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1 Corinthians 14:20
Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose namewas Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Psalm 37:37
Mark the perfectman, and behold the upright: for the end ofthat manis peace.

not.

1 Corinthians 2:1,13
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God…

1 Corinthians 1:18,19
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God…

Luke 16:8
And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

of the.

1 Corinthians 2:8
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they knownit, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Job 12:19,21
He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty…

Psalm 2:1-6
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? …

come.

1 Corinthians 1:28
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen,yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

Psalm 33:10
The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

but not the wisdom of this age
The "wisdom of this age" refers to the prevailing philosophies and intellectual pursuits of the time, which were highly valued in Greek culture. Corinth, being a major city in ancient Greece, was a hub for such philosophical thought. The Greeks prized rhetoric and human wisdom, but Paul contrasts this with the divine wisdom found in the gospel. This distinction highlights the temporary and ultimately insufficient nature of human wisdom when compared to the eternal truth of God's wisdom.

or of the rulers of this age
The "rulers of this age" can be understood as both the political and religious leaders of the time, as well as spiritual forces opposed to God. Historically, this includes figures like the Roman authorities and Jewish leaders who rejected Christ. Spiritually, it can refer to demonic powers that influence worldly systems (Ephesians 6:12). These rulers are often seen as embodying the wisdom of the world, which stands in opposition to God's wisdom.

who are coming to nothing
This phrase underscores the transient nature of worldly power and wisdom. The rulers and their philosophies, which seem dominant and influential, are ultimately destined to fail and be rendered ineffective. This echoes the biblical theme that God's kingdom will prevail over all earthly powers (Daniel 2:44). The phrase also serves as a reminder of the ultimate victory of Christ, who will bring all things under His authority (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).

Paul shifts his attention from newborn believers to those who have grown up in Christ.

• InHebrews 5:14, “solid food is for the mature, who by reason of use have their senses trained.”

• Spiritual maturity is marked by discernment, steady obedience, and an appetite for deeper truth (Ephesians 4:13–14).

• Paul is not creating a spiritual elite; he’s acknowledging that some are ready to go further than milk (1 Corinthians 3:1–2).

The gospel Paul proclaims is true wisdom—Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 1:24).

• This wisdom is “hidden” from the world yet freely offered to every believer (Colossians 1:27–28).

• It answers life’s biggest questions: Who is God? What is my purpose? How can I be saved?

• Mature believers relish this message and keep pressing into it, just as Paul “admonishes and teaches everyone with all wisdom” so they may be “perfect in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).

Worldly wisdom boasts in human ingenuity, status, and self-reliance.

•James 3:15 calls it “earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”

•Romans 12:2 tells us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” instead of copying the culture.

• God’s wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), something the present age dismisses.

The “rulers” include both influential people and the spiritual forces behind them (Ephesians 6:12).

• Herod and Pilate typify earthly rulers who opposed Jesus (Acts 4:26–27).

• Behind such leaders lurk spiritual powers that blind minds (2 Corinthians 4:4).

• Their best ideas cannot touch the cross, where God turned apparent defeat into eternal victory (Colossians 2:15).

Human power structures and demonic schemes are on a timer.

•Psalm 2:4–6 pictures God laughing at rebellious rulers, for their end is certain.

•Isaiah 40:23: “He brings the princes to nothing.”

•Revelation 19:19–20 records the final collapse of every anti-Christ authority.

Believers need not fear; the wisdom of God endures while worldly systems fade.

Paul reassures mature believers that the message he shares is genuine, God-given wisdom. It stands in stark contrast to the trendy, self-exalting ideas of the present age and its leaders, whose influence is temporary and destined for ruin. By embracing the gospel, we anchor ourselves to what lasts forever and grow into the fullness God intends.

Them that are perfect--i.e., those who are grown up, and not "babes" (1Corinthians 3:1; see also1Corinthians 14:20). The "wisdom" of the gospel is that deep spiritual truth which only those whose spiritual natures have been trained and cultivated were capable of understanding. This "wisdom," however, the Apostle had not taught the Corinthians; he had only taught them the alphabet of Christianity, for they were still but "babes"--they were still only "fleshly" (1Corinthians 3:3). That the Apostle himself not only grasped the higher truths which he designates the "wisdom" of the gospel, but taught them gladly when there were hearers capable of appreciating them, is evident from many passages in the Epistles to the Romans, Colossians, and Ephesians, where he unfolds the "mysteries" of the gospel. (SeeRomans 11:25;Romans 16:25.) . . .

(1) the mature, the full grown, as opposed to babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1); or

(2) the fully initiated into the mysteries of godliness (ἐποπται2 Peter 1:16).A wisdom not of this world; literally,of this seen. The wordkosmos means the world in its material aspect;aeon is read for the world in its moral and intellectual aspect. "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Corinthians 3:19).Nor of the rulers of this world. Some have taken these "rulers" to be the same as "the world rulers of this darkness,"i.e. the evil spirits, inEphesians 6:12 (John 13:27;Luke 22:53). Ignatius (?) seems to have understood it thus; for he adopted the strange notion that "the prince of this aeon" (i.e. Satan) had been deceived and frustrated by the incarnation from a virgin, and the death on the cross (Ignat., 'Ad. Ephesians,' 19). It means more probably "wisdom," as understood by Roman governors and Jewish Sanhedrists, who treated the Divine wisdom of the gospel with sovereign contempt (Acts 4:27).That [who] come to nought; literally,who are being done away with. Amid all the feebleness of the infant Church, St. Paul saw empires vanishing before it.

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