1 Corinthians 3:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

NIV: and again, 'The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.'

NASB: and again, 'THE Lord KNOWS THE THOUGHTS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE useless.'

CSB: and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings of the wise are futile.

NLT: And again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.'

KJV: And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

NKJV: and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

One cannot hold on to human wisdom and God's wisdom at the same time, or in equal measure. They are opposed to each other. Human wisdom can only go so far, and soon reaches its limits (Isaiah 55:8–9). Once that limit is reached, reliance only on our own wisdom leads to rejecting faith in Christ and His death on the cross for sin. Without the revelation of God's truth through God's Spirit, a fallible human being simply cannot comprehend it (1 Corinthians 2:14). So, the non-believer considers it foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Because of this, every man-centered thought of those wise in human terms is wasted (Colossians 2:8). Ungodly assumptions are based on the wrong premises since they have eliminated God's wisdom and faith in Christ as a possibility.

Paul quotes from Psalm 94:11 to sum it up. The Lord knows the thoughts of those wise in human wisdom are ultimately futile (Romans 1:18–23). All their thinking leads away from the truth instead of nearer to it. Without receiving the revelation of the spiritual truths of God with the help of the Holy Spirit, human wisdom remains worthless in the long run.

First Corinthians 3:16–23 is the third metaphor Paul uses to explain the relationship between works, spiritual growth, and God's judgment of our efforts. An emphasis here is on the superiority of God's wisdom compared to the fallible knowledge of man, echoing statements from chapters 1 and 2. Paul's main point here, again, is that we ought to focus on allegiance to Christ and His will, rather than being divided over loyalty to different human teachers.

Paul cannot call the Corinthian Christians ''spiritual'' people. Though they are in Christ, they continue to live to the flesh. They are spiritual infants, not ready for solid food. Divisions among them prove they are still serving themselves, picking sides in a senseless debate between Christian teachers. Paul insists that both he and Apollos are mere servants of the Lord and co-workers. They are not in competition. Those who lead the Corinthians must build carefully because their work will be tested on the day of the Lord. Christian leaders who build the church will have their work judged by Christ to see if they have built on the foundation of Christ. All human wisdom will be shown to be futile and worthless.

First Corinthians 3 follows Paul's teaching that only spiritual people can understand the wisdom of God. Paul cannot fully call the Corinthian Christians spiritual people, though, because they continue to live of the flesh, as if they were still infants trapped in an immature condition. Evidence includes the divisions among them. Paul insist that he and Apollos are both servants of the same master. The Corinthians should follow God, not them. Those whose work is worthless will suffer loss, but they will be saved. After this, Paul will expound on the idea that believers ought to set Christ as their example, rather than being defined in terms of their earthly leaders.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.