I Corinthians
1:20-25
Have you ever stopped while reading
the Bible to answer the many questions God is asking; like verse 20; “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is
the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the
world?” Now that we have the spotlight on these questions, do
you have answers? Who do you consider to be wise people? The question is not who is rich, who is well
educated, or even successful by the world's standard, but where is the one who
is wise? I’m foolish and I believe the Bible has the answers to all
questions, and it has much to say about a wise man. What should we look
for when looking for a wise man, and the answer is found in Proverbs 9:10,
Psalm 111:10, and Proverbs 1:7, all have the same message, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the
knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
Has not God made foolish the
wisdom of the world?”
Have
you given thought to the answer, do you know anyone who can look hundreds of
years into what we call the future and give details of what is going to take
place in our day, God has? In Matthew’s gospel chapter 24:4-8, Jesus
tells his disciples some very interesting information about the signs that will
come with the close of the age: wars and rumors of wars, nations rising up
against nations, and kingdom against kingdom, and famines and earthquakes in
various places. The Los Angeles Times stated one Sunday in 2016,
headlines; “Quakes are increasing, but scientists aren't sure what it
means.” If you read the newspaper or listen to the talking heads on
T.V. you grasp that they do not look to what God is up to or what God has said,
and if they do in their foolish hearts they attempt to spin it.
Returning to 1 Corinthians 1:21-25, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know
God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save
those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach
Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those
who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of
God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is
stronger than men.” The world’s wisdom tells us the message of
the cross is foolish and have you given thought as to how the world has put God
on notice, we reject You and your Son if you do not accept us on our
terms. But God has determined to save mankind on the basis of their trust
in the foolish message of Jesus Christ crucified, and He arose in victory on
the third day overcoming death and sin.
The Jewish people were told Jesus was a
false messiah, to look for the messiah to come as mighty king, not a baby in a
dirty manger. So the message of Christ crucified was a stumbling block to
the Jews, but to Gentiles who had little or no understanding of Messiah, they
view the message of the cross as just plain foolishness. And yet, we who
are followers of Christ are still deemed as foolish by the world, but we have
received both the power and wisdom of our God. But this is the
bottom line; but to those who are called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness
of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
From The Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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