23/08/2023
Mark 1 v 9-20; 1 Cor 1 v 18-31; Ps 73 v 1-28; Jos 3 v 1 to 5 v 15

Only the foolish will believe

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor 1 v 18 – 31) [NIV]

So, who are the “foolish”?

It’s simple. Only those who believe in Christ crucified: “a Stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.” (vers 23)
It is also the ones who gave up everything to follow Jesus (Mark 1 v 16 – 20).
Believers in Christ are often ridiculed for their belief in this “fairy tale” religion and mocked for their apparent lack of reason, assuming that they (the enlightened ones), have mastered all there is to know in life about every subject matter, yet the ones calling us foolish, have not taken the time to apply their wisdom and knowledge to research the validity and authenticity of our “foolish” belief, or could it simply be that “14 … a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2 v 14) 

Who are the wise?

This too, is clear. The teacher of the law and the philosopher (vers 20), saying that only the foolish will believe.
We are often asked how we can trust in a source that was written by men, but it is never considered that many have tried to discredit and disprove our beliefs over the course of millennia and still people are coming to faith in Jesus.
There must be something about our faith that causes more and more people to accept the death (and resurrection) of Christ as the only atonement for their sins?
Could it be that all their earthly knowledge and doctor’s degrees cannot fill the void that a life without God offers?

Who are the wicked?

Those who think that God is only a concept and live their life according to their own desires, also saying that only the foolish will believe. They question and often reject the very existence of God and takes no responsibility for their actions. There are also those who might believe in God as a distant, impersonal figure that doesn’t have the ability to know our very next thought or action. (Ps 73 v 11)
This is an extremely dangerous position to hold and there is only one outcome for people who think that the God of the universe will not judge them at the appropriate time.

We as believers, should never forget where we come from and how God saved us from certain demise. Therefore, “let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (vers 31)

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation”

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