Reflections on 1 Corinthians (Part 4)

The Wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (NLT)

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

  •  The gospel is nonsense to the person who is rejecting Christ.
  • God transforms us by changing the way we think.
  • The Gospel is powerful to those who are being saved. It is wisdom.
  • “The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”
  • The world will never know God through human wisdom.
  • Christians need to be sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of the fact that this message is offensive to some and nonsense to others.
  • The gospel is foolish to the person who is rejecting Christ.
  • When the Gospel is shared with those who have been called by God to salvation, the message makes sense. God opens their eyes. 

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
(1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

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