The Folly That Saves (1 Cor. 1:18-31)
A study of Paul's first epistle to the church of Corinth
My daughter has one of the wildest imaginations I’ve ever seen. She can turn our living room into a campground, a bakery, or even an underwater kingdom in an instant. What truly amazes me more than her creativity is how quickly she believes what you tell her.
If I say that money grows on trees or that our car can fly, she wouldn’t question it—she would simply believe me. Sarcasm goes right over her head, and she takes things at face value, not because she’s naïve, but because she hasn’t lived long enough to expect people to be dishonest with her. She trusts because she hasn’t been given a reason not to.
That kind of faith—simple, open-hearted, and unguarded—is exactly what Jesus meant when He said we must receive the kingdom of God like a child (Matthew 18:3-4.) It’s the kind of trust that doesn’t come with doubt or the need to figure everything out on your own.
This is exactly what made the gospel so scandalous to the culture of Corinth.
Corinth was a city that prized intellect, debate, and sophistication. They admired wisdom, but only the kind that came with credentials, rhetoric, and power. So when Paul came preaching Christ crucified, a message centered on a dying Savior and a wooden cross, it sounded ridiculous. Foolish. Offensive. Weak. Yet, Paul insists in 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 that what looks like folly to the world is actually the wisdom and power of God.
This passage invites us to consider: What if the wisdom of God isn't found in brilliance, but in belief? What if the message that looks like folly to the proud is actually life to the humble?
“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. For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”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 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. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”” — 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
The Folly That Saves
The gospel of Jesus Christ confronts every culture with a radical reversal of values. In 1 Corinthians 1:18–31, Paul shows how God overturns worldly wisdom through what seems like folly to human eyes.
Through these verses, Paul shows us that the gospel doesn't merely operate within human expectations—it dismantles them, so that our only boast is in Christ.
The Cross: Folly or Power?
“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. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”” (v. 18-19)
Paul makes a clear distinction here: every person is either on the path of salvation or the path of destruction. There is no middle ground. The dividing line between these two groups is the cross of Christ. How one responds to the message of the cross reveals which path they are on, and their response is shaped by their spiritual condition.
To those who are dead in their trespasses, the gospel seems absurd. The Greek word translated “folly” is μωρία (mōria), the root of our word “moron.” That’s how absurd and offensive the cross sounds to the unbelieving world. However, to those who are being saved, the same message is nothing less than the power of God. What the world sees as weakness and foolishness, believers see as divine wisdom and strength.
Paul supports his point by quoting Isaiah 29:14: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.” Isaiah originally confronted Jerusalem for relying on human counsel rather than God’s revelation. That same error—elevating human wisdom over divine truth—was now creeping into the Corinthian church, just as it permeated the Greek culture around them.
Paul’s message is a warning: Don't fall into the same trap. Trust not in eloquence, intellect, or persuasive arguments, but in the power of the gospel. God will ultimately expose and overthrow the so-called wisdom of the world, and only those who cling to the cross will stand.
Faith: Wise or Foolish?
“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 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.” (v. 20-21)
Paul again draws from Isaiah 19:12 to emphasize a timeless truth: Human wisdom is ultimately unreliable and short-lived.
In verse 20, Paul uses the term “debater,” translated from the Greek word συζητητής (syzititēs), which referred to those in that culture who were skilled in argument and philosophical reasoning. The Corinthian church would have immediately recognized this kind of figure as their city was known for such intellectuals. Yet Paul uses this word not to commend them, but to contrast their influence with the power of the gospel.
No matter how eloquent or persuasive these debaters were, their wisdom could not compare with the wisdom of God. Human reasoning—no matter how refined—cannot lead someone to saving faith. As Paul explains, it is not through brilliant argumentation or philosophical debate that people come to know God, but through the preaching of His Word.
This is God’s design. He chose to save sinners through what the world sees as folly: the simple preaching of the gospel. Faith does not come by logic or debate, it comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.
That’s the beauty of it. Salvation comes not by human strength or intellect, but by grace through faith as the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed. Though the world may scoff at its simplicity, this is the divine wisdom and power of God: the message of the cross that breaks down barriers and brings life.
Yet many still reject this message, not because it lacks power or evidence, but because it fails to meet their expectations. Paul now turns to show how different groups stumble over the gospel for different reasons.
Two Roads to Rejection
“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.” (v. 22-24)
Paul highlights two prevailing mindsets that hinder people from embracing the gospel. The unbelieving Jews demanded miraculous signs—supernatural displays of power to validate divine authority. Yet they rejected the greatest series of signs ever given: the virgin birth, the miraculous ministry of Christ, His atoning death on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave. These were not just signs, they were the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan and the most profound display of divine power the world has ever seen. Still, they stumbled because Christ crucified did not fit their expectations of a conquering Messiah.
On the other hand, the Greeks sought wisdom—truth validated through reason, philosophy, and intellectual discourse. They prized rhetorical skill and abstract thought. Much like the Athenian philosophers in Acts 17:21, many of them were not genuinely searching for truth. They were captivated by novelty—eager to debate ideas, but unwilling to embrace the truth. To them the message of the cross sounded foolish, too simple, too offensive, too far beneath the dignity of their reasoning.
Yet to those who are called—whether Jew or Greek—Christ is not a stumbling block or foolishness. He is the very power and wisdom of God. The cross, though offensive to some and absurd to others, is the means by which God saves. It surpasses human categories of power and intellect and reveals a divine wisdom that both humbles and transforms.
