1Corinthians 1:21-29 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 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: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
‘It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.’ It pleased God to confound the wise men of that day by the preaching of a crucified Christ. The Jews would not have Him because they expected the Messiah to come as a mighty conqueror to deliver them from the Romans and not as a poor man having no appeal to worldly people (2Cor. 8:9; John 15:19-23; 17:14-16).
‘Foolishness’ [Greek: moria] silly, absurd, foolish. The Greeks perceived Christ and His gospel as silly, absurd and foolish, more or less the same as most people do today.
‘Chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.’ Things God has chosen and the reasons: Foolish things to confound the wise; weak things to confound mighty; base things to humble the exalted; despised things to humble noble and powerless things to bring to defeat the things that are powerful.
‘No flesh should glory’ – People tend to glory in themselves or others’ accomplishments or station in life. The Word warns us against being proud [Greek: huperephanos] to endulge in pride or self-gratulation; be exalted; elated; glory in self; display or strut self before others; an undue sense of superiority; unnatural self-esteem; arrogance; wishing all people to receive their sayings as oracles (Luke 1:51; 2Tim. 3:2; Jas. 4:6; 1Pet. 5:5); or to be boasters [Greek: alazon] self-exalted, vain, and arrogant braggarts (2Tim. 3:2). We can do nothing good without God and boasting about things that are supposed to be to God’s honour; will lead to the downfall of others and the boaster.
Living the Word 