Miscellanies 1.18.88

And of these, it says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the prudent I will set aside.” At any rate the apostle adds: “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?” by contrast with the scribes placing the inquirers of this age, the philosophers from the Gentiles. “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” Equivalent to: he showed it to be foolish and not true, as they thought. And if you ask the cause of their pretended wisdom, he will say, “because of the hardness of their heart.” “Since in the wisdom of God,” that is, proclaimed through the prophets, “the world did not know through wisdom,” the wisdom that spoke through the prophets, “him,” that is, God, “God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching,” which seemed foolishness to the Greeks, “to save those who believe. For the Jews,” he says, “ask for signs” for belief, “and the Greeks seek wisdom,” that is, the so-called compelling arguments and other syllogisms, “but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews,” because, though they knew the prophecy, they did not believe its fulfillment, “and foolishness to the Greeks”; for those who think themselves wise consider it a myth that the Son of God speaks through a man, and that God has a Son, and further that he suffered. Hence the prejudice of their conceit persuades them to disbelieve. For the Savior's coming did not make people foolish, hard-hearted, and unbelieving, but understanding, obedient, and moreover faithful; but those who were unwilling to obey, separated from those who obeyed by voluntary choice, were shown to be without understanding, unbelieving, and foolish. “But to those who are called, Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”