Why was Paul so aware of the emphasis on man's wisdom when he wrote to Corinth?
Paul had just come from Athens, the seat of philosophical thinking, where he confronted Athenian philosophers who labeled him a babbler. That encounter made him acutely aware of man's wisdom set against God's wisdom. He then came into Corinth, a city steeped in idolatry, mythological worship, and gross immorality.
Les explains that in the early part of 1 Corinthians, Paul constantly brings up wisdom, usually comparing man's wisdom with God's wisdom. Paul was more aware of this emphasis than we can imagine because shortly before coming to Corinth he was at Athens, the very seat of philosophical thinking. There the Athenian philosophers called him a babbler, but Les notes the reversal: Paul had the heavy stuff, while the philosophers had the babble. Les adds that this is not much different today, since the world's heavy thinkers are babble compared with the word of God. Paul then came to Corinth, a city beset with idolatry, mythological worship, and gross immorality.