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Foolishness: Folly; want of understanding. Foolish practice; want of wisdom or good judgment.
In a scriptural sense, absurdity; folly. The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Greek: Moria [mo-ree’-ah] = foolishness [5]. from (moros); silliness, i.e. absurdity: - foolishness. Strong's Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. Vine’s words: fool, foolish, foolishly, foolishness. denotes "foolishness" and is used in 1 Cor. 1:18, 21, 23; 1 Cor. 2:14; 1 Cor. 3:19. Mōros: primarily denotes "dull, sluggish" (from a root muh---, "to be silly"); hence, "stupid, foolish;" it is used (a) of persons, Matt. 5:22, "Thou fool;" here the word means morally worthless, a scoundrel, a more serious reproach than "Raca;" the latter scorns a man's mind and calls him stupid; mōros scorns his heart and character; hence the Lord's more severe condemnation; in Matt. 7:26, "a foolish man;" Matt. 23:17, 19, "fools;" Matt. 25:2, 3, 8, "foolish;" in 1 Cor. 3:18, "a fool;" the Apostle Paul uses it of himself and his fellow-workers, in 1 Cor. 4:10, "fools" (i.e., in the eyes of opponents); of things, 2 Tim. 2:23, "foolish and ignorant questionings;" so Titus 3:9; in 1 Cor. 1:25, "foolishness" as a personal quality, but adjectivally, that which is considered by the ignorant as a "foolish" policy or mode of dealing, lit., "the foolish (thing);" so in 1 Cor. 1:27, "the foolish (things) of the world." Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words.
I have identified two different meanings of this word foolishness. [moria and moros]. Both very similar words but as in all Greek words, certainly takes on some different meanings in its end. The first word, moria, speaks of a man’s mind and calls him stupid, foolish or unlearned while the second, moros, speaks of the scorn for his heart and moral character.
So many teachers and preachers condemn their congregations speaking to them about sin and the consequences of sin and its moral foolishness. A church that I attended many years ago was a large and thriving fellowship and the pastor who became a friend of mine was adamant about the idea of sin and pounded his fellowship every week concerning sin and the idea you must be good and do all things right.
This kind of preaching bends you into the kind of thinking that if you do all things right, you are ‘good to go’, but if you miss the mark in anyway, you are doomed. I do not ever remember a sermon whereby he spoke to us concerning righteousness and that we were already righteous if we are born again. There was a continuous idea of repentance and going to the altar and asking for forgiveness of sin all the time. It seemed one was never able to get free from the complexity of sin consciousness.
God taught me years later that I was already free from sin when I was born again and that Christ has set me free. Ephesians 1:7 (HCSB) We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. John 8:36 (AMP) So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free. Matthew 20:28 (NLT2) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” That is not something you have to deal with every time you attend church and hear the message of repentance. Christ has forgiven you once and for all and there is no longer condemnation for sin but a continual knowing that whom the Son has set free is free indeed, not going to be. This is the foolishness of the Cross and the true preaching of His Word. You are free, right now and forever and He has redeemed you and taken your place and gave you His righteousness for this is truly redemption.
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