The Bible Says
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Meaning

In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Paul contrasts the righteousness, sanctification and redemption that comes from the wisdom of God with the futility that comes from the foolishness of the world.

Paul begins this section by proclaiming, For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (v.18). He is continuing the argument he made in the prior section that it was important to focus on the power of the message of the cross of Christ rather than get distracted by oratory cleverness.

In the eyes of the world, both in the time this was written and in our present age, a crucified Savior sounds absurd; it is foolishness. Roman crucifixion was reserved for criminals and slaves, so the concept that ultimate salvation and God’s triumph over death could come through such a humiliating death seemed senseless to people who measured everything by worldly standards.

Those who are perishing see no rational explanation for why God would allow His Son to suffer in such a way. The Greek root behind the word translated perishing can also be translated “lost” or “destruction.” All apply. Those who are lost in their sin are perishing in sin and doomed to eternal destruction. This verse indicates that those who see the cross of Christ as foolishness are oblivious to their station; they do not realize they are lost and headed for destruction. Paul contrasts believers with the oblivion of the lost, adding but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (v.18).

It is worth noting the ongoing nature of the verbs: the lost are perishing and the redeemed are being saved. In each instance the verb tense indicates an ongoing, passive action. What is acting upon both those who are perishing as well as those who are being saved is the word of the cross. The Greek word “logos” is translated as word. This is the same Greek word used as a synonym for Jesus in John 1:1; Jesus is “the Word.” “Logos” refers to knowledge and understanding.

The knowledge and understanding of Jesus and Him on the cross is foolishness to those experiencing an ongoing condition of destruction. It is foolishness to people who have bought the lie that the world offers life and benefit. The reality is that all the lusts of the world bring addiction and loss of mental health (Romans 1:24, 26, 28, 1 John 2:15-16). Those who falsely believe the lusts of the world lead to life are in reality experiencing destruction.

Since they believe they are gaining life from the world, the idea that they need to be saved from the lusts of the world through the power of the cross seems to them as foolishness. This is why they do not take advantage of Jesus’s promise of eternal life for all those believe. In John 3:14-15, Jesus said that just as those who looked upon the bronze snake in the wilderness would be saved from physical death by snake venom, those who look at Him on the cross will be saved spiritually from the poisonous venom of sin. People who do not recognize or believe they are perishing see no reason to be delivered.

Conversely, believers are being saved from the power of sin and the lusts of the world because of the power of God they have received through the cross of Christ. As Romans 1:16-17 states, the gospel of Christ “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” so that believers can live righteously through a walk of faith.

The root of the Greek word translated who are being saved is “sozo.” “Sozo” means “something is delivered from something” with context determining what is being delivered from what. For example, in Matthew 9:21, “sozo” is translated “I will get well” and is spoken by a woman who believes she can be delivered from her illness if she touches the fringe of Jesus’s garment.

There are three tenses of salvation for a believer.

• For any believer, they were delivered (past tense) from the penalty of separation from God through faith in Jesus and His death on the cross (John 3:14-15). Being saved from eternal separation from God is a free gift bought by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, a sacrifice He gave once for all (Hebrews 10:10).
• In the future, believers will be delivered from the presence of sin in the new earth (2 Peter 3:13). Romans 13:11 speaks of this, asserting that our “salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” That “salvation” is getting “nearer” in time as we move further from the point at which we first believed tells us that the “salvation” being spoken of is this future deliverance from the presence and adverse affect of sin.
• In the present, believers are being saved from the negative effects of sin through walking in the power of the Spirit. This deliverance is conditional upon us choosing to walk in God’s ways, obeying His commands and following the Spirit’s leading (Galatians 5:13-16).

Believers see the cross, meant by the world to be solely an instrument of death, as the epicenter of divine love and justice. Paul describes this epicenter for himself in 2 Corinthians:

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”
(2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Far from foolishness, Jesus’s death on the cross is God’s transformative power, rescuing sinners from spiritual death and providing reconciliation with the Father. In this context, Paul’s distinction between those who are perishing and those who are being saved divides humanity into two groups: those who believe in Jesus and those who do not. Our response to the cross is pivotal to our eternal destiny. There are only two kinds of people in the world: those in the process of perishing and those in the process of being saved.

