1 Corinthians 1.17-25, Wise as Fools

“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. … For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1.17,25, ESV) 

My parents often remembered church through the activities it offered when they were young. By the time I came along, church attendance had narrowed to weddings and funerals. Later, when I began following Jesus myself, I noticed a recurring pattern among congregations. When a church sees itself growing older and smaller, the instinct is often to adjust its worship so that it looks more like the world around it. The lights dim, the service is reshaped, and the whole experience feels different. For a while, it works. A few young faces arrive, excitement rises, and the atmosphere feels alive again. Yet what drew people in is what will eventually send them away. When the novelty wears off, the same problem returns, only now with even less substance than before.

Paul warned Corinth about this very temptation. Christ did not send him to impress. He sent him to preach the cross. The Corinthians loved eloquence and clever rhetoric in the same way we love numbers, strategies, and personalities. Paul insists that God’s wisdom will always look like foolishness by human standards. Isaiah had promised that God would “destroy the wisdom of the wise” (Isaiah 29.14). Jeremiah reminded Israel that the only place to boast is in knowing the Lord (Jeremiah 9.23-24). The gospel confronts our pride at its deepest level. Salvation is not achieved through intellect, heritage, or talent. It comes only through the crucified Christ. Philippians 2 illustrates Christ’s act of emptying Himself and becoming a servant. This is God’s wisdom revealed in humility.

The Jews wanted miraculous signs. The Greeks wanted philosophy. Paul preached Christ crucified. What looked like weakness and folly was actually the power and wisdom of God. Scripture recounts this story repeatedly. The despised servant of Isaiah 53 becomes salvation. The bronze serpent lifted up in Numbers 21 points to Jesus lifted up. The stone the builders rejected in Psalm 118 becomes the cornerstone. What looked like defeat became God’s victory. Paul said elsewhere, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12.9). When churches lean on talent, money, or clever plans, God points us back to the cross. His so-called weakness is stronger than all of it. True strength comes only through faith in Christ crucified.

Paul reminded the Corinthians who they were. Not many were wise, powerful, or noble. Most were ordinary, even despised. Yet God chose them, so no one could boast. That same truth humbles us today. Our identity is not our name, our work, or our reputation. Our identity is in Christ. That truth also calls us into unity. No cliques, no competing agendas, no private loyalties. Jesus prayed that His followers would be one (John 17.21). Paul echoed that appeal when he wrote, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

To the world, the cross looks foolish. To those who believe, it is the wisdom and power of God. Isaac Watts said it well in When I Survey the Wondrous Cross: “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” May we be willing to be known as fools for Christ, humbled and bound together under His Son.

~PW 🌮🛶‌

For more on this topic, including practical steps toward building your faith, check out my full sermon from 1 Corinthians 1.17-25, “Wise as Fools”