“To them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, the power of God.”
How vivid is the contrast in the 18th verse! The subject is what God has done to effect salvation for men and women, for boys and girls; the one and only way whereby He could deliver anyone from the penalty of sin. And this blessed story of the cross is treated by many, when they hear of it, as foolishness! It is this to “them that perish”—those who are lost!
But God be praised that you and I, dear young Christian, have had our eyes opened to see that the word of the cross is the very power of God on our behalf, for salvation free and eternal!
The nineteenth verse calls to our attention the prophetic statement in Isa. 29:14, where it is said “The wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.”
These words are written with direct application to unbelieving Israel, but they are, as quoted in our chapter, of wide application. The Spirit of God is, undertaking here to show that the wisdom of man is incapable of dealing with the things of God. It has been said that not a single thought of God ever enters into man’s mind by intellect; it is always by conscience.
Isaiah 33:18 is reflected in the twentieth verse in the inquiry after the wise and other leaders of the world who leave God out of their thoughts, the Spirit here adding, “Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1 Cor. 1:20). He has, indeed, and the next verses proceed with the evidence of it. Let us ponder them well.
Since, in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, He was pleased, through the foolishness (as the world reckons it) of the preaching to save those who believe. Such is the plain declaration of 1 Cor. 1:21. It takes us back in thought to the time when sin came into the world (Gen. 3); and as we examine the inspired history of mankind down through the ages, whether in Gen. 3-6 or thereafter, we see that after sin entered, God left man to pursue his way alone, though not without communications from Himself from time to time.
Cain, the murderer of his brother, with his descendants, established a little world of their own (Gen. 4:16-22), and though that came to an end at the flood, the same order of things took fresh root in the renewed earth. It has continued unchanged in character to the present hour, morally at a distance from God. John 3:16-17 gives us that precious statement that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” It is the preaching of the cross that God uses for the salvation of all who believe.
The Jews wanted signs (Matt. 12:38-39; 16:1-4; etc.) but were blind to the many signs which the Lord gave that He was Israel’s Messiah, come according to the terms of the Scriptures. And the Greeks sought after wisdom; this is well known as one of the boasts of ancient Greece, and the writings of their philosophers are still studied in modern schools of learning.
But, setting aside altogether the opinions and the reasonings of men, God caused Christ crucified to be preached—to the Jews a stumbling block, for they looked for a Messiah to come in power and glory; and to Gentiles foolishness, completely contrary to all their intelligence and wisdom. However, to those who are called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is revealed as the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The foolishness of God—see 1 Cor. 1:18—is thus wiser than men; and the weakness of God—and did not the crucifixion and death of Christ have the appearance of weakness on God’s part, that He should permit His creatures to so treat His Son?—is stronger than men (1 Cor. 1:25). Eternally we shall admire the whole plan and design of our salvation; how worthy of God it is, and what a display of love and grace and mercy and wisdom and power is involved in it!
That the lesson of the entire worthlessness of human wisdom before God might be brought home to the believers at Corinth, they are next invited (1 Cor. 1:26) to look at their calling. Were there many in the assembly there, or in other places known to them, that were wise according to flesh; many powerful; many highborn? No; such were few among their number. Was this then, which skeptics of that day no doubt (as in this day also) pointed to as a reproach upon Christianity, a token of weakness in the scheme of the gospel? No; it was part of the very purpose of God. This is declared in the three following verses.
God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might put to shame the wise, and the weak things that He might put to shame the strong things; and the low-born things of the world, and those despised,
He chose; and the things that are not, that He might bring to naught the things that are; so that no flesh should boast before Him. We can but own the wisdom of God in this, rejoicing when we learn of any of the world’s great ones as confessing Christ as their Saviour; thankful that He has said “not many,” rather than “not any” in 1 Cor. 1:26.
And now the closing verses of the chapter engage us, presenting for the believers consideration another part of God’s dealings. “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus.” What a stupendous fact to engage our souls is this! Another has aptly said, concerning the verses before us,
“I am of God, and I have my wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption of God, all in Christ. I am of God in Christ, and have all there of God in Christ. It comes from Him; it is not my thinking about Him. And so man is totally set aside; flesh is put down.
“The world by wisdom was not to know God, but I am in Christ as a new being, a new creature, created again; and I have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption all in Christ.
“These verses are a remarkably full statement of what a Christian is, with full redemption itself at the end—body and all.”