WISE FOOLS

Romans 1:22-25 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

The world is filled with ungodly and unrighteous men and women who hold the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). The meaning here is that the truth, the real truth, the truth of God, is hindered and prevented by those that lead sinful, unrighteous lives. It prevents sinners from accepting the true word of God and becoming a good spiritual example for others to see. Verse 20 tells us that the truth of God, that is, the spiritual things that cannot be seen with the naked eye, can be clearly seen, understood and believed, because of the creation of the world, ...the things that are made (by God). Even though the evidence of God exists, as the Creator of all things, and can be clearly seen all around us, many still reject Him and the spiritual blessings offered through His Son, Jesus Christ. Of these, Paul writes that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Vss. 20b-21).

Wisdom, as referred to in the lesson text, is worldly wisdom - the wisdom of men. It is this wisdom that will make void godly wisdom - wisdom from above. The wisdom of man is demonstrated in its most destructive nature by the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers that apostle Paul encountered in Athens (Study Acts 17:16-34. The last three verses of this chapter of Acts indicate the results of Paul's preaching God's truth. Most people probably rejected Paul's teaching; some desired to hear more, but only a few believed. These were Dionysius, ...Damaris, and others with them. The majority of these philosophers are well described in verse 21 quoted above - they were vain in their own imaginations. Indeed, they were blinded by their own worldly, human wisdom. They held their own wisdom above that of God, as taught by the apostle Paul. This we can tell by the manner in which they viewed Paul as a teacher. They considered him to be a babbler - a man of little learning - a base man having low birth status, rank, or position. The rejection of God's word was the result of the greater emphasis being placed on worldly wisdom.

Whether it is the average person of the street or the greatest of philosophers, to reject the word of God shows a complete lack of spiritual wisdom. Self pride, an exaggerated opinion of self, and an excessive, conceited desire to be admired by others for one's achievements and knowledge, are prime reasons that result in a false dependence on worldly wisdom. Paul told the Roman Christians to ...be not wise in your own conceit (Rom. 12:16b). Quoting Isaiah 29:14b, Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, ...I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent (1 Cor. 1:19). Understand this: Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe (Vss. 20-21).

Total dependence on worldly wisdom will always result in one's failure to glorify God. When glory is given to self and to others; when one worships and serves the creature more than the Creator, God is dishonored. Worldly wisdom leads one to become insensitive to the blessings showered daily on mankind from God, therefore, they become a world of thankless people. The true God, the Creator of all things that we can observe by sight, can Himself be seen only through faith. Worldly wisdom desires to worship things that can be seen - human "heroes;" heavenly bodies, such the sun, stars, moons, and planets; animals; demons; fabrications of the hands, such as statues, icons, and other "religious" objects. Again, referring to Acts 17:16-34, the philosophers of Athens were filled with worldly wisdom, surrounded by numerous "gods" of their creation. Yet the true God of Heaven, their Creator, the Author of eternal salvation, to them was unknown. These, and all others that rely on their own wisdom, are, indeed, "Wise" Fools!