“The fallacy, frailty and finiteness of human wisdom”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, March 9, 2022
1 Corinthians 2:1-13 (Forward, p. 39) CEV p. 1191
Here the apostle Paul contrasts the kind of wisdom that normally resides in our world, and is exalted and prized by our world, with the kind of wisdom that is found in God and in His people. Worldly wisdom, human wisdom, is high falutin, and full of impressive words and phrases. It seeks to sway people simply by the power of words in and of themselves. Paul, by way of contrast, has chosen to come across in a far different way. In fact, when he first arrived in Corinth, he was weak and trembling with fear. And, rather than impress with words, he chose to emphasize the Cross and to demonstrate its saving power. That in itself ran counter to the wisdom of the world for it saw the Cross as being weak and foolish, as something of shame, and a very real embarrassment. Indeed, as Paul has said earlier, it was not by the wisdom of this world that any of them were saved, but by the Cross, which is the wisdom of God.
So, by implication, the wisdom of this world is inadequate and finite, only taking its practitioners and devotees so far, and then leaving them empty and destitute. In the end, it turns out to be false in terms of the hope and help it provides.
The wisdom from God, the wisdom that is God, is of a far different character. It is something that is reliable and dependable and can be counted upon. It is what we find embodied in Christ Jesus and recorded in the words of the Holy Scriptures. That is why prayer and a study and application of the Scriptures are so vital, as they are the means of our coming to possess and live out that wisdom.
Now, none of this is to say that the wisdom of our world is utterly and totally destitute of any worth. God can, and does, speak there as well, and so we must not throw it out totally. However, as Paul also counsels, we should test it to see whether it is truly of God. After all, as he says in today’s passage, we have the mind of Christ and are taught by His Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Forward notes: “My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (verse 2).
“I appreciate biblical exegesis. I love a deep dive into the text, examining the original meaning of a word and the context within which a passage was written. This exploration helps me understand what the writer was saying to a certain people at a given time in a particular place. If I am not careful, though, my study can become just something interesting to contemplate rather than a message that deepens my faith.
“The Bible is a living word. Putting the words into context and imagining how the original audience heard the stories is important. But if we approach the Bible as merely a historical document, we can miss its value for us today.
“Paul seems to be saying something similar. He comes to the church in Corinth not as an academic with a formidable intellect but as an apostle who speaks from the depth of his experience. The risen Christ has transformed him and will do the same for them. The source of Paul’s proclamation is not about words but about a relationship with Christ.”
Moving Forward: “What does it mean to be soul-smart versus book-smart?