Lessons #101 and 102
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Self-deception regarding worldly wisdom (1 Cor 3:18-20)
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
The message we are considering is that you should avoid thinking you are wise by world’s standard but be wise by following God’s word. In our last study, we indicated the word “wise” is used in 1 Corinthians 3:18 in the sense of being skillful or experienced or discerning due to accumulated knowledge. Furthermore, that when Apostle Paul wrote If any one of you thinks he is wise, he did not mean that there was anything wrong with being skillful or experienced or discerning due to accumulated knowledge as this is desirable in the spiritual life. No! He was concerned with the kind of accumulated knowledge one acquires and discernment one has. Hence, in our last study we promised that we begin our study today by considering the kind of accumulated knowledge and insight or discernment that concerned the apostle.
The apostle was concerned with accumulated knowledge that characterizes the world in which we live. He was concerned about being skillful or experienced based on the kind of knowledge that characterize the world that knows nothing about God. So, he was concerned about individuals who consider themselves wise because they evaluate their knowledge and their skill of using their knowledge base on the standards of this world. It is this concern the apostle stated in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 3:18 by the standards of this age. Literally, the Greek reads in this age. For one thing, we have a Greek preposition (en) that is used twice in our verse. In its first usage, it has the meaning of “among” although the translators of the NIV and a few other English versions did not directly translate it but many of our English versions directly translated it using the meaning “among” so that instead of the phrase of the NIV one of you they translate among you. In its second usage the Greek preposition may mean “in” or “by” or “by the standards of” as reflected in the NIV. The concern of the apostle is that the wisdom of those who consider themselves wise is one that is associated with the world that is hostile to God. This world that is hostile to God is reflected in the expression “this age” in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 3:18 by the standards of this age.
The word “age” is translated from a Greek word (aiōn) that may mean “long ago” as it is used during Peter’s preaching of the gospel following the healing of a crippled man in Acts 3:21:
He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
The word may mean “eternity, forever, without end” as it is used in describing God in Romans 1:25:
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
The clause who is forever praised is literally who is blessed for eternity. The word may mean “age”, that is, a segment of time as a particular unit of history. Thus, it is used with the meaning “present age” in Titus 2:12:
It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
But it is the sense of “age to come” that it is used in Hebrews 6:5:
who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,
The word may mean “world” as a spatial concept or “universe” as it is used for God’s creative activity in Hebrews 11:3:
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
The clause by faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command is literally by faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God. Hence, “ages” here refers to “universe” that was created by God’s command. It is in the sense of the “world” that we live in at this time that the word is used in the instruction Timothy was to deliver to wealthy believers in 1 Timothy 6:17:
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
The phrase present world is literally present age but what is meant is the present world in which we live. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 3:18, it is used in the sense of “evil age” or “present evil age”, that is, a particular stage of history understood according to its values, beliefs, and morals in distinction to God’s. In a simple term, it refers to “world system” or “world’s standards.” Thus, the apostle is concerned with those who claim to be wise in this world according to the standard of this world.
To be wise in this age or by world standard means to know how to manipulate knowledge or information to help a person have advantage over others or get ahead. This is illustrated in the parable of the Shrewd Manager the Lord gave in sixteen chapter of Luke. His master commended him for acting shrewdly, as we read Luke 16:8:
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
The parable indicates that manager was shrewd according to the value system of this world that involves success at any cost so that lying and cheating are welcomed standard of practice in the world system. Therefore, many business people who are unbelievers or even believers that function in the world system have no problem lying and cheating others in order to make a quick gain. People who are wise by world standard are very clever when it comes to their survival hence are willing to go any length to survive hence we have many scammers. One thing that is for certain is that people of this world are characterized by callousness and arrogance as indicated in Psalm 73:7:
From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
It is because of the callousness of the people of this world that they have no problem cheating or hurting others. In effect, those who are wise by the standard of this world usually operate in sinful manner. It is because they operate in sinful manners that their wisdom is described as not coming from God, as stated in James 3:14–16:
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
It is not only that those who are wise in this age or according to the worldly standards operate with self-interest, but they also ignore God. In fact, they either replace God with their success or they think they are God. That the wise replace God with their success may be deduced from the fact that the wise of this world are involved in idolatry as the Holy Spirit conveyed through Apostle Paul in Romans 1:22–23:
22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
It is those who claim to be wise that exchange God’s glory with images of their own making. That the wise also may think they are God is exemplified with the Babylon that had a false sense of security and pride that caused her to think she is God, as Prophet Isaiah stated in Isaiah 47:10:
You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
Those who are wise by human standards could in maintaining self-interest distort the word of God while being arrogant that they have God’s word, as Prophet Jeremiah indicted Judah in Jeremiah 8:8:
“‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?
