Elect Fools
THE POWER OF GOD AND THE FOLLY OF SELF-PROMOTION (1 COR 1:18-2:5)
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INTRO
Turn with me please to 1 Corinthians 1.
Paul is writing this letter during his three-year ministry in Ephesus around AD 55.
He’s writing to the Christians in Corinth, which was a relatively new city re-built under Julius Caesar, in 46 BC.
Culturally and geographically it was Greek, but it became a formal Roman colony, and in 27 BC it became the capital of the province of Achaia.
It was a wealthy city, that controlled shipping ports and travel.
They were proud of their Greek philosophy and theology. Proud of their sophistication.
They were proud of their sporting achievements too. They held the Isthmian Games, similar to the Olympic games but these took place every two years instead of four, included track and field, wrestling, boxing, and chariot races. And it was all in honour of the god of the seas, Poseidon, the patron god of Corinth.
It was a wicked city, prostitution, fornication.
They were wealthy, proud, wicked, boastful.
A city that may be resourceful for ministry but the rivers of culture flow fast.
PURPOSE OF 1 CORINTHIANS
Even though we call this First Corinthians, he had already written a letter to them, and he found the need to correct them once more – the overarching theme of the letter – you could say is of self-promotion – and a correction of that.
Can we think of a culture that is all about self-promotion? Let me think. It is us.
So, I’m going to look at a passage with which you will be familiar with but perhaps we don’t always connect the dots of warning that circle it or proceed from it.
SELECTED PASSAGE - 1 COR 1:18-2:5
Turn to verse 18 and we’ll carry through to verse 5 of chapter 2.
The first chapter of which the bulk of this passage sits is the soft intro to the polemical correction. It’s the encouragement before admonishment. The T to before the three wood smacks it in the face.
So, we sit comfortable if not a little proud when we casually read it.
Though Paul does make correction within this chapter about divisions in the church. How some are already puffing themselves up by name dropping – some are saying, “Apollos baptised me you know… he grabbed me by the hoody and dunked me good and under... We’re cool, we work out together... I’ve been hanging round with Cephas – I follow him, on Twitter. I think he follows me back.” Ha ha.. And there’s cliques forming and cool crowds. And Paul’s like. What? Grow up. They and I are not Christian celebrities. We’re baptised in Christ, we follow him. Christ is not divided.
And Paul is aware of the triggers of self-bloatery, and he for sure is about to correct them on that but he is still keen to encourage them also. There is a foundation of grace that truth is laid upon.
1. (1 COR 1:18) PERSPECTIVE OF THE CROSS
Let’s kick off with verse 18: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
His point is this: Your perspective of the cross, the way you view the cross, determines your opinion or discernment of it.
“those who are perishing” see the cross very differently from those who “are being saved”. And there are only two camps. “folly”, foolishness, nonsense, or “the power of God”.
There is no middle ground. Apathy is impossible. You must decide. And even if you chose to ignore the question of the cross, you are choosing folly.
Two gates, two entrances, poles apart, heading to very different destinations.
2. (1 COR 1:19-21) THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD AND THE WISDOM OF GOD
Then he quotes Isaiah 29: “For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
He expounds and comments upon it:
“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”
DISTINCTION OF WISDOM
Paul is making a distinction between worldly wisdom and Godly wisdom. Wisdom is not wisdom. Discernment is not discernment. There is a wisdom of the world that he “will destroy”.. a discernment he “will thwart”. Within God’s wisdom and sovereignty, he allows worldly wisdom and worldly discernment to continue in this present age, but “he will” in the future “destroy” and “thwart” man’s ways.
WHEN WILL GOD REVEAL
When? When Jesus returns they will have to acknowledge that “the word of the cross” is the “the power of God”. And of course when someone dies they get to discover either the real folly of their worldly wisdom and discernment, or be blown away in the affirmation of the power of God in the resurrection of the man who perished upon the cross. Paul’s primary target is the same as the prophets who he is quoting – the day of Lord – the day of revelation – the manifestation of the power of God for the world to see. The great reversal of all things including wisdom and discernment. Then he will reveal – the truth. Fake News out, God news in.
CALLING TO PLEASE GOD
In the meantime – there is a sense of calling – where is, Paul says – the wise among the scribes (a reference to the Jewish experts of scriptures), where is the debater (a reference likely to the professional Greek orators).
