1 CORINTHIANS 1:26–29
God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty
(1 Cor. 1:27).
The calling Paul speaks of in verses 26–29 is another term for conversion, for the effectual call of God to salvation. It does not mean a profession, station, or vocation like we would use it today. Many in the Corinthian church, like many in our day, elevated people according to their abilities or their position in society, assuming that they were called of God because of their status, their knowledge, their preeminence among men. They admired those who were accomplished, able, and successful instead of admiring the grace of God in bringing even the lowly to Himself. Paul severely rebukes their arrogance by reminding them that “The things which elevate man in the world, knowledge, influence, rank, are not the things which lead to God and salvation,” Charles Hodge wrote. “Human distinctions are insignificant and inefficacious in the sight of God, who is sovereign in the distribution of His grace.”
God does not choose those of His kingdom as a man would choose. Our salvation is not dependent upon anything in ourselves, just as Israel was not chosen from the nations of the world because of any value in and of itself. God chooses to bring about His purposes of redemption in ways that are contrary to the world’s expectations. He chose Jacob instead of Esau, the younger instead of the older. Human wisdom would have given the inheritance to the older. He chose David, the youngest of his brothers, to rule Israel. The world would have chosen one of the older brothers, one who was skilled in battle, strong, powerful. But God chose a shepherd boy, the humble, the weak, to lead Israel. In the same way, God took on the form of a man, humble in birth, lowly, with no exceptional physical qualities, no kingly attributes that the world could discern. God did not choose as the world would have chosen, as the world would have expected, but He chose the humble to confound the mighty.
“The design of God in thus dealing with men, calling the ignorant rather than the wise, the lowly instead of the great, is that no man should boast before Him,” Hodge wrote. “No one can stand in His sight and attribute his conversion or salvation to his own wisdom, or birth, or station, or to anything else by which he is favorably distinguished from his fellow men.”
CORAM DEO
Exodus 27–29
Matthew 22:23–46
What attitude should you have toward your brothers and sisters in the church? Take your church directory, or make a brief list of Christians you know. How are each different according to their strengths and weaknesses? Thank God for those people by name and pray that you will learn to see each of them as God sees them.
For Further study: 1 Sam. 17 • Zech. 4
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