In any case, we have describe those who are wise according to the standards of this world in a general sense but the context of the epistle of Apostle Paul implies that he was probably thinking of those who are wise in the sense that they consider themselves experts in spiritual truth because of their philosophical speculations that they do not want to rely on the teaching of the apostle he delivered to those in Corinth. These individuals believe they have the capacity to know the truth and decide who among those who have labored in Corinth is to be followed or placed above others. In short, those who are wise in this age or by the standards of the world the apostle had in mind are those who could be described as not trusting in the Lord but are leaning in their understanding, as stated in Proverbs 3:5:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
Those who claim to be wise in Corinth indeed revealed that their wisdom was not from God because they were certainly involved in division which is a sin. We have already noted according to the assertion of the Holy Spirit through James that wisdom that is not from God manifests itself in sinful conduct. Thus, those who considered themselves wise in Corinth but were involved in partisanship were not wise but foolish. The point is that because of the failures of those who in Corinth were involved in sinful conduct that their claim of being wise was invalid. However, their situation could be corrected as the apostle indicated in the passage of 1 Corinthians 3:18 we are considering.
The way to avoid being wise according to the worldly standards is to humble oneself to acquire God’s truth. It is this approach the apostle conveyed in the next clause in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 3:18 he should become a “fool”. Literally, the Greek reads let him become foolish. The apostle is being ironical in what he said here since the result he stated later is the opposite of what he stated here. The irony of the apostle is focused on the word “fool.”
Experts tell us that the word “fool” was often used by followers of popular teachers in the ancient world to refer to people outside their group, or to nonthinkers generally. This being the case, it is likely that some in Corinth who consider themselves experts would consider those who do not subscribe to their philosophical teaching but follow the apostle’s teaching as fools. This will mean that the apostle was being sarcastic so that he would want such individuals to join those who indeed submit to his apostolic doctrines. That aside, the word “fool” is translated from a Greek word (mōros) that means “foolish, stupid” as it is used to describe an unwise person in Jesus’ teaching in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:26:
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
It is used not only to refer to a person but to things, such as controversies in Titus 3:9:
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
The sense of the word in 1 Corinthians 3:18 is “foolish” that describes a person that is devoid of wisdom or good sense or sound judgment.
Our assertion that the Greek word translated “fool” in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 3:18 as a description of a person that is devoid of wisdom or good sense or sound judgment indicates the apostle was being ironical. Certainly, the apostle does not want the believer to be without sound judgment, so he was being ironical in that he stated he should become a “fool.” This notwithstanding, the apostle in this declaration intended to convey that those who are wise in this age or according to worldly standards should humble themselves to learn God’s word. We are saying that although the statement of the apostle is ironical, but he meant to communicate that it is necessary to become humble to learn the word of God. You see, there is a sense in what he said could be understood to mean that the one who considers self to be wise according to the worldly standards should become foolish according to worldly standards. Worldly standards would consider a person a fool who humbles self to learn God’s word. The world that thrives in arrogance considers humility a weakness. So, it would be foolish according to the worldly standard for a person to humble self to learn the word of God. The apostle had already indicated that the gospel message is foolishness to the world that reject God. Consequently, it would be foolishness to the world for a person to admit that the individual knows nothing about God so that the individual would receive teaching about God or respond to gospel message of Christ considered foolishness by those who are wise by world’s standards. However, the Holy Spirit implies that learning of God’s word involves humility as indicated in James 1:21:
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Hence, the clause of 1 Corinthians 3:18 he should become a “fool” is to be understood as an instruction for the believer to humble self to learn the word of God. In effect, it is a declaration that requires that a believer should have the attitude of not knowing truth until taught the word of God. For after all, Prophet Jeremiah describes those who are foolish as those that are ignorant of God’s word in Jeremiah 5:4:
I thought, “These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God.
