That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
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Clement Of Alexandria
AD 215
"That we should trust not in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead "says the apostle, "who delivered us from so great a death, that our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. ""For the spiritual man judgeth all things, but he himself is judged of no man.".
Wherefore also the apostle exhorts, "that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men "who profess to persuade, "but in the power of God"
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Our preaching is to be of the kind just mentioned, so that your faith, i.e, your conversion to the faith of Christ, may not be attributed to human wisdom and eloquence but to the power and working of God. Your faith must be based on God"s wisdom not on man"s. (Anselm and others.)
That your faith Had we employed the subtleties, the reasonings, and eloquence of men, some might perhaps be induced to believe that you had been seduced by artifice. But none can reasonably say so; your faith is founded on the force and evidence of truth, and upon the virtue and power of the Holy Spirit, who has bestowed upon you both the light of knowledge, and the fire of love. (Theod.)
Human wisdom denied the cross, but faith proclaimed the power of God. Wisdom not only failed to reveal the things which people sought after, but also it encouraged them to boast of their own achievements. But faith not only gave them the truth, it also encouraged them to glorify God.
Do you see how clearly in every way he has set forth the vast gain of this ignorance, and the great loss of this wisdom? For the latter made void the Cross, but the former proclaimed the power of God: the latter, besides their failing to discover any of those things which they most needed, set them also upon boasting of themselves; the former, besides their receiving the truth, led them also to pride themselves in God. Again, wisdom would have persuaded many to suspect that the doctrine was of man: this clearly demonstrated it to be divine, and to have come down from heaven. Now when demonstration is made by wisdom of words, even the worse oftentimes overcome the better, having more skill in words; and falsehood outstrips the truth. But in this case it is not so: for neither does the Spirit enter into an unclean soul, nor, having entered in, can it ever be subdued; even though all possible cleverness of speech assail it. For the demonstration by works and signs is far more evident than...
