I came to you proclaiming the mystery of God, but not with sublimity of words or with wisdom. The city of Corinth, being a port, was a melting point of many ideologies and schools of thought. One such ideology that comes out clearly in Paul’s first letter to this community is Gnosticism (Gnosticism emphasize personal and direct spiritual knowledge of “heavenly” things). Paul must have encountered this school of thought before, and he easily recognized it as part of the problem that was threatening the faith of this Corinthian community. Priding themselves in their Gnostic orientation, the Corinthians seem to have tried to “decode” the Christian message using their Gnostic “skills.” But Paul was quick to remind them that it doesn’t work that way when it comes to the Christian faith: “ The Christian message is but a mystery. It is revealed by God to the humble, to those who profess their ignorance.” 
The message of the Gospels, especially that of the cross, can never be decoded. It has to be taken “wholesomely,” that is, in the very measure with which God shares it. Paul points to himself as a perfect example. Is he not a scribe? Is he not a philosopher? Is he not an expert in rhetoric? (cf. I Corinthians 1:20). But it was not because of his training or wisdom that God deigned him to share in the wisdom of God. Rather, it was because he made himself  foolish before the Lord. In the same manner, he/she who wants to share in the mystery of God must rid the self of any and all boasting. Even with all their philosophy and Gnostic background, they cannot provide answers to everything.