a

the disputer of this world? hath | 21 For after that, in the wis not God made foolish " the wisdom of God, the world by wis dom of this world? dom knew not God, it pleased

a Isa.44.25.

b Luke 10.21. Rom.1.20,22,28.

existence and attributes found there, and, according to that, the apostle means to say, that the world by a survey of the works of God did not know him; or were, notwithstanding those works, in deep darkness. This interpretation is adopted by most commentators-by Lightfoot, Rosenmüller, Grotius, Calvin, &c. According to this interpretation, the word iv (in) is to be translated by a through. (2.) A second interpretation makes it refer to the wise arrangement or government of God, by which this was permitted. For when, by the wise arrangement or government of God; after a full and fair trial

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and relations of things; one who is a subtle and abstruse investigator. It was applied to the ancient sophists and disputants in the Greek academies; and the apostle refers, doubtless, to them. The meaning is, that in all their professed investigations, in all their subtle and abstruse inquiries, they had failed of ascertaining the way in which man could be saved; and that God had devised a plan which had baffled all their wisdom, and in which their philosophy was disregarded. The term world, here (avos), refers, probably, not to the world as a physical structure-though Grotius supposes that it does-but to that age -the disputer of that age, or genera- of the native, unaided powers of tion-an age eminently wise and learned. Hath not God made foolish, &c. That is, has he not by the originality and superior efficacy of his plan of salvation, poured contempt on all the schemes of philosophers, and evinced their folly? Not only without the aid of those schemes of men, but in opposition to them, he has devised a plan for human salvation that evinces its efficacy and its wisdom in the conversion of sinners, and in destroying the power of wickedness. Paul here, possibly, had reference to the language in Isa. xliv. 25. God "turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish."

21. For after that (red). Since; or seeing that it is true that the world by wisdom knew not God. After all the experience of the world it was ascertained that men would never by their own wisdom come to the true knowledge of God, and it pleased him to devise another plan for salvation. In the wisdom of God. This phrase is susceptible of two interpretations. (1.) The first makes it refer to "the wisdom of God" evinced in the works of creation-the demonstration of his

man, it was ascertained that the true knowledge of God would not be arrived at by man, it pleased him,' &c. This appears to be the correct interpretation, because it is the most obvious one, and because it suits the connexion best. It is, according to this, a reason why God introduced a new method of saving men. This may be said to have been accomplished by a plan of God, which was wise, because, (1.) It was desirable that the powers of man should be fully tried before the new plan was introduced, in order to show that it was not dependent on human wisdom, that it was not originated by man, and that there was really need of such an interposition. (2.) Because sufficient time had been furnished to make the experiment. An opportunity had been given for four thousand years, and still it had failed. (3.) Because the experiment had been made in the most favourable circumstances. The human faculties had had time to ripen and expand; one generation had had an opportunity of profiting by the observation of its predeces sor; and the most mighty minds had been brought to bear on the subject.

God by the foolishness of preach-] sign, and the Greeks seek after ing to save them that believe. wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ cru- | block, and unto the Greeks cified, unto the Jews a stumbling-foolishness;

a Isa.8.14. 1Pet.2.8.

They have, therefore, usually called the Lord Jesus, by way of derision n Tolvi, the man that was hanged, that is, on a cross; and Christians they have usually denominated, for the same reason, y Abdai Tolviservants of the man that was hanged. The reasons of this feeling are obvious. (1.) They had looked for a magnificent temporal prince; but the doctrine that their Messiah was crucified, dashed all their expectations. And they regarded it with contempt and scorn, just in proportion as their hopes had been elevated, and these high expectations cherished. (2.) They had the common feelings of all men, the native feelings of pride, and self-righteousness, by which they rejected the doctrine that we are dependent for salvation on one who was crucified. (3.) They regarded Jesus as one given over by God for an enormous attempt at imposition, as having been justly put to death; and the object of, the curse of the Almighty. Isa. liii. 4, "We did esteem him stricken, smitten or GOD." They endeavoured to convince themselves that he was the object of the divine dereliction and abhorrence; and they, therefore, rejected the doctrine of the cross with the deepest feelings of detestation. ¶ To the Greeks. To the Gentiles in general, So the Syriac, the Vulgate, the Arabic, and the Ethiopic versions all read it. The term Greek denotes all who were not Jews; thus the phrase,