Where is the wise today in academia, the philosophers, of those who pull the media strings, of the influencers, the podcasters, the preachers. It’s worth asking the question. Just because they have a bible in their hand does not mean they behold wisdom. I have a book on my shelf about wisdom and its author an accomplished preacher, by worldly standards, has now been removed from his church for making consistently unwise decisions.
But Paul encourages us that we can play a part in helping people flip their worldly wisdom to Godly wisdom. If we can help reposition their thinking so that they view the cross from a biblical perspective they may just see the word of the cross as the power of God, and not as foolishness.
After all Paul points out “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world”. While everyone in the future will acknowledge the universal truth, he has already “made foolish the wisdom of the world” by resurrecting Jesus from the grave. He has revealed it – discerned by softened hearts, and he will on that Day reveal it, to all regardless. By then the two camps will have been decided.
Our preaching which is considered folly by the world pleases God. When you are mocked, laughed at, ignored, because of the testimony you deliver, know that is pleases God. It pleased the Father when the Son, nailed to the cross said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:33). They were blinded by their own worldly wisdom. They could not discern that they had just nailed the creator of the universe to his own creation. And if Jesus could say that, with blood pouring off his body, then we can, in forgiving our mockers, please God “through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”
3. (1 COR 1:22-25) THE WISDOM OF GOD IS FOOLISH TO THE WORLD
Having alluded to different categories of approach, Paul is now explicit in distinguishing the perspectives of Jew and gentile. Within the unbelieving camp there are two main positions behind the reasoning for rejecting the cross:
“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (22-25).
JEWS DEMAND SIGNS
Jesus performed more signs than could be written in a book – The people of Israel wanted more. The more they hardened their hearts to him, the less he revealed himself to them. Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matt 12:39). He gave them the great sign of Jonah – resurrection from the dead. But the Jews didn’t want a Messiah on a cross. They wanted the heavens to part – so they couldn’t see past the cross, they couldn’t see past the first peak of prophecy and onto the second. Under Roman rule they understandably longed for Messiah ben David, but missed Messiah ben Joseph that was in their midst. They couldn’t discern the time of their visitation, the purpose of the cross, the resurrection, the period of sitting in the heavens between the comings, the suffering before glory.
GREEKS SEEK WISDOM
The Greeks on the other hand seek a worldly wisdom. A worldly logic, science, reason.
If they can not explain creation in six days, they will cast it as folly.
If they can not explain a global food, they will cast it as folly.
If they can not explain the election of a people, they will cast it as folly.
If they can not explain the red sea crossing, they will cast it as folly.
If they can not explain the cross, they will cast it as folly.
The same goes today. We demand signs and wonders or we explain it away and elevate ourselves as wise.
STUMBLING VS FOOLISHNESS
Here’s where is gets really interesting.
Why does Paul say the cross is “a stumbling block” for some and “folly” or foolishness for others. But he’s specific that the Jews, view the cross as the former and the Gentiles as the latter.
Here’s why.
Jewish people have the backstory. They behold the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the sacred Writings. They are already on the correct path heading toward the arrival of Messiah.
Let’s picture this. Imagine this toy figure represents the unbeliever – to begin with a Jewish person. You don’t have to explain to them who the God of the universe is. They already know. They started at Genesis 1:1. They have read about creation, the fall, corruption, Noah, Babel, their father Abraham, Isaac, Jacob – and their story of Israel who would carry the seed of promise to crush the serpent, restore their fortunes and so forth.
For this very reason when you see Stephen in Acts 7 preaching to the Jews or Peter in acts 3 when he speaks to the “men of Israel” – they start with Abraham. Why? Because it isn’t necessary to completely flip their worldview about who God is and having to go right back to the start before leading them to the cross. So, they recap the story from Abraham which is the foundational covenant for the kingdom and they lead them from there the short distance back along the path that they are familiar with to show that Jesus is their Messiah and King.
They, were just waiting for the Messiah to come crush and restore. So they stumble over the cross because it wasn’t what they wanted or expected or discerned at that time. But, Paul is very careful in his wording. He doesn’t say the cross caught them in a snare – meaning the death of Israel. He says they stumble. Meaning they haven’t permanently fallen. Paul knows they will one day stand again and is explicit about this in his other letters.
Gentiles on the other hand are coming at the cross from a completely different angle. For illustration, let’s position the toy man at a 90 degree angle - they are heading toward the cross perpendicular to the path of the Jews. This is so key for us to grasp the different paths, the different perspectives because it will equip us in our understanding of how we should approach evangelism and discipleship. After all Paul makes it clear that both “Jews and Greeks” or gentiles are “called”.
