Stumbling over the Cross ~ 1 Corinthians 1.18-25

STUMBLING OVER THE CROSS
For the story of the cross is foolishness to those who are on the way to destruction, but it is the power of God to those who are on the way to salvation. For it stands written: ‘I will wipe out the wisdom of the wise and I will bring to nothing the cleverness of the clever.’ Where is the wise? Where is the expert in the law? Where is the man who debates about this world’s wisdom? Did not God render foolish the wisdom of this world? For when, in God’s wisdom, the world for all its wisdom did not know God, it pleased God to save those who believe by, what men would call, the foolishness of the Christian message. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks search for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ upon his cross; to the Jews, a stumbling-block, to the Greeks a thing of foolishness; but those have been called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and wisdom of God, for the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1.18-25

Good Morning!

Yes, division was a problem in the Corinthian church—not just because of the factions tied to Paul, Apollos, and Peter, but also regarding pervasive thought in the greater culture surrounding the church. What to do with the cross . . . It wasn’t just the refined and cultured Greeks who thought the salvation message ludicrous; Jews shared the same opinion, but for different reasons. They wanted a savior who would do miraculous signs and wonders in the skies. And the Jews awaited a conquering Messiah who would overthrow Rome and her tyranny of the Jews; they had no place for a suffering Messiah. And the cross? Forget about it. Their own law stated, ‘Anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse’ Deuteronomy 21.23. In defense of the Jews, ‘how could anybody put faith in an unemployed carpenter from Nazareth who died the shameful death of a common criminal?’1 No, the cross was a stumbling block to the Jews—something they just couldn’t get past. Still.

The Greeks thought the message of Jesus foolish because they believed that God was above any kind of feeling--and a suffering God, a suffering Messiah? No way. To the Greek it was foolishness to think of this little Jew, as far as they were concerned, dying as a common thief - not even able to overcome his human enemies. And besides that, the gospel message itself was just too simple, and the Christian preacher too crude and unsophisticated for them. Give them an erudite messenger with an esoteric message, and then they would have something to chew on. The message of the cross lacked complex philosophy and intellectual thinking that would appeal to the Greek mind.

Paul contrasts God’s wisdom and the wisdom of the world, showing that the wisdom of this world profited the world nothing. It does not lead anywhere, and does not give life. God’s wisdom will always be superior to man’s—it is permanent, and filled with power. It is able to do what man’s wisdom will never do. Even though ‘man is surrounded by the wisdom of God. Every time he looks at a mountain, at his hand, at the stars, or at the intricacies of nature, he sees God's wisdom (Ps. 19:1-The heavens declare the glory of God the skies proclaim the work of his hands). But he chooses to live by his own wisdom, rejects God's wisdom, and never knows God.’2

T. S. Eliot, the author who was not even a man of God, said in a poem: 'All our knowledge brings us nearer to our ignorance, and all our ignorance brings us nearer to death, but nearness to death no nearer to God, where is the life we have lost in living?' That is where the wisdom of men leads you.

It was our Lord’s brother, James, who gave an eloquent description of God’s wisdom: ‘But the wisdom from above is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.’3
My! What a very different direction to take wisdom as opposed to the wisdom of the world. Well yes, that makes sense, since Paul said that ‘Christ is the power of God and wisdom of God,’ and the attributes James uses to define God’s wisdom could all be used to describe Jesus: considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Hmmm. . . ‘tis a new standard for wisdom, isn’t it?

Grace and Peace to you this day,
Christine

podcast: www.pastorwoman.com




1 Warren Wierssbe, NT Commentary
2 John MacArthur, “The Foolishness of God”
3 James 3.17