Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Reading of Scripture

This is God’s Word, Amen.

Pray

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 “We Preach Christ Crucified”

II.

Introduction

The title for this message is the confession of verse 23: “We preach Christ crucified.”

If we were to take each word of that confession alone, and meditate on one word for a time, we would have a worthwhile and enriching study.

“WE preach Christ crucified.”

“We” - who is the “we”?

Paul and Sosthenes.

Little is revealed about Sosthenes in the Scriptures, but much is revealed about Paul, whom God used to write much of the New Testament.

As we study, we would learn that Paul, “called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus” (1:1) had reason to put confidence in his flesh.

He had reason to trust in his human experience to preach the Gospel message that Jesus sent him to preach.

Paul was humanly capable and able.

In Acts 22:3, Paul says this to a crowd gathered in Jerusalem:

In Philippians 3, Paul says this —

If a person could be saved from sin and brought into right relationship with God through human experience, then Paul would be saved that way.

He was educated.

A Hebrew of Hebrews.

He had the power in his flesh to go at his mission alone, to boast in himself, to gain a following of people and make a name for himself.

Yet, he asks the church in Corinth this revealing question —

“Was Paul crucified for you?

Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

[…]

If Paul becomes powerful, the cross becomes emptied.

If Paul becomes emptied, the cross becomes powerful.

And so it is, brothers and sisters, that there is only room for one power.

There is only room for one glory.

There is only room for one object of boasting.

If we make much of ourselves, then we cannot at the same time make much of God and his redeeming work.

God does not share his glory that way.

For the power of God to become known, the work must be God’s — and God’s alone!

Paul says to the church in Corinth —

“We PREACH Christ crucified.”

The second word, the verb, the present action, is “preach.”

Paul was not sent to baptize, but to preach.

The Holy Spirit of God validates preaching.

The power of God is accompanied by preaching.

Faith finds rest in the object of preaching.

“We PREACH Christ crucified.”

That word “preach” means to proclaim aloud (BDAG).

The message that is preached is not something that is kept to oneself.

It is not hidden away and kept quiet.

It is publically announced!

It is proclaimed aloud!

And what is the message that Paul and his companion preach?

“We preach CHRIST crucified.”

Christ — [Χριστός ], the Greek translation of the Hebrew and Aramaic word “Messiah” (LN).

This is the “Anointed One” (BDAG) - the Deliverer, the Savior.

This is Jesus!

This name “Christ” locates the message of preaching not ONLY to the present moment in time, but to all of God’s promises and work throughout his dealings with humanity in history.

Said another way - preaching Christ is not a message only concerned with the here and now.

It is much more comprehensive and glorious than this fleeting moment in time!

Christ is the fulfilment of God’s promise to redeem His people - to save them from their sins - a work God began in Christ before the foundation of the world, has performed in Christ through His life, death, burial and resurrection, and it is a work God will bring to completion in Christ in a soon coming day when all will bow the knee before Him and confess Him as Lord of all!

Preaching Christ brings all of salvation history into view — past, present, and future.

The message that we preach is the whole counsel of God, not just the New Testament, but the whole Word of God - beginning to end.

It is all about Christ!

"We preach Christ CRUCIFIED.”

“We preach Christ - hung on a tree.”

It is at precisely this point of the message that there becomes a problem for some hearers.

I imagine a mixed audience in Paul’s day listening in agreement, thinking something like this —

We have no problem with the “we.”

Multiple people preach this message.

This is good.

This i not just a lone-ranger, fanatic, crazy person teaching us crazy things.

If Paul is crazy, then they all are crazy because it is not just Paul preaching this.

There is credibility in multiple preachers.

We have no problem with preaching.

“Proclaim your message!

We like the conviction.

Perhaps we may be persuaded?

Perhaps we will obey your message.”

We have no problem with preaching Christ.

“We believe the Old Testament.

We believe that God will send a Messiah, a Savior of the world.

We look forward to that!

And you just said “Christ,” Paul.

You didn’t say “Jesus.”

You didn’t tell us who “Christ” is.

You only said that there is a Christ, an Anointed One, whom you preach.

We are listening.

We are in agreement.

Ya’ll keep preaching Christ.”

But then comes the word, the descriptor, the qualifier that makes all the difference.

We are not just preaching Christ.

We are preaching Christ crucified.

That word “crucified” makes all the difference for those who believe, and those who do not.

We can preach Christ all we want to, but if we don’t preach the CROSS of Christ we are not preaching the Christ of God, or the power and wisdom of God.

That word “crucified” is very difficult for many people to accept.

According to verse 23, it is “a stumbling block to Jews.”

To the Jews, the people of God who were given all the promises of God, and the oracles of God, and the history of God - they are walking along fine until mention of the cross and then they trip.

They stumble over the cross.

The word “stumbling block” is the word [ σκάνδαλον ].

Do you hear the word “scandal?”

To the Jews, the cross is a scandal!

An outrage!

An offense!

A stain! (BDAG).

They cannot accept the Messiah of Isaiah 53 who is a suffering servant.

In the wisdom of their imaginations, they seek a sign from God to a point that they cannot see the Savior.