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First we must realize that the words "But of Him" are the blessed contrast with the
failure of man that has been stressed in chapter 1: and which is taken up again in
chapter 2:
"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased
God by the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1: 21).
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him, neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned"
(I Cor. 2: 14).
"The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain" (I Cor. 3: 20).
Here are three passages from these three chapters, three out of many.
The word sophia "wisdom" is found sixteen times in chapter 1: to 3: of Corinthians,
while the word sophos `wise' is found 10 times in chapters 1: and 3: It is not surprising
therefore that the Apostle reminds the Corinthians that Christ had been made unto them
`wisdom'. The idea of Christ being "made' something for the benefit of His people, is
expressed in the N.T. in two ways. The Greek word ginomai which means `to become'
and the Greek word poieo `to make'.
"For He hath made (poieo) Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be
made (ginomai) the righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5: 21).
This passage is of interest, not only and chiefly for the glorious doctrine it teaches, but
because the two words poieo and ginomai are translated `made'.
"He was MADE sin"; "That we might be MADE the righteousness of God in Him".
The primary meaning of poieo is `to make', and meet us in the LXX on the very
threshold of truth, for it is employed to translate the Hebrew bara `create'. The one
Hebrew word however that is translated more times in the LXX by poieo than any other
is asah which is rendered in the A.V. `make' 631 times, as for example Gen. 1: 31, or
Gen. 2: 2 where it is employed as an extension of the word bara `create'. When poieo is
joined to nouns which indicate a state of condition, it signifies the author or cause.
"Mark them which cause divisions and offences" (Rom. 15: 17).
"So making peace" (Eph. 2: 15).
"Neither raising up the people" i.e. Neither making insurrection (Acts 14: 12).
Poieo then comes to mean "to constitute or appoint". "And He ordained twelve"
(mark 3: 14). "God hath made that same Jesus Whom ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ" (Acts 2: 36). "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests" (Rev. 5: 10).
"Wherefore . . . . . consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Christ Jesus;
who was faithful to him that appointed Him" (Heb. 3: 1, 2). From this comes the sense
"to declare one anything", as "Making Himself equal with God" (John 5: 18); "Whom
makest Thou Thyself?" (John 8: 53); "Because He made Himself the Son of God"
(John 19: 7). When John said of some that "they made God a liar" (I John 1: 6), it is
evident that no change in the Divine character is intended; it simply means that the effect
of the action or attitude condemned had that tendency.