2 Corinthians 2:5

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (KJV)

Then: This "in-your-face" statement flies through the air and whaps the detractors. Paul did all he did for the believers. It made no difference if they supported Paul or Apollos or Peter - or even declared themselves to be "Jesus" people. Their faith had to be cleaned up so no one put down anyone else or raised up one leader above another. How could the Corinthians do that? Stand in the power of God. Be sure that behaviors match that faith and not the unstable wisdom of men. All followers of Christ have his power to be wise. They can recognize and walk on the path of righteousness.

Now: Wisdom requires knowledge and power. Both come from the Lord by studying the Word, the examples of biblical characters, listening to the teachings of others and hearing the Holy Spirit speak to your heart. True then, true now.

I Corinthians 2:4

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (KJV)

Then: A clear gospel and a clear presentation go together (Baker, p. 47). The Corinthians would have no space to complain "they couldn't understand it." There are no "bait-and-switch" tactics in Paul's preaching. Rather it is all wysiwyg - What you see is what you get. Think through the various groups in Corinthian society - poor, slaves, freedmen (business class), government workers, philosophers and aristocrats. (Ramsay, p. 29-30). Paul needed everyone to understand the message. That's a basic reason to skip the smooth oratory. No one would leave thinking they'd heard a great speaker, but didn't understand points in the argument. Remembering Paul's classical training in the law, this is more probable than beliefs that Paul lacked the skill to match "words" with the sophists (Ramsey, p. 24).

Now: Go to school for years, become academically capable, and then discard your skills for the sake of listeners. That doesn't sound like a sensible approach. Yet great teachers of today are still able to do that for the sake of the cross, for their love of Christ, and for their love of the lost sheep. Paul did use quotations, vivid images, metaphors, contrasting ideas and rhetorical forms to illustrate his points. May all who are called pay attention to Paul.

Extra Source: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006.
Historical Commentary on First Corinthians by William M. Ramsay, ed. by Mark W. Wilson, Kregel Publications, c 1996. online at http://books.google.com/books?id=J7RyILzCn8UC&dq=Ramsay+Corinthians&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=dwdPJmUUh6&sig=G9Pe1_oY5izKuYc4bC9gnVjRdds&hl=en&ei=6SYdS665B5Tl8QaI4dHeAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CBQQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=&f=false

I Corinthians 2:3

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling (KJV)

Then: Stage fright? Really? Could have been true because Paul is telling all. He's being completely vulnerable in front of people who have already criticized him. That took a lot of courage. He had to be sure the gospel was clearly presented. Through this comment, you might guess he went too far the other way in presenting simple, in being artifice free, and in being open. (Baker, p. 47, infers a unimpressive performance - 2 Cor. 10:1-10 and 11:6.) But that's only speculation. Paul did want the Corinthians to learn both the message and the way to teach it, so Thiselton (p. 213) thinks the fear and trembling is only before God and his responsibility to the Father in heaven. The Corinthians could have seen it both ways. In either case, they understood Paul's intent.

Now: Leaders need the same balance Paul sought. Attract people to hear the message, not the messenger, by being open and clear. Although attracting large congregations to hear the word is important, guage long term effectiveness by the quality, not quantity of those who commit their lives to Christ.

Extra Source: The First Epistle to the Corinthians: a commentary on the Greek text by Anthony C. Thiselton (Eerdman, 2000) http://books.google.com/books?id=IHG_DNLpmroC&dq=First+Corinthians+online+commentaries&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=oCDBSpeoKZ_e8Ab-zKzBAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=12#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006.

1 Corinthians 1:31

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (KJV)

Then: Finally, the good news. The Corinthians can get themselves out of the problem of dissenting and contentious factions. These are Paul's directions. If they will look outside themselves to see the Lord -- his purposes, his plans, his work, his triumphs, his glory, then all will change. They need to take pride in the Lord. Then, dissensions will disintegrate. God will be praised. And the Lord will be pleased.

