being Wiser than Man’s Wisdom and Stronger than Man’s Strength. Amen.