INTRODUCTION: Last week, we jumped ahead to study chapter 3 of
1
Corinthians, because it developed the issue of divisions in the
church that was introduced in chapter 1.
This week, we do something similar. We look at a very interesting
discussion of wisdom and power that begins in chapter 1 and
continues in chapter 2. Let's see what we can learn about being
wise and powerful!
I. PAUL v. PROVERBS: WHO WINS ON WISDOM?
A. Read 1 Corinthians 1:17-20. Remember that
v.17 is the last
text in a series that deal with the problem
of factions in the
Corinthian church.
1. Do you see
any relationship between verse 17 and the
preceding discussion
of divisions?
2. What does
Paul's discussion of factions have to do
with "wisdom"
and "intelligence?"
3. Let's step
back from church leaders for a moment. Do
you prize wisdom
and intelligence in secular leaders?
4. Now let's
apply that to the church. Is the same true
for church leaders?
Do you prize wisdom and intelligence
in church leaders?
a. Have you ever said (with regard to church
management), "Let's get the preachers out of there
and bring in (accountants, lawyers, businessmen)
who know what they are doing in business!
(1) Care to defend your words?
B. Proverbs 2:10 says, "For wisdom will enter
your heart, and
knowledge will be pleasant to your soul."
A few verses later,
in Proverbs 2:12 we read, "Wisdom will save
you from the ways
of wicked men ...." Proverbs 3:13, "Blessed
is the man who
finds wisdom ... for she is more profitable
than silver and
yields better returns than gold. She
is more precious than
rubies; nothing you desire can compare with
her." These
verses give you an insight into a major (if
not THE) major
theme of Proverbs.
1. Does Paul
need a remedial course in Proverbs?
2. Can we reconcile
Proverbs and the 1 Corinthians
1:17-20 discourse
on wisdom?
3. If Proverbs
3:13 is correct in saying that wisdom
saves us from
the ways of evil men, how can Paul say (1
Corinthians
1: 17) that wisdom empties the cross of its
power? (Proverbs
and Paul can be reconciled. Paul is not
attacking all
wisdom. He is (v.20) attacking the "wisdom
of the world.")
II. WISDOM: GOD'S v. MAN'S.
A. Read 1 Corinthians 1:21-22. What are the
two kinds of
wisdom that we have to choose from? (Paul
refers to "the
wisdom of God" and the wisdom of "the world.")
B. Are the examples in v.22 "worldly wisdom?"
Explain what
you mean? (Jews were looking for examples
of power. Greeks
were looking for sage advice.)
1. Didn't Jesus
give both of those? Miracles and smart
suggestions?
2. Did Paul heal
anyone? Did he promote the gospel
through miracles?
(Yes. Acts 14:8-10)
3. So what is Paul talking about here?
4. Tell me how
(v.21) it is the "wisdom of God" that the
world did not
know Him through worldly wisdom?
a. I thought one of God's greatest desires was to
have us know Him? (See Isaiah 11:9)
C. Let's read on. 1 Corinthians 2:23-25. What
is Paul
preaching instead of miracles and smart suggestions?
Draw this
chart:
Jews
Greeks
Looking for: Miracles (signs) Sage Advice
Got from Paul: Cross Cross
D. What was the result of giving Jews and Greeks
the cross
instead of what they sought? (It caused the
Jews to stumble
(v.23) and was foolishness to the Greeks (v.23).
The word
translated "stumbling block" means "scandal.")
1. Why teach
something that will cause others to stumble?
Why teach something
that is scandalous or seems foolish?
a. Is Paul saying that all Jews and Greeks stumble
over the cross? (No! Verse 24 tells us that those
Jews and Greeks "who are called" will understand
that the cross is power and wisdom.)
2. Is it possible
that man's goal (power and wisdom) and
God's goal are
the same, but God's path to the goal is
different than
man's path? (Paul distinguishes between
man's ideas
and God's ideas. He says (v.25) that he is
preaching power
and wisdom. So he is preaching exactly
what the Jews
and Greeks are theoretically looking for.
The problem
is that he is preaching God's power and
wisdom, while
many are looking for man's version of power
and wisdom.
We will discuss this issue of being called to
a different
path more in a little bit.)
3. Is there a
lesson for us today in this idea that God's
way is a scandal
and foolishness to the world's thinking?
(We should not
try to fit the teachings of the Bible into
the framework
of our logic or our desires. We will come
across teachings
in this letter to the Corinthians which
are directly
at odds with the wisdom of the world.)
III. GOD'S WEAKNESS WISDOM
A. Read vv. 26-31. Verse 27 says that God
chose the "foolish,"
and "weak" things. Does this refer to Christ?
Or does it
refer to the Corinthians (and by extension,
us)?
B. If you say "Christ," remember that v. 24
says that Christ
is the "power of God" and the "wisdom of God."
1. In what way
is Christ both the power and wisdom of
God and at the
same time "foolishness" and "weakness?"
a. What was the "Jewish Goal" at the time that
Christ came? (To be free and independent from the
Romans.)
(1) Verse 22 tells us that the Jews were
looking for miracles. How would that further
their goal? (Someone who had that kind of
power might enable them to throw off the
Romans.)
2. How was Jesus
the complete opposite of what they
hoped for?
(He was killed by the Romans in the most
cruel way they
could devise. It was not only a "defeat,"
it was an embarrassing
defeat!)
C. Does this mean that since Paul is preaching
something that
runs counter to man's understanding, that
we cannot expect to
convert those "in the world?" (Verse 24 says
"those whom God
called, both Jews and Greeks" will understand.)
