The Foolishness Of Human Wisdom

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (I Corinthians 3:19).

When someone falls for an “April fool” joke or prank, he does feel very “foolish” for a moment or two. But those who fall for “the wisdom of this world,” and build their lives on it, will spend all eternity regretting such a foolish choice.

The word translated “foolishness” in our text is the Greek word, moria, from which our word “moron” comes. Thus, those men and women who are so enamored with this world’s wisdom that they ignore or reject God’s wisdom, are nothing but “morons” in the sight of their Maker. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). Here the Greek word is moraino, from the same root.

Jesus said that “every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand” (Matthew 7:26). In this verse, “foolish” is the Greek, moros. Another closely related Greek word, morologia, is translated “foolish talking” in Ephesians 5:3, being listed along with “fornication, and all uncleanness” as something that should “not be once named among you, as becometh saints.”

The world today is almost completely in bondage to humanistic wisdom, while those who trust in the God of creation and His great work of redemption through Christ on the cross are considered foolish, but such worldly wisdom is foolishness with God. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18). “He taketh the wise in their craftiness,” Paul says in our text verse, quoting Job 5:13. It is folly indeed to remain enthralled by the wisdom of this world instead of following “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 1:24). HMM