On Sunday nights, we have been looking through 1 Corinthians. Last night we finished up the first section of the letter, chapters 1-4. The major theological point in the section is quite clear: God's wisdom is triumphantly different from man's wisdom.
Consider some of the Old Testament quotations the Paul has used to support this theological point.
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside." Isaiah 29:14/1 Corinthians 1:19
"For who has known the mind of the LORD, that He will instruct Him?" Isaiah 40:13/1 Corinthians 2:16
"He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness." Job 5:13/1 Corinthians 3:19
"The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless." Psalm 94:11/1 Corinthians 3:20
These Old Testament passages support Paul's argument that God's wisdom is far superior to man's wisdom.
The way God works does not make any sense to those who are wise in this age. Paul's biggest test case for this reality is Jesus' death on the cross. Paul says that God is using the cross of Jesus to bring about salvation for those who believe; however, those who are perishing do not see Jesus' death as the wisest move if salvation is the goal.
God's wisdom trumps man's wisdom. This is the testimony of the Old Testament and the testimony of the cross.
The situational problem in Corinth exists because of their failure to recognize the way God's wisdom works. The Corinthians think they are spiritual, mature, and wise, but they are wise according to this age and the rulers of this age. Their dependence upon this wisdom is causing them to divide up into little groups. They have divided up in the name of certain teachers in the church. Some like Peter more, some like Paul more, some like Apollos more.
Paul takes issue with their divisions; however, more than that, he sees that the real problem is their lack of understanding of the way God works. This lack of understanding is causing them to be arrogant and boastful. As their "father" in Christ, Paul simply cannot stand for such nonsense, so he speaks to the heart of the problem: they are making their evaluations based on man's passing wisdom, not God's lasting wisdom.
Paul's message to the Corinthians is very relevant for today. God's special, called-out people of the 21st century need to heed Paul exhortation to rely upon God's wisdom. When this happens, they will not boast in teachers, riches, societal positions, wisdom, maturity, spirituality, etc; they will boast in the only thing that is appropriate to boast in, YHWH the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus.
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