No—God deliberately uses people without wealth, talent, or status so that He, not human ability, receives all the glory.
Les Feldick teaches, based on 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, that God chooses the foolish, weak, base, and despised things to confound the wise and mighty. Those with great talents and wealth tend to take the credit for their success, so God instead uses commonplace people with nothing in their flesh to offer, making it clear that the power is from God alone.
1 Corinthians 1:27 — This verse directly states that God has chosen the foolish and weak things of the world to confound the wise and mighty.
1 Corinthians 1:29 — This verse gives the core reason: that no flesh should glory in God's presence.
2 Corinthians 4:7 — It explains that the treasure is in earthen vessels so the excellency of the power is of God, not of us.
Paul asks the Corinthian believers to consider their own calling: how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. Instead, God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, the weak things to confound the mighty, the base things, the despised things, and even 'things which are not' to bring to nothing the things that are. The explicit purpose is that no flesh should glory in His presence. The same truth appears in 2 Corinthians 4:7, where the treasure is placed in earthen vessels so the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. And 1 Corinthians 4:7 reminds every believer that whatever he has is received from God, so no one has grounds for boasting.
Les Feldick repeatedly emphasizes that God does not use the world's great men—the wealthy, the kings, the highly educated—but rather the commonplace. He points to Moses as a prime example: when Moses was second in Egypt with all power and authority, God could not use him; God had to take him into the wilderness as a lowly sheepherder before he could be God's man. He also points to the Apostle Paul, who was dismissed as a 'babbler' by the philosophers at Mars Hill, yet made an eternal impact. Les notes that Paul's speech and preaching were not with enticing words, and that Paul himself was commonplace and trembling as he entered strange cities. The reason is that God uses what the world scoffs at so that no flesh can glory in His presence. In his own life, Les says he is 'a nobody,' and that's exactly the kind of person God uses. He tells of a wealthy man who claimed to have made his own money, but Les insists the man could not have made a nickel without God's sovereign ordering.
Les Feldick uses Moses as the clearest example. While Moses was second man in Egypt—in charge of armies, civilian operations, road building, and bridges—he thought he could deliver Israel in the energy of the flesh. Instead, God sent him to the wilderness to be a lowly sheepherder, and only then could God use him.
Les quotes Paul's question, 'what hast thou that thou didst not receive?' and applies it to a rich man who claimed to have made his own money. He tells the man he could never have made a nickel without God ordaining it. We are what we are by the sovereign grace of God, so no one should be puffed up. Les also observes that very few intellectual, highly educated, highly polished people are used in proclaiming the gospel, because God can only use that which is nothing in the eyes of the world.
Paul writes, 'My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Les explains that this is why God chooses never to use the great men of this world, but always the commonplace. The excellency of the power is not of us but of God, so that no one can take the credit. When we are weak, God gets the glory.
Paul: a babbler to the philosophers
Les shows that when Paul appeared before the philosophers at Mars Hill, he was seen as a weak babbler—exactly the kind of 'foolish' person God uses to confound the wise.
Paul's commonplace weakness
Paul was not a courageous, polished speaker; he was commonplace and trembling, and his preaching was not with enticing words—proof that God doesn't need human greatness.
The excellency of power is of God
God leaves His work in human instruments so that the excellency of the power is clearly of God, not of us; Les personally identifies as a nobody, which is why God can use him.
God's purpose: no flesh should glory
Les quotes 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 and stresses that God uses things the world would never dream of using, for one purpose: that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Moses in the energy of the flesh
Not many wise, mighty, or noble are called; Moses is the example—God could not use him when he was mighty, but only after he was reduced.
The wealthy man who took credit
A rich man told Les he made his own money, but Les counters that no one can make a nickel without God's ordination—so all boasting is ruled out.
God never uses the great men of the world
God purposely did not use the wealthy or kings but always the commonplace; His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Few educated are used
Very few intellectual, polished, highly educated people are used by God; Moses was the prime example—second in Egypt, yet God had to send him to the wilderness.
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:
This introduces God's pattern: He does not call many of the world's wise, mighty, or noble.
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;
This is the central verse explaining why God chooses the foolish and weak rather than the talented and wealthy.
1 Corinthians 1:28: And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
God uses the lowly and even the non-existent to humble the proud and powerful.
1 Corinthians 1:29: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
This is the ultimate purpose: human pride must have no place before God.
1 Corinthians 4:7: For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
This verse undermines all boasting, including boasting in personal talent or wealth.
2 Corinthians 4:7: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
God uses fragile, ordinary humans so the power is clearly seen as coming from Him.
2 Corinthians 12:9: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
God's strength shines most clearly through human weakness, which is why He avoids using the self-sufficient.
Les teaches that God did not use the great men, the wealthy, or kings, but always the commonplace. The problem is not wealth or education itself, but relying on it and taking credit for it. Les tells of a wealthy man who said he made his money himself—yet he could not have made a nickel without God's sovereign grace.
Les explains that when Moses was second in Egypt, he went out in the energy of the flesh and failed. God had to break him down into a lowly sheepherder before he could be used. This shows God's pattern of choosing the weak and despised.
It means God chooses instruments that cannot claim credit for the outcome. When the weak and foolish succeed, it is obvious the power came from God. As Les says, man can never take the credit for anything; it all has to be of God.
Watch the Teaching: Why God Chooses the Foolish Over the Wise — 1 Corinthians 1:27-31