All believers are in the process of being saved, even if they are in rebellion and are suffering the adverse consequences of sin. All who believe are destined to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). However, as Paul will soon emphasize, what path believers take to be conformed His image has direct impact on the rewards they will receive in the next life (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

This verse also underscores the theme that God’s ways transcend human logic (Romans 11:33). When we look to the cross, we do not see an event shaped by human brilliance. Instead, we see God’s sovereign design that accomplishes redemption in a paradoxical manner, bringing life through death. This message echoes Christ’s own words that the way into His kingdom is through childlike faith, trusting in a plan that defies worldly wisdom (Matthew 18:3).

Following his declaration, Paul reinforces the supremacy of God’s plan to that of man by quoting Scripture: For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside" (v.19).

These words are originally found in Isaiah 29:14. They reveal God’s longstanding intention to overturn human pride. Throughout Biblical history, humanity’s attempts to outsmart God repeatedly fail. God states that He will destroy and set aside the high-minded attempts of people who think their wisdom can rival His.

We can also see in the oft-quoted Old Testament verse of Habakkuk 2:4 that the opposite of pride is faith:

“Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”
(Habakkuk 2:4)

Upon reflection, this is apparent, since human pride is faith in self, while the faith contrasted with pride is faith in God and His ways. It is apparent that the wisdom of the One who created and sustains all that is will be more reliable that the opinion of those whom He created. As Paul exclaims in his letter to the Romans:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”
(Romans 11:33)

In the days of Isaiah, this promise that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever He will set aside, served as a warning to those who relied on their own cunning to preserve their nation instead of depending on the Lord and following His ways. God repeatedly warned Judah to repent and return to His ways. Isaiah prophesied up through the reign of Hezekiah, who humbled himself before the Lord and was delivered (2 Kings 19:20, 35).

God continued to warn later kings of Judah through His prophets to keep their treaty with Babylon and not trust in Egypt (Ezekiel 17:13-21, Jeremiah 27:12-15, 38:17-18). But neither message was heeded; Judah fell and its people were exiled to Babylon (2 Kings 25:1, 11).

In Paul’s context, he is speaking to the Corinthian church which is situated in a culture that valued eloquence and philosophical debate. Human wisdom was sought and elevated. Paul’s message is countercultural. But Paul’s message is also uncompromising: no matter how sophisticated worldly wisdom becomes, it can never match the true wisdom of God. Scripture asserts that the very beginning of wisdom starts with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10).

When we “fear” something or someone, we order our choices based on consequences we believe will stem from the object of our fear. By invoking Isaiah’s prophecy, Paul emphasizes that God’s intention remains consistent across the centuries. The wisdom of the wise, rooted in the fear of the things of the world, is ultimately undone. It is the fear of God and the power of His redemption of humanity through the cross that leads to life. Those who are perishing do not realize their peril. Conversely those who are being saved owe their deliverance to the love of God and His provision through the power of the cross (John 3:16).

Paul continues by asking blunt questions: Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? (v.20).

In ancient Corinth, where orators and philosophers were admired, these questions serve to highlight the limitations of human expertise. The wise man might be the philosopher or intellectual, the scribe could represent a learned scholar, and the debater points to the skilled public speaker who captivates audiences with clever rhetoric. Paul calls them all to contrast their worldly wisdom with the wisdom of God.

This is the result of the comparison: Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (v.20).

This is a rhetorical question with the expected answer of, “Yes, God has in fact made foolish the wisdom of the world.” Indeed, from God’s vantage point, each of these so-called experts falls desperately short in addressing humanity’s deepest need, which is reconciliation with the Creator. That comes through the cross, which to the world is foolishness. Whether one is an expert in religious texts or in philosophical explorations, the essential truth of being reconciled to God and restored to our design comes through Jesus Christ crucified.

Expanding his point, Paul states, For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God (v.21).

As John’s gospel bluntly states: “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:5). Also: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him” (John 1:10).

The Greek word translated as “know” in John 1:10 is has the same root as the word translated come to know in 1 Corinthians 1:21. The root is “ginosko” and refers to knowledge that leads to understanding. Later in John’s gospel, Jesus asserts in a prayer to His Father:

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
(John 17:3)

The wisdom of the world does not lead to knowing God, and knowing God is the way to life. That is why the way of the world leads to death. Death is separation, and the world is separated from God. Those entrapped in the world are separated from God and from His design for them. The world has a wisdom, but it does not lead them to come to know God.

Christ Himself frequently confounded the learned elites of His day (Matthew 22:46). The world seeks riches that will be left behind, and ultimately decay and be destroyed (Matthew 6:19-20, 2 Peter 3:11-12). Jesus asserts that true and lasting riches comes from hearing His voice and entering into fellowship with Him (Revelation 3:18-21). Jesus said “You cannot serve God and wealth” pitting the world’s measure of success directly opposite that of God’s (Matthew 6:24).

