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(19) For it is written:
"I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent." (20) Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where
is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this
world? (21) For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not
know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save
those who believe.
(26) For you see your calling, brethren, that not
many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called. (27) But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to
shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame
the things which are mighty; (28) and the base things of the world and the
things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring
to nothing the things that are, (29) that no flesh should glory in His presence.
(30) But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and
righteousness and sanctification and redemption— (31) that, as it is written,
"He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." New
King James Version Change Bible versions
It cannot be overestimated how important humility expressed by faith
before God is to the overall spiritual purpose of God for each individual! Each
person must know as fully as possible that Christ died for him, that his own
works do not provide forgiveness,
and that he has not created himself in Christ Jesus. Nobody evolves into a godly
person on the strength of his own will. It is God who works in us both to will
and to do (Philippians 2:13). No new creation creates itself. So, by
and large, God calls the undignified, base, weak, and foolish of this world,
people whom the unbelieving wise consider to be insignificant and of no account.
He does this so that no human will glory in His presence. On this, a German
commentator, Johann Albrecht Bengel, clarifies, "We have permission to glory,
not before God, but in God."
The term "in Christ Jesus" (I Corinthians 1:30) indicates that we are in an intimate
relationship with Him. Paul then details—through the terms "wisdom,"
"righteousness," "sanctification," and "redemption"—that God, using our
believing, humble, submissive cooperation, will be responsible for all things
accomplished in and through us. Some modern commentators believe that, because
"wise" and "wisdom" appear so many times earlier in this chapter, the terms
"righteousness," "sanctification," and "redemption" should be in parentheses
because Paul intends them to define what he means by true wisdom in this
context.
God, then, is pleased to save those who believe and to do a mighty work in
them. This set Abel apart from, as far as we know, every other person living on
earth at that time. What he did by faith pictures what everyone who receives salvation
must also do to begin his walk toward the Kingdom
of God. Everyone must be called of God; believe enough of His Word to know
that he is a sinner who needs the blood of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of his sins; repent,
that is, undergo a change of mind toward God; and be justified, made legally
righteous by having Jesus Christ's righteousness imputed to him. This enables a
relationship with God to begin, and sanctification unto glorification can
proceed.
— John W. Ritenbaugh
To learn more, see:
The Christian Fight (Part Four)
Related Topics:
Calling
Calling, Uniqueness of
Foolish, God has Called
Foolishness of Preaching
Glorification
God's Calling
Humility
Justification
Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification
Pride
Proud, God resists
Redemption
Relationship with Christ
Relationship With God
Righteousness
Righteousness from God
Righteousness of Christ
Sanctification
Will and Power to do
Wisdom
Wisdom of God
Wisdom of Man
Wise of the World
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