Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
3 sermons cite this verse
… is election individual or group? 1 Corinthians 1.26 Consider your calling, brothers. Consider your calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise according to the worldly standards. Not many were powerful. Not many were of noble birth. God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He chose individuals. He didn't choose a nameless group. He chose individuals. There are names. Look at this text in Revelation 13. authority was given to the beast over every tribe and people and language and nation and all who dwell on the earth will worship it except everyone whose name has not everyone will worship the beast whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of the life of the Lamb who was slain. …
… 2 Corinthians 1, verse 26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound those things which are mighty. I wanted to ask you a question tonight, and I want you to be honest with me. How many of you were Phi Beta Kappa's? Lift your hand. Uh-huh. How many of you, when you were in sports, were all state, all conference, or all America? Let me see your hand. Pretty good. How many of you were voted when you were in school most likely to succeed? Let me see your hand. Thank you. Be honest now. How many of you were president of your class? Let me see your hand. How many of you were multimillionaires? Don't lift your hands. How many of you ladies were Miss America, Miss Memphis, or Miss something? …
… PEOPLE. LOOK IN VERSE 26, FOR YOU SEE YOUR CALLING, BRETHREN, HOW THAT NOT MANY WISE MEN AFTER THE FLESH, NOT MANY MIGHTY, NOT MANY NOBLE ARE CALLED, BUT GOD HATH CHOSEN, GOD HATH CHOSEN THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD TO CONFOUND THE WISE. NOW THE WORD FOOLISH HERE MEANS THE NON-INTELLECTUAL, THE INTELLECTUALLY COMMON. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A PHI BETA KAPPA TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. AND GOD HATH CHOSEN, AH, THE WEAK THINGS OF THE WORLD TO CONFOUND THE THINGS THAT ARE MIGHTY. AND THE WORD HERE MEANS THINGS THAT ARE PHYSICALLY WEAK. I MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE BULGING BICEPPS AND MOUNTAINS OF MUSCLES. AND THE BIBLE SAYS HERE, AND BASE THINGS OF THE WORLD. HE'S TALKING HERE ABOUT THOSE THAT, AH, ARE IGNOBLE, FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS. HE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A, AH, AH, SOME KIND OF NOBILITY. AH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A, AH, CLASS PRESIDENT OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A, AH, A, AH, SEMINARY PROFESSOR. THE BASE THINGS OF THE WORLD, AND THINGS WHICH ARE DESPISED, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SOCIALLY ACCEPTED, HATH GOD CHOSEN, YEA, AND THINGS WHICH ARE NOT, THAT IS, PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT RECOGNIZED, NOBODY HEARS ABOUT THEM. THEY DON'T EVEN GET TO LEAD IN SILENT PRAYER. THEY, THEY DON'T MAKE WHO'S WHO, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN MADE WHO'S NOT. UH, THINGS WHICH ARE NOT TO BRING TO NOUGHT THINGS THAT ARE, THAT NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE. …