Paul had been addressing the seeming foolishness of the cross to those who did not believe. He continued by reminding the Corinthians that God had chosen them, although they were not the wisest, most powerful, or even of noble birth. No one could boast of themselves but only of the Lord. The strength and wisdom of the people lay in their relationship with Jesus Christ. The parable of the talents is quite familiar to us, but it can be somewhat puzzling.

The owner of the slaves trusted them to make wise decisions regarding the money he entrusted to them. The owner expected a reasonable return on his investment.

The first two slaves made wise decisions and doubled the talents given to them; however, the third slave was afraid as he knew the owner's temperament, so he did nothing with the talent given to him. We are expected to use all of our resources to serve God and help others. Followers of Jesus need to make wise decisions.