Yes—God deliberately passes over those the world calls wise and mighty, choosing the weak and foolish so that no one can boast before Him.
Scripture says that not many wise, mighty, or noble are called, and that God has chosen the foolish and weak to confound the wise and mighty. Les Feldick illustrates this through Moses, whose Egyptian power and education had to be stripped away before God could use him. The whole point is that no flesh should glory in God's presence.
1 Corinthians 1:25-29 — This passage directly teaches that God's apparent foolishness and weakness are wiser and stronger than men, and that He chooses the weak to confound the strong.
The apostle Paul declares, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Corinthians 1:25). In the same passage he reminds the Corinthians of their own call: "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called" (1 Corinthians 1:26). Then he explains why: "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (1 Corinthians 1:27). The purpose statement follows in verse 29: "That no flesh should glory in his presence."
Les Feldick says the main theme of 1 Corinthians is the wisdom of God set apart from the wisdom of men. He stresses that it doesn't matter how much earthly wisdom we have; only the wisdom from God makes us something God can use. In man's eyes, God seems foolish when He says He can save a person from the most utter, gutter type existence and make him a saint—but that foolishness is still wiser than the greatest philosopher or educator. Les uses Moses as the clearest example. When Moses was the second man in Egypt, totally educated and powerful, God couldn't use him; he went out in the energy of the flesh. So God sovereignly sent him to the backside of the desert to herd sheep for 40 years. There Moses became nothing in his own eyes—but everything in God's eyes. Only then could God send him back to Pharaoh, and Moses responded, "I'm a nobody. I can't talk." The same pattern continues with King Saul—proud, handsome, and talented, yet he didn't amount to a hill of beans—while God used the little shepherd boy David. Later, Saul of Tarsus was a big man in Judaism, but God couldn't use him from that high position. God simply cannot use the pomp and circumstance of this world; He must first bring people to the place where they know they are nothing in themselves.
Les explains that Moses held an extremely high position in Egypt—second only to Pharaoh—with authority over armies and civilian operations. In that position, Moses thought he could lead Israel out of Egypt, but God couldn't use him. So God sent him to the back side of the desert to herd sheep, an occupation the Egyptians considered abhorrent. After 40 years without contact with people of stature, Moses saw himself as nothing, a nobody. That was exactly where God wanted him before sending him back to Pharaoh.
Les asks why God shouldn't use someone with all the talent in the world, a tremendous IQ, or a background of wealth. He answers with 1 Corinthians 1:29—"That no flesh should glory in his presence." If God used people with seemingly all the right credentials, they would be prone to say, "Look what I did." So God refuses to give human beings any ground for boasting in His sight.
Based on Paul's words in Corinthians, Les says that whether you want to teach Sunday school, be a missionary, or do anything in God's service, the first place you must come to is understanding that in yourself you are nothing. You can't bring this world's education or talents as your qualification. Paul himself was commonplace and his speech was not with enticing words; you don't need ten degrees behind your name. God uses the people the world scoffs at and says, "Who does he think he is?"—those are the people God can use.
God's 'Foolishness' Exceeds Human Wisdom
Les explains that what the world calls God's foolishness is wiser than the greatest philosopher or educator, and what the world calls God's weakness is stronger than men.
Not Many Wise or Mighty Are Called
God deliberately chooses the foolish and weak things of the world to confound the wise and mighty, and Moses in his own strength was unusable.
God Takes the High and Lowly
God consistently chooses the lowly; if someone begins in a high position, God takes them to a low spot before He can use them, as He did with Moses.
No Flesh Should Glory
God will not use people with seemingly all the right credentials because they would boast in their own accomplishments, saying 'Look what I did.'
Moses Becomes a Nobody
After 40 years of herding sheep, Moses was nothing in his own eyes but everything in God's eyes—and this is the requirement for service today.
From Prominence to the Backside of the Desert
Moses had to become a nobody who couldn't talk before God sent him back to Pharaoh; God also passed over proud King Saul to use shepherd David and put aside Saul of Tarsus in his high position.
God Can't Use Pomp and Circumstance
God cannot use the pomp and circumstance of this world; Moses had to become a lowly, smelly shepherd before God could send him back to Egypt.
No Degrees Required
Paul was commonplace, didn't use enticing words, and didn't have impressive credentials; God uses the people the world scoffs at, not those with ten degrees behind their names.
1 Corinthians 1:25: Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Shows that what the world calls ridiculous about God surpasses the best human reasoning and strength.
1 Corinthians 1:26: For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
Directly addresses why few people with worldly status, power, or nobility are chosen by God.
1 Corinthians 1:27: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Explains God's deliberate strategy of using the world's weak and foolish people to shame the strong and wise.
1 Corinthians 1:29: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Gives the ultimate reason: God chooses the weak so that no human being can boast before Him.
According to 1 Corinthians 1:26, not many wise, mighty, or noble are called—not none. Les Feldick points to Moses, who was educated and powerful, but God couldn't use him until he was reduced to a lowly shepherd. So even if someone has those credentials, God must bring them to the point where they see themselves as nothing.
Moses had to be stripped of his Egyptian power and prominence. In his own eyes he became nothing—a nobody who couldn't even talk. That was exactly where God wanted him before sending him back to Pharaoh.
Les says the first requirement is to understand that in ourselves we are nothing. We can't bring this world's education or talents as our qualification. Paul's preaching wasn't with enticing words, and God uses the people the world scoffs at.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Cross Is Foolishness to the World — 1 Corinthians 1:18-25