John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 1:19

"For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought." — 1 Corinthians 1:19 (ASV)

For it is written, etc. He shows further, from the testimony of Isaiah, how unreasonable it is that the truth of the gospel should be regarded with prejudice because the wise of this world hold it in contempt, even derision. For it is evident from the words of the Prophet, that their opinion is regarded as nothing in God's estimation.

The passage is taken from Isaiah 29:14, where the Lord threatens that He will avenge Himself upon the hypocrisy of the people by this kind of punishment: that wisdom will perish from the wise, etc. Now the application of this to the subject at hand is this: “It is nothing new or unusual for those who appear in other respects to be distinguished for wisdom to form utterly absurd judgments. For in this manner the Lord has customarily punished the arrogance of those who, relying on their own judgment, think they are leaders to themselves and others.

In this manner, He, among the Israelite people of old, destroyed the wisdom of those who were the leaders of the people. If this happened among a people whose wisdom the other nations had reason to admire, what will become of others?”

It is proper, however, to compare the words of the Prophet with those of Paul, and to examine the whole matter even more closely. The Prophet, indeed, uses neuter verbs when he says, wisdom will perish and prudence will vanish, while Paul turns them into the active form by making them refer to God.

They are, however, perfectly the same in meaning. For this is a great wonder that God declares He will perform, so that all will be filled with astonishment. Wisdom, therefore, perishes, but it is by the Lord’s destroying it; wisdom vanishes, but it is by the Lord’s covering it over and effacing it.

Regarding the second term αθετεῖν (which Erasmus renders 'reject'), as it is ambiguous and is sometimes taken to mean efface, expunge, or obliterate, I prefer to understand it in this sense here, to correspond with the Prophet’s word 'vanish' or 'be hid'. At the same time, another reason has weighed more heavily with me: the word 'reject' was not in accordance with the subject, as will soon become clear. Let us then consider the meaning.

The Prophet’s meaning, without doubt, is precisely this: they would no longer have governors who would rule well, because the Lord will deprive them of sound judgment and intelligence. For as He elsewhere threatens to send blindness upon the whole nation (Isaiah 6:10), so here He threatens the leaders; which is just as if He were plucking the eyes out of the body.

However, a great difficulty arises from the fact that the term 'wisdom' or 'prudence' was used by Isaiah in a good sense, while Paul quotes it for an opposite purpose, as though human wisdom were condemned by God as perverted, and human prudence set aside as mere vanity.

I confess that it is commonly expounded in this way; but as it is certain that the oracles of the Holy Spirit are not perverted by the Apostles to meanings foreign to their true intent, I choose rather to depart from the common opinion of interpreters than to charge Paul with falsehood.

In other respects, too, the natural meaning of the Prophet’s words accords well enough with Paul’s intention; for if even the wisest become fools when the Lord takes away a right spirit, what confidence can be placed in human wisdom?

Furthermore, as it is God’s usual way of punishing to strike blind those who, implicitly following their own judgment, are wise in their own esteem, it is not surprising if worldly people, when they rise up against God, intending to subject His eternal truth to their rashness, are turned into fools and become vain in their imaginations.

We now see how appropriately Paul uses this testimony. Isaiah declares that God's vengeance upon all those who served God with their own inventions would be that wisdom would vanish from their wise men. Paul, intending to prove that the wisdom of this world is vain and worthless when it exalts itself against God, adduces this testimony from Isaiah.