THE FOOLISHNESS OF GOD

A Divine Mystery Misunderstood by the World

1 Corinthians 1:25 
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

This verse has led many to ask:
Does God have foolishness or weakness?

The answer is a resounding no. God is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful). Psalm 147:5 says,

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” So how can the Bible speak of “God’s foolishness” or “God’s weakness”?

1. Understanding the Language of Comparison

Paul isn’t saying God is literally foolish or weak. He’s using figurative language to highlight a paradox: what the world sees as foolish or weak in God’s plan is actually full of divine wisdom and power.

This shows the vast difference between divine perspective and human perception. As God says:

Isaiah 55:8–9 
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

2. Human Wisdom vs. Divine Wisdom

In the world, wisdom is often equated with logic, education, status, and innovation. But God’s wisdom doesn’t follow that path. Instead, He reveals His power through humility, His glory through suffering, and His victory through what seems like defeat.

That’s why the message of Christ crucified was scandalous to both Jews and Greeks in Paul’s day:

1 Corinthians 1:22–24
“For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

➤ To the Jews, who expected a political savior with miraculous signs, a poor carpenter dying on a Roman cross seemed unacceptable.

➤ To the Greeks, who admired logic, reason, and philosophy, Jesus’ teachings seemed absurd. “Consider the birds?” “Love your enemies?” These teachings challenged the intellectual pride of the world.

But to those called by God, this “foolish” message is in fact the very wisdom and power that saves the soul.

3. Christ — God’s Hidden Treasure

Jesus is the embodiment of God’s wisdom:

Colossians 2:3 
“In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Just as someone unfamiliar with gemstones might throw away a diamond, many people reject Jesus because they don’t recognize His value. The glory of Christ is spiritually discerned:

1 Corinthians 2:7–8
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

This means the cross wasn’t a mistake—it was God’s predetermined plan to bring salvation to the world (see Acts 2:23).

Just as a man can search the earth for years to find a diamond, so is Jesus Christ the most precious treasure—hidden to the proud, but revealed to the humble:

Matthew 13:44
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field…”

4. Why the Gospel Looks Foolish to the World

People today still mock or ignore the message of Jesus. They chase after wealth, fame, and education, thinking those are the ultimate goals. But everything they seek is actually found fully in Christ, because:

Colossians 1:16–17 
“All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

Without Christ, people are like someone who rejects the spring but complains about thirst. They ignore the source while searching for what only the source can provide.

Even Christians are mocked for following Jesus—seen as weak, naive, or backward. But we know what the world doesn’t:

1 Corinthians 1:18 
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

5. The Assurance of Those Who Trust in Christ

No one who follows Jesus truly regrets it. Their lives may not be easy, but they are eternally secure. As King David said:

Psalm 37:25 
“I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.”

And the best is yet to come! When we finally see Jesus in His glory, we will understand why He is called:

• The King of kings (Revelation 19:16)
• The Lord of lords
• And why believers are called a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)

Will You Reject or Embrace God’s Wisdom?

Today, Jesus is still being rejected by many. But He alone holds your life in His hands. He died for your sins, rose from the dead, and offers you eternal life if you’ll believe in Him.

Will you turn away from the only true source of wisdom and life?

John 14:6

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

1 Corinthians 1:30 
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

Jesus is God’s priceless treasure. He may be rejected by the world, but He is chosen by God and precious (1 Peter 2:4). Open your heart to Him today.

May you be blessed as you choose to walk in the true wisdom of God—Jesus Christ.

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