Letters to Corinth: 1-Boast in the Lord

Passage- 1 Corinthians 1:18-30

(I will quote specific verses, but I ask and encourage you read, or have on hand, the passage.)

You may notice that I have skipped a small section of 1 Corinthians. This is deliberate in that we will return to it soon. Paul is addressing a specific issue of division in the church, but there are sections to the way he addresses it. Therefore in these next few posts we will dissect some of the specifics, and then take a look at it in the grand scheme of what Paul is saying to the church in Corinth. At that point we will come back to the section I am skipping for now.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.'" -1 Corinthians 1:18-19 ESV

In this passage, Paul addresses the wisdom and the power of God. For the next few verses, he talks about how in the world's eyes, how the gentiles think of what wisdom is, the truth of the gospel is foolish, or "folly", as Paul states. But he addresses the world's wisdom, compared to God's wisdom in verse 25, saying, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Specifically, Paul talks about how to the non-believing Jew, a crucified Christ is offensive and a stumbling block. And that to the "wise" Greek, or gentile, it is foolish. They don't understand it. In their way of thinking, whether it is offensive or foolish, Christ crucified makes no sense to them. The point that Paul is quick to make is that the wisdom of God surpasses that of man by leaps and bounds. What is wise to man is made foolish by the surpassing wisdom of God. In verse 21 he says how God is pleased in us preaching foolishness for the glory of God, because in reality, in preaching the gospel of Christ crucified we are sharing the true wisdom of God.

"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. 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 Corinthians 1:26-27 ESV

In that time, people were considered above others because of ancestry, how "wise" they were, or how much power they had. In verses 26-31, Paul points out that many of the church are not of these attributes. Explaining that Christ chose them by nothing of what they had done, but that God makes the standards of wisdom and power in the world low because of his surpassing wisdom. In the world people are chosen because of what they have done, but in Christ we are not chosen by foreseen merit, but because of the grace of God. In this we boast not in ourselves, but in the wisdom and power of God.

"And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.' " -1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV

We live in such a similar state to that of Corinth. So many similarities in our culture, specifically the focus on wisdom. People of our day boast in what they know, filling our nation and world with prideful arrogance. Like to the people of Corinth, the gospel is foolishness to the "wise" of today. We live in a time where we boast in our success, fame, and fortune. We must be weary and heed the word that God brought through Paul. Not to boast in ourselves, but boast in the fact that we are saved through Christ, by nothing that we have done, but what God has done in us. Seek the true wisdom of God, not the self-righteous "wisdom" of our day.