1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
St. Paul was a well educated Pharisee...He knew about the Scripture and was and expert in Mosaic Law...He was wise...When Jesus was teaching, Paul still believed that Jesus was no more than a man...St. Paul quotes Isaiah 29:14 and teaches us that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligence I will frustrate...Paul had been one of those, whose wisdom had been shaken, and one of those, whose intelligence had been frustrated...After His death, Paul literally saw the Light on the road to Damascus...
St. Paul's message is that the good news of Jesus Christ is that He died on the cross for our sins and our lives...He then was raised from the dead...Those now whose wisdom is destroyed are those who do not believe...The wise are dying and have no eternal life, if their human wisdom does not give them faith in our LORD, Jesus Christ...
The wise man, the intelligent man, the scholarly man is rational...A perfectly rational man may believe in the majesty of man and have trouble in believing Jesus died on the cross for man and his sins...It takes faith for one to believe in the cross, and maybe irrational for many (to believe)...For many the death of Jesus on the cross ended His ministry and ended His life...It was a defeat...Nonbelievers want more... Some want more miracles...This is all the evidence God gave us...Faith must now take over...One must take that leap of faith, to believe...
Satan has put in our thoughts, that we could have done a better job than God, if we had the power...If only we could do miracles, we could help or have helped God get His word out better (than He did)...The non-believing wise, scholarly, philosopher would have done one more miracle...He the non-believing wise would had used His power (that is God's power) and done it better...His word would have been much better, if I (man) would have done it...I could prove to everyone in the world beyond their reason, if I was wiser and could do miracles...This is one statement when one thinks about it, and reflects "DONE IT BETTER", than God is not a true statement...God is the truth...Man can do it better, or done it better than God...What can man do better than God?...The answer is nothing... God's foolishness is far more wiser than man's greatest wisdom...
So demanding more miracles and seeking more wisdom, give us two things...One more miracle, and maybe we are now a little wiser than before is what we get...St. Paul has realized this fallacy...God is the truth...Sometimes when we are weak, then we are strong...God takes the weakness (as some think) and defeat (as others think) like the cross and brings life, in fact a new life, a better life called heaven...
Some of us want to be truly rational and wise...If I get more wisdom and more rational as I age, how will I be judged on judgement day?...If God is perfect in wisdom and justice (and everything else) how will I be judged...I must stay on my knees (and never get up) in prayer and appeal to His grace...Because, if God gives me perfect justice, then I am doomed...More wisdom is not the answer, more miracles is not our answer...God is the answer...The more miracles we see and the more wisdom we get, the more questions we might have...As the Book of Job teaches us God did not answer the question he had...God only gives Job more questions...That is just a small inkling of His power...Job learned that God (Himself) is the answer...
St. Paul tells us because God is our answer for those who believe in Jesus, "Let Him who boasts boast in the LORD"...When we see Jesus, we will have our answer...