Those who trust only in intellectual discovery and reason will fail to grasp God’s true nature. We are born with a self-focus and require God’s aid to learn that He is the true center of all things. In another great paradox, our own fulfillment comes through the restoration of our design, which is to lead by serving something greater than ourselves.

We often fail to come to God seeking to know who He is. Instead, we tend to try to define Him according to our own image, idea, or concept. This is also pride, where we seek to define God in a manner that causes Him to serve us. Left to our own devices, we would remain in darkness.

It is only through God unveiling Himself that we can come to know Him intimately. Fortunately for us, God has granted us that great gift through the message of the cross, as Paul continues: God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe (v.21).

What the world deems foolishness God uses for redemption. Preaching Christ crucified is a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others. But it is the profound means by which God brings salvation from sin. The Greek word translated save is “sozo” which, as explained earlier, refers to something being delivered from something, where context determines what is being delivered from what.

In this context “sozo” refers to people being delivered from the kingdom and power of darkness to the kingdom and power of light. It refers to those born dead in their sins being born anew and made new creations in Christ (John 3:3, 2 Corinthians 5:17). It refers to those who are condemned by sin being given the free gift of eternal life because their sins were nailed to the cross (Romans 5:18, Colossians 2:14). This is the past tense of salvation, that all who believe are given a new nature and placed into God’s forever family.

Our role is to believe and proclaim, trusting that He will draw people to Himself. God’s role is to do all the justifying. Jesus affirms this dynamic in John 6:44, which says: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” This reminds us that the Father draws hearts in His own way, often contrary to human expectations. Paul points out cultural stumbling blocks for different groups: For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom (v.22).

The Jewish community of Paul’s day often looked for miraculous signs to validate a prophet or teacher (Matthew 12:38). Meanwhile, Greeks prized logical arguments and philosophical depth (wisdom). Each group had preconceived ideas about what truth should look like and how it should be presented.

By calling out these two demands—signs and wisdom—Paul draws attention to the ways people miss God’s revelation. When fixated on external proofs or highly refined arguments, we risk bypassing the humble, straightforward truth of the cross of Christ. Jesus proclaims in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

In the Gospels, Jesus performed many signs among the Jews, and yet many people still did not believe (John 12:37). Similarly, in the Gentile world, countless intellectuals have dismissed the gospel as too simplistic or unbelievable. Both demand that God fit in their “box” and meet their expectations. But God is God, and we are not.

For believers today, verse 22 is a reminder of the various obstacles that might keep us from fully embracing God’s Word. Whether we crave constant miraculous confirmations or unending philosophical clarifications, if we do not approach the cross with humble hearts, we can fall into the same trap. God offers a wisdom that supersedes human categories. The biblical text is confirmed well beyond any reasonable doubt. Scientific inquiry confirms scripture to an enormous degree. There are ample reasons to believe.

But because we are finite beings, all knowledge inherently requires beginning with faith. Geometry begins with an axiom that is believed. We cannot prove exhaustively because we cannot experience exhaustively. But God can. That is why the fear of the Lord is not only the beginning of wisdom, but also of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).

Responding to these differing demands of the religious and the philosophical, Paul declares, but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness (v.23).

Paul was Jewish, and divides all of humanity into two groups, defining those who are not Jews as being Gentiles.

For the Jewish people steeped in the Law, a crucified Messiah seemed contradictory, since they anticipated a conquering King who would liberate them from Roman oppression. This was in spite of their tradition where they recognized the prophecies that portrayed the Messiah as a suffering servant. They were looking for the messiah they desired rather than the one God presented. So to them a Christ crucified was a stumbling block.

This also was prophesied, as Paul points out in Romans 11:9, where he quotes a Psalm of David that predicts that the Jews will stumble over the Messiah. In Romans 9:33, Paul also calls Jesus a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,” a phrase he quotes from Isaiah 8:14.

For the Gentile mind, the concept of divinity wrapped in human frailty and subjected to a public execution felt nonsensical. To them this seemed as foolishness. Yet this very stumbling block and supposed foolishness holds the key to eternal life.

When we preach this same message in our day, we should not be surprised by similar reactions. Some will ridicule the cross of Christ as myth, while others may be offended by the idea that salvation is needed, or that it cannot be earned through human endeavors. Still, the good news of the cross of Jesus remains the unchanging answer to humanity’s need. Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life, is our only hope to be delivered from death to life. Jesus’ crucifixion stands as the pivotal historical event where justice and mercy intersect.

