I think the church at Corinth was getting caught up in Gnosticism. I’m not sure though, it would be worth looking up somewhere. the reason why I think this is because the emphasis Paul puts on foolishness.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”;”
(1Cor 1:18,21,23; 2:14; 3:19 NIV)
All over the NT there are references to foolishness, but it is usually a bad thing, as in foolish talk, or foolish actions, but here in 1 Cor he has 5 statements about foolishness as if it’s a GOOD THING!
Of all the things you could boast in, all the things you could take pride in, it would be knowing God, or knowing about God. But what if it was all foolishness? Who would come to Jesus if it wasn’t a matter of getting rich or being happy or being like americans or being beautiful or having power or anything else? What if coming to Jesus was just coming to Jesus? What if it was seen by the world as foolishness, but those that did it would see how great it was to know Him? That’s why Paul says this
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
1 Corinthians 1:17
Woe to the wise and the convinced in this world, and woe to those that are converting the masses by their own power and intellect! I would rather be the idiot friend of God than a powerful ‘man of God’ with eloquent speech and convincing words.