1 Corinthians 1:20-21

Scripture: 1 Cor 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Cor. 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

Teaching: Paul declared in verses 18-19 that the message of the cross, i.e. the Gospel, is foolishness in its simplicity. He follows that assertion with a rhetorical call to the wisdom of the world, essentially saying, “Has your wisdom led you to this truth or are you still searching?” Greece was renowned for its sophistication, philosophy, and debate, and for seeking truth through such means. In each self-aware man’s heart is the notion that death is inevitable, and thus, a deep motivation for seeking truth in this life is to understand what comes next, and what is important now in light of what comes next. Countless false religions and philosophical movements trace their root to this question. Yet, in all the wisdom of Greece, none could see the simplicity of the message of the cross and grasp it in faith. This is what Paul means in verse 21, that it was the “wisdom of God” that the world’s wisdom would not bring them to know God, but rather, that God would delight in revealing himself to the world. The wisdom of God, in this sense, is that a foolish message – that of the cross – would be the way that He would reveal himself and save those who believe in it. Once again, the foolishness of the Gospel brings glory only to God because none may boast in their ability to comprehend it.

Takeaway: Paul reminds us here in 1 Cor. 1:20-21 of a very important fact: we cannot reason or think our way to God. God reveals Himself to us and our response to Him is faith. Now, the study of apologetics and understanding of the depth of God’s Word are worthy endeavors because they can strengthen faith, build a biblical worldview, and allow one who has faith to know the Lord more fully; however, absent faith, these things merely provide areas for debate. One can argue and reason the validity of God’s Word and power of the cross day and night, but without the power of God through the Holy Spirit working to soften a heart and bring that heart to faith in Christ, those arguments are merely philosophical or academic. Said another way, the Bible is just another old book until one accepts the message of the cross in faith. Paul needed the Corinthians to understand that it was not their wisdom as Greeks that saved them and the same is true for us today. All the glory and all the praise goes to God.