Paul then contrasts those who see the cross as foolish or a stumbling block with those who believe: but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (v.24).

Here, the called refers to believers who have responded to God’s invitation. When the gospel penetrates a heart, the very stumbling block or foolishness transforms into power and wisdom. The called believer now has the power and wisdom to follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24). Those who receive the power of Christ are the called of God. We can picture a shepherd calling his sheep. As Jesus said:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
(John 10:27)

This is another great paradox. It is clear that each person has been given stewardship of their choices, and it is up to each person whether to believe. Because we have the power to choose, we will be held responsible. At the same time, God is God, and He is the ruler of all. So all whom He calls will come to Him. This means that two things are true at once which from our perspective seem be in conflict; God preordains all that is and each person chooses whether to believe. Both are true.

This also seems as foolishness to those who require all knowledge to be constrained within the limits of their own understanding. But Paul answers this in Romans. After explaining that God used the rejection of Jesus by the Jews to bring the Gentiles to faith, and reiterating God’s promise that in spite of this rejection “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), Paul says this:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
(Romans 11:33-36)

Paul recognized that God’s ways are beyond our understanding. It makes sense that the God who created all things would become a part of His creation in order to save the world, but it is not something we can fully comprehend. It makes sense that the only plausible explanation for the existence of our amazing world is that it was made by an eternal being, but we cannot truly fathom eternity. Similarly, it makes sense that God preordains all things while we are endowed with a choice that is truly free — but we cannot fully reconcile these things.

For a Jewish believer, recognizing Christ as the fulfillment of centuries of messianic prophecy unlocks an awe-inspiring realization of God’s meticulous plan. For a Greek believer who might initially be drawn to philosophical reasoning, encountering Christ reveals the highest wisdom that philosophy alone could never reach. In fact, the “logos” (word of wisdom) sought by the Greeks is fully displayed in the person of Jesus Christ. And the hoped for Messiah of the Jews is both the suffering servant as well as the eternal king of the House of David through the person of Jesus Christ.

For both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the revelation of God’s redemptive power. This dynamic applies universally. When we perceive the cross from the vantage point of faith, we experience the life-altering power of God at work. What once seemed weak or trivial or even impossible emerges as the most profound demonstration of divine wisdom. Ultimately, Jesus embodies everything we need: a Savior, a Lord, and the complete expression of God’s redemptive plan.

And God’s redemptive plan includes a full restoration to our original design to reign in the earth with Him. That is the reward of the inheritance granted to all who believe, which Paul urges the Corinthians to possess through living as faithful witnesses (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 9:23-27, Colossians 3:23-24, Hebrews 2:5-10, Revelation 3:21). But no plan can be consummated without a beginning, and the starting place for God’s redemptive plan is faith-that-saves through the cross of Christ.

Paul then offers a summary statement that restates the primary point of verses 18-24: Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (v.25).

The Because that begins verse 25 refers back to the phrase in verse 23, “but we preach Christ crucified.” Paul and his team preach Christ crucified because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. The cross is both the foolishness as well the weakness of God. But through the cross, death was defeated and the world is redeemed. Therefore, it is stronger than men.

This verse invites humility. “Humility” is the willingness to seek and embrace reality. God is the ultimate reality. He is the definition of reality. All things have meaning by reference to Him. Given the principle inferred here that the least demonstration of God’s capacity infinitely exceeds our brightest insights, it behooves us to bow to reality and to approach Him with the greatest of reverence. We should seek to hear His voice and follow His ways rather than seeking to get Him to hear our voice and follow our ways.

Rather than striving to fit Him into our limited categories, we are called to surrender to the majesty of His plan. The cross epitomizes this truth. A brutal, humiliating death that appeared utterly weak accomplished the most magnificent victory over sin and death (Romans 6:9). In a similar manner, Jesus promises that those who will serve the weak will be great in His kingdom (Mark 9:35).

Given this reality, the wise thing for us to do is to see and serve God on His terms. It is to see through the lens of the cross, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:16, "Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer."

God is and remains entirely trustworthy. In moments when we cannot see how His plan will unfold; we can remember that His perceived weakness in the eyes of the world still carries unstoppable might. This truth also offers comfort for times of personal hardship, reminding us that God’s methods work out for our ultimate good in ways we cannot fully comprehend (Romans 8:28).

Shifting gears, Paul addresses the Corinthian believers directly: For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not may wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble (v.26).

