The Word of the Cross

The Word of the Cross!

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

What is the gospel of Jesus Christ?

You would think that this question would be completely unnecessary to ever ask a group of Christians.

It would be like asking a group of carpenters to tell you what is a hammer?

After all, the gospel Jesus Christ stands at the very center of Christianity, and we Christians claim to be about the gospel above all else!

The gospel is what we say we live our lives for, the gospel is what we claim that our churches are build upon, the gospel is what we are call to proclaim to an unbelieving world daily, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ above all else!

But what does it mean when we do not have a firm grasp on what the content of the gospel really is? How can we teach what we do not know! How can we lead the way to where we have not gone? How can we proclaim that our lives are about the gospel above all else?

A scrawny gospel, a skinny gospel, a starved gospel, leads to a scrawny worship, a skinny worship and a starved worship of a Holy God. It lowers our eyes from a great God and gives worship to a gaunt and graceless self-centered existence; that cheapens what God has accomplished for us in Christ Jesus. The true biblical gospel, by contrast, is like fuel in the furnace of worship. The more you understand about it, believe it, and rely of it, the more you come to adore God both for who He is and for what He has done for us in Christ Jesus. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a blunt and bold message, it’s a simple and severe message, and it’s a sturdy and substantial message. It is a message that intrudes into the world’s petty thinking, a message that intrudes into the world’s priorities, and a message that intrudes into the world’s principles.

So, pastor what is the gospel of Jesus Christ and where to we go to find it? Well, one of the best places to go to find the gospel is the Word of God. Paul’s letter to the Romans is perhaps more clearly depicts the gospel than any other book of the Bible. It contains a deliberate, step-by-step expression of what Paul understood to the good news. In Romans Paul introduces his message and himself in such a systematic, step-by- step way, which serves to seal the gospel in our spirit. He begins in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” From this verse, throughout the first four chapters of Romans, Paul explains the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ in wonderful detail. Paul does this by painting a picture of the gospel on the canvas of four basic principles. (1) God, (2) Man, (3) Christ, and (4) Our response.

First, Paul tells us that it is God to whom we are accountable. After his introductory remarks in Romans 1:1-7, Paul begins his presentation of the gospel by declaring that “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. - Romans 1:18. What does this mean pastor? Well the one who created us, the one that owns us, the one that we owe everything to, is angry with us.

Why? Because all of us have sinned and fallen short of His glory, all of us have lied, cheated, and stole and dishonored Him and all of us have denied Him gone our own way.

All of humanity has sought not to adore and offer praise to Him but we have sought to become autonomous. What is autonomy? Let’s break it down, auto, means self-driven, and nomos, means law. So autonomy means becoming a law driven by one’s self, accountable only to one’ self. But God says we are accountable to His law. We did not create ourselves and we are not self-reliant, nor self-accountable. God created us and has the right to demand that we worship Him. Romans 1:21, For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

So Paul tells us that we have sinned by not honoring or being thankful to God and not acknowledging His authority over us.

Secondly, Paul speaks to us about ourselves, (Mankind). Paul tells us that we have rebelled against God. That we have not honored God and given thanks to Him as we should, instead we have. Romans 1:22-23, 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Is this not a revolting charge against us, for any human being made in the image of God to decide to give their worship to wooden or metal images instead of God? For us to say that the idols of our lives are more valuable to us than the one who created us!

For the next three chapters Paul presses this point.

Romans 2:1, Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. Paul is saying you Jews are just like the Gentiles and have broken God’s laws and are under judgment. Romans 3:9-12 takes if further, 9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

Now, strictly speaking the first two points of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ are in fact pretty bad news. God is angry with us and we deserved His anger because we have rebelled against Him.

Thirdly, Paul speaks to us about Christ. Now Paul tells us that God has a solution to our sin problem, it’s the sacrificial death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Having laid out the bad news of our predicament we face as sinners before a righteous God, Paul turns now to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:21-22, 21 “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction.”

In other words, there is a way for human beings to be counted righteous before God instead of unrighteousness, or to be declared innocent instead of guilty, or to be justified instead of condemned. So how does this all happen? Look at Romans 3:24-26, 24 “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Despite our rebellion against God, and in the face of a hopeless situation, we can be justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Through Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection— because of his blood and his life— sinners may be saved from the condemnation of our sins.

But pastor exactly how is all this good news for me? How do I become included in this promised salvation?