Commentators remember Jeremiah 9:23-24 and expect that the Corinthians also checked out Jeremiah's teachings (Fitzmyer p. 165).

Now: This is on-going advice. What saved the Corinthian church from slipping even deeper can save today's believers. His glory should ever be in our mind. To complain about the actions of others or to think that one group of believers is greater than another gives God no pleasure. Rather, all should boast in the actions of the Lord. Note the good actions of others. Forgive when forgiveness is needed and continue to serve the Savior. Be thankful for all service which brings glory to the Lord and work to do likewise.

Extra source: First Corinthians: a new translation with introduction and commentary Joseph A. Fitzmyer (New Haven CT: Yale University Press, c2008). http://books.google.com/books?id=W3b-mWk1SxoC&dq=Corinthians+introduction&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=fMjYisa8HV&sig=5Pr-s91r1P4zUIBQyyXFDX6IlP8&hl=en&ei=uqUBS76pK9KGlAfEg52ZCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CBQQ6AEwBThG#v=onepage&q=&f=false

1 Corinthians 1:28

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 (KJV)

Then: Sounds a bit like a riddle. In a way it is. What God does takes a while to consider and figure out because he doesn't see things the way people do, especially the bickering, struggling Corinthians. Here they are despising and looking down on the views of people not in their "party." And there's God saying he chose those ideas and people. He even picked out people who were "nothings" to lead the way to ending the wisdom and folly of mankind. As they listened Corinthians realized that no matter their social standing, before Christ they were "nothings." After accepting the Truth, they became part of the plan of "bringing to nought" the pride and assumed knowledge of those still outside God's circle of knowledge. Baker (p. 40) calls this social reversal.

Now: Not much has changed. All church members need to recognize God's plan, their former state and their new mission in the Lord's kingdom - teach, pray for and bring to nought the folly and false wisdom of non-believers. How can that be effected if the believers behave scandously?

Extra source: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006.

Summary - I Cor: 1: 17-25

Then and Now: Verses are a second section of Paul's steps to address the Corinthians problems of disunity. They deal with the message of the cross. Paul's words are like a two-way mirror. For those who know that God is and see the message of the cross as truth, the light is on behind the mirror. They recognize the true reality of a creation with designated spiritual and physical dimensions. Those who refuse to believe in God and his plan to send the Son, can only see the image of the physical world. God's redemptive plan and Christ crucified cannot be understood. Denigrating the action of preaching the gospel as foolishness, they look for signs or eloquent cleverness in speakers able to win all arguments. Truth is relative, not absolute. It suited God to turn cleverness on its head and give wisdom to the humble.

1 Corinthians 1:25

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men (KJV)

Then: Paul still lingers on God himself, not quite explaining how the Corinthians need to know what he is teaching. First they must have rock solid information about God's wisdom and knowledge. Even his foolishness (if there there could possibly be any) is wiser than the accumulated wisdom of men. His weaknesses (if ever there were any) are stronger than the greatest strength of one man or all men put together. God is worthy.

Now: Discerning the character and personality of a God you don't see except through the process of human affairs, a God you don't hear except in moments of prayer, and a God you can't touch except through the ministry of fellow humans is just plain hard. On the other hand, vacillating between faith and doubt, trust and worry, courage and fear is so easy that a church which could draw upon the Lord's strength, does not. Instead it looks to itself, wobbles and falls. Today's churches must first look to God, his character and strength, then figure out how to grow in Christ. That's where Paul is headed. That's the purpose of his letter.

1 Corinthians 1:24

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (KJV)

Then: So why was Paul telling the Corinthians about the power and wisdom of God. They had already been called? They walked through the fire of worry, fear, derision and all other obstacles to belief that are common to men. They knew Christ was their Saviour. They knew God's power of salvation. Just by looking around at their congegation, they recognized the Lord's wisdom as he called believers to his side. The answer lies ahead.

Now: There's no difference in the response of people to the gospel, Christ crucified, as in ages past. People do not change until Christ confronts them.

