The Power and Wisdom of God

Salem Bible Study
Teachings on Community

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 (The Message)

 ^18-21The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written,

   I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head,
   I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots.

So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.
 ^22-25While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness."

For Reflection


Our culture places a high value on education (Even though it at times seems unwilling to pay for it!).  And yet, with all the time we spend getting high school and college degrees, special technical and vocational training, and even multiple advanced graduate and post graduate degrees, we still appear to be well schooled but not so well educated.  Our heads are filled with what Paul called "pretentious nonsense."  We tend to place heavy reliance on science and the arts as though the answers to life's mystery resides in the academic mansions.  To what extent do you place faith in knowledge?  To what extent do you bolster your self-concept by cherishing the knowledge you possesses?  To what extent do you elevate yourself over others whom you judge as having less knowledge than you?  In Christ we overcome the limitations of knowledge.  We embrace the mystery that is God and His love for us.  Faith and Hope abides when conventional wisdom fails.

Pray that you grow into righteousness by study and knowledge of the Living God.  Pray that maturing in faith and hope and the knowledge of the Holy Spirit will lead you to humility in the presence of the vastness of God.  Pray that in the Kingdom of God you will become a willing servant.