"And the common people heard Him gladly."
(Mark 12: 37)
The elitism that was manifesting itself among the Christian assembly in ancient Corinth was what was common among "the unbelievers" in that city. Paul had several purposes in mind in dealing with it among believers.
Though he is particularly addressing the Corinthian believers, yet, as in all his epistles, he is also speaking secondarily to the unbelievers; In this case, even to the social elite in Corinth, the ones to whom he alludes. Everything he says in the third person concerning the social elite he just as well could say in the second person (and no doubt actually did) when speaking direct address to such persons. When therefore the apostle corrects the thinking of believers he is also giving correction to unbelievers, for the error entertained by the believers is what was common to the general unbelieving population. Believers needed to be "untaught" as well as taught right. Formerly accepted ideas about "the gods," or divinity, had to be let go. False ideas about social life and purpose, yea, about the causes of death and suffering, and about the possibility of salvation, needed to be divested before the truth could be fully adopted.
Paul's opening words are a direct condemnation of the teaching of the world's elite, his defense or "apologia" against it. We must see the apostle as correcting the ideology of the social elites and of the "philosophers." He will explain why the elites almost universally have rejected the gospel. He answers the question - "if the message of the gospel that you teach is true, then why is it rejected by the most learned among us?" This reminds us of this incident in the gospel of John.
"Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers (elite) or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law (the poor uneducated lower class- said in contempt) are cursed." (John 7: 45-49)
Here the same argument is made by the gospel deniers about why the gospel is to be presumed as false. It is an "if, then" type argument. If the gospel were true, then it would be believed by the most educated, by the "scholars" or "scientists," or by the elite few.
Paul is giving forceful answer to this false reasoning. Ironic, is it not? Paul showing how those who are put forth as the world's best reasoners are using faulty reasoning themselves! There is more irony in the opening words of the apostle, for as we will hopefully see, he is the real "disputer" and "scribe." He is the real "wise and learned," the real "high born," the true "nobility," as God sees things.
In the opening chapters of his first epistle to the Corinthian Christians Paul is disputing with "the disputers of this world"! More irony. And, "where" does he leave "the disputers of this age," and "the wise of this age," etc. after giving his argumentation? "In the dust," we might say. On the purpose behind the several times where the rhetorical is used, when Paul asks "where is the..." I will have more to say on this in a future chapter.
Next, let us note that the premise of the elitists argument is not a proven fact. Paul says it is not a fact. He says that the rejection of the gospel by the elite class, and its reception by the lower classes, by the common people, is not a proof of the falsity of the gospel revelation. That fact is reasonably accounted for, by the inspired apostle, affirming that the rejection of the gospel by the social elite, by the wealthy, is no proof of its invalidity, but is actually a proof of its genuineness. God has sublime purpose and something to teach by this undisputed fact (that the elites mostly reject the gospel).
Here are a number of other things he designs to accomplish by his words of defense and affirmation.
First, he wanted the members of the assembly to see each other as brothers and sisters, as equals in the eyes of the Lord and to not practice the elitism operating in Corinth and the world generally.
Second, he wanted them to consider themselves as having been chosen and favored by God even though not of the worldly elite.
Third, he wanted them to know that God's elect (believers), though not now ruling in authority, are nevertheless ordained by God to be the rulers, along with Christ, in the age to come.
Fourth, he wanted them to see themselves as "highly privileged" as the children of God without manifesting an elitist attitude, especially in their attitudes towards each other.
Fifth, he wanted them to see that God's elect are not chosen on the basis of merit, but solely by grace and totally a free gift.
The elitist philosophy of ancient Greece was twofold in its effect. On the one hand it lifted the pride and feeling of superiority of the elite and justified and solidified their existence and position. On the other hand it abased the non elite ("commoner"), making him feel less important (thus solidifying his low self esteem).
In many ways, the less educated, and less wealthy, were viewed as second class citizens, folks at the bottom of the social ladder, or pecking order. Paul's purpose therefore was also twofold in this respect. He would attack the feeling of superiority manifesting itself in some of the brothers in the Corinthian assembly, while at the same time lifting up the self image of the brothers of the poorer class.
God's Will Towards The Social Elite
Religion was not unmixed with Greek philosophy. It was not uncommon for first century Greeks (and Romans too) to speak of "they whom the gods have favored." (In addition to other similar statements where 'the gods' were mentioned, such as 'whom the gods intend to destroy') Many of the elite claimed that they were specially favored and gifted by "the gods" and therefore were frequent supporters of the various temples to them. An elite athlete, for instance, may credit the genes of his ancestors, or breeding, or he may credit his own training, or the gods and goddesses who gave success to his training.
Many of the elite did not ascribe their elite status so much to "the gods," but rather to their own hard work and merit. Few would be so brass, however, as to omit "the gods" completely from their giving credit for their successes and "favored circumstances." As men today often credit both luck (or 'fortune,' crediting Fortuna the goddess of fortune) and hard work for their successes and high status, so too did the pagan Corinthians. Some no doubt ascribed all to "the gods," or perhaps to some particular god or goddess, and took no credit for themselves. Others probably credited both "the gods" and themselves. (Note: we can see this same type of discussion carried on by the apostle in dealing with grace and merit, of the conditions of salvation, etc.)
These ideas served as the frame or skeleton for Paul's discussion of such profound concepts as grace and merit, righteousness, holiness, purity, and of being divinely favored and chosen, etc. The greatest topic of all, naturally, was the matter of man's search for eternal life and immortal bliss, i.e., the matter of salvation.
