God's Wisdom - the Word of the Cross [1 Corinthians 1]

1 Corinthians1:20-21 - Where is the wise man? 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 through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

The world's wisdom does not bring us to know God.  In fact it leads us in the opposite direction.  Do you remember in Genesis 3 that Eve was offered the world's wisdom?  The serpent basically said, "You can get wisdom apart from God just by eating the one thing God told you not to eat.  You won't die! Instead you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (authors' translation).  She and Adam choose to get wisdom their own way and opened the door for us all to look to ourselves for wisdom.

Thankfully, God was well-pleased to send Christ to save us from our path of destruction and bring us back to knowing God. Verses 23 and 24 reminds us that Christ crucified will seem foolish to the world but to us who are called, Christ is "the power of God and the wisdom of God." 

Verna McCrillis, 11/3/2008