The Wisdom of This World

1 Cor. 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

The scholars and scientists and intellectuals of this world may be held in great esteem by men, but to God, their humanistic reasonings are foolishness. In fact, the evolutionary philosophy which dominates the "wisdom of this world" has led to our modern amoral culture, to racism, to imperialism, to communism, Nazism, to New Age pantheism, humanism, atheism, abortionism, and to all manner of evil and foolish beliefs and practices.

Yet many modern evangelicals feel they must accommodate the wisdom of this world in their own schools and churches, forgetting that "the world by wisdom knew not God" (I Corinthians 1:21). God has warned us not to follow "the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought" (I Corinthians 2:6). Why should we waste precious time in teaching our students or our congregations the wisdom of this world that not only is false and harmful, but is soon coming to nought? The only valid reason at all for doing so is to teach them what’s wrong with it, so that they can "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh" (I Peter 3:15).

Above all, they must not accommodate the wisdom of this world in their own worldview. God has gravely warned against the evolutionary philosophy of the world (II Peter 3:3-6) in these sobering words: "Seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness" (II Peter 3:17).

Therefore, "If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (I Corinthians 3:18,19).

A devotional thought by HMM in Days of Praise