The Apostle Paul, because of his zeal and earnestness in the cause of Christ, had suffered opposition and persecution of various kinds and had even endured hunger and thirst and hardships, as he proceeds to narrate in this same chapter. To those without faith in Christ and his teachings, this was all foolishness on the part of the apostle. To them he seemed to be a religious fanatic – a fool. And evidently some of the Christian brethren at Corinth got this same idea, deeming it needless to endure so much contempt and hardships for the Master’s cause.
Many think the Christian’s course of following in Jesus’ footsteps in a sacrificial, devoted way to be strange and unnatural. Our desire is to do the will of God and sacrifice our own will. 1 Peter 2:9 refers to believers as “peculiar people.”
If others think us fools for getting our instructions from the Bible, we are willing to be called “fools for Christ’s sake.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-28: For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
