What are modern examples of people "claiming to be wise" but becoming "fools"? Setting the Stage: Romans 1:22 “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools”. The Pattern Paul Identified • Knowledge without reverence for God breeds arrogance. • Arrogance blinds people to obvious truth, leading to moral and intellectual folly. • The spiral continues as society applauds the “wisdom” that God calls foolishness. Modern Echoes of the Ancient Error • Redefining life’s beginning and end – Boasting in “advanced ethics,” some defend abortion up to birth and euthanasia on demand, calling it “compassion.” Scripture calls life sacred from conception to natural death (Psalm 139:13–16). • Revising human identity – Celebrating the notion that gender is infinitely fluid, despite Genesis 1:27 declaring male and female as God-given realities. What is touted as liberation becomes confusion. • Celebrating moral relativism in higher education – Seminar courses mock absolute truth, insisting morality evolves with culture. Proverbs 14:12 warns, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” • Exalting scientism over science – Genuine scientific discovery glorifies God; scientism insists matter is all that exists. Romans 1:20 says creation itself leaves people “without excuse,” yet many refuse to see design. • Idolizing technology and transhumanism – The dream of uploading consciousness or achieving digital immortality is hailed as “the next step of evolution.” Psalm 90:3 reminds humanity it is God who returns people to dust. • Mocking biblical sexual ethics – Cohabitation and hook-up culture are framed as enlightened, while Hebrews 13:4 still calls marriage honorable and the marriage bed undefiled. • Normalizing deception in media – “Deepfakes” and spin are praised as clever innovation. Isaiah 5:20 warns, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” • Promoting self-salvation spirituality – Books and podcasts preach that divinity lies within and sin is an outdated concept. 1 John 1:10 counters, “If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar.” Scriptural Cross-References That Shine Light on Today’s Claims • 1 Corinthians 1:20–25 — God makes the world’s wisdom foolish through the cross. • Colossians 2:8 — “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception.” • Proverbs 1:7 — “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” • Jeremiah 9:23–24 — Boasting should be in knowing the Lord, not in earthly wisdom. • James 3:13–17 — Contrasts earthly, unspiritual wisdom with the pure, peaceable wisdom from above. A Way Forward: Embracing True Wisdom • Begin with reverence: acknowledge God as Creator and Judge. • Anchor convictions in Scripture rather than shifting opinion polls. • Evaluate every new idea by its alignment with God’s revealed truth. • Live counter-culturally, demonstrating that true wisdom produces purity, peace, and righteousness. |
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