Avoiding Foolishness with the Gospel (Part 1 of 2)

The Gospel: Power or Folly?

The basic idea of this passage is that the gospel will either make you powerfully wise or make you a moron. Wisdom is seeing things correctly—from God's perspective, seeing reality for what it actually is—and responding accordingly. The gospel is capable of making you wise, or it will demonstrate you as being a moron.

This connects to the Corinthian church's divisions, where they said things like "I am of Paul," "I am of Apollos," "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Those statements are foolish. They miss the fundamental reality that Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ were all saying the same thing. It's moronic to embrace argumentation that creates divisions when following these leaders should lead to unity.

Paul corrects these schisms with the gospel, which separates the wise from the morons. The question is: Do you want to be powerfully wise or a moron? Of course, no one wants to be moronic in how they approach life.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

—1 Corinthians 1:18–25

Understanding "Moron" in Scripture

The word translated as "foolish" or "folly" is the Greek word moria, from which we get "moron." It refers to someone who does not understand things, who is not capable of discerning or understanding circumstances from a significant degree. Someone who just doesn't get it.

This is useful for our context because churches and youth groups can be plagued by people not on the same page about what they understand or believe. There's a cultural shift toward accepting any reality, which is nothing less than moronic—a significant abandonment of intellectualism and proper function in life.

Even calling it "foolish" is offensive. It means pointless perceptions that go nowhere and do nothing. The gospel is the only place for purpose, significance, and a true perception of reality.

How you understand a moron is directly connected to whether you see the gospel as moronic. If a person perceives the saving message of the gospel as foolish, that person is a fool.

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

—1 Corinthians 1:18

Combine this with 1 Corinthians 2:14–15: The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one.

The natural person is incapable of understanding spiritual things; they seem moronic to them. But to us who are being saved, the gospel is the power of God—the term dunamis, referring to the ability to function properly in any circumstance.

The Power of the Gospel in Everyday Life

This power doesn't mean you must embrace the gospel to be a good mathematician—unbelievers can add numbers. But they can't grasp the significance: mathematics is a system established by a Creator for proper function. There's an absence of the knowledge's ultimate source and purpose.

To respond appropriately to any circumstance, you need the power of God, found in the gospel. Recently, I was asked if the gospel is enough for depression. According to this passage, absolutely—it is the power of God to function properly, even through depression.

A young woman came for counseling with drug addiction. While there are physical components needing medical treatment, the root is spiritual. The gospel is the power to endure and break free. The world's response? Moronic—foolish to think the gospel has that power. But Scripture says it is power from God to function in a way pleasing to Him and beneficial for life.

Anything outside the gospel is moronic—something not advantageous to proper function. Alcoholics Anonymous may help temporarily with drunkenness, but it lacks eternal significance. It's pragmatism: something that works but not for the total reality of existence.

Paul later talks about living for things easily burned up, without eternal value. Are we living from a moronic perception of reality, without gospel significance, leading to a substandard life?

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.

—Isaiah 29:14

God Destroys Worldly Wisdom

The gospel's power saves eternally but permeates every area of life—not just liberating from sin like addiction, but transforming existence entirely.

In Isaiah 29:14, God destroys the wisdom of the wise and the discernment (intellect, intelligence, ability to see things as they are) of the discerning. Non-believers' discernment is not advantageous and is hostile to God.

The gospel's power enables seeing things as they are, avoiding worldly traps of seeing them as we want. Isaiah 29:13 warns: "This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

If there's a disconnect between public words and private lives, we live as morons. God dismantles such human wisdom, replacing it with reality. A higher quality of life comes from alignment for God's glory and our good.

Is it better to avoid problems or handle them wisely? Tested faith, like in 1 Peter 1, is more precious than gold—a faith through fire, spiritually wealthy with assurance and advantage in circumstances.

Traditions vs. the Gospel

They derive worship from traditions—popular opinion in our circles, from ancestry ("this is how it's always been") or current company ("this is how it should be"). It's viral popularity as authority.

In Corinth, "I am of Paul" was a tradition causing strife. True followers of Paul or Christ would be unified, preaching the same gospel.

If we differ dramatically on Scripture, we must hash it out, letting the Bible speak, not traditions. God removes such wisdom through the gospel, bringing unity—not measured by social interaction, but commitment to the gospel and the community of believers.

Gospel Morons vs. Worldly Wisdom

The gospel demonstrates morons by those who think it moronic. Gospel "morons" are better than the world's wisest. Paul uses hyperbole—exaggeration for argument.

God has made foolish the wisdom of the world. Since the world did not know God through wisdom, God saves through the "folly" of what we preach.

Jews demand signs ("prove it"), Greeks seek wisdom (philosophizing "why am I here?"). But we preach Christ crucified—a stumbling block to Jews (Messiah cursed on a tree) and folly to Gentiles (no need for a Savior from sin).

To those called—regardless of ethnicity—Christ is the power and wisdom of God. The "foolishness of God" is wiser than men; the "weakness of God" stronger than men. Even if God were moronic (hyperbole), He would surpass the wisest humans.

God’s Infinite Superiority in Every Circumstance

Even if God were weak—and that seems blasphemous to say—He would still be infinitely greater, the better option for functioning in any circumstance than anything the world offers. He would still create for you a gospel by which you could thrive in any situation.

So the question remains: What’s more valuable—to shrug off a circumstance, escape it, or avoid danger altogether, or to go through it without being overtaken and emerge better than before?

Enduring Reality Through the Gospel

As reality hits—when an unknown virus takes a friend, a car accident claims another, a drug overdose strikes someone you never preached to, or a loved one dies—is it better to numb yourself or flee as quickly as possible? Or is it better to understand these inevitable circumstances as refining instruments that make you stronger?

There are two sides: suffering and sin. Would it be better to give in to sin because the temptation fades quickly? That’s a temporary fix. As a genuine believer, you feel the sting, the angst—everything goes out of whack, gloom settles in, relationships fracture, and misery follows. Sin creates disharmony and hinders our community from advancing in maturity.

Imagine every one of you positively contributing to this congregation’s maturity, regardless of age. As in

1 Timothy 4:12—“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

By avoiding angst and enduring temptation, you emerge more valuable, with a more effective life. It’s better to go through it and come out with tested faith.

Wise or Foolish: The Ultimate Choice

What’s more valuable? Do you want to be powerfully wise or a moron? Morons are overtaken by circumstances, turning to anything without a steady foundation. We perceive life’s challenges advantageously only when rooted in the gospel.

A moron fundamentally misunderstands circumstances and can’t react appropriately with transcendent value. Even gospel fools—running around believing in Jesus—function more effectively in life than the wisest unbelievers.

If you haven’t embraced Jesus as Lord and Savior, repent and believe. The gospel is reality: Jesus died to save you from sin and bring transcendent life amid circumstances. Stop the foolishness and relish this—even a gospel moron lives better than an unbeliever.

For those being saved, recognize the gospel provides ongoing powerful wisdom. It’s not just for salvation; Scripture equips you to live effectively and avoid moronity.