wisdom from another world

 

For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

1 Corinthians 3:19-20

Intelligence, insight, and wisdom are all highly valued personal attributes among people. But there is a vast difference in what the world system values in terms of mental acuity and what God rewards in us. Paul's point made to the boasting Corinthians was that their value systems were trending toward the wisdom of the world, which was sheer foolishness from God's perspective. To bring home his observations, Paul quotes from God's Word, first from Job, then from the ninety-fourth psalm.

Human wisdom is flawed by our deceived and deceitful depravity. Sin blinds us to the complete picture. Our default intelligence lacked holiness, so it is impossible to have the full insight, understanding, and knowledge that only God has. We are mentally and developmentally permanently handicapped by the effects of the Fall. Truly "God only knows". Ironically, Satan offered Adam and Eve a false offer of God's wisdom in the Garden when he said they would be as God after disobeying and eating the fruit. But by eating from the forbidden tree, humanity got sinful foolishness which we now pridefully consider to be great intelligence and wisdom. Warped by that sin, even our brightest thoughts, noblest of intentions, or most creative accomplishments as a society will all decay into futility when compared to our eternal, everlasting, all wise, infinitely brilliant, and holy Creator.

God has been giving us His wisdom ever since the Fall in an effort to redeem what sin has taken from us. God's Word, His revelation of His mind in scripture and in His Son can give us wisdom beyond our broken foolishness. Another world's wisdom, from eternity to eternity given to us in and by God, can free us from the inherent futility of this world's folly. But we must humbly believe, and take the time to read God's Word, trust only in the gospel His Son Jesus brought, so that we might be saved from our sin and our foolishness by following the wisdom of God in Christ.