The assembly of believers in Corinth was made up largely of ordinary people, by social standards. They were not known for intellectual accolades, political clout, or aristocratic heritage. Just as God called a simple shepherd to be the king of His people, God uses the simple to confound the wise of this world.

In a city like Corinth, where social status and rhetorical skill were admired, the notion that God would gather His people primarily from the commoners of society highlights the radical nature of the gospel. By reminding them of their humble backgrounds, Paul stresses that their transformation is due to God’s grace rather than their personal capabilities. This does not mean that God does not call the wise, the mighty, or the noble according to the world. There were some, just not many.

The Corinthian church is not a community of intellectual elitists, royalty, or power brokers. It is a community of ordinary people. But ordinary people endowed with the power of Christ are no longer ordinary people. In truth, they are extraordinary, but not according to the standards of this world.

The way to God is open to all who receive Christ through simple faith. To receive Christ requires only sufficient faith to look upon Jesus on the cross, hoping to be delivered from the poisonous venom of sin (John 3:14-15). To receive Christ requires only to recognize our inability to quench our thirst for life on our own, and request of Jesus to be given living water (Revelation 21:7).

The kingdom of God does not hinge on impressive résumés or earthly power. By directing attention to their own status according to the flesh, Paul reorients the Corinthians (and us) to measure identity and worth by God’s calling and promised rewards rather than worldly status.

Contrasting with those considered wise, noble, or mighty in the grading system of the world, Paul offers the alternative: but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong (v.27).

• The foolish things of the world include the cross of Christ and defining greatness as serving.
• The wise according to the flesh are put to shame by the cross, which is foolishness to the world.
• Also the mighty, and noble as judged by the world are put to shame by the weak things of the world. Those who serve will be great. Those who love will be lifted up. Those who give will be made rich.

In God’s plan, those regarded as insignificant and lacking influence become instruments of His purpose. This confounds the secular mind, which often operates on hierarchies of wealth, status, and intellect. In the natural world, the goal is to gain power in order to exploit others. The wisdom of the world is that fulfillment comes through exploiting and lording over others. But this actually brings separation and conflict, which is death.

In God’s economy, true riches come from gaining wisdom from God. Lasting wealth comes from serving others in truth and grace. In Corinthians 3:11-15, Paul will emphasize that our primary focus as humans should be to please God and gain eternal treasure. Here he is setting up the standard by which God will judge the deeds of His people. He will not judge according to the standards of the world; the wise things of the world will burn in His judgment fire, combusting like straw. Conversely, the foolish things of the world, speaking the truth and serving others in love, will be refined in His judgment fire and endure like silver or gold.

We can observe a biblical pattern that God works through the foolish and weak to do deeds that are great in His kingdom. The weak have no worldly basis for boasting, which allows God’s glory to shine through. This creates a testimony to others, that those who grope for God might find Him (John 15:8, Acts 17:27). When an unlearned or socially powerless person bears profound spiritual fruit, observers discern that the result does not come from human capability but from God’s hand.

This motif of God doing great things through the weak is seen throughout Scripture, from Gideon’s small army (Judges 7) to David’s victory over Goliath (1 Samuel 17), to the choosing of the twelve disciples of Jesus, who were what the world considers commoners. But in God’s economy, the great are those who serve, and what is common God makes great (Mark 9:35).

Thus, Paul’s statement reveals one of God’s beautiful paradoxes: True greatness is gained by serving. And true strength is perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). The Father promises to lift up those who humble themselves under His mighty hand (1 Peter 5:5). Continuing the theme, Paul adds, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God (vv. 28-29).

The phrases base things and the despised refer to things despised by the world. The phrase the world refers to the culture of the world, which honors power and prestige—things that lead to human pride. This refers back to verse 26, in that the wise, mighty, and noble according to the world would consider God’s chosen instruments to do His works as base things and that which is despised. God will work through what the world despises so that no man may boast before God.

The things that are not is contrasted with the things that are. What Paul is referring to in the phrase the things that are not can be inferred by noting that it is the things that are which God plans to nullify. And it is the despised that God has chosen.

It is implied that the things that are refers to what the world esteems; the things that are esteemed by the world. This is what God will nullify. 1 John tells us the things that are in the world:

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”
(1 John 2:15-16)

The world esteems what is born of lust and pride. The things that are not then would refer to those things that are not esteemed by the world; that which the world despises, which includes truth and humility/reality. The phrase the base things of the world refers to things the world considers base. The Greek word translated base things can also be translated as “insignificant things.” It describes something that is looked down upon and given no value.

