We said in the previous message, in Part 1, that Jesus Christ is the wisdom and power of God to those that are being saved. Those that are perishing, stumbling block or foolishness. Paul challenged the wise and intelligent of this world and showed that God chose what was considered foolish by the world, to be the very thing that brought the knowledge of God to those that beleived and that was through the preaching.
1 Corinthians 1:25-31 (ESVST)
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Now Paul here is saying, God at his maximum foolishness, is still wiser than men. Paul also says that God at his maximum weakness, he is still stronger than men. This simply shows that no matter how wise a person thinks he is or no matter how strong a person thinks he is, he does not even come close to God’s maximum weakness and foolishness. So, this simply means that any person who thinks that they can outsmart or out muscle God, are completely foolish.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
Paul then addressed the Christians in Corinth and told them to look at themselves. He told them that they were not the most wise according to worldy standard, they were not the most powerful and many were not of noble birth meaning sons and daughter of kings. Paul tells them, look at yourself as an example of how God chooses the so called nobodies to save and to preach to others.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
As foolish and as weak as this world might think that you all are, God chose you to shame the wise and the strong.
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
Paul then continued to say, God chose even things that are low and despised by this world and their standards, and he chose things that are considered nothing by this world and brough to nothing that which is considered something by this world. God simply stripped this world of their pride and self righteousness and did this so that no one may boast in his presence. This was to prevent anyone from claiming that it is because of their own effort that they have been saved. This was to prevent anyone from thinking that they can do anything or something to earn their salvation. God simply looked at the rich, the wise, the strong and the self righteous and said, I don’t need your wisdom, I don’t need your richness, your intelligence and your self righteousness, I need your humility. I need you to be as humble as children.
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Now since we could not rely on our own wisdom but on the wisdom of God, Jesus Christ became our wisdom from God. His death and resurrection gave us the right standing in God’s eyes, made us holy and saved us form eternal destruction. We did nothing and could not do what Jesus did and did nothing to deserve what he did and therefore, we cannot boast in ourselves but rather we can only boast in The Lord. Amen.