1 Corinthians

482 Dickson Teacher’s New Testament
18 For the preaching of the cross is foolishness
to those who are perishing. But to us
who are being saved, it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom
of the wise and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the clever.”
20 Where is the wise man Where is the
scribe Where is the disputer of this world
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this
world
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world
1 Corinthians 1
by wisdom did not know God, it pleased God
through the foolishness of preaching to save
those who believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks
seek after wisdom.
23 But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews
a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser
28:19,20). Be made void: In other words, if one’s glorying
is in the prideful skill of one’s presentation and
abilities, then his emphasis is not on the cross, but on
himself. Such a person is not of the nature to be a
candidate for heaven because the gospel has had no
transforming effect on his character.
POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD
18 Preaching of the cross: This is the message
of every preacher. However, the message of the sacrificial
work of God on the cross and the humble servitude
that such stimulates in one’s life is considered foolishness
by the intellectually proud of this world (See At
17:18; 2 Co 2:15). Are perishing: Those who reject
humble obedience in response to the cross remain in a
state of condemnation (Mk 16:16). They are condemned
because they have no atonement for their sins. Since
one cannot be saved on the merit of good works (Rm
11:6; Ep 2:9,10), then the disobedient are in the process
of perishing with the world because their chance
for salvation is drawing to a close (At 17:18). On the
other hand, those who are of a humble heart, and thus
respond to the grace of God that was revealed on the
cross (Ti 2:11), will be saved by the power of the gospel
(vs 24; Rm 1:16). The power for salvation, therefore,
rests in the cross and not in the efforts of man. 19 Paul’s
quotation of Isaiah 29:14 is meant to emphasize the
point that God will eventually bring down those who stand
on the abilities of their own intellect, wisdom and performance
of good works. Those who would trust in their
own abilities, whether religious or intellectual, will eventually
perish. They will perish because they trusted in
themselves and not in God. On the other hand, true
wisdom is manifested in the humility of the person who
responds in a manner of depending on the grace of God
that was revealed on the cross (Ti 2:11). 20 When one
understands the insignificance of the wisdom and intelligence
of man in comparison to God, then he knows
the answers to Paul’s questions of this verse. In comparison
to the wisdom of God, all human wisdom is foolishness.
The work of God through the cross proclaims
as foolish man’s efforts to devise his own systems of
redemption (2:6,8; 3:18,19; compare Is 33:18; 44:24,25;
Jb 12:17; Mt 13:22; Rm 1:22). The conclusion to Paul’s
argument is that man has no chance of salvation that is
based on his own abilities. Salvation is based on the
cross, and thus, all who would be saved must flee to the
cross (At 4:12). 21 Did not know God: The wisdom of
this world is limited to this world. It is thus not within the
power of the worldly wise of this world to understand the
wisdom of God that was revealed through the cross
(Compare comments At 17:22-31). Without God’s special
revelation through the inspiration of the apostles,
no man would have ever known the purpose of the incarnation
and crucifixion (See comments Ep 3:8-13).
The foolishness of preaching: According to the world,
the message was foolishness. However, it was through
this “foolishness” that was preached, that God would
save the world. The “foolishness” about which Paul here
speaks refers to the message, not the preaching. The
preaching is the medium through which the message is
made known to the world (See comments Rm 10:13-
15). It was this message, the preached gospel, which
men considered foolish. The proud stumble over this
message (See Mt 11:25; Lk 10:21; Rm 1:20). However,
those who have a humble heart will accept the message
through their obedience to the gospel. They are
not ashamed of the gospel, and thus, it is power unto
their salvation (Rm 1:16). 22 Jews require a sign:
The Jews sought for a signal from God because they
wanted to walk by sight and not by faith (See Mt 12:38;
16:1; Mk 8:11; Jn 2:18; 4:48). Greeks ... wisdom: The
Greeks trusted in their own wisdom. Their intellectual
self-sufficiency and pride led them to reject the gospel.
23 To the Jews: Though signs of God were given
through Jesus (Jn 3:2), the Jews could not accept the
humble origins and nature of Jesus as the Messiah.
Their pride led them to stumble over the message of a
crucified Messiah (See Is 8:14; 53; Lk 2:34; Jn 6:60;
Rm 9:33; Gl 5:11; 1 Pt 2:8). To the Greeks: Because
the Greeks pridefully trusted in their own intellect, they
also could not accept the humbleness of the Savior who
was crucified on a cross outside Jerusalem (2:14). The
proud Greeks could not accept Jesus because His teachings
contradicted the arrogance of their teachings that
were based on intellectual pride, social haughtiness and
immoral conduct. 24 Those who are called: It is the
nature of the called to be of a humble heart. Since the
humility of the heart of the humble allows the gospel to
affect them, they submit to the death, burial and resurrection
of Jesus by immersion (Rm 6:3-6). Therefore,
the gospel is the power of God unto their salvation because
of their humble nature (Rm 1:16). They are the
called because they are those who humbly submit to
the call of their Creator (2 Th 2:14). Their obedience
manifests the wisdom of God because their humble character
is manifested through their obedience (See Cl
2:2,3). Since it is only those of this character who will
be candidates for heavenly dwelling, then God’s wisdom
is revealed through His plan to call on men to submit
to what the world considers to be the foolishness of
the humble cross of Jesus. 25 Though Jesus appeared