A Word to the Wise (1 Corinthians 2:6-10a)

So who is wise? Who has demonstrated wisdom?

When I was a youth minister, the church I was serving was experiencing dissonance from policy set down a couple of years before I arrived. Rumblings forced a confrontation. So a meeting was set, and those involved met in one of the classrooms of the church. Several men

personally affected by the policy were asked to meet with the elders, ministers and deacons to find resolution to the conflict.

Such meetings tend to be filled with anxiety and driven by emotions. This meeting was no different. Heads butted, opinions were expressed, rights were demanded and tempers flared. Finally, one man directly affected by the policy stood and declared to the group, “Well, if that’s the way it’s gonna be, then I’m leaving!”

In his exacerbated anger, he made straightway to the classroom door. Hope for a peaceful resolution began vanishing. If he left the room now, so would the other men. All seemed lost.

Like the unexpected clap of thunder, Steve, one of the ministers, stood from the midst of the men and called out, “Gary, stop! Don’t leave this meeting.” All eyes fixed on Steve; we held our breadth as moments felt like hours; no one knew what was about to happen next. “If you leave now, we’ll never resolve the problem.” With the voice of authority mixed with the sounds of compassion, he continued, “Come back and sit down, and let’s settle this like Christian men.”

Who was wise? Who demonstrated wisdom? Steve did, for certainly most of the men would have followed Gary out the door; and the disagreement would have escalated into something worse, something far worse.

Who was wise? Who demonstrated wisdom? Gary did, when he allowed the Spirit of Christ to soften his heart, and he returned to his seat. We finished our meeting. We ended with prayer. The situation was not fully resolved that night, but the meeting ran its proper course.

So Paul receives a letter or a report from our church. What does it say? Does it express good news or bad news? Does the report reflect a group of people seeking godly wisdom, or a group of people foolishly planting seeds of discord? Does the report speak of us serving one another, or of us expecting to be served? Does the report highlight selflessness, generosity and humility, or selfishness, stinginess and pride?

The letter has yet to be written. The paper before us is a blank sheet, as each day begins with empty stationary. Therefore, by our actions we dictate the kind of letter we write. Which letter do you want to send, “good news” or “bad news”? Which one will you begin writing today?

Which “wisdom” will you act on? Will you ask, “Am I wise? Am I demonstrating wisdom?”—the kind of godly, mature wisdom Paul talks about? It’s your choice. May God give us the wisdom to make the right choice.

1. Ben Witherington III, Conflict and Community in Corinth: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), 71-73.

2. All references in this sermon are taken from the New International Version.

3. See Rick Oster, 1 Corinthians, The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1995), 79-84; these verses introduce a new section that goes to 3:4. Sandwiched between chapter one and chapter three’s discussion on unity is this discussion of wisdom. Wisdom is then defined by the turmoil in Corinth; thus the Corinthians were not wise.