I Corinthians 1:18-31
Paul is full of triads in today’s reading. See verse 20: Where is… Where is… Where is…? See verse 26: Not many… Not many… Not many… And verses 27 and 28: But God chose… God chose… God chose… Fun!
It is interesting that Paul decries the wise, the wisdom of the world and counters with But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise… (v. 27a) Why do I consider this interesting? Paul, himself, was wise by Jewish standards. He was a student of Gamaliel, one of the leading rabbis of his time. Then God made him even wiser by personally showing him the Old Testament scriptures with a new set of eyes. So in choosing Paul, God did choose the wise! However, Paul never puts himself into that camp. He considers his old life foolishness. Here is one of the few occasions where he lauds himself: For we … worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh — though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:3-7) Even in recounting his pedigree, he denies it all for the sake of Christ.
Slava Bohu!
As Paul notes, smart well-educated people often have a harder time believing, as do others who are strong, in power, wealth, abilities, etc. But this isn’t impossible; nothing is impossible for God. How else are we saved? “For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength” (v 25).