Paul’s first argument (1 Corinthians 1:20–25) is that God has already made foolish the wisdom of the world.
What was considered foolish by everyone—the death of a Messiah on a cross—has become the only way to salvation.
Paul’s questions may be allusions to the Septuagint version of Isaiah 33:18b, which reads, Where are the scribes? Where are the advisers? Where is the one who counts the children?
Paul begins his own list of questions with a broad reference to the one who is wise.
Then he focuses in on the scribe
(the person whom the Jews would consider wise) and the debater
(whom the Greeks would consider wise). Acts 17:18–21 tells of Paul’s own engagement with debaters in Athens.
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?