July 13

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.—1 Corinthians 1:20, 21.

HAVING said, It is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, he subjoins the demonstration from facts, saying, Where is the wise? where is the scribe? at the same time glancing at both Gentiles and Jews. For what sort of philosopher, which among those who have studied logic, which of those knowing in Jewish matters, hath saved us, and made known the truth? Not one. It was the Fisherman's work, the whole of it.

Having then inferred what he had in view, and brought down their pride, and said, Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? he states the reason also, why these things were so done. For after that by the wisdom of God, saith he, the world by wisdom knew not God, the Cross appeared. Now what means, by the wisdom of God? The wisdom apparent in those works, whereby it was his will to make himself known. For to this end did he frame them, and frame them such as they are, that by a sort of proportion, from the things which are seen, admiration of the Maker might be learned. Is the heaven great, and the earth boundless? Wonder then at him who made them. For this heaven, great as it is, not only was made by him, but made with ease; and that boundless earth too, was brought into being even as if it had been nothing. Wherefore of the former he saith, The works of thy fingers are the heavens; and concerning the earth, Who hath made the earth as it were nothing.

Since then by this wisdom the world was unwilling to acknowledge God, he employed what seemed to be foolishness, that is, the Gospel, to persuade men; not by reasonings but by faith. It remains that where God's wisdom is, there is no longer need of man's. For before, to infer that he who made the world, such and so great, must in all reason be a God possessed of a certain uncontrollable, unspeakable power; and by these means to apprehend him;—this was the part of human wisdom. But now we need no more reasonings, but faith alone. For to believe on him that was crucified and buried, and to be most fully persuaded that this person himself both rose again, and sat down on high; this needeth not wisdom, nor reasonings, but faith. For the apostles themselves came in not by wisdom, but by faith, and surpassed the heathen wise men in wisdom and loftiness, and that so much the more, by how much to raise disputings is less, than to receive by faith the things of God. For this transcends all human understanding.

But how hath he destroyed wisdom? Being made known to us by Paul and others like him, he hath shown it to be unprofitable. For towards receiving the evangelical proclamation, neither is the wise profited at all by wisdom, nor the unlearned injured at all by ignorance. But if one may speak somewhat even wonderful, ignorance rather than wisdom is a condition suitable for that impression, and more easily dealt with. For the shepherd and the rustic will more quickly receive this, once for all, repressing all doubting thoughts, and delivering himself to the Lord. In this way then he hath destroyed wisdom. For since she first cast herself down, she is ever after useful for nothing.

Thus when she ought to have displayed her proper powers, and by the works to have seen the Lord, she would not. Wherefore though she were now willing to introduce herself, she is not able. For the matter is not of that kind: this way of knowing God being far greater than the other. You see then, faith and simplicity are needed, and this we should seek everywhere, and prefer it before the wisdom which is from without. For God, saith he, hath made wisdom foolish.

But what is He hath made foolish? He hath shown it foolish in regard of receiving the faith. For since they prided themselves on it, he lost no time in exposing it. For what sort of wisdom is it, when it can not discover the chief of things that are good? He caused her, therefore, to appear foolish, after she had first convicted herself. For if when discoveries might have been made by reasoning, she proved nothing, now when things proceed on a larger scale, how will she be able to accomplish aught? now when there is need of faith alone, and not of acuteness? You see then, God hath shown her to be foolish.

It was his good pleasure too by the foolishness of the Gospel to save; foolishness, I say, not real, but appearing to be such. For that which is more wonderful yet is his having prevailed by bringing in, not another such wisdom more abundant than the first, but what seemed to be foolishness. He cast out Plato, for example, not by means of another philosopher of more skill, but by an unlearned fisherman. For thus the defeat became greater, and the victory more splendid.