Finally, Paul tells us that this work of Christ requires of us a response of faith. Look again at Romans 3:22, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

By responding through faith and by believing in Jesus Christ.

By trusting him and no other to save you. By understanding that Christ has done all the work needed. Rom. 4:5, And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. We can obtain forgiveness, salvation and eternal life, by calling of the name of Jesus.

Rom. 10:13, For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Let us pray . . .

The word of the cross is folly to those perishing. (v.18).

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Paul uses this phrase, the “word of the cross” to represent a clear and convicting reality in the life of a Christian believer and an unbeliever. This word here is logos and it means “word,”

John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The word of the cross is the very message of the cross. The cross during this time represented the scandalous killing of a person, the scandalous killing of an enemy of the state. The scandalous killing of an individual in which no mercy was given, no charity extended, and no grace applied. The cross was all about judgment. This is why then as well as now the cross is seen as a scandal when it is presented as the good news of the gospel. This phrase, “word of the cross” also when being used, clearly helps define and clearly helps to describe these two groups being addressed here. One group is defined as foolish and points to the fact that they are “those who are perishing.” While at the same time, this word of the cross is clearly seen by the other group, as salvation, as hope and relief.

You see to those who are being saved, the word of the cross clearly describes the very power of God. But to those who are perishing it is clearly foolishness. How can this be?

First, lets look closely at these terms, this word, folly, which is moria; it means foolishness it where we derive the word moron.

This word adopted by the American Association for the Study of the feeble-minded in 1910 along with this technical definition

“An adult with a mental age between 8 and 12; this describes an adult whose mental development was arrested at an early age and never further developed. This phrase has been used as an insult but since 1922 it was from technical use. But Paul is trying to intimate here that anyone who looks at the word of the cross as foolishness has had their true mental capacity arrested by Satan and has been blinded to the truth about Jesus Christ because they lack God’s Spirit. 1 Cor. 2:14, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

And yet there is another term that Paul wants to bring to our attention. This word "perishing," it see harmless enough, does it not.

In english the word means it means cold, inclement, and dying; but this word in the Greek language has a more distinct and detrimental understanding. The word is “apollumi” which means to ruin, to perish, to be destroyed, to cause or experience utter destruction.

And when it is metaphorically used in Scripture it describes something or someone to be given over to the eternal misery in hell for eternal punishment. Let’s walk this back, “for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing!” For the word of the cross is folly to those who are destant for hell.

It you need some further evidence look at 2 Cor. 4:1-14.

2 Cor. 4:1-4, “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Wait a second those who are perishing are also blind! How did they become blind! They have been blinded by the god of this world and through their own unbelief, they cannot see the light of the glory of the gospel which is seen clearly in the word of the cross? The word of the cross is the gospel!

1 Cor. 15:1-11, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”

This gospel is chiefly concerned about the original purpose, plan, and design of God in sending Christ into the world to die upon the cross. Well the question become this? Was it the Father God’s intent to send His Son to die on the cross to make salvation possible for everyone, but with that possibility; that His death would be effective for no one? That is, did God simply send Christ to the cross to make salvation possible, or did God, from all eternity, have a plan of salvation by which, according to the riches of His grace and His eternal election, He designed the atonement to ensure the salvation of His people?

Was the atonement limited in its original design?

I prefer not to use the term, limited atonement because it is misleading. I rather speak of definite redemption or definite atonement, which communicates that God the Father designed the work of redemption specifically with a view to providing salvation for the elect, and that Christ died for His sheep and laid down His life for those the Father had given to Him.

One of the texts that we often hear used as an objection against the idea of a definite atonement is 2 Peter 3:8–9: “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all of us should reach repentance.” The immediate antecedent of the word “any” in this passage is the word “us”, and I think it’s perfectly clear that Peter is saying that God is not willing that any of us should perish, but that all of us should come to salvation. He’s not speaking of all mankind indiscriminately; the “us” is a reference to the believing people to whom Peter is speaking. Just look at the salutation of the epistle itself, 2 Pet. 3:1, “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” Peter here is address those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours…” I don’t think we want to believe in a God who sends Christ to die on the cross and then crosses His fingers, hoping that someone will take advantage of that atoning death.

Our view of God is different. Our view is that the redemption of specific sinners was an eternal plan of God, and this plan and design was perfectly conceived and perfectly executed so that the will of God to save His people is accomplished by the atoning work of Christ.

This does not mean that a limit is placed on the value or the merit of the atonement of Jesus Christ. It’s traditional to say that the atoning work of Christ is sufficient for all. That is, its meritorious value is sufficient to cover the sins of all people, and certainly anyone who puts his or her trust in Jesus Christ will receive the full measure of the benefits of that atonement. It is also important to understand that the gospel is to be preached universally. The gospel is offered universally to all who are within earshot of the preaching of it, but it’s not universally offered in the sense that it’s offered to anyone without any conditions. It’s offered to anyone who believes. It’s offered to anyone who repents. It is offered to anyone who will place his or her faith in Christ Jesus. This was all done in the foreknowledge and the complete wisdom of God. Throughout the Scriptures we are dealing with an active tension of these two groups those who are perishing and those who are being saved.

The word of the cross is the wisdom of God. (vv. 19-21).

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

Paul’s opening salvo here is taken from Isa. 29:14, “therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

God makes us a promise here He is saying the wisdom of those who think they are wise, God will destroy (God will make their wisdom to no effect at all) and the discernment of those who feel they are discerning, God says, I will frustrate (I the Lord will defeat and place a roadblock in their way).

You see here that the words wisdom and discernment are used in an ironic and negative sense, they speak of our human intelligence being used without God’s help. God is going to prevent plans made by mankind in this sense. So, the question here becomes why O’ Lord will you do all this? Look at what

, says “And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.”

“Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.”

Outward worship offends God if it is a way of evading God at a deeper level; when it’s foundation is not built on a true inner worship.

God will not be set aside and God is not mocked. God promises to do wonderful things (i.e., miraculous works) for His people that will challenge even the intellect of those who think they are wise.

Human cleverness that places it self before God really disregards God. God will use His overruling power to accomplishing His own purposes. God will overrule those whom promote a Godless beginning. God will overrule those whom try to pit science against omniscience. God will overrule those whom contrast their our strength against His omnipotence.

God will overrule those whom have an improper image of His Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the way we must see Christ Jesus our Lord!

Col. 1:15-20, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Paul now asks three rhetorical questions. (1) “Where is the one who is wise?” This wise man refers to the Greek philosopher’s of Paul’s day. These people are the ones who had great knowledge and were highly respected. (2) Where is the scribe? The word, “Scribe” refers to the Jewish teachers of the Law. These were people whom had a deep understanding of the Law and could explain it to others. Yet, they themselves lacked the true depth of understanding that they professed and should have possessed. Look at John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”

(3) Where is the debater of this age? Debater refers to people who were skilled in arguing or discussing points of differences with others. This phrase “of this age” really refers to all three here, of this age, aion, or of this kosmos, of this world. God's understanding of wisdom and this age comes from an eternal view.

“Has not God make foolish the wisdom of this world?”

1 Cor. 2:6-7, “Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”

1 Cor. 3:18-20, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

Now for me the question becomes is this intentional or is it accidental?

I think these next verses shed some light on this question.

1 Cor. 1: 21, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, if pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” Because in the full council of God’s wisdom, God has decided that those who come to Him will not come because of their on intellect but through His initiative, John 15:16-17, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

The text says that it pleased God to do it this way. The word here is “eudokeo” which means to determine, resolve, to be well pleased, and to delight in. Paul is saying here that God delights in this method. That God has chosen through the foolish of preaching to save those who believe. 1 Cor. 1:27-31, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Let’s look at what Jesus Himself says in the gospel of Matthew.

Matt. 11:25-30, “At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

So, we see that without a shadow of a doubt the folly of preaching is entirely intentional and part of God’s plan. No one through their own intellect or knowledge devoid of the calling and direction of the Holy Spirit ever comes to a saving knowledge of God. Only the saving knowledge of God comes through the agency of the Holy Spirit and being born again. John 3:3, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Titus 3:3-7, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

The word of the cross is wiser and stronger than the wisdom of men. (vv. 22-25).

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom… The sin of unbelief is a deadly sin; the sin of unbelief is sin that is cloaked in skepticism while being truly clothed in self-denial.

Rom. 1:18-19, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.”

Unbelief is a dangerous thing; it sets the stage for our disobedience and our disregarding who God is and God’s agenda for our lives.

Again we see the two groups here, but two groups who represent all of humanity. Jews represent all those whom are Jewish and Greeks represent the rest of humanity. Now out of those two groups there are still other two groups, those whom are perishing and those whom are being saved; they are contrasted against one another. Jews, could not envision the whole concept of a “crucified Messiah, this to them was a major problem.