1 Corinthians 1:23

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness (KJV)

Then: Paul keeps talking. He continues to explain the problems of the human mind in accepting the counterintuitive. Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, could not possibly have come as a normal everyday person who was put to death. The Messiah would be King over and above all others, not a servant subject to earthly laws. Neither could the Greeks comprehend any god choosing those without education, wealth, or status to bring a message of truth, let alone, The Truth.

Now: No matter the culture, Christ crucified is still a stumblingblock, still foolishness. People misunderstand until somehow, some way, epiphany comes into their lives.

1 Corinthians 1:22

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom (KJV)

Then: Paul's talking about culture models. Throughout the Old Testament Jews expected truths to be revealed with a miraculous events. That proved their validity. The Greeks expected to verify knowledge through logic, reasoning, and acceptance of teachings from great philosophers. Truth in any other form could not confound and reveal. God ordered his plan in his own fashion - through the person and actions of his incarnate son. The confirmation of Truth came through the presence of the Holy Spirit - not from signs. Not from worldly wisdom.

Now: Barriers and preconcepts make believing in God difficult. He has to break through everything that seems normal in a human's mind and show there's more. Life is fuller, greater, and more inclusive than anyone could have imagined. Those who sing can really sing. Those who dance can really dance. Those who laugh can really laugh. For God is -- loving and forgiving, inviting and confirming. Accept him. Accept life. Paul tells us about God's message, valid since the beginning of creation. The Holy Spirit speaks it in our hearts.

1 Corinthians 1:21

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 (KJV)

Then: What did he say? Paul's word play with "wisdom" made this a slow read. Here's what the Corinthians needed to think about. God did what he did because of his wisdom. People did what they did because of their non-Godly wisdom. So God used his really odd plan, one that normal human beings would never have conceived, and set about saving those who did believe him. [Baker (p.35) explains that as a translation, "the foolishness of preaching" gives a false impression in today's English. The real intent is the content of the message, not the process of preaching.]

Now: The US is filled with two kinds of non-believers. The first have heard the message over and over again and are immune to it. After deciding it had no relevance to their life, they are unable to revisit their earlier conviction and rexamine it for the Truth. The other group is being raised in ignorance. The ACLU has imposed a code of silence and extinction of citizens' Christian heritage. These youngsters and many young adults do not know Bible stories, biblical teachings and Jesus as Lord. Such ignorance begets depravity and hopelessness. The Lord needs to raise up preachers anew.

Extra source: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006

1 Corinthians 1:20

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? (KJV)

Then: Paul almost scoffs as he names three groups of Corinth's educated elitists. He's been there. Those who have studied the most ought to be the ones who recognize Truth most quickly. Instead they are mired in mind-sets which close out wisdom. Paul used to be like that - before Christ shook up his world. Humanity in the first century. That's what we see. Duplicated century after century, it takes the wisdom of God to break down the barriers so that eventually, one by one, individuals recognize the foolishness of the wisdom of this world.

Now: Blessed are those whose circumstances, when arranged by God, are able to look past their own pride, their own knowledge, and seek answers outside the box. Then, the Lord, just as he did with Paul, can reorient minds and put all that they know into a new perspective. Afterwards, they are more able to teach than anyone else.

I Corinthians 1:19

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent (KJV)

Then: Corinthians thought they were so smart. They loved the marketplace of ideas, the everyday exchanges with traveling philosophers, news from travelers to and from Rome, table talk in the temple restaurants or open air stoas. Corinth was a city of action, and they lived there. Yet compared to the knowledge of the Lord, their wisdom was worthless and their understandings off the mark. Paul (here referring to Isaiah 29:14) brought an introduction to Christ for all to hear. Some did. Some didn't.

Now: Knowledge divides the uneducated from the elite, the rich from the poor, the city from the country. Yet who is wise? and who understands? Only those who know Christ. The cross is there for all to see, accept, or deny. Christ speaks clearly, but many close their ears. Believers pray for the lost so that many will be saved. It is the work of the church.