Foolishness... or Wisdom?

"For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." (1 Corinthians 1:17) ESV


I was reading in 1 Corinthians chapter one recently and read up to verse seventeen. It caught my eye, so I reread it and though, "Hey, yeah, this is cool. If Paul was relying on his own wisdom, eloquence, or philosophies, his preaching would cease to have power because it would be mixed with man's interpretations. The Gospel is simple. So simple it sounds... foolish to 'logical minds.'"


I was feeling good about the fact that I was remembering some other passage about the foolishness of the Gospel. I couldn't remember all of it, but it seemed to tie in with this particular verse.


Then I started reading again. And I was like, "Ooohhh... that is amazing!" Because there was that passage about the "foolishness of the cross." No wonder it seemed connected! It is!



^" For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.'" (1 Corinthians 1:18-19)


The truth about the cross and the message of salvation just sounds foolish to those who are not saved. It doesn't make sense that God would do that for us. It doesn't make sense that Jesus would love us that much when we don't--and won't ever--deserve it. It doesn't make sense that we can innocent while Christ--the only One Who was truly innocent--was found guilty. It doesn't make sense that we don't have to do anything to be saved--except repent of and confess our sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and ask for forgiveness and salvation.


The Gospel doesn't make sense to our finite minds! But God is infinite! He is so far above us. If we could understand Him, we wouldn't need Him any more. The Gospel is simple. But there is power in its simplicity. It may seem irrational to the "wise," but, after all, it's the only thing that really makes sense.


"Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.... For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 25)


Our "wisdom" amounts to foolishness in the end. Our strength is nothing but weakness. We couldn't find God through our intellect or good deeds, so He found us through His Son hanging on that cross.


Praise God that He chose a way the doesn't make sense--the only way; if He hadn't, none of us would make it.


JPK