Welcome to Our Study Session

We are in . . . If you have never been with us we . . . Pray, Sing the Word of God, Sit in personal silence. Then we come back and have a continued verse by verseTGNN’s Bible teaching series—book-by-book, through the lens of fulfillment and spiritual liberty. starting from where we left off last week.

Exploration of 1st Corinthians

Alright, we left off at verse 18 where Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth:

4 1st Corinthians 1.18-end December 3rd 2017 Milk

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Paul's Use of Old Testament Scripture

Alright, back to verse 19 where Paul, making his point, appeals to scripture (or the Old Testament) and quotes it where God says:

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

This passage comes from Isaiah 29:14 where the English version read, "The wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." Interestingly, the Septuagint (or translation of the Hebrew into Greek reads) "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the prudent I will hide," which corresponds quite well with what Paul says but the Hebrew is not really too different.

The meaning of the passage was used by Isaiah against the iniquity and stupidity of "Ariel," (Jerusalem) who has God promise to execute his judgments which would amount to him “confounding their wise men, and overwhelm those who boasted of their understanding.” Paul is not using the passage to say this was directed at them then but to use the principle – the wisdom of Man God will destroy. Here Paul assigns the meaning to those who were making the Gospel something that it was not – as we discussed last week.

Palms 8:2 says:

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

In Matthew 11:25 Jesus says:

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

The Nature of Understanding

It's not a matter of intelligence. It’s a matter of the humble heart. A baby’s intelligence is as thriving as that of an adult – but God is speaking of the babe’s affable, humble, trusting simple nature. Lacking complications which in the adult could possibly be construed as the thorns of life that choke and the stones that inhibit growth.

Years ago, while sitting in a Mexican Restaurant one night I had a model come to me to help explain this phenomena of “wise men” not accepting the things of God but the foolish and weak understanding Him. Apologies if you have seen it but it works like this:

SHOW FOURTH DIMENSION CHRISTIAN HERE

Paul's Use of Isaiah to Explain the Good News

Anyhow, back to the book – verse 20 where Paul sites another Old Testament Passage from Isaiah 33:18 which says:

"Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?"

Here at verse 20 Paul asks (in what appears to be a paraphrased use of Isaiah) where God rhetorically says:

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

Here we have a case of Paul using the jest of a Bible passage to teach but it is not verbatim. Remember this liberty that he uses when you meet a scribe who insists on a perfect hermeneutic when passage are used.

In Isaiah, the passage refers to the deliverance of the people from the threatened invasion of Sennacherib. The 18th verse represents the people as meditating on the threatened terror of the invasion; and then, in the language of exultation and thanksgiving at their deliverance, saying,

"Where is the wise man that laid the plan of destroying the nation? Where the inspector-general who is employed in arranging the forces? Where the receiver, (margin, the weigher,) the paymaster of the forces? Where the man that counted the towers Of Jerusalem, and calculated on their speedy overthrow? All baffled and defeated; and their schemes have all come to nought."

Here Paul uses the same language in regard to the wisdom of the world that was being used in Corinth to explain the Good News. A far cry from its original intended purpose, eh?

God's Wisdom vs. Worldly Wisdom

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world, by wisdom, knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

This is a tough passage outright in the King James but I suggest that what Paul is saying is:

(NOW LOOK AT THE DIAGRAM AGAIN AS I EXPLAIN THIS)

. . . that after it was proven that in this world men of wisdom would not come to God – after all of their towers of Babel, and towers of Eiffel, and towers of London, humankind was prone to miss “seeing or hearing” God, and so after it was proven that through the human mind the wisdom God would not be pursued or known, “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

Isn’t He sort of humorous in this? I find him so. That He wins over armies with the jawbone of an ass, and saves the world through the shed blood of a meek man, and uses the utter foolishness of preaching (in comparison to worldly wisdom) to save those who believe and receive His simple message.

Signs and Wisdom

22 For the Jews require a sign (some mss read, signs), and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

We’ve talked about it but the Nation of Israel – and understandably so due to the way God had worked with them in the past – sought miracles or supernatural evidences of God’s intervention and presence. It had become an unhealthy obsession with them by the time Jesus came along.

Matthew 12:38 we read:

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign;

The Sign of the Prophet Jonas

…and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

And as we have more than adequately discussed “And the Greeks seek after wisdom” the philosophies of the world.

Preaching Christ Crucified

BUT – the Apostle Paul now clearly informs his readers there –

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

The term Christ (Kristos) here is taken from the Greek word Kreeo which means to rub or smear and fully interpreted best means anointed which in the Hebrew is the Word Meshiac or Messiah. Take this passage and attach crucified to it and it means the anointed one was impaled on a cross and extinguished. But we preach the anointed one who was impaled and extinguished on a cross – a message which to the Jews who seek signs is a stumblingblock and to the Greeks foolishness.

If we really think about it these are two primary ways the world rejects the message of the cross. There are those, especially religious folks, who are stumbled by the message that Christ died for their salvation because this message gets in the way of them trying to establish their own righteousness. They – the works righteousness Christians, the Muslims, the Jews, the legalists, the Mormon’s – stumble over the preaching of Christ crucified. The word stumbled here conveys the idea that it offends their sensibilities – in my estimation it offends natural men and women who think of themselves of reaching God in part or wholly through their own merits. That to hear a message that this is impossible and that an orthodox Jew would need to bend to the idea that a man hanging on the cross would or could save them and NOT their works – was something that tripped them up.

For the Jews, there seems to have been a little more pride connected to the anointed one. They had looked for a magnificent temporal prince; but the doctrine that their Messiah was crucified dashed all their expectations. This they regarded with contempt and scorn. In part this was because of how they understood Him in relation to the life He lived and the deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. He experienced.

