1 Corinthians 1:23-30

This epistle is one of the first of Paul's letters, addressed to the people of Corinth. There are many problems in the city: the people worship money and the like, and Paul addresses these problems throughout the letter. I picked this passage for my journalling because I think wisdom is one of the things many people strive for in life. Everyone seems to want to be wise, and make it one of their goals in life to become wiser. In these verses, it says that God's foolishness is even wiser than man's wisest. God, at his worst (if there even is a worst) is still wiser than the wisest men of the earth. Also, Paul goes on to say that God chooses the foolish and despised things on earth to shame the wise. This reminds me of the incident in the temple where a poor lady gives one gold coin for the offering thing, while the rich man gives thousands. The lady has given her entire savings... one gold coin, while the rich man gives only a small portion of his wealth. Who is shamed? The rich man! The "wise" and boastful. Both in the beginning and the end of this passage, Paul says that Christ is the wisdom and power of God and from God. If we believe and have faith in Him, we are made righteous and holy before God. Christ is the wisdom of God.

The passage

23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption