Human Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

This has been called the era of Christian apologetics, the defense of the faith.  One of the premier Christian apologists is William Lane Craig, who calls himself a philosopher from a Christian perspective.  He explains that here.  The church has been helped by some of the greatest minds in history, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Isaac Newton, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, and many others.  But what made them wise was the gospel.

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. For it is written,

   “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

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? 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. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 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; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  (1 Corinthians 1:18-31 ESV)

The Corinthians have become enamored with “wisdom,” or philosophical and eloquent presentation, and have begun to choose to follow certain teachers according to what they think is more intellectually appealing.  The message of the cross is losing its appeal to them.  But if the wise of this world were so wise they would have recognized God and His Messiah instead of crucifying him.  From the Jewish perspective wisdom would dictate that Messiah could not be killed, especially through crucifixion as a criminal.  From the Gentile perspective a dying Messiah makes no philosophical sense.

But such a “foolish” message as the cross is what God has used to save those who believe.  It is God’s power to salvation for us.  Not many of us are philosophers or powerful people or nobility, but that’s just it, God’s salvation is for everyone, the weak, the despised, the nothings.  No one can boast and say God chose to save them because of how great they were.  All our righteousness, holiness and redemption is found in Christ, not us.  We can only boast in what He accomplished.

Small wonder, then, that Christianity has reached more people than any other religion in the world.   It is not a faith that is dependent on one’s abilities to do good or think highly, but it has produced the most profoundly good works and the most brilliant minds.  And its simple message remains the same, believe in the crucified Christ to save you from your real guilt before God.