One of the character types which Shakespeare developed is the “wise fool”—the person thought least likely to discover the truth, but does so in the end. In some sense, Paul sees himself and all followers of Jesus this way. The message of Christianity—Jesus and the cross—appears foolish to the culture; however, in the end, those who understand it will be seen as wise. It’s very tempting to abandon this identity as a wise fool for things like self-sufficiency and self-satisfaction. This is the temptation for the Corinthians and for us as well.