1 Corinthians 1:18-31 The Wisdom of God 10.30 am Sun 27th January 2008
A man nailed to a cross
A boy aged ten was doing miserably at his school. His parents had heard, that children who attended the local Catholic school performed much better.
They had no Christians connections but they decided to send their son to this Catholic school.
The school report he brought home at the end of the year showed a dramatic improvement in all his marks. He even got an “A” in maths. His parents were ecstatic! They couldn’t believe that their son had made such an improvement!
They wondered what made such a difference, so they decided to ask him. The son replied, “The first day in school, I sat down at my desk and at the front of the room, I saw a man nailed to a plus sign. So I realised they take work, especially maths, seriously here, so I thought I’d better behave and work hard.”
Knowledge is very useful. In fact important. It is difficult in this life, in this time, in this country if you, can’t read, write, and haven’t learned to operate a variety of electrical devices.
There are, of course, areas of so called, knowledge that we are best not knowing about. Many being illegal, occult, or immoral.
But there are situations where lack of knowledge is dangerous. If your knowledge in a certain area is restricted, then you may come to completely the wrong conclusion.
That is what the boy in my illustration did. He didn’t know what a crucifix was. To him it was a person nailed to a plus sign. He concluded it was a warning of what will happen to someone if they didn’t work hard in school.
In a way he is right. Punishment is what should happen to us all, as we don’t measure up to God’s high standard.
What he didn’t know is that a crucifix is a reminder, that Jesus has accepted our wrong doing on our behalf. We have no reason to fear if we love and trust Him.
Human versus God’s wisdom
There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. You can store knowledge in your head, get a PHD even, but not be able to apply that knowledge.
For instance you can know the Highway Code inside out and be a totally foolish driver. Totally disregarding speed and warning notices.
People with the same knowledge can come to different conclusions. What is lacking is wisdom.
We assume if someone is more knowledgeable in an area than us that they know best. Some people can apply their knowledge.
The Bible calls this knowledge, human or worldly wisdom. It isn’t a bad thing to have, human wisdom.
But there is a difference between worldly and God’s wisdom. The world considers some things wise, prudent, sensible, that God calls unwise, and foolish.
God also says some actions are wise that the world calls foolish.
Paul says in verse 14 -
The Scriptures say, "I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas”,
he is quoting Isaiah 29:14
“I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding." (Isa 29:14)
At the time of the prophet Isaiah, Judah was under threat of invasion by Assyria. All the brains in the land, including their king, Hezekiah, were trying to find an answer to this threat.
They didn’t succeed and eventually the Assyrian army surrounded the city. The Assyrian leader, Senna-cherib, sent king Hezekiah a letter ordering him to surrender.
The Bible says
After Hezekiah received the letter and read it, he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD: (Isaiah 37:14- NLT)
God answered that prayer.
Isaiah 37.36 That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian troops. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere.
The way the King James’ more literal translation put the Assyrian plight amused me.
when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead.
Mm! How did they arise if they were dead?
History says the Assyrians died of plague. Then survivors went home to Nineveh.
Hezekiah’s human wisdom told him to try to make an alliance with other countries, and build a water tunnel for the city, in case of siege. But God’s wisdom, and answer to Hezekiah’s prayer, was just too unexpectedly, kill off the enemy.
Sometimes God asks people today to do things that seem unwise.
For instance at the time when God called Duncan and myself away from our careers and home, to spend two years living on a small grant, we had two children, a substantial mortgage, and the housing market had just crashed. Houses weren’t selling, and values were falling fast. Colleagues at work were surprised. It just didn’t seem a wise move.
God in his wisdom gave us a tenant just before moving. Someone Duncan had one meeting with through work.
Jewish Wisdom
Paul in today’s passage talks about the difference between man’s and God’s wisdom.
He says -
God's way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true.
The Jews asked for signs. Yes, Jesus’ miracles and healings, including his own resurrection, are powerful signs, but their minds couldn’t get past his crucifixion and subsequent death.
The Romans only crucified slaves and dangerous criminals. He must have been dangerous. Besides God would have miraculously saved him if he was his Son.
Also the idea of a crucified Messiah, is an insult to God they believed. Understandable to some extent, as Deuteronomy 21:23 says of an executed man whose body has been hung on a tree –
You must bury the body that same day, for anyone hanging on a tree is cursed of God. (Deuteronomy 21:23a NLT)
Many Jewish minds were boxed in with their pre-conceptions, knowledge, and its interpretation. Jesus worked by healing on the Sabbath, and touched ritually unclean and dead men. The Son of God wouldn’t disregard Rabbinic law, would he!
Paul himself had been one of them. God had woken him up to the truth with a blinding light.
Greeks Wsidom
“The Greeks seek after wisdom” says the AV Translation of Paul’s words.