It is true that this passage is concerned with those who failed in Judah, but the description helps us to understand what being foolish means. So, if a person is to become foolish in the context of 1 Corinthians then the person must accept that the individual does not know the word of God as the person should. Such assumption would enable a person to be humble to receive the teaching of the word of God. A person who does not recognize his/her lack of knowledge of God’s word would not be ready to be taught the word of God. We are saying that the starting point for learning truth is an admission that one is ignorant. Persons who think they are knowledgeable in doctrine rarely would want anyone to them. Anyway, the apostle informed those in Corinth that consider themselves wise that they should humble themselves to be taught God’s word. This interpretation should not surprise anyone since humility is associated with wisdom in Proverbs 11:2:
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
We are confident that the statement he should become a “fool” is one that requires humbling of oneself to learn God’s word because of the result of doing so that is given in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 3:18 so that he may become wise. This clause should fully be read to indicate that a person would become wise according to God’s standard because the preceding clause refers to being wise according to the standards of this age. So, a person who becomes a fool to become wise is one that humbles self to learn the word of God so that the person would become wise in keeping with God’s standard. This should not surprise us because the Scripture is clear that it is through the learning of the word of God that a person becomes wise. This truth is asserted both in the OT and NT Scriptures. For example, we learn from Proverbs that it is through instruction that one becomes wise, as stated in Proverbs 8:33:
Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
The word “listen” here refers first to hearing instruction and then obeying it. When this happens, the result is that a person becomes wise. You see the expression and be wise could also be understood as stating result so that instead of the expression and be wise we could interpret the Hebrew line to mean “you will be wise.” Hence, it is through instruction from the word of God that a person could become wise. The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul conveyed the same truth when the apostle reminded Timothy that it is through the knowledge of the holy Scriptures that he would become wise in 2 Timothy 3:15:
and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Anyway, we contend that the clause so that he may become wise supports our interpretation that the statement he should become a “fool” is one that requires humbling of oneself to learn God’s word. Thus, the solution to being in self-deception regarding worldly wisdom is to humble oneself to learn God’s word so that a person would become wise in keeping with divine standard.
Why is the solution of being in self-deception regarding worldly wisdom is to become a fool, that is, to humble oneself to learn God’s word? There are two general reasons the Holy Spirit supplied through Apostle Paul in the passage we are considering. But before we consider them, it should be clear that what we will consider are reasons for the prescribed solution to being in self-deception regarding worldly wisdom. This is because verse 19 of 1 Corinthians 3 in the NIV begins with the conjunction for. The word “for” is translated from a Greek conjunction (gar) that has three main usages. It may be used as a marker of cause or reason for something so that it is translated “for.” It may be used as a marker of clarification in which case it may be translated “for, you see.” Under this usage as a marker of clarification, the conjunction may be used to express continuation or connection in which case it may not be translated, or it may be used to signal an introduction of an important point or to signal a transition to another point so that it may be translated “now, well, then.” Another usage is as a marker of inference leading to the translation “certainly, by all means, so, then.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 3:19, there are two possible usages. It could be used as a marker of explanation or a marker of reasons. If we ignore for the moment the result of the instruction to become a fool, then it makes for a better logical flow of the apostle’s thought for him to go from his prescribed solution to the reason for it than that of an explanation of the prescribed solution. Thus, we contend that the word “for” is used to supply the reasons the solution to being in self-deception regarding worldly wisdom is to become a fool in the sense of humbling oneself and learning the word of God to become wise in keeping with God’s standard.
A first reason a believer should humble self to learn the word of God as a way of avoiding being in self-deception regarding worldly wisdom is because of God’s evaluation of the wisdom of this world. God’s evaluation of the wisdom of this world is that it involves ridiculous thoughts in comparison to His own thoughts or that it is a nonsense. It is this reason that is given in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 3:19 the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. To interpret this sentence, we need to consider three key words used in it.