The Messiah was coming to earth in power and splendor and would establish an earthly throne and kingdom. Clear passages as Ps. 22 and Isa. 53 were disregard because they did not meet the preconceived notion and understanding of the Messiah whom they were awaiting. As the text teaches us Jews demands signs, they wanted supernatural signs before they would believe the gospel. Yet, the preponderance of Scripture teaches us that they has seen, and received more than enough signs from Jesus to believe in Him fully if this was their only criterion. Jesus seems to agreed with this assessment when He says this in Matt. 12:39-40, “But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

The Jew’s desire as well as our desire for signs can be an evasive effort based on our unbelief, an excuse for our unbelief, and an explanation for our unbelief.

Jesus often performed miracle after miracle in the heartland of Judaism, many of them publicly. Yet, they still refused to believe the clear signs of His Messiahship. I do not have the right to set the standards of my own understanding of what is supernatural. Supernatural is that which is not of the natural world, that which relates to a deity. Now the Greeks, the Gentiles, sought after wisdom, they demanded intellectual proof. They wanted a belief that they could reason within their on minds to be true.

They desired to be persuaded using a rational argument from an internal perspective, something that was self-contained and self-generating; something from within. They had no interest in seeking out an eternal truth, a truth that is timeless, unchanging, one that comes from God. Greeks believed that all matter was evil and that everything spiritual was good. It was for them inconceivable that a god could come to earth as a man. As Christians we are called to believe in the supernatural as well as being fully steeped in the rational. For the God we serve and the Gospel that has saved us is both supernatural and sensible at the same time.

Next Paul calls us to see that these same two groups further define what is the basis of their unbelief.

“But we preach Christ crucified a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Let’s start with the understanding that the preaching of the gospel is a stumbling block for Jews and foolishness for Gentiles.

The preaching of Christ crucified is the preaching of the gospel.

1 Cor. 2:1-5, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Paul avoided Greek rhetoric and focused on the message of the cross, the word of the cross, so that the Corinthians would put their faith in Christ who was crucified rather than in the ability of human messengers.

Mere intellectual persuasion might superficially convince but it cannot supernaturally save people. Saving faith is produced by the heart-changing power of the Holy Spirit as the gospel is proclaimed.

The message of the cross, the gospel is a stumbling block for Jews. What does this mean? This phrase “stumbling block” is the word skandalon [skon-Da-lone]. A “skon-da-lon” was a stick, it was used causes an animal to stumble over, and then cause the trap to shut and thereby catch the animal. Another definition says this; {skon-da-lon} it is a temptation to sin, or enticement to apostasy.

This same gospel to Greeks is foolishness, nonsense, that which displays a senseless act of thinking. Paul understood that the only true sign that people should heed was the preaching of Christ and Him crucified. Those who will not believe this sign or accept God the Father will also not accept His wisdom. The message of Christ and Him crucified speaks of a loving God who seeks to reconcile with a lost humanity, which is willing lost because of their sin. Lost without direction, lost without the one definite plan that can reunite them with their Creator. God because of His love for us sends such a plan in the God- man, named Jesus Christ. Who lived a perfect life and fulfilled all righteous, paid our sin debt on the cross and transfer His righteous to our own lives that we might become the righteous of God. Then God the Father raised Him from the dead in order to raise us to a new redeemed life in Him.

But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Here once again Paul uses the terms Jews and Greeks to represent all believing humanity. But do not miss the good news, clearly seen in this passage. God is able and God has called from both the naturally sinful, naturally self-willed, and those who are naturally dull in sight and thought. Dulled through their intellect to come to God through Jesus Christ and become saved. Because Christ is the power of God and Christ is the very wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

When Paul speaks of God’s foolishness and weakness the apostle is, of course, speaking from the unbeliever’s point of view. Ironically, and tragically, the very part of God’s plan and work that seems more ridiculous and useless from man’s natural standpoint actually exhibits His greatest power and His greatest wisdom. Paul is also saying that, even if God could possess any sort of foolishness, it would be wiser that man’s greatest wisdom. And even if God were able to have any weakness, it would be stronger than the greatest strength any man could muster.

God’s power and wisdom is real power and real wisdom; this means it accomplishes all that God has set it out to do. It is the power of salvation from sin, the power that delivers us from the chains of Satan; it is the wisdom that leads us to God through our Savior Christ Jesus.