It is observable that the world despises what God honors. For example, God honors what is true and right, but the world despises truth. Throughout the history of the world, many have been persecuted for speaking the truth. This includes God’s prophets as well as Jesus, who created the world (Matthew 23:29-31, John 1:11, 14). God honors light and the world prefers darkness (John 1:5).

God also honors serving others in love, while the world honors those who gain power, even when they use that power to exploit others. The things that are not then would refer to the things that are not esteemed by the world.

That what the world esteems is opposite of what God esteems can be explained by the fact that Satan is the current ruler of this world (Matthew 4:8-9, John 12:31, 14:30). His power has been overthrown, but his reign will not end until Jesus takes up His physical throne upon the earth (Matthew 28:18, Revelation 20:1-2, 10). Jesus says in John 8:44 that Satan’s nature is to lie and murder, so we should not be surprised that the world despises truth and love.

God’s plan nullifies existing structures and norms that the world esteems. When God lifts up the lowly, it overturns human assumptions about significance and greatness. The systems of power in Paul’s day included the Roman Empire’s elites and philosophers who shaped public opinion. But God’s Kingdom operates with a radically different value system (See Matthew 5:3-12).

This dynamic frames the church as a place where the world’s ranking or a store of material wealth do not dictate a person’s usefulness or worth. Since human nature does not change, it should come as no surprise to see the church of today battling the same issue as the Corinthians. We would do well to follow the example of Jesus as He chose fishermen and ordinary laborers to be His closest disciples (Matthew 4:18-22).

Psalm 8 states that God created humans to reign over the earth, even though they were created lower than the angels. The stated reason is given in verse 2, which is to defeat Satan and his followers:

“From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength.
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.”
(Psalm 8:2)

The “infants and nursing babes” in Psalm 8 are the humans, who are lower than the angels. Humans are, compared to angels, newly arrived and dependent (like infants and nursing babes). When humanity fell, they lost their station of reigning over the earth. Since Satan became the ruler of the world after Adam fell, Jesus had to restore this vocation for humanity through the “suffering of death” (Hebrews 2:9). It follows in this pattern for God to ordain true strength through what the world considers weak. It is through working in this manner that God will nullify both the corrupted world system and its ruler.

Jesus became a human and endured the “suffering of death” upon the cross. It is because He became a human and died on the cross that He was “crowned” with the “glory and honor” of reigning in the earth as a human (Hebrews 2:9, Matthew 28:18). The cross is the means for humans to be restored to our original design. It is Jesus’s desire to bring “many sons to glory” by having them share in the “suffering of death” (Hebrews 2:9-10). Paul is urging the Corinthians to set aside their own lustful desires and seek to follow in Christ’s ways; in doing so they will be God’s instrument to thwart Satan and his kingdom.

God hates partiality (Malachi 2:9, James 2:1). All humans are made in His image and are, therefore, image bearers with intrinsic value (Genesis 1:26). The world’s penchant for ordering people into classes cuts against God’s good design. We can recall that this argument began earlier in this chapter with Paul exhorting the Corinthian believers to avoid having divisions among themselves (1 Corinthians 1:10). By seeking harmony through a unity of purpose, believers live according to God’s design.

With this in mind, Paul states the purpose behind God’s choice to use the weak to silence the strong: so that no man may boast before God (v.29). By intentionally selecting those who seem unworthy by worldly criteria, God removes any grounds for pride in human effort. We cannot claim that our intellect, position, or talent exercised apart from God has secured our place in His family or advanced the gospel. God is engaging in a great cosmic drama to demonstrate that the weakness of serving is stronger than the tyranny of power (Psalm 8, Hebrews 2:5-9).

In 1 Corinthians 1:11-13, Paul introduced the fundamental problem being addressed: following people rather than following Christ. Believers should choose unity in serving Christ and avoid serving individual people. When no one can boast in their independent actions we stand on equal footing at the cross, recognizing that each of us is saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Making Christ the center, rather than self, also encourages us to look beyond the surface when valuing one another, acknowledging that God often works through the least expected individuals.

Ultimately, that no man may boast resonates with the broader scriptural call to humility. James 4:6 asserts that God opposes the proud but gives grace/favor to the humble. It is those who humble themselves before God that He will exalt (1 Peter 5:5). Biblical humility is seeing reality as it is, which is to see things from God’s perspective. The Corinthian church, wrestling with divisions and arguments about who was most important (1 Corinthians 1:10-12), is being directed by Paul to seek a better way by putting Christ above any human persona. It is a rebuttal to spiritual pride and a directive that leads to the greatest of rewards (Revelation 3:21).

