"The Message of the Cross"

1 Corinthians 1:18–31 CSB

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent. Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence. It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption —in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

It will help us understand the section that follows if we remember that the Corinthians, being Greeks, were lovers of human wisdom! They regarded their philosophers as NATIONAL HEROES.

Some of that spirit had apparently crept into the church at Corinth. There were those who desired to make the Gospel more ACCEPTABLE to the INTELLIGENTSIA – they wanted to intellectualize the message.

This was apparently one of the issues that was causing people to form parties around human leaders.

Efforts to make the Gospel more acceptable are completely misguided! (1:17, 23)

There is a VAST DIFFERENCE between God’s wisdom & man’s wisdom, and there is no use trying to RECONCILE THEM!

Isaiah 55:8–11 CSB

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

It is the height of ARROGANCE to think we can figure out or explain God!

IN OUR PASSAGE this morning, Paul shows the folly of exalting men by showing the TRUE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS!

This is the theme of (1:18 to 3:4). This morning we will look at (1:18-31)

I. The MESSAGE of the CROSS is the OPPOSITE of ALL that MEN CONSIDER to be TRUE WISDOM! – (1:18-25)

(v.18a) – “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…”

Barnes - “The death on the cross was associated with the idea of all that is shameful and dishonorable; and to speak of salvation only by the sufferings and death of a crucified man was fitted to excite in their bosoms only unmingled scorn.”

The Greeks were lovers of wisdom (literal meaning of “philosophers”).

There was NOTHING in the gospel message to appeal to the pride of knowledge!

(v.18b) – “…but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.”

Romans 1:16–17 CSB

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

NOTE, according to this verse, there are only two classes of people—those who are PERISHING, and those who are BEING SAVED!

THAT IS OFFENSIVE to people! Human wisdom says, “If I’m going to heaven, I must earn my salvation!” God’s wisdom sets aside efforts to save self and presents Christ as the only way!

This was all PROPHESIED by God – (v.19) – (Isaiah 29:9-21)

Worship of God is not to be some intellectual exercise performed on Sundays by a group of people, who in their own wisdom, have ‘figured out’ God!

(v.20) – Paul calls on three people to bear witness: the wise (the expert), the teacher (the interpreter & writer), and the debater (philosopher).

He is asking them one question: “Through all your studies of human wisdom, through all your knowledge of the human heart, have you come to know God in a personal way?”

(v.21a) – The answer is NO – “…the world did not know God through wisdom,”

Does the Gospel message make sense (from a human point of view)? No way…Some guy dies on a cross as a criminal and I get to do to heaven?

From a human viewpoint that’s ridiculous. I like the fact that God doesn’t hide it!

The Greek word for ‘foolish’ in these verses is μωρίας and μωρίαν, from which we get the English, ‘moron,’ which, according to Webster means, ‘dumb or stupid.’

Isn’t the HONESTY of the Bible REFRESHING?

We shouldn’t try to make the message of the cross more appealing, or more reasonable. We need to tell it like it is (with JOY)!

(vv. 21b-24)

Next time you’re witnessing, say, “Hey friend, do you want to hear the craziest thing (moronic thing) in the world? I’m not going to give you any miraculous signs, and this will make no sense intellectually, but it’s the dead on truth. And by the way, if you don’t believe, you will stand condemned for all eternity!”

YOU may be thinking, “How in the world will anyone believe that?”

Aside from the fact that most of us in this room have already believed that message, God was demonstrating something else: (v.25)

False religion is that it centers on man’s WORKS—on man’s WISDOM!

This foolish message (presented with weakness) has the power to change a person’s life!

This brings us to Paul’s next point:

II. The PEOPLE of the CROSS (the CALLED) are not always the SHARPEST KNIVES in the DRAWER! – (1:26-31)

(vv.26-27) – NOTICE Paul’s description of what one writer calls, “God’s five-ranked army of fools”:

1. Not many WISE!

2. Not many POWERFUL/INFLUENTIAL!

3. Not many NOBLE!

4. The chosen FOOLISH THINGS! – ‘…τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου’

5. The chosen WEAK THINGS! – ‘ἀσθενῆ’ – ‘without strength’

As if our self-esteem were not already destroyed this morning, Paul adds three more characteristics in (v.28)

1. The BASE (lowly)

2. The DESPISED (rejected)

3. The things that are not—the NOTHINGS (no value)

Why would God do it this way? TWO REASONS:

1. (v.29) – When you stand before God in heaven, you’ll be there, not because you deserved it, but because you trusted in Jesus!

2. (v.30) – Possessing Christ, we POCESS ALL!

· Righteousness – takes care of past sin!

· Sanctification – you have been ‘set apart, made holy’ for present service!

· Redemption – you have been ‘bought back, redeemed’ guaranteeing your future!

What more could we need? NOTHING – (v.31)