Here is what we so often do. We preach the cross to a gentile without any backstory. The cross then is completely out of context. It is foolishness. I’ve previously ran internationally known evangelism courses that starts with the cross, but it’s out of context of the grand narrative. The well intentioned church signs, “Jesus loves you” is foolishness to the gentile – why, because it’s stripped from the context of the narrative. Not to mention that Jesus nor the apostles ever preached “God loves you” to unbelievers.
For this reason, Paul in Athens, does not start with Abraham. Why because we need to re-orientate the gentiles to the starting point on the correct path. Paul goes back to the beginning. It’s not that he didn’t preach Jesus.. we read in Acts 17 he was “preaching Jesus and the resurrection” (18). But when they asked him to give a presentation of the gospel he doesn’t reach immediately for the cross – They require a worldview transformation. He walks them through from the start of story saying, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth” (24). He explains who the true God is. If you preach the cross out of context they will pin it up with all the other Gods. So Paul explains that there is only one true God who sustains life. And that all nations came from one Man – Adam. He explains that his grand plan means people would “feel their way toward him and find him”. That the God of the bible isn’t a distant unspeaking god like stone or silver. Paul communicates the patience of God but calls them to repent because God’s anointed man “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world”. And only then, once he has mapped out the story from Genesis to Revelation, does he place the offer of “assurance to all” because of the resurrection of this Messiah.
Let us preach the cross and resurrection, but let’s do it within the preceding and subsequent context that surrounds it. We have to map the context before we position the cross. If you read a central chapter of a mystery murder novel to someone, it wouldn’t make sense – it would be foolishness. Paul may have only had two minutes present, so he had to carefully select which part of the narrative to include, but he manages to touch on the identity of God, Creation, God’s plan for reconciliation, repentance, resurrection, coming judgement. Time is not an excuse – long night chat or elevator pitch you can draw the framework to place the cross.
These are the patterns that should assist in our approach if we are to convince them with Godly wisdom that Christ and his cross is the “power of God and the wisdom of God”. For the Jews we recap some of the story with them, they will probably know it better you, but it is our job to highlight the Messianic seed, and trace the steps with them. Perhaps starting at Abraham or if the context of the conversation is about Passover then you start there and head toward the cross – but keep the narrative Israel-centric. For gentiles it is our job to take them from their current position, put them on the correct path from the start and walk it through. This is how we see the cross. How does that look from the lens I view through?
We cannot change their heart. That is between them and God. But it is about giving them the best opportunity to view the cross from a biblical perspective.
Here is a twist. The problem is we have in the west is that mainstream church does not even understand the grand narrative. Many Christians are still looking at the cross on a rabbit trail from the biblical path and only by the grace of God do the get the cross. We’ve compounded the issue of evangelism and discipleship because we fail to recognise that we are grafted into the story of Israel, super-spiritualising and watering down the gospel. Paul isn’t embarrassed about explaining everyone on earth came from one man. Most of us are like – Adam probably wasn’t real, maybe God used evolution, Noah and ark is a nice story but you know.. perhaps Moses parted a shallow stream for Israelites to walk through, who is the true Israel anyway, Jesus wouldn’t return as a warrior in great judgement– it’s worldly wisdom we strapped onto the gospel. You want to convince them of the resurrection, but you deny the context that surrounds it.
Why would we package the cross in man’s wisdom when the “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” Why would we desire to weaken the message of the cross?
The gospel of Christ crucified is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the gentiles and we can help them see it for what is really is, but only if we see it truly for ourselves first. When you truly see it… under the light that the OT concerns the Christ.. you see that … “the word of the cross is the power of God.”
4. (1 COR 1:26-29) GOD'S CHOSEN DEMONSTRATES "FOOLISH WISDOM"
In verses 26-29 we read that God’s so called “foolish wisdom” is displayed by whom He has chosen for salvation.
“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” (v26).
How encouraging is that? Of all the philosophers of Corinth, he called the lowly. Consider it. He’s asking the Christians of Corinth to consider it and we should consider our calling too.
HE DID NOT CALL THE CELEBRITY
I’ve thought to myself when I was a baby christian - If only a famous celebrity gave their life to Christ – then everyone would follow. That is not how God works. The last thing you want is to give a baby Christian a microphone. In fact, Paul warns against that.
My kids took their first steps about the year mark – I see kids walking at like 8 months, I think - good luck with that. It’s an eight-month-old brain walking around. It not a good idea to give a baby a lot of power. Like giving a baby a chainsaw.