Paul ends Chapter 1 by highlighting the centrality of Christ and the divine source of the believers’ identity in Him: But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD" (vv. 30-31).

God is the one who places us in Christ; it is by His doing. We do not achieve a position of being in Christ Jesus by ourselves. It is through Jesus’s death on the cross that we are placed in Christ Jesus and become a part of His body. Moreover, Christ is our righteousness, covering our sins through His death on the cross so we stand blameless before the Father. This is expressed by Paul in 2 Corinthians:

“He made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
(2 Corinthians 5:21)

As Paul emphasized in 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, it is through the cross that we were granted God’s righteousness through Christ. This is the message that is foolishness to the world (1 Corinthians 1:20). But to those who believe in Jesus, it is the opposite of foolishness; He is wisdom from God. Jesus crucified is God’s wisdom and the world’s wisdom is God’s foolishness. This is in part because what the world claims will bring life actually leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14, Romans 1:24,26, 28).

Jesus is also our righteousness. This is because we as humans cannot achieve righteousness through our own strength (Romans 3:9-10). A form of the Greek word “dikaiosune” is translated righteousness. “Dikaiosune” appears 92 times in the New Testament, 34 of those in Paul’s letter to the Romans, which sets forth an argument that “dikaiosune” is all things working in harmony according to God’s design, like a well-functioning body (Romans 12:4-21).

Paul argues that we “become the righteousness of God” in Christ through faith alone (Romans 3:23-25). Romans’ theme statement asserts that although righteousness begins by being declared righteous in God’s sight through Christ, it continues through the believer living a life of faith; as Paul declares “the righteous man shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). This is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4, which contrasts faith in God with the pride of man. The pride of man has faith in self, and places self at the center. True righteousness pursues harmony with God’s design by ordering our actions around faith in God; that is, believing that His commands are for our best. Thus, Jesus is also our sanctification.

The word sanctification means to be set apart, in this case set apart from the world and unto God. It is also translated “holiness.” In this context, it can refer both to being born into God’s family, which is to be sanctified from the world through being made righteous in God’s sight by His grace, received through faith. But it can also refer to the ongoing process by which the Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ, which is the destiny for all who believe (Romans 8:29).

The major question regarding sanctification is not “Will each believer be conformed to Christ’s image?”—all will be conformed, as Romans 8:29 asserts. The question, rather, is whether believers will be refined in this life or the next. To be refined in this life comes through resisting the world and setting aside self. This walk of faith as a faithful witness leads to knowing God by faith. Believers who overcome the world by living as faithful witnesses will gain the immense reward of reigning with Him in the new earth (Hebrews 2:9-10, Revelation 3:21). Those who overcome will possess an inheritance along with Christ (Hebrews 2:9-10, Revelation 21:7).

Paul will speak of this reward for living as a faithful witness in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, describing earthly deeds which survive the refining fire of Christ as gold, silver, or precious stones which endure. Those deeds that are burned in the fire will refine believers at the judgment seat, but the rewards they could have gained through living as faithful witnesses through a walk of faith will be lost (1 Corinthians 3:15).

To be sanctified in our walk is defined by Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians. Paul says it is God’s will that we walk apart from the world in sanctification, and he describes what that looks like:

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:3-6)

The Greek word “thelema” is translated as “will” in the phrase “will of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, and refers to God’s desire. It is God’s desire that we walk in sanctification, but it is our choice whether we walk in His way or in the way of the world. That is why Paul is setting forth this argument to the Corinthians, to urge them to make the better choice, a choice that is in keeping with their true identity in Christ.

Jesus uses “thelema” in the Lord’s prayer, in the phrase “Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). When we pray this, we pray that God’s desire for harmony on earth be what transpires upon the earth. Jesus also uses “thelema” when He prays to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He says:

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will [“thelema”], but Yours be done.”
(Luke 22:42)

Here “thelema” is Jesus’s desire, which is to avoid the looming suffering and separation from His Father. But Jesus submits to the Father’s will, which is another Greek word “boulomai,” which refers to a plan or decision that has been made. So Jesus is saying to His Father, “Your plan above my desire.”

Believers belong to Christ and are set apart for sacred use. However, it is up to each believer to choose whether to walk in our divine design and gain life, which is connection with God and His design for our lives. Each believer can also walk in the lusts of the world and settle for its rewards, which actually lead to destruction (Galatians 5:16-17, 1 John 2:15-17). Jesus has set us free from the bondage of sin, having borne all the sins of the world upon the cross (Colossians 1:14).

