Exploring Corinthians #2

How Crazy Are You?

Set the stage:

Between 49-52 AD The Apostle Paul started the church at Corinth during the exile of the Jews from Rome. It was Paul’s 2nd missionary journey.

Paul

Sometime during 52-55 AD Paul leaves Corinth and starts his 3rd missionary Journey. He is residing in Ephesus when he pens the Letters to Corinth.

The Letters to Corinth were actually penned before Romans.

In fact some of the Jews that Paul wrote to in Romans were actually at Corinth when they recieved his letters there.

So Paul

Last week we discussed and we see that Paul:

Reminded the church of his own calling and Apostleship.

He gave them a formal greeting and gave them an attaboy to build them up.

It’s always good practice to build someone up before you go tearing them down.

He reminds them of God’s Faithfulness

He deals with the rumors of contentions

Then we ended on Corinthians 1:17

Last week we ended on:

Last week we ended on:

Let’s Pick up where we left off:

1 Corinthians 1:17 NKJV

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

last week

I wasn’t sent to baptize

I was sent to preach the gospel

I wasn’t called to preach with wisdom of words

Wisdom isn’t a bad thing

Solomon asked and God granted because it was a noble request.

James 1:5 NKJV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

So why did Paul speak of wisdom of as a bad thing?

Lest the Cross be made of no effect.

How can Wisdom make the Cross of no effect?

When it rationalizes the cross

When it says the cross isn’t necessary.

When it suggest that the cross was just a metaphor.

Paul continues to speak on the subject of wisdom and foolishness for quit a while. In fact he speaks on this subject all the way through chapter 4 verse 13 and then mentions it numerous times throughout his letter.

So way was this so important to Paul?

You see Paul was a highly educated person, yet all his wisdom and knowledge couldn’t save him.

Paul knew that if we wanted a right relationship with God we had to throw logic and reason out of the window. Our Logic and Reason, that is.

Let’s dive into what Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 1:18–20 NKJV

18 For 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. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

Are you a wise guy or gal?

If so then by what standard are you wise?

For God has made the wisdom of this world into foolishness.

I scrolled through Facebook today just to see what was going on in the world and to be honest I am quit disgusted tonight.

I saw sexual immorality, pride-fullness, hate, murder, rage, sacrilege and even out right blasphemy.

My heart is heavy tonight due to the overall condition of our nation.

Isaw

I witnessed as people through logic and reason out the window but not the logic or reason that they should discard.

People refused all forms of truth and evidence because of their own opinions.

If these people are

Teachers and professors of well known universities were among these deranged individuals that refused to listen to the wisdom of Gods word.

People pay lots of money to have their kids taught to ignore the evidence of scripture.

Here’s the truth of the matter:

If the wisdom of this world says that the virgin birth is crazy…then call the paddy-wagon

If the miracles that Jesus and his disciples are impossible and only idiots would believe such fairy-tales and nonsense then call me crazy

If Jesus dying on a cross because he so loved even a wretch like me is ridiculous then call me crazy but give me that Christ.

If believing that Jesus defeated death hell and the grave and was raised to life in physical form and is now ascended to the right hand of the Father is outrageous then call me crazy but give me Jesus.

As long as we keep waiting on somebody to do something to change the world, we will never become the BODY to do THE THINGS that turn the world upside down with the message of the cross of Jesus Christ.

We need a holy disgust for the things that disgust God once more.

We can’t keep celebrating sin and expect it to go away.

1 Corinthians 1:2

1 Corinthians 1:21–25 NKJV

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 NKJV

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1:26-31