As we consider the difference between human wisdom and God’s wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1, we come to a favorite passage of mine. In the time when this letter was written, the Jews and Greeks probably considered themselves to be fairly opposite in a lot of things, but key leaders from both groups had built up worldviews that struggled to accept the truth of the cross (including the fact that salvation was brought about by Jesus Christ’s voluntary sacrifice of His perfectly-lived life).
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:22-24 NIV
The Jewish people sought signs. A recent article (Samaritan or Galilean?), discussed a time in Jesus’ ministry where the Samaritans accepted Jesus based on the testimony of a woman and (later) Jesus’ teachings, but those in Galilee (i.e., of Jewish descent) needed to see signs to be convinced. Yes, people appreciated being fed from multiplied loaves and fishes, and many received healing from sickness, but sometimes they stopped there (see John 6:26-27). Those things did testify to Jesus’ authority and His message, but they weren’t the “endgame” of Jesus’ ministry.
The Jewish people were looking for a Messiah, and many of them were seeking one who would liberate them from the Roman Empire. So, when the actual Messiah came and He was executed by the Romans, this didn’t fit their narrative. It didn’t match up with their expectations. It didn’t make sense in their worldview. So, some judged – incorrectly, and at their own peril – that Jesus was not the promised Messiah, because they held too tightly to human opinions, and missed out on God’s plan.
The Greek people were all about knowledge and philosophy and wisdom. (That’s a little redundant, I guess, since philosophy can be translated as the “love of wisdom”.) They brought us famous people like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, not to mention Hippocrates, Pythagoras, Homer, Euclid, and others. Like many people today, they figured that human beings could figure things out. While Greeks discovered many things about God’s world, some of them – like some of the Jewish people – also missed Jesus.
And, even for people today, it may not make sense that a rabbi (i.e., a teacher) from a fringe region of the Roman Empire would change the world with a message of love, service, and humility. It may not fit their narrative that God would reach out to us, rather than human beings pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps and clawing our way to God. The relative roles of God and human beings contrasts greatly with people who want to become “gods” themselves.
However, that rabbi from Nazareth was actually the Son of God, and His humble sacrifice brought the power of God to bear on our lives, to redeem us from the outcome of our sins. And, His teachings turned conventional knowledge on its head with messages like, “the last will be first” (see Matthew 20:16, Mark 9:35), but His message proved to be a better way to live than anything we – as the human race – had come up with on our own.
Have you ever heard a person brag, “I have more strength in my little finger than that other person has in their entire body”, or “I’ve forgotten more than that person will ever learn in their entire life”? Of course, that’s not very kind, but I think that we can appreciate the contrast between things that are weak, frail, or simple, versus things that are in a whole other league.
It would be ridiculous to think that I could step into the boxing ring with Mike Tyson, or try to out-spend Bill Gates. I work with Ph.D.’s whose skills in differential equations blow my residual memory of those college classes out of the water.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV
In the same way, even the so-called “foolishness” or “weakness” of God is so far beyond human understanding that there’s really no comparison. As we consider how to expand our knowledge, and – more importantly – our wisdom, let’s spend less time scrounging together bits and pieces from other human beings (many of whom are incorrect), and seek more of the Source whose wisdom exceeds that of all humanity put together. It might take some work to “unwind” our preconceptions, but the result will be far more valuable than what we find elsewhere.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for April 7, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, April 7, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 Corinthians, by Richard E. Oster, Jr. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 