Let us now look at some of the examples of worldly elites based upon the words of I Cor. 1, some of which were cited in the preceding chapter. Here it is again:
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 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." (18-21)
The classes of people highlighted in the text are examples of society's elite, those who have "the best minds in the world." Let us look at each of them. If we wanted to give examples today of the "best minds," who would we include or exclude? The lawyers, Phd.s, surgeons, political leaders, scientists, chemists, physicists, etc.? Paul mentions four, but we may use several words that are identified with the ones he used, especially in translations, such as philosopher, Sophist, scholar, grammarian, linguist, orator, advocate, doctor, etc. There are literally hundreds of words, both nouns and adjectives, to describe the world's elite, and most of them would entail in the four specific examples given by the apostle (wise, prudent, scribe, disputer).
The Disputers
The Greek word for "disputer" is "syzētētēs" (hard work to pronounce!). It is the only time it is used in the new testament. Strong says of the word: "a disputer, i.e. a learned disputant, sophist."
In other posts I have written extensively on the Sophists and how their philosophy was an object of attack by the apostle in his Corinthian epistles. (See here and here) In the use of this Greek term we surely have an allusion to them. The same is true with the idea of elitism. It is clearly alluded to in these epistles. In fact, the Sophists were part of the ruling elite.
Who would we give as examples of the learned social elite? Would it not be those who were skilled in argumentation and debate? Such as lawyers, judges, politicians, legislators, academic professors, etc.?
On "disputer" commentator Albert Barnes wrote:
"Where is the disputer of this world? - The acute and subtle sophist of this age. The word "disputer" συζητητὴς suzētētēs, properly denotes one who "inquires" carefully into the causes and relations of things; one who is a subtle and abstruse investigator. It was applied to the ancient sophists and disputants in the Greek academics; and the apostle refers, doubtless, to them. The meaning is, that in all their professed investigations, in all their subtle and abstruse inquiries, they had failed of ascertaining the way in which man could be saved; and that God had devised a plan which had baffled all their wisdom, and in which their philosophy was disregarded." (Commentary)
The Sophists were the "wise ones," the elite in learning and general knowledge. The term sophist (sophistēs) derives from the Greek word for wisdom. But, the wisdom promoted was worldly, yea, evil demonic.
Wrote Vincent in his Word Studies on this Greek term:
"Only here. Compare the kindred verb συζητέω to question with, Mark 1:27; Luke 22:23; Acts 6:9; and συζήτησις disputation, Acts 15:2, Acts 15:7. Referring to Grecian sophistical reasoners..."
It thus means one skilled in arguing, one who questions, disputes or debates, one adept at winning public and private arguments, the closest contemporary equivalent being a lawyer.
The kind of wisdom possessed by the world's elite is far different from the wisdom being obtained by those who are God's chosen and called.
Wrote James:
"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." (3: 13-17)
The above varied description of heavenly versus earthly wisdom makes me think of these words of our Lord:
"And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world (age) are in (or towards) their generation wiser than the children of light." (Luke 16: 8)
The "children of this age" are they who are not "children of light." They are "children of the night," or "of the darkness." (See also I Thess. 5: 5) Their wisdom is better described by the adjectives above, such as earthly, sensual, devilish (and with the implied ones, such as impure, implacable, hard or rough, hard to be intreated, lacking mercy and good fruits, partial and hypocritical). Other words to describe this kind of wisdom could be "cunning craftiness" (Eph. 4: 14), wily, shrewd, cagey, tricky, clever, etc.
One of the things that the worldly wise must learn how to do is how to deal with other worldly wise people. A depraved criminal when sent to prison and put in company with others like him soon learns "the tricks of the trade," so to speak, how to deal with his own. It takes a certain kind of "smart" to survive in a world of such people. Many are "streetwise." They are "wise to do evil" but not "to do good" (Jer. 4: 22) and many of these are crimes committed by the elite (what we call "white collar crime"), who rarely "get caught," and if they do, are able to call upon fellow elites for help and get off free, or get some small minor punishment. We may therefore, in combining the thoughts of Luke 16: 8 and Jeremiah 4: 22, say that the worldly wise soul is generally wiser in doing evil than the saints are in doing good. We could also say that the worldly wise unbeliever is better at laying up treasures on earth than most saints are at laying up treasures in heaven.
The high mindedness of the wealthy, social, and governing elite is addressed by the apostle in these words to the young minister Timothy:
"Charge them that are rich in this world (age), that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." (I Tim. 6: 17-19)
Rich believers, and there are some, are humble and charitable. They are devout in Christian good works.
Among the mega or super rich there are probably very few real believers. They too are generally stingy though they may be philanthropists. It is not "philanthropy" exactly, for there are many philanthropists who give from motives that are not so pure or pristine. They often do it to preserve their image, which is of great value. Philanthropy in Greek means "love of humanity." It combines philos, brotherly or friendship love, and anthropos, meaning man or mankind. They are generally highminded, emanating an air of superiority over the poorer and less educated classes, to whom they fake having real concern.
In Greco-Roman society, members of the social elite, of the wealthier class, not only supported the various temples but also gave gifts and financial assistance to those not of the elite class, and this was called "charis," being the Greek word translated “grace.” In the Latin "gratis," denoting what is freely given, and given to one who is unable, and not expected, to repay. But the word was also used in regard to the gifts given to mortals, yea, even to elite mortals.
In the next posting we will continue our thoughts on this study.
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