1 Corinthians 1:18-31
“25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”
Yesterday we read Paul’s first point as he wrote to the group of believers in Corinth. He pled for them to be united. He asked them to identify as followers of Jesus and not followers of the particular person who first introduced them to what would become to be known as Christianity. He asks us to be united around our belief in Jesus and the power of the cross and not identify with a certain eloquent speaker and persuasive leader. The power is in the cross and not in the personality presenting the message. So now in verses 18-31 he fleshes out his explanation for his thinking.
The Greeks admired philosophers like Plato and Socrates, the men who were eloquent narrators. The Jews looked to the ancients like Moses who did miracles in the wilderness or David who was strong. they were more practical and applied in their quest. Paul believes that God chooses that which is weak to confound the strong. God uses ordinary people like you and me and through the testimony of our lives the world sees that we are strong in our ability to love, to forgive, to turn the other cheek, to be generous, and to change from being a sinner to being a saint. Ordinary people like you and I can share the wisdom of the Gospel without going to any university. Somehow our ordinariness displays the glory of God. Our ability to be united inspite of race and language speaks to the wonderfulness of our God that grows us into a functional body of believers. God gets the glory, not any single person.
Paul concludes in verse 31, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
So if you were to boast of a wise and intelligent person who came alongside you in your life, who would it be and how did that person help you? Now, if you were to think of a godly person who impacted your life, how would you describe that person? Is there a difference?
Thank you Lord for choosing the weak things of this world, like me, to work with. May I always give glory to you.
On the Way to Wonder 