schemes of philosophy and religion that shall depend on human wisdom, and they therefore despise the gospel. 23. But we. We who are Christian preachers make Christ crucified the grand subject of our instructions and our aims in contradistinction from the Jew and the Greek. They seek, the one miracles, the other wisdom, we glory only in the cross. Christ crucified. The word Christ, the anointed, is the same as the Hebrew name Messiah. The emphasis in this expression is on the word crucified. The Jews would make the Messiah whom they expected no less an object of glorifying than the apostles, but they spurned the doctrine that he was to be crucified. Yet in that the apostles boasted; proclaiming him crucified, or having been crucified as the only hope of man. This must mean more than that Christ was distinguished for moral worth, more than that he died as a martyr; because if that were all, no reason could be given why the cross should be made so prominent an object. It must mean that Christ was crucified for the sins of men, as an, atoning sacrifice in the place of sinners. We proclaim a crucified Messiah as the only redeemer of lost men.' To the Jews a stumbling-block. The word stumbling-block (xavdanov) means properly any thing in the way over which one may fall; then any thing that gives offence, or that causes one to fall into sin. Here it means that to the Jews," the Jews and the Greeks" comthe doctrine that the Messiah was to be crucified gave great offence; excited, irritated, and exasperated them; that they could not endure the doctrine, and treated it with scorn. Comp. Note, Rom. ix. 33. 1 Pet. ii. 8. It is well known that to the Jews no doctrine was more offensive than this, that the Messiah was to be put to death, and that there was to be salvation in no other way. It was so in the times of the apostles, and it has been so since.

prehended the whole human family. ver. 22. Foolishness. See Note on ver. 18. They regarded it as folly, (1.) Because they esteemed the whole account a fable, and an imposition; (2.) It did not accord with their own views of the way of elevating the condition of man; (3.) They saw no efficacy in the doctrine, no tendency in the statement that a man of humble birth was put to death in an ignominious manner in Judea, to make men

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks,

better, or to receive pardon. (4.) They
had the common feelings of unrenewed
human nature; blind to the beauty of
the character of Christ, and blind to the
design of his death; and they therefore
regarded the whole statement as folly.
We may remark here, that the feel-
ings of the Jews and of the Greeks on
this subject, are the common feelings
of men.
Everywhere sinners have
the same views of the cross; and every-
where the human heart, if left to itself,
rejects it, as either a stumbling-block,
or as folly. But the doctrine should
be preached, though it is an offence,
and though it appears to be folly. It
is the only hope of man; and by the
preaching of the cross alone can sinners
be saved.

Christ the a power of God, and the wisdom of God.

a ver.18.

tians he is full of beauty. But those views of the Christian, can be obtained only by a change of heart. And the change from regarding an object or being as foolishness to regarding it as full of beauty, must be a radical and a mighty change. (2.) All Christians have similar views of the Saviour. It matters not whether they were Jew or Greek; it matters not whether they were born in a northern or southern clime-" whether an Indian or an African sun has burned upon them;" whether they speak the same or differ ent languages; whether they were born amidst the same or different denominations of Christians; whether in the same or different countries; or whether they are men in the same or different 24. But unto them which are called. Christian communities, they have the To all true Christians. Note, ver. 9. same views of the Saviour. They see Both Jews and Greeks. Whether him to be the power and the wisdom originally of Jewish or Gentile extrac- of God. They are united in him, and tion, they have here a common, similar therefore united to each other; and view of the crucified Saviour... Christ should regard themselves as belonging the power of God. Christ appears to to the same family, and as bound to them as the power of God; or it is the same eternal home. (3.) There is through him that the power of salva-real efficacy in the plan of salvation. tion is communicated to them. Note, It is a scheme of power. It is adapted ver. 18. ¶ And the wisdom of God. to the end, and is admirably fitted to The way in which God evinces his accomplish the great effects which God wisdom in the salvation of men. They designs to accomplish. It is not a see the plan to be wise. They see that scheme intended to show its own imit is adapted to the end. They see it becility, and the need of another and to be fitted to procure pardon, and an independent agent to accomplish sanctification, and eternal life. It is the work. All the effects which the God's wise plan for the salvation of Holy Ghost produces on the soul, are men; and it is seen by those who are such, and only such, as the truth of Christians, to be adapted to this end. the gospel is adapted to produce in the They see that there is a beauty in his mind. The gospel is God's plan of character; an excellency in his doc- putting forth power to save men. It trines; and an efficacy in his atone- seizes upon great elements in human ment, to secure their salvation.-We nature; and is adapted to enlist them may remark on this verse, (1.) That in the service of God. It is just fitted when men become Christians, their to man as a being capable of reasonhearts are changed. The views of ing and susceptible of emotion; as a Christians are here represented as dia- being who may be influenced by hope metrically opposite to those of other and fear; who may be excited and immen. To one class, Christ is a stum-pelled to duty by conscience, and who bling-block; to others, folly; to Chris- may be roused from a state of lethargy

25 Because the foolishness of 26 For ye see your calling, God is wiser than men; and the brethren, how that not many weakness of God is stronger wise men after the flesh, not than men. a Zeph.3.12. Jno.7.48.