GOD’S HIGHER WISDOM SAVES US
The Lord God declares: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). Yet, the Word of God reveals that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1Corinthians 1:24).
Dictionaries commonly associate wisdom with human knowledge and education. We recognize many good things God has enabled educated men and women to accomplish for the benefit of mankind (James 1:17). However, the biblical Word of God asserts: “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:25). For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached [Christ crucified] to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21; 2:2).
GOD’S WISDOM IS MORE THAN INTELLECTUALISM
JESUS DEMONSTRATED GOD’S WISDOM AND POWER
Jesus demonstrated knowledge of and power over life and the physically universe. He healed all kinds of sickness, casted out demons, raised people from the dead, and calmed furious storms (Acts 10:38; John 11:38-44; Matthew 8:23-27).
Despite having seen Jesus do these things, many scholars and men of knowledge of his did not acknowledge him as being the power and wisdom of God. Jesus said, if I had not done among them things which no one else did, then they would have reason not to believe (John 15:24).
However, a simple man who was born blind and whom Jesus healed, told men of learning who rejected Jesus as being of God, “If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing” (John 9:33).
Blinded by their own knowledge and self-promotion, they conspired to kill Jesus (Mark 1:9-15).
Nevertheless, their crucifying Jesus was a demonstration of God’s wisdom and power (John 19:4-11; John 3:16)
PAUL WAS AN EXAMPLE OF THE WISDOM AND POWER OF THE LORD
The apostle Paul said his teaching was “not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4; Acts 20:7-12). When Paul was evangelizing with the gospel of Jesus Christ in Athens, he noticed that despite all the knowledge of the ancient Greeks, they were ignorant of the true God. Paul saw that one of their altars had an inscription which read: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. The apostle endeavored with the power of the Holy Spirit to teach them about the true God, through the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 17:21-23).
The Apostle Paul was a learned Pharisee, who could boast that he was taught by an esteemed scholar of Jewish Law (Acts 5:34; 22:3). However, he recognized that the heavenly revelations he received from God concerning Christ was a higher level of wisdom and understanding. But he realized that “knowledge puffs up,” and he needed the Lord’s help to keep him from being lifted up in pride because of the superior knowledge he received(1 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
HUMAN WISDOM FALLS SHORT OF GOD’S WISDOM AND POWER
Some with higher human knowledge seem awed by powerless gods of human wisdom–like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Einstein, and some of their followers. Being awed, they may not notice that these gods of intellect draw many away from following the only true omnipotent and omniscient God, who alone can save (John 17:3; John 3:16; Acts 4:12 ). They overwhelm many with philosophical rhetoric, and scientific theory and relativity. But they do not demonstrate the absolute wisdom and power of the biblical God, nor the high level of godly wisdom and power of those called by him (John 15:24; 1 Corinthians 2:4,14).
The Bible says God does not call many according to the world’s standard of wisdom (1Corinthians 1:26). The Apostle Paul was one of the few scholars called by the Lord, and he was able to see that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man. He reject worldly “ideas of what is falsely called knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20).
ONLY GOD’S WISDOM AND POWER SAVES US
“The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power and wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever repents and believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9).
