Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In my opinion, Paul clarifies this in the passage surrounding the verse being asked about (1 Corinthians 1:17-29).

He first points out (verse 17) that God had called him not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. And as a testimony to the power of the gospel message, it had been entrusted to him by God not because he was an eloquent man who could sway others simply by his oratorical style or the force of his personality, but precisely because his unpolished speech would draw the attention of his listeners away from him personally, and would emphasize the working of the Holy Spirit in persuading those who heard him to accept Christ.

Also, those who chose to reject Christ would be reacting not to Paul personally, but to what they would perceive as the weakness or foolishness of Paul's message -- that God would choose to save the world by the death of Jesus on a cross, rather than by miraculous signs such as the political deliverance of Israel (which the Jews had been expecting the Messiah to perform), or by sophisticated philosophical reasoning (which the Greeks valued)(verse 22).

(Paul also points out in verse 19 (by quoting Isaiah 29:14) that this method of operation on the part of God had been prophesied hundreds of years before.)

Therefore, when Paul speaks of the "foolishness" or "weakness" of God, he is speaking only of the perception of those who are perishing by refusing to accept the gospel message. But (as Paul also noted in verses 24-29), to those who accept the gospel and are being saved because of their faith, what others perceive as foolishness on the part of God is wiser than any human philosophy that man could devise, and what others perceive as weakness on the part of God is stronger than the greatest or most miraculous demonstration of conquering power that God (through Jesus) could have performed.

Also, because human wisdom and political power (attributes that people would normally glory in) were not the means by which God chose to redeem the world, it eliminates any ground for boasting on the part of humans, since (verse 27) God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

March 15 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Robert Bills High Pursuit Ministries

This is a statement that puts a perspective on the difference between God and man. The most wise and intelligent man on the planet could be compared with God and the results would be that the man knows very little. And even if it were possible for God to have a day where He was weak and have little strength, in comparison the strongest man on this planet would still be no where close to matching God.

March 15 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Lena Wms Student @Christ Gospel Church, S.S.Teacher, Observer

Thank you so much for bringing this Wonderful Scripture to the table for discussion! If we look at this with our natural eyes, we would think that our God is weak and foolish. However, we KNOW this is NOT TRUE!

So the Apostle Paul surely was telling the Corinthians something most profound, we must ask God to reveal it to us! 1 Pet 2:2
I believe that if we look in the Strong's we will begin to find a better understanding. 
I was taught to always go to the root meaning of the word. 

Foolishness: mystery or secret

Weakness: advise, appoint, bow, commit, conceive, give, kneel down, lay (aside, down, up), make, ordain, purpose, put, set (forth), settle, sink down

Now to re-think the Scripture, the mysteries and secrets of God and God's ability to come down to sinful man to reach us to provide a way through His only Begotten Son to bring us into a Oneness Relationship with Himself is so much wiser and stronger than puny little sinful man could ever hope to be! 

What an AWESOME Scripture!
I don't know about you, but I feel very small bowing in the Presence of God Almighty! Thank You Jesus for making the Way!

Be Blessed
Lena

March 15 2016 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report