How utterly contrary are the thoughts and ways of God to those of the carnal mind. According to Isaiah 55:8-9 there is an unfathomable gulf that lies between them. Hence there is a continual quarrel on the part of unenlightened men against the mind and purpose of God. If they had their way God would not have made any choices among men at all, because the thought that He should do what He will with His own (Matt. 20:15) is very abhorrent to them. What else could we expect of those who are spoken of in our text as "wise" but that they should be greatly offended by the fact that God has done works for the express purpose of "confounding" them. 

    It should be noted that these "wise" men (wise in their own eyes and in the eyes of the world) are of such a character and disposition that they have a very high opinion of themselves and of their own intelligence. Consequently the thought of their being "confounded" with "foolish" things is very insulting to their greatly inflated egos. For them to be confounded by great and profound mysteries would not be anything to be wondered at, but God confounds them with the very things that they deem as "foolish". He puts them to confusion by the very things, and individuals, that they look upon as "weak", "base", and "despised", and even things that they consider beneath their notice, as though they "were not". God has "chosen" these things, "that no flesh should glory in His presence", just as He has saved His people "by grace" and "not of works" lest any man should boast (See Eph. 2:8-9). 

    God's ways are constantly confounding the worldly-wise, yet they continue to profess themselves to be men of great wisdom. And in doing so they become fools (See Romans 1:22). To those whom God has enlightened, such characters appear all the more foolish as they constantly attempt to explain away the works of God and totally discount the biblical record. The Scriptures tell us that "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:20) and "of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7 & 9:10). According to this, the "wise" of 1st Cor. 1:27 have not yet even started down the road to true wisdom.