Folly to Wisdom

By Jared Warner

Willow Creek Friends Church

February 01, 2026

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1 Corinthians 1:18–31 (ESV)

¹⁸ For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” ²⁰ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ²² For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. ²⁶ For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹ so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰ And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹ so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The past few weeks have been a bit stressful for me. I call it stressful, but the reality is that a great deal of it has been of my own doing. A couple of weeks ago I spoke about being absorbed in temporal affairs and how our faith and practice encourages us to not be unduly absorbed. Well I have been absorbed, and I continue to get absorbed.

When I was in graduate school we spent a great deal of time learning about various theological positions. That is the point of higher education, it brings several different ideas, concepts, and theories together and then you are supposed to consider all the information and then in my case, we take these different concepts and answer a question or provide encouragement through a situation using your understanding of theology. While providing that answer you were to consider various positions, and how they might provide encouragement, or how they were wrong. So I read a great deal of theology. I read how people in the early church approached different situations, how people in the Medieval Church considered things, I studied liberal theology, fundamentalism, and Trinitarian Incarnational Theologies. Each of these theological positions emerged to help the people face the trials of their daily life. Each of them used scripture, studied scripture and the human condition and attempted to provide an answer to help their society, their culture move forward and to provide hope.

This might surprise some of you, because we look at some of these theologies and we assume that they were simply trying to deny Christ. We look at the Medieval Church with their superstitions, indulgences, and almost magical theologies and we judge them as being idolaters. But we often look at them through our contemporary concepts. How do you explain God to an illiterate population? How do you teach scripture or spiritual disciplines when there is so little life experience out side of farm work to draw on? Or after the enlightenment, when the stories we were told in church and the emerging sciences do not seem to line up? How can you explain creation, the resurrection, the apocalypse to come? Different groups tried to do different things, and each of these groups had their reasons and all of them were devout in their own manner.

Where does this leave us. We are just one branch along an ever growing vine. We like so many before us as seeking and searching for something to give us hope. We look at those in the past we laugh at their ideas. We take one side or the other. We say Fundamentalism is more correct than the Liberal theological position, but we have not fully examined either to a deep degree. We fail to recognize that Fundamentalism often promoted racism and slavery in the past, where liberal theological positions brought about the social changes that lead to the abolition of slavery, as well as civil rights, and women’s rights. I remember once sitting in Sunday school a few years back when I mentioned that most of the theological positions of Friends lean more toward liberal theological thought, and people were shocked. We were shocked because the definitions of the words have changed. What we think about when we hear the words have changed. We over look the good that emerged, but why? I have thought about these things this week.

We are currently in hockey season, and since there is supposed to be a parent volunteer in the locker room I am often the parent that sits in that room with all the really loud kids. All too often I spend the first half of the week with a headache from the shear noise within the locker room. But it is interesting what some of the discussion points are. We get plenty of the 6-7 memes stated through out. And believe me I understand why adults think it is a sign of brain rot within our society. I get it, but I listen to these kids. They are smarter than we give them credit. Some of the ideas they share are astonishing and if we would simply listen to them for a moment we might see improvement. But what astonishes me the most is how many are thinking theologically. We often say the youth want nothing to do with church, the reality is they do not want anything to do with our perception of what church is, but they are very interested in Christ. There is probably more concern with discipleship among the children today than there was when I was a child. The difference is they are not afraid to ask the questions that challenge our faith.

Paul begins today’s passage, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” This is one of the truest statements ever mentioned in scripture. He goes on to say, “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?”

I want us to stop for a moment. And consider those three questions. Where is the one who is wise, the scribe and the debater? Paul is writing this letter to the church located in Corinth. This is a cosmopolitan city located on an isthmus within Greece. This narrow strip of land became important to commerce, because they could either carry the cargo a short distance across the few miles of land or spend days sailing around the land mass to the west. Most traders felt that the time saved was more beneficial than risk of losing a ship in a storm on sea. The ships are coming in and going out. They unload the cargo and they transport all the goods across the land along with the ship itself and they place it into the sea on the other side. While the ground crews are doing this the traders and sailors are spending their time in the city sharing news, talking about what is going on in the world, and taking in the sights. Since this trade hub of a city has people coming and going it became a center for not only trade but wisdom. Philosophers came to teach, religious orders set up temples to accommodate various beliefs, and those seeking power would often try to gain support. These are the wise, the scribes and the debaters. And the followers of Jewish traditions were among them.

