“and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are”

and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen,

The words “base things” mean ignoble, of no family, low born. This word does not refer to evil but humble persons, people of low pedigree. God chooses nobodies to achieve His purposes. The term “despised” means considered as nothing. The world brands believers with contempt. Yet, this is the very kind God chooses. God’s system is polar-opposite to the system of the world.

The Greek in the phrase “God has chosen” conveys the idea that God personally chose out from a number of people for Himself.

and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are…

God’s system is a paradox to man. The weak are strong in God’s economy. God will “bring to nothing the things that are”—pure human systems for knowing and certainty. God will render them inoperative for understanding in the infinite realm.

PRINCIPLE:

God renders human systems for certainty inoperative by the supernatural intervention of the Word of God into time and space.

APPLICATION:

The finite philosopher cannot see beyond time and space. He can only come to conclusions that reside in his finite brain. That is because he only has a soul—mind, emotion, and will. He does not have the capacity (a “spirit”) to relate to God. He is spiritually dead.

1 Co 2:14, But the natural man [soulish man] does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The simple believer knows something beyond time and space because God revealed Himself in the Word of God. Unbelieving PhDs confine themselves to their assumptions about how to understand the truth. They chose human systems with human results. Yet the lowly believer, viewed as no repute in the philosopher’s estimation, will, with the message, render inoperative all philosophical systems.