Does 1 Corinthians 1:21 mean that philosophical theology is misguided?

Question

I know that Romans 1:20 is typically taken as support for natural theology, and I agree. However, let me emphasize what concerns me in 1 Corinthians 1:21:

1 Corinthians 1:21 (ESV)

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.

(Emphasis mine)

This sounds to me like Paul is suggesting that philosophical reflection hadn't brought people to the knowledge of God, at least at that point.

However, the passage seems to have a sense of timelessness that makes it seem as if philosophical reflection just, in general, doesn't bring people to the knowledge of God.

I'm not as concerned with the discussion over the meaning of "the folly of what we preach," but if that's relevant to my question, let me know.

Am I reading this wrong?

Let me mention some considerations I had as I was pondering this question:

1. If I'm not mistaken, the "wisdom" of the time included things such as the medical theory of the four humors, the physical theory of the four elements, and bloodletting. It is quite clear to us now that those theories hold no weight.

2. There may be a distinction between so-called "philosophy" (i.e. the sophistry of the Gnostics in Irenaeus's Against Heresies) and the modern process of systematic, clear thought. We must understand what Paul was referencing when he decried worldly wisdom if we are to understand what is permissible in the present age, as we have no guarantee that the word "wisdom" refers to "philosophy" as we currently conceive of it.

Edit:

When I say “philosophical theology,” I’m referring to things like the Ontological Argument, various Cosmological Arguments, the argument from morality, and other such arguments that rely little on empirical evidence and primarily on philosophy. These are typically classed as “Natural Theology,” as opposed to “Revealed Theology,” but they don’t seem to fit into the referent of Paul’s statement in Romans 1:20. Nevertheless, they are taken in directions which explicitly support biblically-revealed theology, and which typically class themselves as allied with Jesus and Paul.

Answer 1

Paul lived in the Graeco-Roman world that was dominated by Greek philosophy and Graeco-Roman polytheism. The former has survived into modern times, especially Platonism and to only a slightly lesser extent, Aristotelianism.

I suggest that there can be little doubt that Paul's "wisdom of this world/age" (1 Cor 1:20, 2:6, 3:19, 2 Cor 1:12) is almost certainly the commonly practiced Greek philosophy - a word meaning "love of wisdom". Note the comments that Paul makes:

• 1 Cor 1:20 - Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
• 1 Cor 2:6 - Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
• 1 Cor 3:19 - For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
• 2 Cor 1:12 - And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.

Such "worldly wisdom" was initiated by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, all of whom founded famous philosophy schools which spread their teaching very widely. Indeed, Plato's philosophy of "Ideals" became the basis of Euclid's geometry and thus, mathematics generally. Greek philosophy was the intellectual basis for polytheism.

Hebrew theology stood in stark contrast to all this Greek philosophy. As documented above, philosophy cannot lead to the doctrine of a loving creator-God as Paul says in many places.

The revelation of a loving creator-God, the One true God of heaven and earth is only discovered by revelation from the same God of the universe. Paul points this out in Rom 1:19-20, especially,

Rom 1:19 - For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

Paul is presumably reflecting OT teaching such as:

Ps 19:1 - The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Paul then continues in Rom 1 about the effect of Greek Philosophy on its acolytes when he says:

Rom 1:21-23 - For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Answer 2

There is at least one huge implication in 1 Corinthians 1:21. You're reading from the historical point, and I think that is right, but what you miss here is the fact that Paul was a jewish jew by origin, and that means that he held a specific notion of wisdom, which goes back in time for centuries (I personally think that it goes long before so called hellenistic culture, but some will argue on that for sure).

Philippians 3:2-7, ESV:

2. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
3. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in spirit and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh —
4. though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5. circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6. as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

So, I hope his origin is clear from these verses, and I can skip explanation of it. The point we need to extract from his words is the implication that Paul knew Old Testament very well.

And OT has its own flavour of wisdom definition, occasionally. Here is an illustrative part:

Proverbs 4:4-15, ESV:

4. he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.
5. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.
7. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
8. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.
9. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."
10. Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.
11. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.
13. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.
14. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.

Seems great, ain't it? What in the world can be wrong with these good words? Let's see what Paul himself says after he became an Apostle; and remember, before that he was a Pharisee.

2 Corinthians 11:23-30 , ESV:

23. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
24. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
25. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
26. on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
27. in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
30. If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

I, again, don't know, if any explanations are needed here, because for me it seems clearly that he, being Apostle, actually came to state the opposite definition of Pharisee's wisdom, that we can read in Proverbs.

And now we can get a little bit back, to get sure that we are not messing things up. So, that is what Paul says after his confession of being a jewish Pharisee:

Philippians 3:7, ESV:

7. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Therefore, my answer is yes, but not only that is misguided.

Now, specifically taking your considerations, I will even say that Paul actually trying to communicate a thought that there is no actual distinction between your first notion of "wisdom", second notion of it as "philosophy", and third definition of it as a "clear systematic modern thinking". Because all these things fall under so called natural wisdom, just with different faces.

As Mark Vestal precisely said in his comment, it is confirmed right in the next chapter, so here is related verses.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16, ESV:

14. 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.
15. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.
16. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

To answer your sub-question "what is permissible in the present age", let me just rephrase what he said — all things that falls under the mind of Christ are permissible, and whatever name you call a thing - is wrong, if it's not with the mind of Jesus, who made Himself known to us by doings, part of which are His words.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

1 Cor 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. (KJV)

Is philosophical theology is misguided? From the verse quoted, philosophical theology which follows wordly wisdom will not lead to salvation.