A first key word is “wisdom” that is translated from a Greek word Greek word (sophia) that, like the adjective, was used in classical Greek primarily for a cleverness in hand labor and arts and then for understanding and capability in art, poetry and music, sculpture and painting and finally for that deeper insight into the foundations and connections of things, the significance and objects of life person. According to the Biblico-Theological Lexicon of the NT Greek, in the Septuagint, the Greek word is used (1) of excelling, capability and cleverness in skilled work (2) a degree of talent, knowledge, and experience far above the ordinary standard of mental capability and development, which puts its possessor in a position to give an account of everything (3) the understanding of God’s righteousness and will as the foundation and support of all things, which gives to a people pre-eminence above other peoples, and carries on to a good issue whatever pertains to it. In the NT, the Greek word may mean “wisdom” in the sense of the capacity to understand and function accordingly, as that is the sense of the word as that imparted by the Holy Spirit to Stephen in Acts 6:10:
but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
Wisdom is manifested in Stephen’s speech so that it can be said he spoke wisely or with wise words. The Greek word may have the sense of “good judgment” in practical matters, as the word is used to give the qualifications of those the early church chose to administer their affairs, as recorded in Acts 6:3:
Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them
Wisdom here in Acts 6:3 has the sense of good judgment or knowledge that allows one to do things properly. The Greek word may refer to personified wisdom, that is, “Wisdom”, as it is used in Matthew 11:19:
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
“Wisdom” here is personified which agrees with the concept of personification of wisdom in the OT Scripture, as for example, wisdom personified called out, but people did not respond adequately hence the declaration of Proverbs 1:23:
If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
There are two kinds of wisdom conveyed with the Greek word we are considering. There is the natural wisdom or insight obtained, for example, through education that is referred by Apostle Paul as “worldly wisdom” in 2 Corinthians 1:12:
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.
The phrase worldly wisdom is more literally “fleshly wisdom” or “human wisdom.” There is also that wisdom that is given by God to those who are in close relationship with Him that Jesus promised His disciples in Luke 21:15:
For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
This wisdom that God gives is described in James 3:17:
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 3:19, the word means “wisdom” in the sense of the capacity for rational thought, inference or discrimination and the application of it.
A second key word in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 3:19 the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight is “world.” It is translated from a Greek word (kosmos) that may mean that which serves to beautify through decoration, hence means “adornment, adorning” as it is used negatively to describe the kind of beauty that should not be the focus of a believing wife in 1 Peter 3:3:
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.
The word may mean “world” in the sense of planet earth as a place of habitation of humans as the word is used in 1 Timothy 6:7:
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
The word may mean “world” in the sense of “humanity in general” as that is the sense our word is used in 1 John 4:14:
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Clearly, Jesus Christ did not come to save planet earth but its inhabitants and so “world” here refers to humanity or those who live on the earth. The word may simply refer to “unbelievers” of this world as that is the sense of the word when Apostle Paul speaks of believers judging the world in 1 Corinthians 6:2:
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
The Greek word may mean “world system, world’s standards” in the sense of the system of practices and standards associated with secular society (that is, without reference to any demands or requirements of God). It is this meaning that Apostle Paul indicated was crucified to him in Galatians 6:14:
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
It is in this sense of world system that is characterized by sin and so hostile to God that our Greek word is used to indicate what believers should not be a part of in James 4:4:
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Of course, when believers are not part of this world system then they will be hated by unbelievers as that is implied in 1 John 3:13:
Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
Unfortunately, many of us believers want to belong to the world in contrast to the assertion of our Lord in His priestly prayer, as recorded in John 17, specifically in John 17:14–16:
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
The word may refer to creation in its entirety and so means “universe” as in Philippians 2:15:
so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
It is in this sense of the universe, consisting of angels and humans, that the word is used by Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:9:
For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.
The phrase to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men is literally to the world and to angels and to people. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 3:19, the sense of the word is “world system”, that is, the people constituting the world whose values, beliefs, and morals are in distinction and rebellion to God’s.
