For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
1 Corinthians 1:25-2:5
Here we have the Paul pointing out to the Corinthians that God’s wisdom is greater than man’s. He notes that they were not wise on their own or influential. Never-the-less God chose them to that the world called foolish to shame the world. He chose the weak things to shame to strong.
He makes it clear that we as Christians should not boast in our own strength but in the Lord.
Paul points out that he didn’t come like some debaters of the day, debating the things about Christ. He came in weakness, in fear and trembling and demonstrated the Spirits power. He noted that our faith should not rest in man’s wisdom but in the power of God.
Today in the church we need to remember these words. We need to be out there presenting the word of God. There is no need for us to be “eloquent of speech”.
There is an older woman in our church. She’s in her early seventies. She has problems walking and travels around town in an electric scooter. She doesn’t have a great education nor is she good at explaining things.
Still she travels all over town and hands out tracks proclaiming the Lord and inviting people to church. People know her well. Most think her very quaint and nice. Some think her a little eccentric, all say she’s harmless.
I’ve heard people talking about her and what she’s saying about the Lord. They may not agree with her but they are discussing what she gives them. Some even show up at church.
Some have even come to know the Lord. All because one grandmother in a scooter handed them a track that led them to the Lord.
We need more like her in our churches. People who go out and witness for Christ around our towns and neighbourhoods.
She loves the Lord and wants the world to know it.
She to me is an example of what Paul is saying here when he writes,
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”
Question: do you boast in the Lord? Are you doing your best for God?
Think about it.
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