In 1 Corinthians, Paul hits a death blow to
human wisdom. We should be careful not
to think that Paul is against reason; nor we should not think that Paul sees
that reason is somehow incompatible with Christianity. What makes it difficult for us in this modern
day to understand what was going on in Corinth is that this "wisdom of the
world" is not a well-defined system of thought. It's not a specific philosophy. It's not a cult. It's not a false doctrine, per se. It's not
something that you can take and study in an institute. You can't pick it up, turn it over and touch
it. Perhaps the best way to understand this "wisdom" is to see it in
light of what Paul says in Romans 12:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
(Romans 12:1–2, ESV)
The "wisdom of the world" is that
set of values that can be described as "conformity to the
world". It's the prevailing
attitude of the day. It's the spirit of
the age. It is that value system that
John describes as “. . . —the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes
and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1 John
2:16, ESV). This is a wisdom that is
joined to the human condition after the Fall. It is earthly in its fixation and
incomplete in its knowledge. It is very susceptible
to self-deception for indeed it sounds plausible (Colossians 2:23). It is driven by passion and desire and it is obsessed
by self-promotion, status and self-determined success.
This "worldliness" is so integral
to culture and society that it is as real as the air we breathe and can be
embraced just as subconsciously. It is
so caught up with individualism, ego-centricity and self-centeredness that it
is blinded by the reality. Apart from
rigorous comparison to the Cross and the Gospel we are bewitched into a
blindness that is incapable of seeing just how much we are motivated to
personal pleasure and satisfaction. Even
the pursuit of spirituality is so individually motivated that Self eclipses God;
and God starts to be and act more like Self.
It runs so diametrically opposed to Christ
(Philippians 2:5-11) because it breeds competition and selfishness. As C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity:
"Now what you
want to get clear it that Pride is essentially competitive – is competitive by
its very nature – while the other vices are competitive only, so to speak, by
accident. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more
of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever,
or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer,
or better-looking than others"
This "wisdom of the world", "spirit of the age"
(call it what you will) fundamentally glamorizes self-exaltation and superiority,
not humility, simplicity or "ordinariness". And certainly not a "self-emptying",
a "making Himself nothing", as found in Christ. No, the goal tends to
be comfort, ease and an avoidance of abstinence, delayed gratification and
suffering. Personal honor and esteem, self-actualization become achievement
awards instead of servanthood, obedience and mortification of self.
This wisdom says, "I look out for #1. If I don't who
will?" Such a pursuit of personal
advantage can be attained without embarrassment, even at the cost of hurting
others. Sadly, this mentality is not
only murderous, it is suicidal.
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