1 Corinthians 1:21

In the wisdom of God. Although placed where they were surrounded by many evidences of the wisdom of God in the mighty works of creation, the wonders of the natural world, the glories of the stellar heavens, and the wonderful working of providence on their behalf, men did not learn to know God. In His love and pity for lost mankind, God proclaimed the glorious news of salvation through faith in Christ. This news, which to worldly-wise individuals was mere foolishness, became, for those who accept it, God’s chosen agency for redemption. World by wisdom. Despite its boasted wisdom and achievements the world had not arrived at a knowledge of the true God. The Greeks were distinguished for their philosophy, but all their search for strange and new things (see Acts 17:21) had not led them to a knowledge of the “God that made the world and all things therein” (v. 24). The Jews, too, boasted of their superior wisdom, but they were sadly ignorant of the essential knowledge of salvation. Knew not God. That is, did not attain to a knowledge of Him. Paul is here speaking of the wisdom of salvation such as is revealed in the gospel. Preaching. Gr. kerugma, “announcement,” “proclamation,” with emphasis on the message preached, though not excluding the idea of the heralding itself, to be distinguished from keruxis, “the act of preaching.” The “foolishness of preachings” is the announcement of the gospel of salvation through faith in the crucified Christ, which to the Greek and the unbelieving Jew seemed like sheer folly.