"For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."
1 Corinthians 1:18-21
Part 3
Yesterday: God is Destroying the Wisdom of the Wise
“For it is written.”
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.”
“And will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
Today: God is Making the World’s Wisdom, Foolish
“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?” (1 Corinthians 1:20, ESV[1]).
The apostle Paul has been writing these words to the Corinthians. He has been thinking about Isaiah’s words from God from centuries before.
“Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid” (Isaiah 29:14).
Those with the wisdom of this world will have no impact upon God and His perfect wisdom. Just the opposite is true. God crushes the “wisdom of the wise,” as He hides the “understanding of their so-called prudent men.” No one’s thinking on spiritual things can stand before the mighty God. He is in opposition to the wisdom of man. He is gracious and willing to share with us His wisdom. But mark it down; no one will be able to find God through human understanding.
Remembering Isaiah’s words, Paul asks –
“Where is the wise?”
Where is the person who is full of this world’s wisdom? And where is their wisdom?
“Paul says, ‘In light of what God says in Isaiah 29:14, now where is your ‘wise’ man?’”[2] (EWC).
“Wise person – refers to a Greek philosopher. Such people were highly regarded for their analytical skills and persuasive speech”[3] (FSB).
“Where is the scribe?”
Where is the scribe, the one who is supposed to be the interpreter of the law? He is supposed to know what the law says, and more than that, what it means.
He is “An expert in the Mosaic law”[4] (FSB).
The title “scribe refers to rabbinical hair-splitters”[5] (Vincent).
“He that is so subtle in discussing questions? And herein Paul reproached even the best learned, as though not one of them could perceive by his own wisdom this mystery of Christ revealed in the Gospel”[6] (GB).
These men, the scribes, knew the Word of God better than most in their day. Jesus said of them –
“I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law [Scribes] and the Pharisees. If you are not more pleasing to God than they are, you will never enter God’s kingdom.” (Matthew 5:20, HSB[7]).
“Where is the disputer of this world?”
Where are the debaters, the disputers of truth, the orators?
The disputer is “referring to Grecian sophistical reasoners”[8] (Vincent).
“A person trained as a skilled rhetorician or public speaker”[9] (FSB).
These educated professional thinkers, debaters, and orators impressed people with their “wisdom” but did not sway God.
“Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
To God, man’s wisdom is foolishness. He has made it so.
God has “made foolish—shown the world’s philosophy to be folly because it lacks faith in Christ crucified [Chrysostom]. Has treated it as folly, and not used its help in converting and saving men (1 Corinthians 1:26, 27) [Estius].
No one doubts that these people are well taught. They are highly educated, but sadly, their education has left out what is most important, God’s wisdom. In earthly thinking, they are wise, but in God’s eyes, they are fools – “wise/fools?” They are “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).
“Neither the wise man, …the philosopher, nor the [Jewish] scholar or ‘scribe,’ nor … ‘the debater of this age’,…the orator, all of whom in their day epitomized education, taught the wisdom of God. In contrast, their wisdom was foolishness”[10] (NBC).
“It was the same with all human wisdom, whether of the esteemed Jewish scholar or Greek philosopher. The brilliance of man cannot appreciate the plan of God…. It is not self-confident erudition [scholarship] but self-effacing [humble] faith that allows one to enter the narrow way”[11] (BKC).
God patiently reminds us –
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
“Paul introduced God’s indictment against those who view themselves as wise in this age. The last question of the series (Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?) shows the futility of unbelieving human wisdom. The world takes the gospel and its emphasis on the cross as foolishness, but God determined to save people on the basis of their trust in what is preached—Christ crucified”[12] (CSB).
Please come back tomorrow as we finish God’s thoughts on the crucial topic of God’s wisdom versus man’s wisdom.
Quote: “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom”[13] (Spurgeon).
[1] ESV is the English Standard Version.
[2] EWC, Guzik quote is from the Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] FSB, Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Co 1:18–21). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] FSB, ibid. The scribe in the New Testament can also be the “city secretary” (see Acts 19:35).
[5] Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 191–193). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
[6] GB, Geneva Bible: Notes. (1560). (Vol. 2, p. 77). Geneva: Rowland Hall. I have rewritten these notes into modern English, JLH.
[7] HSB is the Harvest Study Bible from Harvest Ministries in Guam.
[8] Vincent, M. R. ibid.
[9] FSB, ibid.
[10] NBC, Winter, B. (1994). 1 Corinthians. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st-century edition (4th ed., pp. 1164–1165). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.
[11] BKC, Lowery, D. K. (1985). 1 Corinthians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 509). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. The emphasis is theirs. This emphasis is mine.
[12] CSB, Tomlinson, F. A. (2017). 1 Corinthians. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (pp. 1812–1813). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. The emphasis is theirs.
[13] Spurgeon’s quote Downloaded: September 22, 2021. From: https://www.christianquotes.info/quotes-by-topic/quotes-about-wisdom/.