Some will instantly recognize the phrase that constitutes the heading as coming from the King James Version’s rendition of 1 Cor. 1:21. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Later versions generally adopt a translation like; it pleased God by the foolishness of the message preached…. Greek exponents argue one way or the other on this, but the old KJV rendition is certainly ok. The word is a genitive singular of the word for preaching, and so of preaching is a legitimate translation.
But I suppose what later translators have done is to clarify the foolishness of preaching. Whichever way we go with this we have to do some thinking. Preaching, or orating, is not in itself, foolishness. Every day teachers expound, politicians make speeches, newscasters and pundits propound and so on. Jesus, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col.2:3), preached. Preaching is not foolishness, but in this case it is the content, or message, that is foolish. Hence the later translations. But how can this be so? Is God foolish? To ask that is to know the answer. The message preached is not foolishness to God or to those who know the truth, but it is foolishness to those who reject it (1 Cor. 1:18).
It is no coincidence that this passage comes from a letter to the ancient Corinthians (Greeks), a civilization that was besotted with human wisdom. Names like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are well known philosophers of the world of the Corinthians, even to this day. The gospel and worldly wisdom are like oil and water – they do not mix. And Paul makes it clear in this verse that worldly wisdom cannot save, and God never intended it to do so. God never intended for man to trust in the product of his own inventive thinking, but rather to see his need for God and His wisdom. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Human philosophy can ask good questions like Where is my Maker? How can I find Him? What is the way to Him? How can I please Him? But human philosophy has no clear and defining answers. It is not equipped to answer such questions, and yet these are some of the greatest and most pressing questions man can ask.
Is it possible to please God or is He so nit-picking that to attempt to do so is futile? The Bible in many places teaches it is possible for sinful human-beings to please God ( Heb. 11:5; 1 Thess. 4:1; Prov. 11:1 etc.). On another slant, what pleases God? Here the apostle says that it pleases God TO SAVE! God is not in the damning business – He wants to save! John 3:17 reminds us that Jesus was sent into the world TO SAVE, not to condemn. We need saving because we choose to sin and damn ourselves. We get our own just deserts because we betrayed what we were made for. Turn to me and be saved – I am God and there is none else (Isa. 45:22). God wants to save us and He is our only hope, and he went to great lengths to prove His intent – He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16).
Whom does He please to save? The text says those who believe. So salvation involves faith. This verse doesn’t tell us what to believe or what sort of faith we are to have, but faith is involved in the process – cf. Heb.11:6. And the process is by the foolishness of preaching. We may like to argue with Him as to why He chose this way, but 2 Cor. 4:7 gives us a clue:- we have this treasure (the gospel) in earthen vessels (cracked pots) so that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. God’s power is manifested in that He uses weak, fallible, sinful human beings to get the job done!
And so we begin to see this modus operandi in action, beginning in Acts 2. Three thousand people were saved on the day of Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ in response to the preaching of the apostles. In Acts 8:5,12,13 people in Samaria were saved through the preaching of Philip. Later in the same chapter (vs. 35,36) an Ethiopian was saved after listening to Philip expound on Isa 53.
Acts 9 and 26 we have the conversion of Saul of Tarsus after having been told what to do by a christian named Ananias (cf. 22:16). The conversion of the household of Cornelius was by the mouth of Peter (Acts 10:6; 34-48), and Lydia and her household were told what to do to be saved by Paul (Acts 16:14,15). Later in that same place the Philippian jailer and his house were baptised into Christ after instruction from Paul and Silas (vs. 30-33)
Many in Corinth came to Christ (18:8) after hearing Paul speak, and 19:1-5 records the conversion of twelve disciples in Ephesus after some erroneous prior teaching had been corrected by the same apostle. What is important to note is that on each and every occasion men and women were saved by the foolishness of preaching. There are no exceptions. Even though this was in the infancy of the church when men were endowed with miraculous power, people were still saved by hearing the gospel. God cut no corners in any case, and the plan of salvation is still the same today. The idea that a person can be saved by a feeling, or a wee still voice, is without foundation in the New Testament. That message that was preached in the apostolic period can still be preached today, for it can be read in the pages of the New Testament. Have you obeyed the foolishness of the message preached?