Monday, December 3, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Foolishness of God
Foolishness of God
1 Corinthians 1:25 (New Living Translation)
This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (New Living Translation)
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say,
And so the Lord says,
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!”
Life Application Study Bible Notes on Matthew 11:25
Jesus mentioned two kinds of people in his prayer: the “wise and clever”—arrogant in their own knowledge—and the “childlike”—humbly open to receive the truth of God’s Word. Are you wise in your own eyes, or do you seek the truth in childlike faith, realizing that only God holds all the answers?
Paul summarizes Isaiah 29:14 to emphasize a point Jesus often made: God’s way of thinking is not like the world’s way (normal human wisdom). And God offers eternal life, which the world can never give. We can spend a lifetime accumulating wisdom and yet never learn how to have a personal relationship with God. We must come to the crucified and risen Christ to receive eternal life and the joy of a personal relationship with our Savior.
When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For,
Life Application Study Bible Notes on 1 Corinthians 2:10
“God’s deep secrets” refers to God’s unfathomable nature and his wonderful plan—Jesus’ death and resurrection—and to the promise of salvation, revealed only to those who believe that what God says is true. Those who believe in Christ’s death and resurrection and put their faith in him will know all they need to know to be saved. This knowledge, however, can’t be grasped by even the wisest people unless they accept God’s message. All who reject God’s message are foolish, no matter how wise the world thinks they are.
1 Corinthians 1:25 (New Living Translation)
This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (New Living Translation)
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
“He traps the wise1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (New Living Translation)
in the snare of their own cleverness.”
And again,
“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise;
he knows they are worthless.”
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say,
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”Isaiah 29:13-14 (New Living Translation)
And so the Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.Mark 7:7
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites
with amazing wonders.
The wisdom of the wise will pass away,
and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”
“Their worship is a farce,Matthew 11:25-26 (New Living Testament)
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!”
Life Application Study Bible Notes on Matthew 11:25
Jesus mentioned two kinds of people in his prayer: the “wise and clever”—arrogant in their own knowledge—and the “childlike”—humbly open to receive the truth of God’s Word. Are you wise in your own eyes, or do you seek the truth in childlike faith, realizing that only God holds all the answers?
“If you want a religion that makes sense, I suggest something other than Christianity. But if you want a religion that gives life, then… I think this is the one.” —Rich Mullins, Live from Studio B, LeSEA Broadcasting Productions, South Bend Indiana, March 1997Life Application Study Bible Notes on 1 Corinthians 1:19
Paul summarizes Isaiah 29:14 to emphasize a point Jesus often made: God’s way of thinking is not like the world’s way (normal human wisdom). And God offers eternal life, which the world can never give. We can spend a lifetime accumulating wisdom and yet never learn how to have a personal relationship with God. We must come to the crucified and risen Christ to receive eternal life and the joy of a personal relationship with our Savior.
“I’m not sure that truth is quite the way we understand it. I’m not sure that truth has so much to do with statements of belief as it to do with: truth is alive. And that it is a person. And that person is Jesus."—Rich Mullins, Live from Studio B, LeSEA Broadcasting Productions, South Bend Indiana, March 19971 Corinthians 2:13-16 (New Living Translation)
When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For,
“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
Who knows enough to teach him?”
Life Application Study Bible Notes on 1 Corinthians 2:10
“God’s deep secrets” refers to God’s unfathomable nature and his wonderful plan—Jesus’ death and resurrection—and to the promise of salvation, revealed only to those who believe that what God says is true. Those who believe in Christ’s death and resurrection and put their faith in him will know all they need to know to be saved. This knowledge, however, can’t be grasped by even the wisest people unless they accept God’s message. All who reject God’s message are foolish, no matter how wise the world thinks they are.
“If we can reach beyond the wisdom of this age
into the foolishness of God;
That foolishness will save
those who believe.
Although their foolish hearts may break
they will find peace.”
—Rich Mullins and Beaker, lyrics of the song “Let Mercy Lead”
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