D. Friend, I think we have a mystery here.
God has an
apparently "upside down" (in man's eyes) path
to power and
wisdom. The path to power seems to be
"foolishness,"
"weakness," "lowliness" and lack of respect.
(vv. 27-28)
1. How do you like that?
2. If you dislike
that "path" (as I assume you do), does
that mean your
heart is not converted? Or that I am
leading you
down the path of incorrect interpretation?
3. Remember I
promised you to come back to the idea of
being "called"
(and the different "paths" to wisdom and
power)? If we
can understand the nature of the "path" of
God's wisdom,
then I think we are being "called" or at
least we are
answering the "call.")
E. Verse 30 says that Christ is "wisdom from
God." How does
Jesus illustrate God's "route" to power and
wisdom?
1. Notice v.29
says, "so that no one may boast before
Him."
Does this give us a clue about God's philosophy of
power and wisdom?
a. Does this have anything to do with righteousness
by faith?
b. Does this have anything to do with Gideon's
story? (Bingo! The common theme is that God's path
to power and wisdom is to give ourselves up to Him,
to trust Him and not ourselves. Jesus gave Himself
up for us. Judges 7 (Gideon's battle), along with
the entire book of Judges, shows us that God wants
no doubt about who won the victory. Therefore, He
takes the lowly things of this life to defeat the
most powerful forces on the earth. As a result, we
will (v.31) say "Let him who boasts boast in the
Lord.")
(1) Why does God want us to trust Him and not
ourselves?
IV. PRACTICAL APPLICATION
A. Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. Paul says (v.1)
that he did not
come with "eloquence or superior wisdom."
1. Do you like
good speakers or bad speakers? Interesting
speakers or
boring speakers?
a. Is Paul lobbying for preachers to be poor
speakers?
2. Did Paul come
with wisdom that was superior to that of
the Corinthians?
Is he right when he says he did not?
(v.1) (Of course
Paul had superior wisdom. He understood
the gospel and
they did not.)
a. So what is Paul talking about? (The fact that we
KNOW he cannot mean that the Corinthians had equal
or "superior wisdom," reveals that he must be
talking to us about another kind of "wisdom."
Remember our two paths to wisdom and power? Paul is
saying that he did not come to them with superior
human wisdom. I believe he is saying that the focus
of his message was not his speaking "prowess" or
his display of "wisdom." The focus of his message
was not the way he said it, but what he said. The
focus of his message was (v.2) "Jesus Christ and
him crucified."
b. What is wrong with trying to impress the
Corinthians with his human wisdom and education?
(The human wisdom message is "See how smart I am."
Some people write to convey a message. Others
write to convey to you how smart they are. You can
easily see this contrast when comparing newspapers
and popular magazines with so-called "scholarly"
magazines. (Which cater to the "publish or perish"
needs of college professors.) The goal of the
newspaper is to convey a message. The worst
example is when a popular publication forgets its
goal is communication. A graphic (nearly humorous)
example is found on page 30 of the most recent
(Jan/Feb'98) issue of LIBERTY magazine. If you have
it, look at the third paragraph of the first
column.)
c. What impact would an effort on Paul's part to
impress the people of Corinth with his education
have on the problem (of divisions) that we
discussed last week? (The message, "See how smart I
am," is completely contrary to his message (last
week) not to look to human leaders and his message
(this week) that God works through weakness.)
3. Does that
mean that your pastor should stop trying to
improve his
speaking skills? (No! The pastor's
communication
skills should be the best they can be. The
"point" of the
sermon should not be the "skills," but the
message of the
Bible.)
4. What does
Paul say made him a persuasive speaker? (v.4
The Spirit's
power was demonstrated.)
a. How does that "fit" into his message of power
through weakness? (God is the power and not man.)
b. Since Paul just suggested (1 Corinthians 1:22)
that miraculous signs were not given to the Jews,
how do you think the Spirit manifested its power
through Paul? (I think this will become clearer,
later. Let's move on.)
B. Read 1 Corinthians 2:6-10. Why do the "rulers
of this age"
not understand God's message (v.8)?
1. Why is it a "hidden" "secret" (v.7)?
2. If the leaders
cannot understand it, if it is a
mystery, how
are we supposed to be able to understand it?
(v.10 "God has
revealed it to us by His Spirit.")
a. Is that the "Spirit's power" Paul refers to in
v.4? (I think so.)
b. How do you get that "Spirit power" to understand?
c. How does your pastor get that "Spirit power" in
the sermon? (Read vv. 11-12. God gives us His
Spirit "freely" so that we may understand His will.
Paul would say that the Pastor should spend more
time asking the Spirit to convey his message than
in polishing his speaking skills.)
C. Does this mean that those who are "called,"
those who are
leaders, do not have "power and wisdom?"
They have only
weakness, lowliness and foolishness? (This
is THE POINT! If we
grab hold of God's wisdom and power. If we
always remember
that any success is the result of God's wisdom
and power. If
we point to God's wisdom and power.
If we determine to
utilize God's wisdom and power; we will have
(1:25) power and
wisdom that is greater than any possessed
by any man on earth!
No rivalry among church leaders. No rivalry
among church
members. All look to the power and wisdom
that comes
exclusively from God.)
D. Friend, if God works through weakness, and
the power of His
Spirit is available to all who ask, are you
fully qualified to
do great things for God?
V. NEXT WEEK: "Paul, Called to be an Apostle." Study 1 Corinthians
chapters 4 and 9!