1 Corinthians 1--God's Wisdom Overcomes Strife

1 Co 1 presents an appeal to believers to overcome the divisiveness in the church and to give a unified witness, or testimony, of who Christ is to the world around them. Denominationalism has divided the church so that both believers and unbelievers focus more on the issues that divide Christians (baptism, tongues, dress, alcoholic beverages) than on what unites them--worship of the Lord Jesus and obedience to His Word.

This plea for unity in the church is followed by a discourse on wisdom. Man's wisdom does not lead to peace and harmony. The strife and divisiveness in the Corinthian church was a result of their reliance on the wisdom of man rather than on the wisdom of God (See also James 3: 13-18.)

God's people (the chosen, the elect, the saved) are generally not lauded by the world for intellectual positions, political power, or social prestige (1 Co 1: 26). To the contrary, they are often the target of worldly scorn. However, while they do not usually have worldly acclaim, they do have wisdom from God and peace and joy in the midst of a crooked and perverse world.

Those that do not belong to God are considered to be still among the "wicked." Isaiah states that the "wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked" (Is 57: 20-26).

Ought not the believer examine the origin of strife and division in the church today? The members of the Corinthian church sacrificed the wisdom of God and His peace because of their desire for worldly prestige. Foolish indeed!