A third key word in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 3:19 the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight is “foolishness” that is translated from a Greek word (mōria) that means “stupidity, foolishness.” In our passage, the sense of the word is that of “ridiculous thought,” that is, a wildly mistaken or unfounded opinion or idea.
We have considered the three key words used in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 3:19 the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight but before we interpret what the apostle meant, we should deal with the problem of how the word “wisdom” is related to the word “world”. In other words, the problem is how to interpret the phrase wisdom of this world. There are two possibilities. The phrase could be read to mean either the wisdom that characterizes this world or the wisdom that is derived from this world. It is probably the case that both interpretations are intended. In other words, the apostle wants us to understand that the wisdom that is derived from this world is indeed one that characterizes the world. This interpretation is in keeping with James conveying that there is a wisdom that characterizes this world that also comes from this world in James 3:15:
Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
The worldly wisdom in contrast to divine wisdom is here described as “earthly” in the sense that such wisdom characterizes the people of this world. But then, James also implies that the worldly wisdom is from this world since he indicated that divine wisdom is from heaven in the passage we cited previously, that is, James 3:17:
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
It is true James did not explicitly state that the wisdom of this world originates from the world but by indicating that divine wisdom originates from heaven, he implies that worldly wisdom has its source in this world. Hence, as we have indicated, it is probably that the apostle wants us to understand the phrase wisdom of this world as referring to the wisdom that is from this world which also characterizes the world.
Be that as it may, when the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight he meant that the wisdom associated with the world system produces thoughts or actions that are ridiculous to God. He evaluates what the people of this world considers rational thought in relationship to the spiritual things as nonsense or stupid. Human rational thoughts when it comes to spiritual things do not make sense before God. This should not surprise us because the apostle had already stated that the message of the cross which is a demonstration of God’s wisdom is considered foolish by the people of the world. Furthermore, we can understand how thoughts that characterize the people of this world or originate from this world system would be nonsense to God, considering that His thoughts are infinitely superior to ours, as stated in Isaiah 55:8–9:
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Hence, it should not surprise us that the wisdom or the capacity of the world for rational thought regarding spiritual matters are absurd before God. In any case, it is because worldly wisdom is absurd or foolish before God that it makes sense to become a fool in the sense of humbling oneself to learn God’s word to become wise in God’s evaluation. In other words, a first reason a believer should humble self to learn the word of God as a way of avoiding being in self-deception regarding worldly wisdom is because God evaluates wisdom that characterized and associated with the world system as ridiculous or nonsense.
A second reason a believer should humble self to learn the word of God as a way of avoiding being in self-deception regarding worldly wisdom is because of the testimony of the Scripture. This reason we have given is not obvious from the translation of the NIV and a handful of our English versions since the translators of the NIV begin the next clause of 1 Corinthians 3:19 As it is written with the word as. It is not easy to understand in what sense the translators of the NIV used the word “as.” We say this because the word “as” could be understood as an adverb. When it is used in that way, the word “as” could mean “for instance” or “to the same degree or amount.” The word “as” could also be used as a conjunction in which case it could mean “in the same way or manner that”, that is, it is used to indicate by comparison the way something happens, or it could mean “for the reason that,” that is, “because, since.” So, it is difficult to be certain in what sense the word “as” is used. Really, the Greek clause of 1 Corinthians 3:19 As it is written that we are concerned began with the Greek conjunction (gar) that we had previously stated has three main usages. Let me refresh your mind about what we said regarding its usages. It may be used as a marker of cause or reason for something so that it is translated “for.” It may be used as a marker of clarification in which case it may be translated “for, you see.” Under this usage as a marker of clarification, the conjunction may be used to express continuation or connection in which case it may not be translated, or it may be used to signal an introduction of an important point or to signal a transition to another point so that it may be translated “now, well, then.” Another usage is as a marker of inference leading to the translation “certainly, by all means, so, then.” In this second usage of the conjunction in the clause we are about to consider, it is used with the meaning “for” to provide a second reason the believer should humble self to learn the word of God as a way of avoiding being in self-deception regarding worldly wisdom. This second reason, as we have stated, is the testimony of the Scripture. Anyway, there is more to our clause As it is written, but we are out of time, so we will consider it in our next study.