The Greeks liked to discuss ideas. They appreciated clever, complex speeches. The idea of one crucified God freeing all believers from sin was too simple for them. Yet at the same time they limited God’s abilities as a person. He felt no emotion, and couldn’t choose to be mortal. Both were impossible for God they believed.
Our daughter, Clara, did RE ‘A’ level which included Philosophy. She became adept at putting, and arguing the cases, for both the existence of God and non existence of God. Philosophy also can argue that you don’t exist outside my mind. Or I and everyone else don’t exist outside your mind. The Greeks loved such discussions.
Paul calls these discussions "Clever speeches and high-sounding ideas” (in 1 Corinthians 1:17b NLT)
Today’s Wisdom
Today most people who have heard anything about Jesus’ life agree that he was a good man. But they believe they are good too. What many can’t accept is, that they aren’t, and never will be, good enough for God. That is of course without Jesus.
The idea is seen as an insult to many, they have worked hard all their lives, they deserve eternal life. Look at all the have achieved. They have brought up a family, have their own home, a comfortable life, they would help anyone and often give to charities helping children, and disaster relief.
The idea that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment they deserve is ridiculous and an insult to them.
Other think belief in Jesus is enough. A relationship with God, and trust in him isn’t a requirement.
God’s Wisdom
The Bible teaches that even the tiniest sin deserves punishment. When Jesus took our place on the cross he deserved judgment, and death.
That was God’s simple plan. Jesus would, if he accepted the commission, die on the cross and receive the punishment we all deserved. Then would come his resurrection, after which he was to explain, to the first believers the offer of eternal life.
To claim this gift, all people now have to do, is believe IN Jesus and TRUST Him with their lives. To help them with this God sent his Holy Spirit.
Believing the gospel, is not just the way someone becomes a Christian. It can take seconds to choose Christ. But it takes a lifetime of TRUST to be delivered from all the causes of disagreements, and temptation to wrong doing that happen in a Christian Life.
There is a danger for those with human knowledge and wisdom. They may be overconfident and proud.
There is a difference between human wisdom, and God’s wisdom.
You need the gift from God of discernment, and must pray to be able to use that knowledge correctly. It takes trust in God, and humility to have God’s wisdom.
It doesn’t seem wise, to the proud, to trust in a Messiah, who allowed himself, out of humility and trust in God, to be killed. The self confident want a powerful, wise, very alive Messiah.
But God gives wisdom to those who are humble enough to trust him.
‘Arrogant’
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you.
Says Paul in verse 26. Crispus had been the ruler of the synagogue (Acts 18:8). Erastus was an official in the city (Romans 16:23). Gaius had a large enough house to act as host to Paul and other Christians (Romans 16:23).
But many of the Christians were slaves, ex-slaves or working class. God’s ways seem foolish.
I have to admit that I am amused by the fact that God uses me, who was incapable of doing a short essay at school, to preach.
Paul says God used his, Paul’s, foolish preaching.
Paul didn’t become proud, he didn’t trust his own human wisdom. He relied on God.
Jesus “is the one who made us acceptable to God”, says Paul. “The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done." Meaning that Jesus redeemed us by his death on the cross.
But actually also pointing to Jeremiah 9:24
Let them boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who is just and righteous, whose love is unfailing, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken! (Jeremiah 9:24 NLT)
Today’s human Wisdom
What is today’s wisdom?
People in Corinth in Paul’s time seemed to value facts, absolute truth, and attempted to think things through, in a thoughtful, logical way. So if their wisdom is “useless nonsense” in God’s eyes then how does God describe today’s wisdom?
In Reading, The Spiritualist ‘Church’ as it calls itself, says members can interpret ‘spiritual’ beliefs as they think best. An idea that reflects today’s thinking.
In today’s society you choose your values, and beliefs. Feelings are as important as facts, and truth is personal. It is considered perfectly reasonable by some Christians and non Christians alike to choose to accept some parts of the Bible and reject others.
May be God describes today’s human wisdom as “harmful nonsense”.
Millions of people today believe, and live their lives by the natural forces of Feng Shui. Other people follow their stars, or use Tarot Cards, or contact a medium or healer for help. Apparently crystals and gemstones have spiritual properties.
Unfortunately occult ideas are also finding their way into some Christian circles. Have you ever been to a meeting where prophesy seems more like fortune telling, or a study of the dates and numbers in the Bible seems more like Numerology – a branch of astrology.
How do we avoid the heresies of today?
Paul said to Timothy in Timothy 3:15
You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
So read the Bible, especially the New Testament.
James says - James 1:5
If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.
Don’t forget to ask for God’s wisdom for others as well.
The first request Paul makes in prayer for the Colossians is, he says-
We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. (Colossians 1:9 NLT)
Shall we pray –
Father we ask you to guide us in our Bible reading. Enable us to absorb and live your truth.
When we hear ideas and beliefs that are not yours -Give us the spiritual wisdom to reject them.
In Jesus name.
Amen.