1 Corinthians 3:18-19
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”
Our society is obsessed with education. Even though in regard to high school students we rank at the bottom third of all industrial nations in regard to most measurements of success, we believe we have the best educational system in the world. Our universities, on the other hand, are filled with foreign students seeking "higher-ed" and "deeper-thought." We believe that education saves people from poverty and self-abasement. We celebrate graduations as though magical doors that open to a plethora of opportunity, closed to those who don't graduate. On human terms these exercises and discipline of learning might be a worthy endeavor. But, when this philosophy sneaks into the Church we have a real issue. Such is the plight of the Body at Corinth. This church that Paul is writing to, was growing in a time when the Greek philosophy of wisdom rule the world (the word philosophy is made up of two greek words ... philo/love and sophia/wisdom ... that mean the love of wisdom). They were so in-tuned to the Greek way of thought it was affecting how they did ministry and, more importantly, how they believe in Christ and what they believed about themselves in Christ. The Greeks so honored wisdom and the intellect that the bigger the words and the deeper the "high" talk, the more wisdom you possessed. They pursued the deepest things of life and relied upon this type of talk and wisdom to be honored in the church. Some were wiser about the world's philosophy than others and therefore, had greater privilege within the church. Paul is warning them in the above passage to be careful that this type of thought doesn't deceive you. IN CHRIST we have wisdom because Christ is Wisdom. Paul has been developing this since the beginning of the letter. Now he plainly states it. Note what one commentator states about this fear of self-flatter:
Mathew Henry: He must be sensible of his own ignorance, and lament it; he must distrust his own understanding, and not lean on it. To have a high opinion of our wisdom is but to flatter ourselves, and self- flattery is the very next step to self- deceit.
We have the opportunity through today's electronic-media world to listen to more "philosophy" of this world than ever imaginable to Paul. In his day you had to go to places like Mars Hill in Athens to hear the latest philosophies of this world (Acts 17). But, today we can click on a million or so TEDx videos from our phone and find the philosophy of this world. We can get quite wise in our own wisdom. But, the truth is that those who would be wise will never come to Christ or recognize His rule and authority and death for them. The cross is foolishness to world (note any atheists thoughts on Christians). The Church should be based upon the "foolishness" of the cross and not on the hierarchy of this world's knowledge base. Professors in state universities all over the world will laugh and scoff at the message and meaning of the cross. But, God will catch them in their own craftiness. The truth is the wisdom of this world is foolish. Failure to see the cross as the Power of God is to be a fool. Viewing the wisdom of this world as the door that opens opportunity in Spiritual prowess is folly.
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