◄ What Does 1 Corinthians 1:26 Mean? ►

The focal theme and central thrust of all Paul's epistles is the message of the Cross; the good news of the gospel of Christ. However, Paul in his letter to the Corinthians gives two opinions of the Cross of Christ: as unsaved men view it and as God views it.

To those that are perishing (the unsaved) the Cross and its message are viewed as foolishness. However, God views the Cross as wisdom; true wisdom that is hidden from those that do not believe in Christ for salvation. But those of us who are saved by grace through faith in Him, recognise the Cross as the power of God and the wisdom of God. And although the world may consider those who believe in the Cross to be foolish, weak, insignificant, and of no account, true wisdom from God's perspective comes through a knowledge of Christ and Him crucified.

Those who despise the message of the Cross and follow after the ways of the world, elevate worldly wisdom, worldly intellect, worldly power, and worldly positions, but God views their worldly wisdom and high intellect as foolishness and God considers worldly power and elevated positions to be of no importance. Though highly esteemed in the mind of man and in their own self-importance, God sees such people as weak, worthless fools who are of no significance whatsoever, if they have not believed in the message of the Cross.

When you look at the person of Christ, you see the one and only Person that is able to save a lost sinner; you see the one and only Work that was carried out for the redemption of fallen mankind, and you see the one and only gospel of the grace of God: the message of the Cross, which is foolishness to those that are perishing but to us who have been saved it is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

When the wisdom of man rejects the message of the Cross, they become fools, for the fool that has said in their heart there is no God. When human intellect relegates God and His Christ to the realms of myths and folk-law, they become senseless men with no knowledge of eternal truth. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise godly wisdom and biblical instruction. And when the message of the Cross is substituted for position, prestige, human honour, and worldly wealth, that man becomes wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked in the eyes of the Lord.

No wonder Paul wrote that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty according to man's viewpoint, and not many noble that come to accept the message of the Cross, for they have substituted self for God on the throne of their life. It is recorded that one high-born aristocratic lady, praised God for the letter 'M' in this verse: not Many who are mighty and of noble birth are saved as opposed to not Any being saved, for this lady had come to a saving faith in the message of the Cross. 

It was God in His wisdom that planned and purposed that salvation would be accomplished through the message of the Cross. Those that become wise in their own eyes become foolish in the eyes of God. Those that are mighty in their own judgement become weak from God's heavenly perspective. Let us purpose in our heart to glory in nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, for He is the one and only Person that is able to save the lost sinners by the grace of God through the message of the Cross.

Heavenly Father, I have nothing to recommend myself except for the death of Jesus Christ, my Saviour and King. May I come to a deeper knowledge and understanding of the amazing message of the Cross and all that Christ has done for me through His death, burial, and Resurrection. He alone is worthy of all praise. In Jesus' name, AMEN.