God did not call the elevated.
HE DID NOT CALL THE CHRISTIAN CELEBRITY
He didn’t call us to Christian celebrity either.
I see a trend where a Christian makes a stand for Christ – a righteous stand – and they become well known within Christian circles - but then because people are looking up to them, they hang on every word, and then the elevated person assumes an unnatural position of authority in the body of the church. This is dangerous. We confuse offices too – we grasp the reason of the five-fold ministry – and the overlapping of gifts - yes teachers can be prophetic and those with gifts of administrator may have gifts of evangelism and so forth - but we often look to the voice we resonate with for teaching – So I see this common trend on social media – where people are hanging off the words of say prophetic voices or voices who have been elevated for whatever reason and it’s taken as gospel truth teaching.
Then there is the jostling of position with families, churches, ministries, Christian celebrity.
The Lord calls a bunch a lowly people and has ordered them into a posture that his power can manifest. But today our order is being distorted in part because of self-promotion, resulting in a reduction of his power being demonstrated.
HE DID NOT CALL THE CHARISMATIC TO PODCAST
God didn’t call us all to podcast either.
In this time of lockdown – podcast and camera equipment is selling out online – because everyone has started recording themselves – Christians included. We must balance out what James says about teachers – “not many of you should become podcasters.” I saw that on twitter and thought it was spot on – of course James said, “not many of you should become teachers” (James 3:1) but perhaps if he were alive today he would include podcasters. We are called, but not all called to be in the office of prophet with a small p, of teacher etc. He hasn’t called us from a lowly position to elevate your position in the world, but rather to elevate your status before him.
GOD’S REASONING
What is God’s reasoning. Paul tells us:
“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; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (27-29).
The bible goes to great length to stain the characters of the called and reveal that not many were of noble birth – Abraham was chosen from a pagan family… Moses may have grew up in the Egyptian royal family but he was chosen as the younger brother, a lonely slave baby in a basket escaping slaughter, then he murdered an Egyptian before running off, and according to him he had a stutter or a communication problem. David was the little, younger brother who killed a man’s wife so he could have her. Jacob the younger and the trickery he employed – it makes the point that God doesn’t choose you because you are a good person, charismatic, an influencer... whatever your role may be within the body. We would choose master of communication to deliver the law and lead the people – God chose a stutterer. He bought you as the lowly wreck that you are and pours out true wisdom, so that as a mouthpiece for the Lord – boasting belongs to him.
5. (1 COR 1:30-31) TRUE WISDOM BELONGS TO THE BELIEVER
“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (30-31).
It is “because of him”… not because of you. Not because you developed profound thought. Because of Jesus whom we receive, his wisdom is freely given too. He elevates us from lowly and evil, to esteemed in the eyes of God and righteous, and then slowly cleanses us, what we call sanctification, and one day we will be fully redeemed.
This is in stark contrast to other religions who say, work, work, work and you may be good enough. Or even the Roman Catholic faith that says you are elevated at baby baptism and then you have to pay penitence to keep the thing floating in the air. No, Paul says it is all on Jesus, “because of him” we receive wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption. Why, so that boasting can only be accredited to the Lord God.
True wisdom belongs to the believing, who are the receiving or given, who can only boast in the giver of true wisdom.
6. (1 COR 2:1-5) PAUL’S PREACHING TO THE CORINTHIANS
I enjoy Paul’s description of his first visit to them:
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:1-2).
It mirrors what he said the verse before this passage, that he came to “preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1:17).
BECOMING LIKE CORINTH
If we know this to be true. Then why do we present ourselves as worldly wise when we know we are fools to them. Is it to impress each other?
These Christian Corinthians had flowed with the culture – there was immorality, lust, back-biting, suing each other, some distorted Marriage, some honoured the gods of the culture, feminism was infiltrating the church, they excluded those who were poor so they could sit more comfortably, they were abusing their spiritual gifts – it became less about edifying the church and more about, “look at me, I’m right, look at me I have special powers”, their hearts were not postured toward Jerusalem and the centrality of the people there, they were becoming like the Greco-Roman orators who promoted their own wisdom and insight and self-image.
Sorry, was I talking about us? Let me check my notes – no I was talking about the Corinthian Christians Paul was addressing. If selfie sticks existed then, they would be on every market stall, as they are today.
ADMIRATION OF WORLDLY SOPHISTICATION
There is this admiration of worldly sophistication that has penetrated the body of believers.
