1 Corinthians 1:27 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Corinthians 1:27

Comments

‘Chosen’ – the use of that word is not just an accident. The word is used three times in two verses. That is sovereign election: the amazing mercy and kindness of God overruling our hearts. ‘God hath chosen the foolish things of the world’, the less educated, ‘to confound the wise’, to make them ashamed. They are confounded or brought to shame because what was supposed to be an advantage played not part in bringing them to God, to salvation. In fact, it was an obstacle to salvation which had to be dealt with by God. And this is how he deals with it, says the apostle. He brings the message of the gospel to them, and gathers them into his kingdom by what they consider foolish means, means which bypass all their supposed privileges and advantages. How do we do that? We witness the gospel to our line manager, to our boss, as the opportunity arises, to the clever ones, and if the Holy Spirit is at work, their hearts are humbled, and they become lowly and they bow the knee to Jesus Christ, and give up their worldly wisdom – not their secular learning and expertise, but their worldly opinions and philosophy of life – and they align themselves with the people of God. And so it comes to pass, that ‘God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise’, and the wise were humbled and the wise became believers. You have it in James 1:9: ‘Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low.’ That is what God does when he converts. Through the mouths of the lowlier he converts the greater, and they humble themselves and are ashamed before God, and they find life and light. That is ultimately what these words refer to, because Paul is talking about the preaching of the gospel, the foolishness of preaching. The apostle Paul labours the points. God has chosen the weak things to confound the things which are mighty, and base things, even the converted prisoners. God may use even the least educated, people like Billy Bray of Cornwall, who was almost as greatly used in the awakening as was George Whitfield. ‘And things which are despise.’ Yes, Paul is saying to Jewish ears, Gentiles are going to be your pastors, as well as converted Jews: those who are despised by you. It applies throughout society, throughout the ethnic barriers. God will call ordinary people to preach. He goes on: ‘and things which are not.’ Things that people who are regarded as worthless will God call to bring to nought, to bring down and to humble, and to bring to repentance and seeking, things that are. That is the way of God: turning the order upside down.

Application

What a shame it was in the 19th century that the churches said to themselves, ‘We need an educated ministry. A lot of people are converted and they go out to preach but some of them preach with a cockney accent, and some with a northern accent, some with a Scottish accent, or a Welsh accent: regional accents, and even working-class accents. Terrible! We must have an educated ministry. Well, up to a point, that is right. Teach the young men, instruct them. When Spurgeon started his college for the instruction of young pastors, they included general education as well as the deep things of God in their theological studies, because many of them had very little education. But you can take it much too far, and in the 19th century the churches were tempted to take it too far. ‘We want seminaries and colleges that can rival the best in the world. We want people to come out of them with glowing PhDs and all the rest of it. We must aspire, aspire and impress the community.’ And what they got was liberalism, theological liberalism and doubt and apostasy, because the way of God is: yes, have your general education; yes, learn as much as you can; yes, be as worthy as you can to bear the banner of Christ, but no, fantastic accomplishments are not God's way, because he uses the lowly to convert everybody, even those who are called among the noble and the great. That is his way, so that the glory will be his.

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1 Corinthians 1:27 Commentary and Bible Study