Paul says that the cross of Christ is, “a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

I want us to consider this. To the Jewish people the cross of Christ is a stumbling block. Why? For the Jews they demand signs. Why? Seeing is believing. We give Thomas a bad reputation because he doubted that Jesus rose from the grave, but he was no different than the majority of the people among his culture. They had in their minds that the anointed one would do certain things. That prophecies would be fulfilled, and that the messiah would raise up an army to push back the overlords, and they would usher in Israel’s golden age once again. But they needed to have proof. They did not want to get involved if this messianic figure was not the real thing, because their life depended on it. In their mind the messiah was amazing. His kingdom would have no end. This either meant he would march to Rome and conquer the world, or he was invincible or immortal. The cross of Christ is a stumbling block because as powerful as Jesus was in the world, he died. He died on a cross, an instrument of torture used only against those that challenged and failed to rise up against the empire. The cross of Christ challenged them, it challenged the very core of their belief system, and they needed to see something to prove their minds wrong.

Now the Greeks seek wisdom. What could possibly be wrong with this? The cross of Christ to the wisdom seeking Greek is folly. Its foolish, it is a waste of time. Have you ever consider why they might think this?

I have spoken about various theological perspectives, and although I am probably more aligned with fundamentalism than liberalism on most things, there is something about that tradition that is suspect, something that has moved on into Evangelicalism. It has been part of our tradition as Friends for our entire history to some degree. That concerning part of that theological tradition is self. This concept of self is something that has been incorporated into our faith through Greek thought. It is largely the fault of Apostles like Paul, because he was presenting the Gospel to the Gentiles he would often use their understanding of the world to illustrate theological concepts. And part of the Greek thought process is to make yourself worthy of divine attention. If you look at Stoicism, or Plato they often speak of the body as being corrupt and the spirit pure. And we should focus on making the spirit as pure as can be, and the sign that you gained favor was that you would have blessing in this world. This self centered thinking leads us to make decision on how it benefits me. The cross of Christ is folly to the Greek mind because Jesus taught differently. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, do good to those that persecute you. Fundamentalism often focus on the self, but it twists the self centered teaching to form a hybrid of sorts. I do good for others, so I can have blessing. I will love my enemies so that I will conquer my enemies. I have a personal relationship with God, and as long as I keep that personal relationship in check, God will bless me. I am probably stepping on toes, because that is what we all have been taught. We were taught that everything we need to know is found in the scriptures. Anything outside that will draw me away, will hinder my personal relationship with God. Fundamentalism is like a weird mix between Stoicism and Israel. But who is the scribe, the ones that study scripture thinking that they will find life?

Paul then says that the foolishness of God is wiser than men, the weakness of God is stronger than men.

I want to be a wise person. I like knowing things. I like to think that I could have an intelligent conversation with just about anyone. I am very much a product of Western civilization. But I have come to recognize areas of limitation.

Liberal theology, wanted to make the world a better place. They saw alcoholism as a social ill ruining our society, so they worked to remove it. They saw slavery as a social ill, so they wanted to remove it. They saw that the teaching of Jesus was the ultimate example to be followed, and if we could only live by that example everything would be great. Its funny how liberal theology and fundamentalism can sometimes overlap. The difference is liberal theology is also wisdom based. But they looked toward a different place. They looked at wisdom from our perspective, if we can know more about the world around us we would be closer to God.

Wise, the scribes, and the debaters. This past week in the locker room one kid was talking about the end of days, and the meaning of life. I of course because I am a nerd said that the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is 42. That answer did not amuse them but it did me. So I had to tell them that it was from a book, and that I had a friend that is a math teacher, and she told me that the meaning of 42 is math, because if you assign a number to the letters in math, it adds up to 42. This led me to ask them what math then has to do with life, and I asked what makes 42 in math. Because I am just as immature as a lot of the youth today, the answer of course is 6-7. They laughed at that, but then I asked another question which tied to the initial discussion of the end of days. I asked this one kid, what would happen at the end of days. He said that he knew that everyone would take the mark of the beast and those that did not would not be able to buy or sell, and that only the people sealed with the Spirit would go to heaven.

I asked him what the mark of the beast was. He of course told me, 666. I then asked what the mark of God was? He did not know. I then asked what the mark would be. At this time most of the kids were listening to some degree. And the mark he knew would be on the forehead or hand, but he did not know exactly what it would be. I asked why the hand and the head, why 666.

