1 Corinthians 1:25-29

Scripture: 1 Cor. 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Cor. 1:26 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.

1 Cor. 1:27 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.

1 Cor. 1:28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

1 Cor. 1:29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

Teaching: One of the major issues of the Corinthian church was pride – pride in one’s intellect, wealth, or power (according to Greek culture) as well as the pride of who converted or baptized individual Greeks in this church (such as Apollos, Peter, or Paul in 1 Cor. 1:12). If there was any area for pride, the Corinthians took pride in it. Paul uses a bit of sarcasm (in verse 25) to admonish this mindset in Corinth, calling them to recognize that even what seems foolish from God is still infinitely wiser than the wisdom of men. The message of the Gospel seems foolish and weak to men because the flesh cannot comprehend its power and truth – it is a spiritual truth.

In verses 26-29, he applies this same argument to them individually. Paul reminds the Corinthians that not many of them were wise, powerful, or of noble birth – they are nothing impressive to the world. But God, in His grace and perfect wisdom, chose them to shame what the world holds up as impressive. For the same reason that the Gospel is not wise or powerful by worldly standards, those God chose to receive it are not either! God delights in working through weakness, frailty, and foolishness so that He gets the glory.

Takeaway: God has a pattern in Scripture of choosing the less likely path, by worldly standards, to accomplish His will. Whether it is choosing Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, or David over his brothers in the Old Testament or choosing fishermen and tax collectors as disciples in the New Testament – God delights in lifting up the lowly so that when the world sees what they have done, their only conclusion is to glorify God – no other conclusion is feasible. One sees this perfectly in Jesus himself – a man from Nazareth, a place the world considered impossible for anything good to come from! (John 1:46) The church in Corinth did not exclude the rich or noble, as that is not God’s heart either – it just was not a grouping of the powerful and elite of society whose existence and influence could be chalked up to their worldly power. So, when, despite their humble circumstances the Corinthian church boasted in who they followed or what they could do in the Church (a topic covered later in the letter), Paul reminded them of the truth: they are the lowly who have been chosen by God for no other reason than God’s grace. Thus, as we see in verse 29, none should boast in the presence of God. He has done it all. This is a powerful reminder to us today to remain humble, put on love for others rather than pride, and glorify God for His grace and mercy, not our own decisions or works.