“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But 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.“ (1 Corinthians 1:26–29)
In this epistle to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul addressed errors and problems which had arisen among the Christians there. These problems resulted from the fact that many of them were converted from paganism. Yet their cultural background and upbringing contaminated the way they did church there, the way they worshipped God and how they related to their Christian brethren. The situation had gotten so out of hand that the church and church worship had degenerated into chaos. Paul needed to remind the saints of their sins. Their pride was manifested in their exercise of what to them were the supremely important gifts of prophetic utterances and speaking in tongues. They were so lacking in of love, service, discipline and holiness that the church service resembled the world rather than the Kingdom of God.
Paul’s words of correction and chastisement serve as words of blessing and hope to us all. The good news of the gospel is that while we believers were once weak and corrupt sinners without hope, by faith we now have been given mercy, not because of what we have done or who we are, but because of the love and grace of God in Christ Jesus. This ought to help us refrain from pride and a feeling of superiority to anyone else even those who lack faith and are mired in sin. We were once as they are. This should also cause us to reach out with love and kindness to them all because Christ reached out to us.