What has God done to the wisdom of this world?
God has made foolish the wisdom of this world, destroying the wisdom of the wise and bringing to nothing the understanding of the prudent. This judgment targets the Greek philosophers and intellectuals, demonstrating that human wisdom has nothing to stand on before His absolute righteous rule.
Les explains that verse 19 is a quotation from the Old Testament, speaking from God's own basis: He will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Les says this looks toward the end time when Christ returns to set everything straight. That future rule will not be based on intellectuals, academia, or scientific achievement, but on His absolute righteous rule. In verse 20, Les notes Paul is smacking the Greek philosophers head on, asking, 'Where is the wise? Where is the disputer of this world?' The answer is that God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. Les then turns to Romans chapter 1, verses 21 and 22.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?