Six is often seen as a number that represents man, because that was the day mankind was created. And seven represents completion of creation, fullness of creation, or God because the 7^th day we are to rest and focus on God. I then said that the people of Israel were to bind the law to the their fore head and wear the commandments on their hands. And that some took this to be literal and they actually strapped little boxes to their heads to hold scripture and wrapped straps around their arms with the law of God written on them. The mark of the beast was referring to this, its is on our forehead and on our hand, but the number is 666 because what we are thinking about and the actions we do with our hands are focused on ourselves on man. What we can get, how we can get ahead. How we can survive. But God wants his law in our minds, and our activities to reflect his ways. And what is the law of God?

Jesus once answered that question by saying, “love God with all you heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second is like the first love neighbor as yourself.” The mark of the beast is 666, love self with all your heart, mind, and strength. Jesus we would assume taught 777, but there is a twist in that. How do we love God, with heart, mind, and strength? That answer is a 6. It is a balance between 6-7.

I present to you the theology of 6-7. you are welcome. It is not brain rot, but it is the law of God. Its a stumbling block to the Jew demanding signs and its folly to the Greek seeking wisdom, because it is not fully focused on man or God. It is not focused on what God can do for me. How my nation can be greater, or great again. It does not care about where we are from or what or degree is. It is a balance between God and man.

That balance is important. It is very important. If we get the balance off just a bit we can be thrown into destruction. The era of history where liberal theology had its greatest strength was shortly before the second world war. And it was also during that time that Fundamentalism was strong. These two theological thoughts came to clash but it happened in a very unfortunate way. The liberal theology wanted to make the world great. And they had they believed science to help them do that. The Fundamentalist side wanted to make the world holy. And one man was able to mix both sides together and make something terrible. We can manipulate words, we can take the best intentions of devout Religious teachers, and make them support terrible things. We can make it sound wise, we can make it sound holy, we can make it sound like it is God’s divine mandate. We can take the seven mountains of society, and make a Christian nation.

I have had people ask me why I do not support certain ideas, why I have posted things that sound one sided. I studied historic theology. I saw how the church and state together ended up. We had that in America, when the north and the south divided over the issue of slavery. We see it in Europe during the Reich. The church becomes divided over what is right based on the wisdom of man. Germany was deep in that debate when a mustached monster came into power, and it crippled them. Liberal Theology could not help, and neither could fundamentalism. Both were crippled because they lacked balance. And out of that fire a different voice started to speak. And that voice said the answer is Jesus now what is your question.

During one of the darkest times of Western history, a new theological branch emerged. A branch that took scripture serious like the fundamentalists, and also encouraged justice toward all humanity. It became known as Trinitarian Incarnational Theology, but at the time it was seen as dangerous. Too liberal to be fundamental and too fundamental to be liberal. No one knew what to do with it. But it was that theology that inspired Bonhoeffer and Karl Barth. It is this theological position that led encouraged Bonhoeffer to write Life Together, and the Cost of Discipleship. They said the answer is Jesus.

And the answer is Jesus, because Jesus is the Word or the Wisdom of God. Jesus is the power of God. But his power is not like the power of the world. His wisdom is not like the wisdom of the world. His commands are 6-7. His prayer is “Our Father, holy is your name, your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Notice something, our father, and Your kingdom. We are together praying, not my father in heaven but a community. In Jesus the incarnate, God with us, he brings us back into community with God, He restores the balance between humanity and God. So that we can live fully in him. No longer separated.

And that is how the first century Christians lived. They lived in community. They shared what they had. They cared for the sick, the widow, and the orphan. Their numbers grew daily as did their persecution. What they taught was a stumbling block, it was folly. And yet they lived. The harder people opposed them the stronger they got. The poorer they got the more they accomplished. Nothing in worldly wisdom applied it did not make sense. But the answer is Jesus.

How should we look at our current situation? The answer for those in Christ is only Jesus. What does Jesus call us to do, what is his teaching? Love God with your all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. But who then is our neighbor the scribes asked Jesus. This is where Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan, and he asks who was a neighbor to the one suffering? And that is the answer. That was the answer given to Adam and Eve, the answer given to Israel, and given to the disciples. Go into the world loving God and loving your neighbor. Or as we saying, become a people Loving God, Embracing the Holy Spirit, and Living the love of Christ with Others.

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