He was afraid that these persecutions might break out again at any time. But this did not prevent Paul from preaching with power. He boldly demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit so that the church s faith might focus on God s power instead of focusing on man s wisdom. The wisdom of the gospel is much higher than the wisdom of the world. Paul refuses to conform to the wisdom of this age because all of man s wisdom is destined to come to nothing.
Human wisdom is faddish.
What is popular today is forgotten tomorrow when the next popular set of philosophical paradigms become popular. A study in the history of philosophy demonstrates the truthfulness of this observation made by Paul. Verses 7 - 8 God s grand wisdom was a secret. It was hidden from human view for many generations. This wisdom first began to show itself when Jesus appeared and engaged in teachings and good works that bewildered men of influence in the Jewish world.