‘For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the prudence of the prudent I will reject”.'

Paul now turns to Scripture to prove his point. The verse is cited from Isaiah 29:14 (LXX). There the professed people of God had turned away from God and His word and rejected the words of His true prophets, depending on their ‘wise' leaders. Thus He warns them that what they look to as wisdom and prudence, the wisdom and prudence of their betters, the wisdom and prudence that has caused them to reject the message of God, will be of no avail, and will perish in the end.

The same, says Paul, is true here Those who profess to wisdom and prudence and in the light of it reject the message of the cross will find that their wisdom and prudence only lead to destruction. God will reject them and finally destroy them.

‘For it is written.' A phrase that demonstrates that what is being cited is the indestructible word of God.

So it is not words that will save men, whether they be the words of philosophers and wise men, or the flowing words of ‘wise' Christian preachers over a range of subjects, it is the central ‘word of the cross' that God has ‘spoken'. It is Christ and Him crucified working effectively in men's lives.

Paul Warns Against Putting Faith in Man's Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:20).

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