“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age?” 1 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)
Paul has already pointed out the Corinthians' problem with quarrels over leadership and expressed his relief over not giving them reasons to further those divisions. Now Paul points out a limitation of the world's wisdom with these rhetorical questions. If the wisest men by human standards did not chose Christ, why should the same wisdom be used in the selection of leadership in the Corinthian church?
Comments
"We must now explain what the power of human reason is, in regard to the kingdom of God, and spiritual discernments which consists chiefly of three things - the knowledge of God, the knowledge of his paternal favour towards us, which constitutes our salvation, and the method of regulating of our conduct in accordance with the Divine Law. With regard to the former two, but more properly the second, men otherwise the most ingenious are blinder than moles."
--John Calvin in Institutes of the Christian Religion translated by Henry Beveridge
Posted by: CJ Costello on Saturday, June 11, 2005