1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God… God's "folly" is the highest wisdom; man's highest "wisdom" is but folly. The foolishness of preaching is here contrasted with the wisdom of human teaching. I. WHEREIN DOES THE "FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING" CONSIST? 1. God chooses and uses the simplest means to save men, which human philosophers would have scorned. It is the proclamation of a message. God's plan is, first of all, to tell men the good news of a free, full salvation. After they have believed and accepted the gift of God, they are to be taught more fully the whole range of Christ's commands. But, at the beginning, it is only pointing to the Lamb of God, and crying, Behold! 2. God takes the most humble and unlettered believers as His heralds. 3. God makes no heavy demands on the souls to whom the gospel comes. It is only "Hear, believe, confess." Salvation is thus put within reach of all — even the feeblest mind and greatest sinner (Romans 10.). II. IN EMPLOYING THIS METHOD — 1. God discarded the aid of all human wisdom in saving men: "Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" Not a feature of His redemptive plan was borrowed from the philosophies of men. The utter failure of human philosophy is one of the marked facts of history. It culminated in Pantheism, Atheism, Materialism, Rationalism, Agnosticism, or in a refined selfishness, like Stoicism and Epieureanism. God not only discarded, but contradicted, the teachings of man's philosophy. (1) He presented Divine thoughts far above the thoughts of man; mysteries above comprehension, though not above apprehension; things too high and lofty for human wisdom to grasp, and which the natural man could not receive. (2) He dared to present paradoxes, apparent contradictions, irreconcilable by man's philosophy, such as the union of two natures in one person in the God-man; the union of three persons in one God; the doctrines of Divine sovereignty and human free-agency, an unchangeable God and yet prevailing prayer, &c. (3) The whole philosophy of redemption, of sin and its desert, the law and its demands, salvation by vicarious suffering, &c., is above the reason of man to devise, or even explore. Into it even the angels desire to look. 2. God discarded all human merit. The gospel not only humbles the proud intellect, but the prouder heart. A free salvation is the "offence of the Cross?' III. IN ALL THIS THE WISDOM OF GOD APPEARS. For — 1. God makes it possible for all sinners to be saved. Whoever can sin can understand salvation. All philosophies were addressed to an elect few: witness s few disciples, and , with his exoteric and esoteric schools. 2. God makes possible for all believers to be preachers of the gospel and winners of souls. 3. God abolishes invidious distinctions between sinners and believers. All are on a level, as guilty, condemned, and helpless; all on a level, as saved by grace without works. 4. God presents a faith so grandly superior to all human teaching that there is no risk of confounding it with man's philosophy, or mistaking it for a human invention. 5. God reserves to Himself all the glory. Man has no ground for boasting or self-complacency, &c. 6. God teaches men implicit submission and obedience. (A. T. Pierson, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. |
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