God Hath Chosen

(I Corinthians 1:17-31)

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel:

not with wisdom of words,

lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;

but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe?

where is the disputer of this world?

hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

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 ye see your calling, brethren,

how that not many wise men after the flesh,

not many mighty,

not many noble, are called:

But God hath chosen

the foolish things of the world

to confound the wise;

and God hath 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.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us

wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Foolish things

Early on, God showed me that the philosophical "wisdom" that I had accumulated in this life was foolishness in God's eyes, so I had to "become a fool" in the eyes of this world so that I could start to become wise in God's ways.

“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”

(I Corinthians 3:18)

Weak things

When I was weak due to a chronic lack of sleep, God used a message that he gave to me to bring dozens of people to Christ through his power.

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

(II Corinthians 12:9)

Base things

"Base" in this context properly means "without kin" (and therefore, ignoble). See how great the following man was who was "without kin".

“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” (Hebrews 7:1-4)

Things which are despised

Jesus Christ was and is despised by this world. And yet someday every knee will bow to him.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

(Isaiah 53:3)

Things which are not

The false religious leaders during the first century rejected him, and yet those "builders" are gone and Christ remains.

“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”

(Acts 4:11)