But we can walk back into bondage if we so choose; as Paul says, we are slaves to whomever we obey, either sin or righteousness (Romans 6:16). This is because through Christ we have been set free and granted freedom to choose (Galatians 5:13).

Concluding this section, Paul reminds us, so that, just as it is written, "Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord (v.31). He once again quotes the Old Testament, in this case Jeremiah 9:24. God’s design has always been for His people to ascribe all glory to Him. Our accomplishments, pedigrees, or insights are not to be praised independent of a recognition of the ultimate source of all glory.

The Greek words translated let him who boasts and boast each have the root “kauchaomai.” We see this word also in Romans 5 where it is translated as “exult”:

“And not only this, but we also exult [“kauchaomai”] in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance.”
(Romans 5:3)

The idea of “kauchaomai” is “who is being applauded, exalted.” When we exalt self, we put self at the center. We can also exalt another person, placing them at the center. The Corinthians were exalting Paul, Apollo, and Cephas (1 Corinthians 1:12-13). This puts people in the center rather than Christ, who created the world and holds all things together (Colossians 1:16-17). To place Christ at the center is to recognize the reality of what is.

For the Corinthian believers, this call to boast or exalt in the Lord was a corrective against their tendency to elevate human leaders (1 Corinthians 1:12). The world is celebrity oriented. This was the case in the first century church, so it should not be a surprise to find the same issue to be true in the twenty-first century church. This then serves as a reminder that experience of life comes through serving a purpose greater than our selves. The greatest purpose to serve is that of Christ. Jesus instructed us that the greatest among us would be those willing to serve (Luke 9:48).

Jesus instructs us to follow Him as faithful witnesses, bringing people to believe in Him and to follow His ways (Matthew 28:18-20, Revelation 1:3, 3:21). Although this is difficult, it is the path to life, because it is the way to connect with our true design, which is life (Matthew 7:13-14). It is God who prepared good works for us to walk in them; it is up to us to choose whether to follow the path He has marked out for us (Ephesians 2:10).

When we learn to put the Lord in the center, and exalt in Him, we find freedom from the endless pursuit of approval and acknowledgement in the world’s system that persistently demands “more.” When we chase “more” we seek that which cannot be obtained; once we get whatever we defined as “more” it is no longer “more”—something else will take its place. Chasing “more” is an endless pursuit that Solomon described as “striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

The quote from Jeremiah 9:24 “Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord” comes from a context of the prophet decrying the proliferation of injustice/unrighteousness that had become pervasive in Israel’s southern kingdom of Judah. He says, “For all of them are adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men” in Jeremiah 9:2. Then in Jeremiah 9:8, he adds “Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him.”

As a result of their disobedience to His law, which requires Israel to love rather than exploit their neighbors, God declares through Jeremiah that He will “scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them until I have annihilated them” (Jeremiah 9:16).

This is consistent with the covenant/treaty Israel agreed to with God, which imposed enforcement of various cursings for breaking the provisions of the treaty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). In particular, Deuteronomy 28:64 specified exile as a punishment for refusing to follow His commands, which Jesus summarized as loving God and loving one’s neighbor as themselves (Matthew 22:37-39). Jeremiah summarizes Israel’s disobedience by contrasting human pride with loving and serving God; this is the solution to injustice and unrighteousness:

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.”
(Jeremiah 9:23-24)

We see here a contrast between what the world defines as success and what constitutes true and lasting success. The world honors “riches” and “might.” But all the riches of the world will be left behind at our death, and all that is left behind will eventually burn up at the end of the age (2 Peter 3:12). True riches will last forever, and that comes from understanding and knowing God (Revelation 3:17-18).

It is only in this life that we will be able to know God by faith. This is why “rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places” are learning about the “manifold wisdom of God” from believers in this world, the “church” (Ephesians 3:10). We can know by faith, and the angels cannot, because they know God by sight. It follows that it will be in this life only that we will be able to know by faith, underscoring the incredible opportunity afforded to us each and every day.

Jesus stated in a prayer to His Father, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). This means that the fullest experience of life comes through knowing God. And to know God through a walk of faith brings a special blessing (John 20:29). By bringing in this quote from Jeremiah, Paul lays the groundwork to elevate to the Corinthians that God will judge His people, and there is a real consequence to their choices. He will express that clearly in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.