Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Do you ever feel like a fool for believing the Bible?

Context

1.

The Word of the Cross is foolishness (v.18)

The Cross seems like losing

Worldly wisdom would say, “The Hero wouldn’t die.”

2. God’s War on (Worldly) Wisdom (vv.19-20)

Announcement of War

Mr. T, “I pity the fool.”

“FOR It stands written, ‘

Quoted from...

​ ESV, “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.”

Context of the Quote:

​The Lutheran Study Bible (Notes) Chapter 29In Isaiah’s day—when faced with the approaching Assyrian army—the common wisdom was to form an alliance with Egypt (30:1–3), to rely on their horses, the multitude of their chariots, and in the great strength of their horsemen (31:1).

​The Interpretation of St. Paul’s First and Second Epistles to the Corinthians II.

The Foolishness of Preaching the Cross of Christ, 1:18–31In the days of King Hezekiah, God declares in regard to the political cunning and the secret, tricky plans of this king’s advisers, by which they hoped to escape the Assyrian danger, that he would deal wondrously with his people by at last saving it by his own great deeds so that the wisdom of the wise would perish and be forced to hide itself.

The War Taunt

;

Where is the one who is wise?

Where is the scribe?

Where is the debator of this age?

(the Greek philosophers)

Transition: Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

There is no answer.

They have all been made fools.

How have they been shown to be foolish?

3. Which side is right?

(vv.21-

1 Cor.

1:21

Evidence that God’s way is right: The side that wins

The proof is in the pudding.

PART ONE: The World failed the know God by their wisdom

IN the wisdom of God (in other words, even though the world has been surrounded by the evidence of God’s wisdom) the world still denies His existence…

The watch & the watchmaker

Those who suppress the truth which is evident to all mankind do so to their own demise

Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, etc.

All this substance of divine wisdom lay before the world of men (ὁ κόσμος) and normally should have had the effect that they should know the true God who was thus gloriously revealed, .

But the very opposite resulted, , etc.

The astronomer gazes at the miracle of the stars for years and then tells us with an air of finality that he has found no God.