The Folly of God’s Call (1 Cor. 1:26-31)

 

The basic principle is in 1 Cor.1:25. Friedrich Nietzsche attacked Christians as weaklings and fools. Essentially, the Bible agrees.

  1. God chooses the lowly.
    • 1:26-28. See Deut.7:7-8; Matt.5:5; 11:25. For most of the apostles, see Acts 4:13. In the 18th century Lady Selina Huntingdon mused: ‘Saved by an m. Paul did not say, not any, but not many.’ Also 2 Cor.4:7.

    In the second century the philosopher Celsus made fun of the Christians: ‘Their injunctions are like this. “Let no one educated, no one wise, no one sensible draw near. For these abilities are thought by us to be evils. But as for anyone ignorant, anyone stupid, anyone uneducated, anyone who is a child, let him come boldly.” By the fact that they themselves admit that these people are worthy of their God, they show that they want and are able to convince only the foolish, dishonourable and stupid, and only slaves, women, and little children.’

  2. We have no cause to boast.
    • 1:29; Ps.18:27; Rom.3:27-28; Eph.2:8-9. Jim Elliot, who was murdered in Ecuador in 1956, said of missionaries: ‘We are just a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody.’
  3. All our boast is in the divine Christ
    • 1:30-31. Our wisdom, righteousness (justification), holiness (sanctification) and redemption is found in Christ. Paul applies Jeremiah 9:23-24 to Christ as God. Hence 2 Cor.10:17; Gal.6:14.
    • I am not skilled to understand
      What God has willed,
      What God has planned;
      I only know at His right hand
      Stands one who is my Saviour

      (Dorothy Greenwell)