The Wisdom of the World
A Sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:18-20
Originally preached Sept. 25, 1966
Scripture
18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own …
Sermon Description
One must ask themselves if they are wise by worldly standards and if they understand life’s fundamental issues. In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:18–20 titled “The Wisdom of the World,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses worldly wisdom in light of Paul’s words to the Corinthians. The world has rejected the gospel for centuries, and its rejection of the gospel is nothing new. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a complete contrast to what humans think of themselves by nature. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that humanity always seeks to advance itself and improve itself. The gospel, in contrast, knows that humankind needs rebirth, and this must be done by the Spirit. The gospel cannot be changed or modified, since it is perfect and complete in every way. The fundamental problem with humankind’s solutions, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches, is that humankind’s solutions originate in the human mind. God’s solution transcends human reason and offers the only hope for humanity’s salvation. Dr. Lloyd-Jones mentions that H.G. Wells, a popular author and philosopher, had his own philosophical solutions, but still was devastated by the reality of World War II, and extremely destitute at the end of his life. A person can only be made wise after admitting they are a fool.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a complete contrast to everything else that man thinks and has been taught.
- The Gospel is consequently something that is beyond men's understanding.
- The Gospel differs in every way from all men's ideas.
- Men's wisdom always starts with men, the human scene and begins its investigations from that point.
- Men's wisdom always thinks that problems are mainly intellectual problems.
- Men's wisdom views men as essentially an animal, a reasoning animal.
- Men's wisdom views men as essentially good.
- Men's wisdom says men's need is to be improved, educated and made better.
- Men's wisdom places confidence in man's ability to save himself.
- God's wisdom starts with God, not men.
- God's wisdom says the problem of men is deeper than intellectual, it's at the center of personality.
- God's wisdom says men is a fallen creature, evil, perverted with a mind at enmity against God.
- God's wisdom says men's need is God, to be reconciled to God, forgiven and restored.
- God's wisdom says men needs to be born again, he needs a new nature and a new heart.
- The way of salvation according to God's wisdom is that men is hopeless and helpless, salvation is of God alone.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding the Gospel According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Wisdom of God vs. Wisdom of the World
What is the main contrast Dr. Lloyd-Jones establishes between God's wisdom and human wisdom?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones establishes that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a complete contrast to human wisdom. He states: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a complete contrast to everything we think by nature, everything that human wisdom and knowledge can bring to us." The key distinctions he makes are that human wisdom starts with man, while God's wisdom starts with God; human wisdom is constantly changing and developing, while God's wisdom is unchanging and eternal; human wisdom gives glory to men, while God's wisdom gives all glory to God. As he explains, "The gospel is not one of a series of teachings. It is unique. It is entirely on its own."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say the gospel is beyond human understanding?
Lloyd-Jones explains that the gospel is beyond human understanding for several reasons: First, it comes from "the mind of the eternal, the everlasting God" and is supernatural and miraculous in nature. Second, man's mind is finite and limited, making it impossible to comprehend the infinite. Third, man's mind is sinful, biased, and darkened due to the Fall. As he states, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways and your ways and your thoughts and my thoughts." Finally, this incomprehensibility is actually by divine design, ensuring salvation isn't limited to the intellectually gifted but is available to all regardless of intellectual capacity.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe human nature according to worldly wisdom versus God's wisdom?
According to Lloyd-Jones, worldly wisdom views man as "essentially an animal, a reasoning animal" who is "essentially good" but held back by poor environment or lack of opportunity. The worldly view holds that man just needs "a little bit of help" through education, better examples, and improved conditions.
In contrast, God's wisdom sees man as "a fallen creature, that he's evil, that he's perverted, that he's got a mind that is at enmity against God." Lloyd-Jones quotes Isaiah saying "there is no health in him" and Paul declaring "in me... dwelleth no good thing." God's wisdom teaches that man is "hateful and hating one another," with a problem much deeper than intellectual—it's at "the very center of personality."
What solution does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say God's wisdom offers that human wisdom cannot?
Human wisdom offers improvement, education, and self-help, believing "man has it in himself by his own effort and moral striving and diligence and application to redeem himself." Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that these solutions are inadequate because they only address symptoms rather than the root cause.
God's wisdom, however, offers complete regeneration: "Man doesn't need to be improved. Man's too vile and rotten to be improved... Man needs to be born again." Lloyd-Jones declares that humans need "a new nature that will love the light and hate the darkness." The gospel provides what human wisdom cannot: forgiveness and pardon through God's power, a new nature through recreation, and salvation that comes not through human effort but through God's intervention. As he puts it, "Salvation is of God... Thou must save and thou alone."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say we must "become a fool" to understand the gospel?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones, referencing 1 Corinthians 3:18, explains that to understand the gospel, one must "become a fool" by:
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Acknowledging human limitation: "Let him say, I know nothing. Let him say my knowledge and learning doesn't help me."
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Accepting the world's ridicule: "Let him become such that the world will laugh at him and ridicule him as it did his Lord before him."
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Confessing helplessness: "Let him, in his helplessness and his emptiness, confess his sin and failure to God."
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Embracing childlike faith: "Let him believe this gospel as a little child in simplicity."
This apparent foolishness is actually the path to true wisdom: "Let him become a fool and he will be made wise with a wisdom transcending man at its highest, the wisdom of God himself." Lloyd-Jones concludes that only by humbling our intellect and acknowledging our limitations can we receive "the mind of Christ."
Sermons on Wisdom
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.