In verses 17 through 25 Paul comes to the things of God. In 1:18 he mentions the word of the cross. The word of the cross is one of the things of God. To us who are being saved, the word of the cross is the power of God. The power of God is also an aspect of the things of God. According to verses 19 and 20, God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, set aside the understanding of the prudent, and make foolish the wisdom of the world. These matters also should be included among the things of God. In verse 21 Paul says, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.” Even the foolishness of preaching is one of the things of God. Verse 24 continues, “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom.” God’s power and wisdom are further things of God. Finally, in verse 25 Paul declares, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” Paul even includes the foolishness of God and the weakness of God among the things of God.
In verse 26 Paul again turns to things of man: “For you see your calling, brothers, that there are not many wise according to flesh, not many powerful, not many wellborn.” According to the human concept, we should regard ourselves as wise, not as foolish.
In verse 27 Paul again speaks of the things of God: “But God has chosen the foolish of the world that He might shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak of the world that He might shame the strong, and the lowborn of the world and the despised has God chosen, things which are not, that He might bring to nought things which are.” Here we see what God has chosen. The things of God here include God’s choosing the foolish to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong, and the lowborn and the despised, the things which are not, to bring to nought the things which are. The result is that no flesh should boast before God (v. 29).
Verse 30 says, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, Who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” The things of God certainly include God’s putting us in Christ Jesus.
As we consider the book of 1 Corinthians, we see that the things of man include man’s position, situation, condition, need, source, and destiny. The natural mind of man is not adequate to know these things. Not even university professors know these things of man. Confucius knew ethical philosophy, but he did not know either the things of God or the things of man. He said that if we sin against the heavens, that is, against God, there is no way to be forgiven. This indicates that he did not know God or man. He did not know the source, condition, position, situation, need, and destiny of man. Although he knew that there was a God, he did not know God.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees thought that because they knew the Old Testament they also knew God. Although they endeavored to follow the Old Testament to a certain extent, they did not have the true knowledge of God. Do you think that the priests worshipping God in the temple actually knew Him? No, they did not know Him at all. Likewise, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes did not know the things of man. They did not know their own position, condition, and need. Only the Lord Jesus knew both the things of man and the things of God. Because the religionists exercised their natural mentality, they could not know these things. The Lord Jesus, however, exercised His spirit. According to Mark 2:8, in His spirit He perceived the thoughts and motives of the Pharisees. Because He exercised His spirit with the Spirit of God, He could know both the things of man and the things of God.
In 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 we see that Paul is an example of a person who knows the things of man and also the things of God. He knew the position, condition, situation, and destiny of the believers at Corinth. Because these believers exercised the Greek philosophical mentality, they did not know the things of man. Although they did not know themselves, Paul knew them very well, for he was a person who exercised his spirit in order to be ushered into the Spirit of God. By means of these two spirits, Paul had a thorough knowledge of the Corinthians.
Paul also had the proper knowledge of God. As he depicts the condition and situation among those philosophical Greeks at Corinth, he gives us a portrait of God. Is it not amazing that as he describes the condition of the believers he presents a picture of the things of God? Paul here shows that whereas the Corinthians were exalting human wisdom, God intends to destroy it. Thus, concerning this one thing, we have a twofold revelation: first, that the Corinthians were exalting their wisdom; second, that God was tearing down the same wisdom. In the same principle, in chapter three the Corinthian believers were destroying the church; however, God was building it up. Again, one picture presents a twofold revelation: a vision of man’s destruction and of God’s building up. Furthermore, by showing how much the Corinthians needed Christ, Paul also reveals to what extent God was supplying them with Christ. Again, one picture contains two visions. In these two chapters we see how much we need Christ and also how much Christ is being supplied to us by God. Therefore, we see both the things of man and the things of God.