God’s Irony and Sovereignty
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (v. 25)
At first glance, the language Paul uses sounds almost irreverent. Nevertheless, Paul is using deliberate irony to make a powerful point: Even what appears to be foolish or weak in God’s plan utterly surpasses the greatest wisdom and strength of humanity. Of course, God is never truly foolish or weak—He is all-wise (Romans 11:33) and all-powerful (Isaiah 40:28). Paul is addressing how the gospel seems to human eyes.
To many, the cross looks like weakness—after all, Christ was arrested, beaten, and crucified in apparent defeat. To others, it looks like foolishness—why would a holy God save the world through such a shameful death? Yet what seems weak and foolish is, in fact, the very instrument of divine power and wisdom. Through the cross God accomplished what no amount of human strength or intellect ever could: the salvation of sinners and the reconciliation of the world to Himself. (See also 2 Corinthians 5:18–21.)
Paul’s statement again references the prophet Isaiah, this time Isaiah 55:8-9, where the Lord declares, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Human beings simply cannot attain to God’s wisdom on their own. True wisdom and strength are not found within us but are given to us in Christ (Colossians 2:3), in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
The only way we can be truly wise or truly strong is if God imparts His wisdom and strength to us through the gospel. To further demonstrate this truth, Paul points to the Corinthians themselves. Their very lives are proof that God’s wisdom does not follow the world’s pattern.
A Calling That Humbles
“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;” (v. 26-27)
Paul reminds the Corinthians that their wisdom and salvation didn’t come from themselves, it came from God, who called them. This wasn’t a result of their intelligence, morality, or status, but of God’s sovereign grace. He chose the weak and foolish by the world’s standards to reveal true wisdom: Christ crucified.
Their calling wasn’t earned by merit; it was initiated by God alone. Left to themselves, they would have seen the cross as foolishness. But God opened their eyes, gave them spiritual wisdom, and brought them into the truth.
This is the heart of grace: God gives what He demands. He saves not those who earn it, but those He calls—so that no one can boast, and all glory goes to Him.
Boasting in the Right Place
“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. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”” (v. 28-31)
God’s calling is not random, it’s deliberate. His design is purposeful: to nullify human pride. In verses 28–31, Paul reveals the reason why God chooses the lowly and despised.
God’s kingdom operates on a completely different value system than the world’s. The world esteems the powerful, the wealthy, the influential, and the wise. But Paul makes it clear: God deliberately chooses what is “low and despised”—those considered insignificant, weak, or unworthy by worldly standards. Even “things that are not”—those seen as non-existent or meaningless—are the ones through whom God reveals His eternal plan. Why? So that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
This is God's sovereign design: to strip away every human reason for pride and self-glory. Salvation is not a reward for the elite, the moral, or the brilliant. It is a gift for the humble who recognize their need for grace. As Ephesians 2:8–9 puts it: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are in Christ Jesus “because of Him”—not because of their merit, wisdom, or standing. Their union with Christ is the work of God alone. In Christ, they receive everything they need:
Wisdom from God—a divine understanding not available through human effort (Colossians 2:3)
Righteousness—a right standing before God, credited to us by faith (Romans 3:21–22)
Sanctification—the ongoing work of being made holy (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
Redemption—freedom purchased by Christ’s blood (Ephesians 1:7)
This comprehensive salvation from beginning to end is Christ's work on our behalf. He is the great equalizer. The cross eliminates every basis for boasting in ourselves and gives us only one legitimate boast: Christ.
Paul concludes by quoting another great prophet, Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 9:23–24 it says, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Our confidence, joy, and identity are not grounded in anything we’ve done, but in everything Christ is and has done for us. What the world despises, God delights to use, so that His grace and glory are put on full display.
Conclusion
Paul wants the Corinthian church (and us) to grasp this profound truth: Salvation is entirely God's doing. He flips the world’s values upside down not only in whom He calls, but in how He saves. Our credentials, intellect, and strength contribute nothing. Christ alone is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. So if we boast, let it be in the Lord who turns foolishness into salvation and weakness into power.
Application
Here are 3 take-home application points for today’s study in 1 Corinthians:
1. Cultivate Childlike Trust
Approach God’s Word with humility and belief—even when it’s hard to understand or goes against cultural logic. God honors those who trust Him without needing all the answers. Just as children believe with innocent trust, Jesus calls us to that same posture in how we receive the gospel and live by it.
Matthew 18:3–4 – “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Proverbs 3:5–6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
2. Reject Self-Reliance
Examine where you're tempted to trust in your own credentials, morality, or achievements. Then surrender them and rest in Christ as your righteousness and identity. Our wisdom, status, and works don’t earn us standing with God. Christ alone is our boast and our sufficiency.
Jeremiah 9:23–24 – “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom… but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me…”
Ephesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Philippians 3:7–9 – “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ… not having a righteousness of my own…but that which comes through faith in Christ…”
3. Embrace the “Folly” That Saves
Don’t shrink back from living and sharing the gospel even when it feels countercultural or “foolish.” God's power works through what the world dismisses. God’s wisdom often appears upside down to the world, but it is the very means by which He saves and transforms.
Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”
2 Corinthians 4:7 – “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
Isaiah 55:8–9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord…”
