Foolishness of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1: 18-25

18For 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. 19For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For 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. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.


The message of the cross is lost on those who are spiritually deaf, and that is the best way to explain it. They might be able to see it right in front of their eyes, yet they cannot hear it. In this part of the letter Paul is busy explaining just how foolish the wise really are when it comes to Christ, and salvation.

We all know people like this, they are sure of themselves, they can reason, they are highly educated, they pride themselves on their intelligence, and their accomplishments. They have knelt at the alter of knowledge, and placed the value of that knowledge above everything else.

The problem that arises often with all of that knowledge is the growing of self-reliance. The thought of depending on Christ, or anyone else for that matter becomes quite a reach for some. This is why Paul quotes Isaiah 29:14 The simplicity of the cross became that stumbling block so often talked about. We must remember here again, that Paul was writing to the people of the Church of Corinth, but there were many people on the outside of the Church that considered it total foolishness to believe in Christ.

Now this might seem like a hard thing to believe, but for people who puff themselves up with pride, belief in Christ is hard to imagine. How could a man, born to such low standing, be a savior? How could a man, who led a meek life, a man who was killed in such a brutal way be considered the gateway to salvation? To the wise of the time a savior was a great man, a noble man. He would have to be a man that all respected, a man of great power and influence. This man Jesus was anything but a savior…he was little more than a common man, logic dictates that he could not fill the shoes of a savior, let alone God. One only had to look at the Greek gods to get an idea of what they were looking for. Zeus, Athens, Thor. There were examples of gods, and the Greeks who were so wise, so educated, so intelligent, could not believe that a man like Jesus could be on par with these gods, let alone greater than them!

The Jews in all of their knowledge met much of the same stumbling block when it came to Christ. Over and over again they would ask Jesus for a sign that he was in fact the Messiah. Never mind all of the wonders he had already preformed, the wine, the feeding of the masses, raising Lazarus form the dead. None of theses were good enough, they still wanted something more. All of the prophecies that were fulfilled did not make any difference at all, they still wanted more.

I will continue on this tomorrow,

Peace,
Rev. Thetford