Wisdom vs. Foolishness

Food for Life:
We are focusing on a new book beginning today - Paul's (strong and straightforward) letter to the church at Corinth (written @ A.D. 55, Paul's third year/missionary journey in Ephesus). There were issues of immorality and idolatry in the church - as folks struggled to live out their faith in Christ in the midst of the corrupt and worldly city of Corinth! It appears that Corinth may have been a society much like we find ourselves in today in the USA!

Paul's focus was to assist believers in Corinth, and for us today, to identify the issues (jealousy, divisiveness, sexual immorality, and failure of the church to discipline members), offer solutions to the problems, and teach how to live as 'believers in a corrupt society" (NIV Study Bible p2059).

1 Corinthians 1
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God....For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of god is stronger than man's strength...Therefore, as it is written: 'Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord" (1:18,25, 31).

Has anyone ever said to you or communicated to you non-verbally that: the God-Man Jesus dying on the cross for you (your sin and theirs) and then rising from the dead and now living and will be returning again - is foolish? And that you are foolish for believing such? Or maybe you once thought it foolish.

This is the point of Paul's message in 1 Corinthians 1. That without faith, which is through God's grace, folks think it foolish to believe in the Gospel message that Christ came, was crucified, rose again, and is coming back - all for you because w/o Christ doing so, you and I would be lost. This world would be it for us. We wouldn't know the joy of real life here, and we wouldn't know the joy of Eternity with Christ. We would only have ourselves to boast in - our works, our accomplishments, our intelligence, our talents, our our our - me, myself, and I.

Without faith in Christ, we have it backwards at best. The reality is human's highest intelligence and wisdom is like God's 'foolishness.' Now, we know that there is no foolishness in God...but if there were, it would be more wise than we could possibly achieve!

And so, Paul is stressing to the believers at Corinth, and us, that we have no reason to be braggarts in ourselves or any one person - which ultimately cause divisions, quarrels, jealousies, and discord. Paul exhorts, calls them and us to 'boast in the Lord' if we are going to boast.

Boasting in anyone or anything apart from Christ, except for God, is...foolish.

"Lord, thank You for the reality and message of Christ. Thank You for all the gifts, talents, abilities, and blessings we have in our lives...they all are from You. You are the source of EVERYTHING that is good. Help us to recognize our dependence on You in all matters in this life and Eternity; and have grateful hearts for all the good that comes from within us...because You live...because You live in and through us. We love You Lord."