Holding the cross in one hand and holding up worldly wisdom in the other. We love to give each other titles and put on fancy dress and hold ourselves higher than the “laity”.
It appears there is a competition – who can write the best article. This is the article of the day. This is the book of the moment. This persons writing skills are second to none. There is this obsession with how sophisticated our presentation is. You know what, my favourite authors, writers, don’t use stunning words, and over-complex phrases – I always have to read more carefully when people’s writing skills are up there – because as I read recently: “Jaw-breaking words often cover up very sloppy thinking.” It is easier to hide the floors in your thinking when you are so skilled. If you are not careful, with your lofty speech and eloquent words you can empty the cross of its power.
That doesn’t mean we turn our backs on scholarly or academic work. But we must recognise that God calls the lowly and that professors / scholarship – if they don’t come to scripture as a child… they will be doing worldly inspired hermeneutic, expressing the worldly philosophy, and sold as Christianity.
I was on a leadership course once, and the teacher said, “if a man with much charisma, obvious skill set, and highly intelligent asks to be on leadership – be very careful”.
LEADERSHIP TRANSITION
In light of the return of Christ – I believe we are about to head into a time where leadership will begin to be flipped on its head.
Because, for those of us who are in pop church we now so used to a sleek image, and for those of us in big institutional church we are now so used to title and ceremony – we struggle to recognise good teaching. We think a good talk is a good preach. There’s a difference. Or a highly qualified man must give a good preach. If I come away with a memorable catchphrase it must have been good. If I come away feeling like I’m part of something really important in society.
David Pawson - I call the last great British bible teacher - would just stand there and deliver a message without entertainment, slick slides, posh tiles or fancy clothes. But today we expect, no we demand the worldly wisdom delivered through an energetic show, or an impressive tongue. There is a problem that we can’t recognise good teachers and preachers anymore. We really can’t. Because we’re flowing down the Corinthian river we grab at anything that feels good momentarily, rather than standing firm being prepared to slowly grow and mature.
This is a real problem for the church as we near closer to the return. So you have flashy, worldly wisdom preaching, and an audience that demands it. It is not the leader’s or the sheep, it’s both.
I believe God will shake things up. And when chaos ensues, men not of noble birth will lead the charge.
Jesus chose grubby, straight talking, fishermen.
Jesus himself was born in a lowly manager, from a northern town, of a relatively poor or average family. He walked to the cross and will one day be King. Let’s walk to the cross with him, and encourage others to join us. We will then participate in his kingdom.
CAME IN WEAKNESS
How did Paul come to them:
“And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom” (4-5).
Today we want the Steven Furtick’s to be guest speakers. He’ll entertain me. Or an academic. I bet if Paul turned up we would say- “he could have got dressed for the occasion… not the most articulate.. his preach wasn’t technically formed the way seminary said.. seems to know his stuff… but a bit intense.. quite rude actually.. wouldn’t want him every week”.
Weakness, fear and trembling.
But his failings were accompanied “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” Why? “so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
The more charismatic and polished the preacher, the harder it is to discern the wisdom of man from the wisdom of God. I’m not against charisma or prep. But I’ve heard it said before when discovering your preacher is a wolf – that “I couldn’t see past the pinstripes”.
ANGLES OF WISDOM
Why, if God has kindly taken us from here, the worldly perspective, the perpendicular path to destruction, and grafted us into the biblical perspective, the path to Messiah, why would we then burrow a tunnel back to the worldly perspective, and then preach the cross. Paul said he had “reason for confidence in the flesh”, as an educated man, “a Hebrew of Hebrews” (Phil 3:5-6) with authority. Yet he chose the path of weakness that leads to the power of the cross.
CONCLUSION
Paul’s overarching message: You were of the sophistication/wisdom of the world, but I chose you – the least of them, who now are presented as even more foolish with the Godly wisdom, so don’t then try become the Christian version of the world with sophistication as the face of you. Worldly wisdom is simply an airbrushed face of the wicked, proud, boastful.
It really is as simple as: the sophistication/the wisdom of the world and the power of self-promotion vs Wisdom of God and the power of the cross.
The time is coming when God will “destroy the wisdom of the wise” and “thwart” the so called “discernment of the” so called “discerning”.
Strip off the worldly sophistication.
Choose faithfulness over fame.
Soak up the wisdom of the Lord.
Dust off the mockery.
Go preach Christ crucified.
Maranatha!