As we come to the close of the first chapter of 1 Corinthians in our study, let’s review some of our understanding to this point. The first century city of Corinth would compare to any of the world’s significant cities of our day – London, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Rome. The city was extremely diverse in language, in heritage, in traditions, and in culture. The culture of the day was not based in a Jewish ethic – let alone a Christian one. We are refraining from calling the Corinthian Christians a “problem” church. Rather, we see a group of believers struggling with figuring a way to make Christianity relevant to a non-biblical culture. We close this chapter by looking for wisdom’s power.
The culture of Corinth was a competitive culture. The Greek heritage boasted of a strong military training, but also enjoyed the competitive spirit of athletics. But the competitive spirit permeated into almost every other aspect of their lives – education, philosophy, even their Greek mythology. The spirit of competition flavored how these believers understood the leaders of the church. Before long, the believers were centering around one of their leaders: we follow Apollos, we follow Peter, we follow Paul. There were even some that were trying to play the ultimate trump card by saying, “ahhh but WE follow Christ.”
The flavor of competition touched every aspect of church life. Paul addresses it on several levels, but closes the chapter by having them think about what is wise. The word “wisdom” made every Greek believer sit up straight and pay attention. Even more important than the leader they followed, the Greek prided their culture on having the most wisdom. After all, these were the people of Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato.
The Pointe of this lesson is to help the student:
- Understand the wisdom of a Gospel that unites people rather than divides them.
- Be challenged to build bridges uniting believers in faithfulness and obedience to the wisdom of Scripture.
Step One: Read It
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.
20 Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one can boast in His presence. 30 But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.
LITERAL, WORD-FOR-WORD TRANSLATIONS
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NASB
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 KJV
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NKJV
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 ESV
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 LEB
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 GW
DYNAMIC, PHRASE-FOR-PHRASE TRANSLATIONS
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NIV
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NLT
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NET
IDIOMATIC TRANSLATIONS
PARAPHRASES
LANGUAGES
Step Two: Connect Wisdom’s Power
Paul closes the previous section emphasizing the truth that the chief work of the apostles is the evangelistic preaching of the gospel. The apostle will elaborate this point several times throughout the letter. But at this point, he puts a spotlight on wisdom – the gospel doesn’t require words of human wisdom. Wisdom’s power comes in the cross of Jesus.
Theologians have written a lot about the “wisdom” which Paul begins to discuss. This “sophia” (the Greek word that means wisdom) is an important word to the philosophers and teachers in Greece and it becomes a vital concept in the first part of Paul’s letter.
There is an interesting point that Paul is making that gets glazed over in many translations. When the Greeks described speaking or a message, they used two different words. One word described the actual proclamation and would point to the words used, the tonal qualities, the pitch and volume. The other word was “LOGOS.” The logos described more than just the words. It spoke to the thought, ideas behind, and the implications of the message.
Here Paul speaks about “the logos of the cross.” It is more than just the words we use to tell others about what happened to Jesus on Calvary. For the unbeliever – the one without a biblical worldview – these words are foolishness.
But the logos of the cross is the plan in God’s mind before the creation of the world. It finds its roots in the Garden and in the hopeless predicament of Adam and Eve. It envelopes animal sacrifices and scapegoats and the duties of the priest. The word of the cross whispers across the ages through the words of the prophets. Swallowed by pride and ungodliness, the word of the cross laughs at a devil who thought he was victorious and humans who thought it wasn’t needed. It embraces the suffering, scorn, and shame of a Savior who was completely God and completely man. It is exalted by a God who defeated death by the word of the cross.
Step Three: Wrestle It
We need to spend some time with two words from this passage: power and salvation. At one time or another, you have probably heard that the Greek word here for power is the word from which we derive the word dynamite. Points are then made about the strength and force and power of God being a force like dynamite.
While all that is true, notice instead what Paul says about this power in this passage. For those who are being saved – you and I – the message of the cross is the power of God. Bringing an individual from “sin” to “saint” speaks to the most miraculous of events.
God and sin are like the polar opposites on a magnet. He cannot exist with it. They repel from each other. But God’s power take us from sin and cleanses us so completely that we are now drawn to God like the compatible poles.
To further describe the power that is in this unity, Paul emphasizes that when the cross of Christ is preached, it contains a message that causes the Jews to stumble. They cannot understand a Messiah crucified. The Gentiles, on the other hand, think the cross of Christ is a foolish message. Why would God use a tragedy to bring about such a goodness as salvation?
In an almost parenthetical way, Paul eliminates the divisive nature of boasting about this message or its preachers. Everyone thinks the message of the cross is useless. Through it, God shows both power and wisdom.
Consider for a moment the idea of salvation. The word has as its roots the Hebrew “shaloam” which suggests peace and safety. We know enough about life to know that any peace that we work toward is only temporary. Our work cannot ensure lasting peace, safety, tranquility, and rest.
God shows His wisdom’s power by providing that safety for us – from the punishment of eternal hell; through the trials, temptations, and tragedies of life; and in spite of the turmoils and guilt that plague us from within.
Step Four: Build It
Let’s think about what the Bible teaches about wisdom’s power. Here are a couple of the topics that we have considered in today’s lesson.
Step Five: Share Wisdom’s Power
Think about sharing wisdom’s power with others.
