Paul emphasizes wisdom because he is contrasting human wisdom with God's wisdom throughout 1 Corinthians.
In the opening chapters, Paul repeatedly sets the wisdom of this world against the wisdom of God. He shows that God has made the world's wisdom foolish and that the gospel, which the world calls foolishness, is actually God's power and wisdom. Les Feldick notes that one commentator even calls wisdom the main theme of the book, and Paul stresses that only wisdom from God makes a person usable.
1 Corinthians 1:25 — Paul directly states that the foolishness of God is wiser than men, setting up the contrast that defines 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 2:7 — Paul identifies true wisdom as the hidden wisdom of God, which is central to his teaching in the letter.
Paul opens 1 Corinthians by confronting the wisdom of this world. In 1 Corinthians 1:19 he quotes God's promise to 'destroy the wisdom of the wise,' and in verse 20 he asks, '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?' The passage continues: 'For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe' (1 Corinthians 1:21), and 'the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men' (1 Corinthians 1:25).
Les Feldick points out that one commentator described the main theme of 1 Corinthians as wisdom — the wisdom of God set apart from the wisdom of men. He stresses that earthly wisdom does not make us usable; only wisdom from God does. Les also highlights the Greek cultural backdrop: Corinth was a Greek city about 30–40 miles from Athens, and the Greeks were preoccupied with philosophy and intellectual pursuits.
Les Feldick explains that Corinth was in Greek culture, only about 30–40 miles from Athens. The Greeks were 'hung up on philosophy,' and Paul encountered philosophers on Mars Hill who spent their days trying to dream up new ideas. When Paul came to Corinth, he did not go to the Bema seat like the philosophers did, nor did he bring the Greek classics of Homer and Plato. He did not come with intellectual degrees or high intellectualism; he came with the simplicity of the gospel.
According to Les Feldick, Paul confronts the Greek philosophers head-on in 1 Corinthians 1:20, asking where the wise man and the disputer of this world are, and showing that God has made the wisdom of this world foolish. Les says all the great philosophy, literature, and works of art belong to the wisdom of this world, which is foolishness with God. In contrast, the gospel — the cross of Christ — becomes the power of God to those who are saved.
Paul writes, 'But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory' (1 Corinthians 2:7). Les points out that this is the hidden, secret aspect of God's wisdom, which none of the princes of this world knew — otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Paul speaks this wisdom among the mature, but it is not the wisdom of this world or of its rulers.
The Hidden Wisdom of God — 1 Corinthians 2:6-9 Explained
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Wisdom as the Main Theme of 1 Corinthians
Les cites a commentator who says the main theme of 1 Corinthians is wisdom — God's wisdom set against man's wisdom — and stresses that only wisdom from God makes us usable.
Paul's Example at Corinth
Les explains that Paul deliberately avoided coming with excellency of speech or Greek philosophy; he did not rely on Homer, Plato, or the wisdom of the philosophers at Corinth's Bema seat.
Corinth's Philosophical Culture
Les shows that Corinth was immersed in Greek philosophy and close to Athens, but Paul came with the simplicity of the gospel rather than intellectual credentials.
Worldly Wisdom Is Foolishness with God
Les explains that the wisdom of this world — philosophy, literature, art — is foolishness with God, and that true wisdom comes through the gospel.
Hidden Wisdom of God
Les highlights Paul's statement that he speaks the wisdom of God in a mystery — hidden wisdom ordained before the world, which the princes of this world did not know.
God Makes Worldly Wisdom Foolish
Les shows Paul confronting the Greek philosophers in 1 Corinthians 1:20, where God asks where the wise and the disputer of this world are.
Wisdom Among the Mature
Les explains that Paul speaks this wisdom among those who are mature, not the wisdom of this world or its rulers.
1 Corinthians 1:19: For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Paul introduces the contrast by showing that God actively destroys human wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:20: 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?
Paul challenges the philosophers and shows that God has rendered worldly wisdom foolish.
1 Corinthians 1:21: For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
The world cannot know God through its own wisdom; God saves through what the world calls foolishness.
1 Corinthians 1:25: Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Paul sums up the superiority of God's wisdom over human wisdom.
1 Corinthians 2:7: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Paul identifies true wisdom as God's hidden wisdom revealed to believers.
1 Corinthians 2:8: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
This verse shows that the world's rulers completely missed God's wisdom.
No. Paul distinguishes between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God. He says the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, but he also speaks of the wisdom of God in a mystery — the hidden wisdom that God ordained before the world. Les Feldick stresses that only the wisdom from God makes us usable.
Paul deliberately chose not to come with excellency of speech or wisdom, and he did not bring the Greek classics of Homer and Plato. Les explains that Paul did not come with intellectual degrees or philosophy; he came with the simplicity of the gospel, which is the cross of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul calls the gospel 'the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom.' Les points out that this wisdom was hidden and unknown to the princes of this world — if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Watch the Teaching: The Hidden Wisdom of God — 1 Corinthians 2:6-9 Explained