In the past, “Unity of believers” has been a felt need, perhaps even a battle cry of sorts, within the church. The need, however, largely goes unmet and the cry unheard. What makes unity so difficult to attain is that it has no standard unit of measure. How much unity is enough? Can one have too much? Though we easily recognize division, how do we monitor progress toward unity? Paul provides us a handy standard. While unity in all things may be preferred, so long as unity in our allegiance to Jesus and the Gospel is maintained it is enough. This is the life to which Paul calls the church of Corinth --- and us -- when we received Christ as our Savior.

Paul will now turn, for a moment, to the issue of wisdom before concluding his teaching on divisions. There are essentially two parts to his dialog regarding wisdom: verses 18 through 2.5 discuss the wisdom of the age and why God’s is superior to it, and verses 2.5-.16 wisdom that comes from God’s Holy Spirit. It is important to understand, however, that Paul is not addressing an unrelated issue. One of the reasons for divisions within the church is the believer’s unrelenting confidence in their own understanding. As is the case with most “bunny trails,” this one is born out of his primary concern.

Though the form would not fully develop for many centuries yet, Paul unknowingly used the form of essay in this discussion of human wisdom. He begins with a thesis statement (verse 18), gives support for the thesis from Scripture (verse 19), gives his supporting arguments (.20-2.3) and restates the thesis point at the close (2.4-.5). Beginning in verse 18 it is readily apparent that Paul completes the thought raised in .17, while the gospel is not presented with “human wisdom” (lest the cross be emptied of its power), it is presented with “God’s foolishness” (so that the cross is filled with power). This paradox is explained in .25: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” The reason behind Paul’s preaching the gospel in foolishness, rather than wisdom is spelled out in 2.5: “so that your faith might not rest on man’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

This verse has implications to the modern reader as well. Though such issues as abortion, the environment, and evolution are important issues, they ought not take precedence over the gospel. While most Americans know where the majority of “Christians” stand on such issues, most cannot explain the message of salvation. This truth is to our shame, and evidences our leaning to hard on the minors and not performing the duties our Lord assigned us in Matthew 28.19-.20.

In verse 20 Paul starts his arguments against man’s wisdom and in support of the “foolish” cross of Christ by asking three questions. “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar (read scribe)? Where is the philosopher of this age?” It is a challenge issued to these three groups of people, and the challenge is to prove false the faith we have in God’s foolishness. For, though the world is full of “human wisdom” it did not recognize Jesus, God’s personified wisdom. Rather, they mistook him for foolishness, to their own folly. Of the three groups challenged in verse 20, two are Greek and one is Jewish. This may offer an insight to the make-up of the church at Corinth, two-thirds Greek and a third Jewish. Jews are forever in search of a miraculous sign making Christ a scandal to them (a la Luke 11.29), and Greeks were known for wisdom and philosophy, making Christ foolishness to them. Verse 23 once more iterates that both Jews and Greeks were called together in Christ and were a part of the church at Corinth, as it is to these Jews and Greeks that Christ has become the power and wisdom of God.

Verses 26 through 31 are based on Jeremiah 9.23-.24. Paul mentions three groups: not many were wise, influential or of noble birth. These three groups were chosen by God to shame the worldly wise, influential and noble. Though we come to God with nothing of worldly value to offer, God has given us righteousness, holiness and redemption through Jesus Christ. Though we cannot boast is our own accomplishments, we can and do boast in the Lord. Compare this passage to the Jeremiah passage below:

This is what the Lord says, “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight” declares the Lord.

Clearly this passage was on Paul’s mind when writing to the Corinthians.

The author now takes a moment to look back at his first meeting with the people of Corinth. He recalls that he did not claim superior wisdom or speak with eloquence as was claimed by the Greek of the noble city. Instead, he chose not to debate them on any issue but the cross of Christ. He came to them in weakness, fear and much trembling (which God relieved, Acts 18.9-.10). Though not the greatest speaker to hit Corinth, he displayed the power of the Holy Spirit, so that their faith would not be founded on a persuasive argument, but on God’s power.

Though it may appear Paul has little good to say about wisdom, he is about to change his tactic. In verse six of chapter two he will move from downplaying human wisdom and uphold only God’s wisdom. Paul admits that in fact there is wisdom in the gospel message, though it is not conventional nor is it anything that the world could perceive. The wisdom of the gospel in verse 6a is contrasted with the wisdom of this age, in 6b. It therefore follows that the mature are contrasted with the rulers of this age. These rulers may be human, such as the Pharisees and the Roman imperials, or it could also refer to the demonic realm. Either way, true wisdom is a wisdom that God Himself has been privy to and has kept for himself since the beginning of time, only to reveal now, through the Holy Spirit.

Contrary to Paul’s rebuke of “persuasive words” (2.4), he lays forth a line of reasoning in verses 10b through 16. “The Spirit searches all things,” that is, the Spirit knows all things – including the deepest thoughts of God. Just as a man’s spirit knows his thoughts, so the Holy Spirit knows God’s. Though unregenerate (worldly) man has his own spirit, the believer has the Holy Spirit. Since we have God’s Spirit in us, we understand the mystery of God’s wisdom. Unregenerate man cannot understand the mystery, because he does not have the Holy Spirit to explain it to him. He is spiritually discerned. Believer’s, on the other hand, have the mind of Christ, and are therefore judged by God alone. For this reason God’s opinion of you is the only opinion that matters.

This lack of understanding on the part of unbelievers will usually result in one of two responses: either they will like what Christians have and desire to attain it themselves (and hopefully becoming saved in the process of searching) or they will despise what believers have and who they are and lean towards persecuting them. The topic of persecution is one Paul will detail in chapter four.