Homily V. 1 Cor. i. 26, 27 For behold28 your calling, brethren, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called;] but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise. He hath said that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men;” he hath shewed that human wisdom is cast out, both by the testimony of the Scriptures and by the issue of events; by the testimony, where he says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;” by the event, putting his argument in the form of a question, and saying, “Where is the wise? Where the Scribe?” Again; he proved at the same time that the thing is not new, but ancient, as it was presignified and foretold from the beginning. For, “It is written,” saith he, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.” Withal he shews that it was neither inexpedient nor unaccountable for things to take this course: (for, “seeing that in the wisdom of God the world,” saith he, “knew not God, God was well pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save them which believe:”)  and that the Cross is a demonstration of ineffable power and wisdom, and that the foolishness of God is far mightier than the wisdom of man. And this again he proves not by means of the teachers, but by means of the disciples themselves. For, “Behold your calling,” saith he: that not only teachers of an untrained sort, but disciples also of the like class, were objects of His choice; that He chose “not many wise men” (that is his word) “according to the flesh.” 23 And so that of which he is speaking is proved to surpass both in strength and wisdom, in that it convinces both the many and the unwise: it being extremely hard to convince an ig- norant person, especially when the discourse is concerning great and necessary things. However, they did work conviction. And of this he calls the Corinthians themselves as wit- nesses. For, “behold your calling, brethren,” saith he: consider; examine: for that doctrines so wise, yea, wiser than all, should be received by ordinary men, testifies the greatest wisdom in the teacher. [2.] But what means, “according to the flesh?” According to what is in sight; according to the life that now is; according to the discipline of the Gentiles. Then, lest he should seem to be at variance with himself, (for he had convinced both the Proconsul, (Acts xiii. 12.) and the Areopagite, (Acts xvii. 34.) and Apollos; (Acts xviii. 26: through Aquila and Priscilla) and other wise men, too, we have seen coming over to the Gospel;) he said not, No wise man, but, “Not many wise men.” For he did not designedly (ἀποκεκληρωμένως) call the ignorant and pass by the wise, but these also he received, yet the others in much larger number. And why? Because the wise man according to the flesh is full of extreme folly; and it is he who especially answers to the term “foolish,” when he will not cast away his corrupt doctrine. And as in the case of a physician who might wish to teach certain persons the 28 βλέπετε. He takes it imperatively; see below. So also the Vulgate, Videte. Homily V 43 Homily V