Explanation of the image
1 Corinthians 1:21, “Since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know him by his own wisdom, he pleased God to save those who believe through the madness of preaching. “
- Here we have a paradigmatic verse.
- See that the world did not know God through wisdom.
- It pleased God to save those whose faith is in the word of the crucified Lord (v.
- 17-18.
- 23).
- What’s the logical connection here? It seems to me that Paul assimilates to know God and be “saved”.
- By God’s wise plan.
- The world could not know God by his own wisdom.
- So He was happy to save them by the word of the Cross.
- Paul compares salvation to God’s knowledge in his reasoning.
- So to know God is to be “saved” and to be “saved” is to know God.
This certainly fits perfectly with the emphasis on salvation/eternal life as the primary knowledge of God in Christ that we find in John’s writings. Paul also seems to teach that salvation is primarily (or at least a replaceable concept) the true emotional knowledge of the living. God (which can be seen even more clearly in 2 Cor 4:6).
The world could not know God by his own efforts, human wisdom could not create the true image of YHWH, so YHWH was glad to reveal himself to the world in a saving way through christ crucified, in fact, He is the message of God is revealed, there is no other way to know him, consider this, there is no other way to obtain the true knowledge of the living God , there is no other way to contemplate the One in whom our souls were made, no other way to obtain life than by knowing, finding and receiving the God who declares himself to us in Jesus crucified of Nazareth, risen.
This form of revelation creates a contrast with the fallen human spirit and crushes our pride, wisdom, expectations of power, glory, beauty, and strength and establishes instead a true spiritual knowledge of who God is; The?Depths of God? (1 Cor 2: 7-10). The Wisdom of God, the Power of God, the Glory of God are manifested in infinite fulness and complete perfection in, in and by the crucified Lord, and we will never know God and have no life until we recognize the Name of God in the One. Who was crucified? and, in order to recognize God here, it is necessary to abandon every human idea of the wisdom, power, and glory produced by the flesh and replace the real image of those things that are only seen through the Spirit.
May the father continue to complete this work of crucifixion and resurrection in our minds and affections as we, through the Spirit, contemplate His Glory in the face of Jesus Christ.