Responses to the Crucifixion

In other words they used His manner of death as “a sign” that God was punishing Him for his teachings. This is supported by what Isaiah said hundreds of years prior to His death in Isaiah 53:4,

"We (the Nation) did esteem him stricken, smitten of God?"

They endeavored to convince themselves that he was the object of the Divine dereliction and abhorrence; and they, therefore, rejected the doctrine of the cross with the deepest feelings of detestation. And as we have already said, if the Jews saw Christ Crucified as an offence, the Greeks flat out said it was foolishness.

Again, the second major way people today view Jesus and His death – foolish. Mor-eeah – silly. I think in this case, the term Greeks may refer to the rest of the Non-Jewish world. Could be wrong because of where Corinth was located, but could be. Why silly? Most consider it a fable or a moronic notion that God would have His only Son suffer and die on a cross as a means to save the world. To men’s men – like Nietzsche or Rand – this is not noble but an embarrassment, because in their human pride they were blind to the nobility of God – to His winning and victory through acts of sacrificial love and not vainglory.

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Conclusion

But to them who are called. If we were looking for the best synonym for called here is would be invited. Of course the two arguments – are all called or invited or just some. We’ve discussed this so I will summarize the answer to it depends. If you have lingering questions ask or email. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks – all people who are called and believe . . . Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Now, let me go to the board again.

Remember what verse 22 says?

1. For the Jews require a sign or signs

2. and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

But here in verse 24 Paul answers how Christ is

the power of God.

Christ as the Greatest Miracle

Christ was the sign the Jews were seeking and the wisdom the rest of the world was searching for. Isn’t that cool? I believe all people will someday realize and see this. In other words, though in their ancient history God evidenced His power through signs and wonders, in those last days, Jesus was the greatest miracle or sign the world could or would ever see or know. He was the wonder of God, the power of God, the love of God, the way of God – in the flesh – with all former miracles in the Nation’s history pointing to Him. And in all the wisdom of the world, in all the knowledge and knowledge of the ages sought, all philosophy, and all that true Greeks or the modern world seeks after, they can and will find it resting completely in the person of Christ Jesus.

The Calling and Choosing by God

Then in illustrating how much more powerful and wise Christ is compared to signs and the world, Paul adds:

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

At this point, Paul brings all of this down to an application to them who received the call or invitation from God there in Corinth and says:

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

In other words, “look around you, brethren of Corinth and consider yourselves, your own experiences in being called – and observe . . .

“how that not many men wise after the flesh, (sophos – real wisdom) not many mighty, (sarx doonatos – powerful) not many noble,” (Yoo GEN ace – royalty) Now, the words, “are called,” are not in many reputable versions. So we would read,

26 You can see among yourselves, brethren, how there are not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.

The Purpose Behind God's Choices

Then verse 27.

27 But (or instead) God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

Look again at our model here. And then look around at the citizens of this state. Then the Union. Then the world. Instead of the wise, the powerful or those of royal birth, God hath chosen.

So on the one hand, we have God calling (“inviting”) but now we have God “choosing” (Ek-LEG-AHM-AHEE) “To pick for oneself.” We are presented an amazing set of ideas here – which men have tried to summarize. First, we have to admit that when we look around, that there are not many wise, strong or noble in the faith – relatively speaking. Second, we have to admit that the reason for this is made plain to us in the next passage which tells us that God has “picked for Himself” (chosen) a different subset of people as His for a very specific reason: Ready? Verses 27-

God hath chosen . . . “the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;”

and God hath chosen . . . “the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”

(And God has chosen) . . . “the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are”

So, so, so much here, my friends.

Lessons on God's Selections

So . . . the unlearned and foolish things to confound the wise – remember this if you think your learning or wisdom makes you something in the work of God – and remember this if you think that God uses the wise to accomplish His things. Not so. He uses the unlearned. The term literally means the dumb and moronic. Did you hear that? God uses the morons specifically to confound the sophists of the world. And when someone tries to convey to you the notion that God loves powerful and strong things, remember this line – He uses the weak things to confound the mighty. The word for weak is asthenace and it means those without strength, the sick and the feeble!

And just to put icing on this cake, Paul adds that God uses the “the base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, (which are not viewed as ANYTHING in this world) as a means) to bring to nought things that are!” Don’t get it wrong, we

Humility Over Pride

We are talking about deep flowing humility over pride – whether it be in education, wealth, social status, abilities – whatever – God uses the humble to confound the wise.

Why? Because God seeks to bring things that think they are to see that they are not. That’s the goal of this approach. But what is God’s overall purpose in using the weak and foolish and the things that are nothing to bring to nothing the things that are believed to be something? I think He has an overall long-term objective in doing this, and scripture gives us an insight into one part of what this objective is, saying:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

World Accomplishments vs. God's Kingdom

Imagine the glorying in His presence of the things accomplished in their world meant something to Him in His Kingdom? In that case, Bill Gates, and our greatest actors, and Kings and presidents, and the richest and most learned and educated would all be around the throne of God telling war-stories of their goodness, right!

Not in His Kingdom, folks. Not to God. Not when His only Son was without honor, or glory, or beauty in this world. Not when the most humble of heart who seek and receive Him refuse to allow whatever talents or possessions or statures that they have in the world affect their broken natures. Not when God Himself actually uses the most debased and broken to confound the wise.

God's Use of the Debased

More and more I am confronted by men of high academic reputation. We had an event here at CAMPUS where a pastor actually told me I needed to study the Greeks more. Most men in the faith today are not allowed to lead if they are debased, broken, or weak. But God uses them – to bring the powerful to reflection.

Let’s stop here.

Q and A

Prayer (include Taylor Godfrey)