1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The Gospel of Humility
The late Christopher Hitchens, one of the foremost atheistic antagonists to
the Christian faith, once asked, assuming that the Christian message is true, what
sense does it make that this God would reveal himself to a technologically
backwards, and culturally unadvanced nation like Israel. If the message is as
important as it is claimed to be, why would God not have revealed Himself to the
Chinese for instance, who at this time were far more advanced than the Israelites?
Ask: How would you answer Hitchens’ question? Why would God have done the
seemingly unwise and unreasonable act of revealing Himself to an unprogressive
people? Would it not have been more effective to have revealed Himself to a
sophisticated people? To put the question in the words of 1 Corinthians 1, why
would God choose the lowest of society, instead of the highest?
I think 1 Corinthians 1:31 provides us with the answer, “Let the one who boasts,
boast in the Lord.”
It is impossible to know God and be proud. And so the means by which God
revealed Himself would have to be a means that facilitated humility and
reliance on God, and not boastfulness in self.
Consider God’s view of pride.
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There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to
him, haughty eyes… (Prov. 6:16-17) Pride is the first mentioned in the list.
The man of haughty looks and arrogant heart I will not endure. (Ps. 101:5)
Everyone who is arrogant is an abomination to the Lord. (Prov. 16:5)
The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be
humbled; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. (Is. 2:11)
Behold, I am against you, O proud one, says the Lord God of hosts; for your
day has come, the time when I will punish you. (jer. 5:31)
God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
Ask: What is pride?
Answer: Self-reliance, a confidence in self rather than God, self promotion, boasting
in self, anything that does not boast in God.
So, in 1 Cor. 1:18-31, we see how God in His wisdom chose to reveal the gospel
to the world. He did it in such a way so as to diminish pride.
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Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of
this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in
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the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased
God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews
demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a
stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1:2024)
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to
worldly standards not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose
what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and
despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that
are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1:26-29)
Ask: How do you think man’s prideful wisdom blocks knowledge of God?
1. Man’s wisdom blocks intellectual knowledge of God.
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For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing (1:18)
o Have you ever considered how foolish and offensive the cross is?
o Consider what we put our confidence in—a criminal, executed by the
state in the most grotesque fashion.
 Human sacrifice
o The cross continues to be a very offensive doctrine to people,
with the result that it has become popular within certain
theological circles to refer to it as “divine child abuse.”
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For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through
wisdom…(1:21a)
o The Bible is full of claims that God has revealed Himself in
obvious ways through creation, but that sinful people have
misinterpreted God’s revelation.
 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above
proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and
night to night reveals knowledge. (Ps. 19:1-2)
 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on
all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods
and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should
seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.
Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “In him we
live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own
poets have said, “For we are indeed his offspring.” (Acts 17:2628)
 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their
unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known
about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and
divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the
creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So
they are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20)
Ask: What are some specific ways in the modern era, that man, in his wisdom, has
not come to know God? In other words, what false things has modern man
concluded, instead of coming to a knowledge of God?
Ask: Why do you think people conclude the wrong things from creation? Why does
it not lead them to a right intellectual knowledge of God?
Ask: Paul says in Acts 17 that God established people groups so that “they should
seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.” Do you think it is
possible for someone to find their way to God, without the gospel being shared with
them?
Caution: This question is a can of worms, with a lid that is very difficult to replace.
Before asking this question, make sure you are ready to, and realize that this
question does not have an altogether satisfactory answer.
2. The wisdom of man blocks personal knowledge of God.
Ask: If god is the logical conclusion to an argument, and this is what guides people
to knowledge of Him, who gets the glory in this? How does this block personal , or
you might say relational knowledge of God?
Answer: If God is the logical conclusion to an argument, then the person who was
able to deduce the right answer is the one who gets the glory. This a
personal/relational knowledge of God, because this person would not be reliant on
God for this knowledge, and for this salvation, he would be relying on his own mind.
Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 that God has so structured the gospel,
so that it does not make logical sense.
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For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who
are being saved it is the power of God. (1:18)
Ask: Ravi Zacharias, one of the foremost modern defenders of the Christian faith
today, has said that you cannot argue someone into heaven. If true knowledge of
God cannot be attained merely by logical deduction, then how do we come to
knowledge of God? How does Paul say we achieve that knowledge in this passage?
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For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are
a called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of
God. (1:22-24)
Ask: Paul here says that a person must be called in order for the cross
to become wisdom and power for them. What does it mean to be
called?
Answer: There are two types of calls, a general call, and a special call.
The general call is any time the gospel goes forth, and individuals are
called to belief and repentance. The special call is specifically God’s
work, whereby He works in a persons life so that they respond to the
gospel.
Example: Those whom He predestined he also called, and those
whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also
glorified. (Rom. 8:30)
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And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from
God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption
o Paul here says that this knowledge of God is first and foremost
“because of him.” In other words, your coming to knowledge is
an act of God first.
o This raises a lot of questions concerning freewill, and how all of
this fits in, but really that is usually an unhelpful discussion.
What is clear is that salvation is something that does not take
place unless God works in us. While many of us will disagree
with the extent to which God works in us to save us, we will all
agree that salvation requires the work of God within us.
 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws
them. (John 6:44)
So God has so structured the gospel, so that those who receive the gospel are a
humble people, who know that it does not rely on their wisdom or value, but
on God, so that He might get the glory, and we might be freed from selfcondemning pride.
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For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to
worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose
what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and
despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that
are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1:26-29)
Final Question for Additional Reflection
Ask: Does it then follow from this that the Christian faith is utterly irrational?
Where does reason and argument fit into our faith?
I think that apologetics, that is, defending the faith, serves three main functions.
1. It shuts the mouth of the objectors.
a. While it will seldom persuade them, it will at least prevent them from
being wise in their own eyes. (Prov. 26:5)
2. It breaks down intellectual barricades for those who are honestly searching.
a. When people see that Christianity is in fact credible, they are in a
better posture to actually hear and respond to its message of
salvation.
3. It buttresses the faith of those who already believe.
a. When arguments are raised against Christianity, to hear that there are
legitimately strong arguments in favor of Christianity, it solidifies the
believer.
While a person will never come to faith based on argument alone, faith and reason
go hand in hand because God has created a reasonable universe. If God is true, then
we should expect to see evidence for Him in the created order. I have always found
C.S. Lewis’ summation of this helpful.
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“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I
see it, but because by it, I see everything else.”