{"id":53407,"date":"2019-09-08T23:26:45","date_gmt":"2019-09-08T20:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=53407"},"modified":"2025-07-23T23:53:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T20:53:42","slug":"the-foolishness-of-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2019\/09\/08\/the-foolishness-of-god\/","title":{"rendered":"THE FOOLISHNESS OF GOD"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Divine Mystery Misunderstood by the World<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 1:25\u00a0<\/strong>
\n“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This verse has led many to ask:
\nDoes God have foolishness or weakness?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The answer is a resounding no<\/strong>. God is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful). Psalm 147:5<\/strong> says,<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.\u201d<\/em> So how can the Bible speak of \u201cGod\u2019s foolishness\u201d or \u201cGod\u2019s weakness\u201d?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

1. Understanding the Language of Comparison<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Paul isn\u2019t saying God is literally foolish or weak. He\u2019s using figurative language<\/strong> to highlight a paradox: what the world sees as foolish or weak in God\u2019s plan is actually full of divine wisdom and power<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This shows the vast difference between divine perspective<\/strong> and human perception<\/strong>. As God says:<\/p>\n

Isaiah 55:8\u20139\u00a0<\/strong>
\n\u201cFor My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,\u201d says the LORD.
\n\u201cFor as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Human Wisdom vs. Divine Wisdom<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the world, wisdom is often equated with logic, education, status, and innovation. But God\u2019s wisdom doesn\u2019t follow that path. Instead, He reveals His power through humility<\/strong>, His glory through suffering<\/strong>, and His victory through what seems like defeat<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the message of Christ crucified<\/strong> was scandalous to both Jews and Greeks in Paul\u2019s day:<\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 1:22\u201324<\/strong>
\n\u201cFor Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
\nbut we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
\nbut to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u27a4 To the Jews<\/strong>, who expected a political savior with miraculous signs, a poor carpenter dying on a Roman cross seemed unacceptable.<\/h4>\n

\u27a4 To the Greeks<\/strong>, who admired logic, reason, and philosophy, Jesus\u2019 teachings seemed absurd. “Consider the birds?” “Love your enemies?” These teachings challenged the intellectual pride of the world.<\/h4>\n

But to those called by God<\/strong>, this \u201cfoolish\u201d message is in fact the very wisdom and power<\/strong> that saves the soul.<\/p>\n

3. Christ \u2014 God\u2019s Hidden Treasure<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jesus is the embodiment of God\u2019s wisdom<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Colossians 2:3\u00a0<\/strong>
\n\u201cIn [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Just as someone unfamiliar with gemstones might throw away a diamond, many people reject Jesus because they don\u2019t recognize His value<\/strong>. The glory of Christ is spiritually discerned<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 2:7\u20138<\/strong>
\n\u201cBut we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
\nwhich none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This means the cross wasn\u2019t a mistake\u2014it was God\u2019s predetermined plan<\/strong> to bring salvation to the world (see Acts 2:23).<\/p>\n

Just as a man can search the earth for years to find a diamond, so is Jesus Christ the most precious treasure<\/strong>\u2014hidden to the proud, but revealed to the humble:<\/p>\n

Matthew 13:44<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4. Why the Gospel Looks Foolish to the World<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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<\/strong>, because:<\/p>\n

Colossians 1:16\u201317\u00a0<\/strong>
\n\u201cAll things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Even Christians are mocked for following Jesus\u2014seen as weak, naive, or backward. But we know what the world doesn\u2019t:<\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 1:18\u00a0<\/strong>
\n\u201cFor 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

5. The Assurance of Those Who Trust in Christ<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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

Psalm 37:25\u00a0<\/strong>
\n\u201cI have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And the best is yet to come! When we finally see Jesus in His glory, we will understand why He is called:<\/p>\n