The ancient world of the Corinthians knew all too well about worldly wisdom. Thinkers and motivational speakers of the day were intent on getting their brand of self help ideas to the masses. This falsehood (love for worldly wisdom) was at the root of what was causing divisions even among the Corinthian church. The church was using these ideas to promote themselves above all others.

The Apostle Paul was not willing to allow them to continue on in their rebellious behavior. He knew this kind of thinking was an attack on the Gospel of Christ itself. Some in the church were relying on human wisdom rather than God’s wisdom and it was apparent to Paul that he needed to address this issue among the people. He had to help them get their focus back on Christ and the cross.

 (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. 20 Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. 24 Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. 26 Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world —what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one can boast in His presence. 30 But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.

Paul talks about the world's wisdom and God's wisdom in these verses. Worldly wisdom is usually connected to self advancement in the current culture, but God’s wisdom centers on His will for His creation which most often is the polar opposite of worldly wisdom.

During the early 1980's and 1990's a very powerful ideal made its way into many mainstream churches and denominations across America and the world. It is called the Seeker Sensitive movement. The ideal was to make the biblical text relevant to the surrounding culture. In other words, find out what the world looked like on the outside of the church and bring those cultural trends and ideals into the inside of the church to attract more followers or people. The danger here is that you run the risk of becoming like the world. That is exactly what was happening to the church at Corinth.

Christian thinking must be rooted in the cross of Jesus Christ. There is nothing wrong with wanting to help Christian believers apply their faith to their daily lives, but a line must be drawn and foundation must be built to keep us constantly aware of the distinction between secular wisdom and Christian wisdom. It would be very easy for us to attach a Scripture verse to the principles in every secular self help book and call it a discipleship manual.

The problem with the Corinthian church is not that they didn’t sound Christian in their speech or that they couldn’t find spiritual application. The problem was that in spite of all this, their behavior proved that their way of thinking was just a Christianized version of secular wisdom. The root of their thinking had not changed. So, what is God's wisdom? We have seen it in these verses. CHRIST and the cross!