This possibility of unregenerate persons claiming Christ may have stemmed from a organic division of followers ascribing a particular leader. In response Paul confronts the issue directly by asserting that Christ is not divided and that the natural result of His atoning death is not division but unity. As a demonstration of this principle Paul unequivocally claims that he did not come to Corinth with the intent of carrying out religious rite but only to preach the Gospel. The result of this simple methodology was that the power of the cross was allowed to save. However, those who saw the message of Christ’s cross as foolishness, perdition is all that will follow. It seems that due to the philosophical nature of Greek paganality, there had been raised objections to the simple Gospel truth by those who sought human wisdom. Paul’s point is simple but clear, those who seek to attain to God through human philosophy or wisdom will not find Him. God by the eternal wisdom of His decrees has confounded the wisest of men. To them, the wisdom of God is foolishness but Paul says that the most basic thought of God (His foolishness) is wiser than the most articulate philosopher. The preaching of Christ “crucified” (ἐσταυρωμένον, perfect passive participle) is intended to present the activity of God not as an accident or happen stance, but rather as the foreordained will of God brought about by His eternal counsel. The result of this within the world is the presence of a stumbling block or source of offence that causes those who view the Gospel through human means to miss the divine purpose. Accordingly, God has chosen the weak and worthless things of this world to shame the wise. Not much has changed since the days of Paul. Salvation; or perhaps better said, approbation of the Gospel is not found in the strong, powerful or sophisticated. Rather, the Gospel comes to those who are truly bankrupt in these arenas of life. Those who attempt to meet God in this way, to one degree or another, find only the foolishness of the Gospel message that does not align with human thought. Paul says however, that there is a wisdom that is imparted to the mature; it is the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. It is a wisdom that is not readily apprehended by those who have not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit for it requires the indwelling of the Spirit for true understanding. It is a wisdom that is not of men but from God and it is a wisdom that unlocks the “mysteries” of God holy word. Without the insight of God’s Spirit revealing the thoughts and decrees of God, no man can lay hold to the boundless wisdom that is deposited there. Paul simply says that those who do not have the Spirit of wisdom do not accept the things of God revealed by His wisdom and in fact they consider these things to be foolishness. It seems to be because of the lack of spiritual wisdom that there are divisions within the Church. Paul says that he cannot address them as spiritual people but must address them as fleshly and worldly. The former practices of the Corinthians have caused a division within the body and as Paul confronts this division, he does so by highlighting the lack of God given wisdom within the ranks.
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