The Wisdom of the Wise

I am reading about the beginnings of humanism in the 15th and 16th century, and really appreciate uncovering the roots of so many errors in thinking that pervade our world today. But this morning I realized that the root causes of humanism go much deeper than five hundred years into history.

1Cr 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.


1Cr 1:20 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?


1Cr 1:21 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.


1Cr 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:


1Cr 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;


1Cr 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.


1Cr 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Paul wrote these verses around 55 A.D. I have known about them my whole life, but, juxtaposed against my current reading of history, they deepen my understanding that there is nothing new under the sun. Our history of Western Civilization is a parade of ideas that have circulated since the world began.