2: The Message of the Cross (1 Cor 1:10-2:5)

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Scripture - Ps 57:7-11

Psalm 57:7–11 CSB

My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident. I will sing; I will sing praises. Wake up, my soul! Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your faithful love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches the clouds. God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth.

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Last week we begin a study through 1 Corinthians, a Church full of saints who are compromising with their sinful culture - a Beautiful Mess.

And despite the fact that this was written 2000 years ago to a totally different culture, we will see much of US in THEM. And like them, we will be challenged - individually and collectively - to be conformed into the image of Jesus.

Catch the Context: You’ll remember that how Paul began his letter, reminding these people WHO they are by reminding them of WHOSE they are.

1 Corinthians 1:1–3 (NIV)

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be His holy people [saints], together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [that includes us] —their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul reminds them of their BEAUTY - WHO they ARE in Christ Jesus. These people are the church of God in Corinth is not a building, but a BODY (1 Cor 12:27) - an “assembly” of folks who belong to Jesus.

Further, this assembly/church is sanctified - meaning, set apart for service to God, His holy people - often simply translated as “saints”.

Now Paul has to address the MESS that he has heard is going on within this church, and he must remind them of what makes them BEAUTIFUL - The Message of the Cross.

The Message of the Cross seems silly to so many in our culture. God became man and died for our sins? YEP! And today we explore why the ancient message of the Cross is so significant for followers of Jesus.

PRAY

1 Corinthians 1:10–11 (NIV)

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.

[sarcastic] I know you’ve probably never heard about divisions & quarrels happening among church folks, but it does. Sadly, much of it often happens over stuff that really doesn’t matter that much, all because we lose sight of what matters most.

Family Ranch Name Compromise

Sort of like a family from New York who bought a ranch out West, intending to raise cattle. When their friends visited and inquired about the ranch’s rather unusual name, the would be rancher replied: “Well, that’s sorta cause of a fight we had. You see, I wanted to name it the Bar-J. My wife favored Suzy-Q, one of our sons wanted the Flying-W, and the other liked the Lazy-Y. So we’re calling it the BAr-J-Suzy-Q-Flying-W-Lazy-Y.”

The friends looked around and noticed something strange about the cattle ranch, so they asked the obvious question: “But where are all your cattle?”

“Oh, yeah....well you see, we had a little problem because…none of the cows survived the branding.”

When churches fight over stuff that doesn’t matter that much, we lose sight of what matters the most.

And that’s why Paul spills most of his ink in this letter on this issue - division within the church.

Paul tells the church to agree with one another in what you say, which literally means “to speak the same”. They are to be perfectly united in mind and thought - they are to act like a TEAM.

Stephen T. Um, 1 Corinthians: The Word of the Cross, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 24.

But a team where players are speaking against coaches and fighting other players, is team that is in trouble in the locker room and on the field. A divided team won’t be a winning team for long.

And that’s exactly what concerns Paul about this church, because even though he is over 200 miles away (by boat) in Ephesus, he has heard about the divisions and quarrels in Corinth through Chloe’s household.

And of all things, this church was showing its immaturity as they argued over which Christian leader they liked the best.

1 Corinthians 1:12–13 (NIV)

What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

Some of the division going on in the church of Corinth had to do with which leaders they liked the best. Even though they brought the same gospel message, these people focused on the messenger more than the message.

Who was the better orator, philosopher, story teller, communicator, or care-giver?

Some voted for Paul, after all, he planted the church in the first place.

Others voted for Apollos - the highly educated Jewish man whom Aquila and Priscilla helped to better understand the gospel (Acts 18:24–28). And when Paul left Corinth for Ephesus, Apollos was in Corinth (1 Cor 16:12, Acts 19:1). Paul mentions Apollos multiple times in this writing: 1 Cor 1:12; 3:4–6, 22; 4:6; 16:12.

Others voted for Cephas (pr. K-fas) - Aramaic for “Peter”. It certainly seems that the Corinthian church held him in high esteem along with Paul & Apollos. Paul mentions him 3 other times in this same writing (1 Cor 3:22, 9:5, 15:5).

Others were rightly saying “I follow Christ”, but that could have consisted of those who claiming to be on the side of Jesus while not fully following what He commands. I’ve met many who abuse and distort the Scriptures while also claiming, “I believe the Bible.”

Note that of the 3 men mentioned, Paul likely would NOT have been voted in as the pastor of the Church in Corinth - the church HE started.

Evidently, many in this church were pinning their spiritual hopes on the leaders who taught and baptized them: Paul, Apollos, and likely Cephas (Simon Peter).

1 Corinthians 1:14–16 (NIV)

I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)

Last week we learned about Crispus, the former synagogue ruler who believed Paul’s teaching about Jesus and whose entire family was baptized in following Him (Acts 18:8). Paul had baptized him.

Gaius (pr. guy-us)is probably the man who hosted Paul in his own home when Paul wrote to the Roman Church (Rom 16:23).

Stephanas is mentioned later in the same letter (1 Cor 16:17).

Paul didn’t baptize many and likely had others he delegated to baptize many other people (Acts 18:8) while he was in Corinth. Side Note: WHO baptizes you isn’t nearly as important as WHY you are baptized. The Bible never prescribes who is to baptize, although it should clearly be someone who follows Jesus and has been baptized themselves.

Paul continues...

1 Corinthians 1:17–18 (NIV)

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 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.

What’s Paul’s point?

BIG TRUTH: The message of the Cross is more important than the messenger. Let’s keep the main thing…the main thing.

Many moons ago, when Steve - our former pastor, gave me the privilege of letting me teach on Sunday 50% of the time, some people didn’t like it. They liked Steve better…I LIKED STEVE BETTER TOO! Steve was and is a WONDERFUL PASTOR who cares for the sheep much better than I have. When Steve left and my position transitioned from Student Pastor to Lead Pastor, many people who liked Steve more than me, left too. That’s all water under the bridge and most of those folks and I love each other very much! But they had done the same thing that the Corinthian church had done - picked favorites - and were in danger of making the messenger more important than the MESSAGE.

Years ago, when I would have TJ or Justin teach, many of you would say, “Jackie, you better be careful, because people are going to want to hear them more than you.” My response? “No one wants them to succeed and communicate the Scriptures well more than me! I want to be their greatest cheerleaders!” When Tom Waddail has taught here, and when our future Student Pastor shows up, the same will be true because…

The message of the Cross is more important than the messenger.

What IS that MESSAGE that is foolishness to those who are perishing but the power of God to those who believe it?

Here is the entire message of the Bible in 5 words:

GOD, MAN, SIN, JESUS, JUDGEMENT.

God created MAN(kind) in His image, but we have sinned against God and marred that image. Jesus is God-in-skin who came to live a sinless life and die a sacrificial death to make payment for our sin. Judgement is coming on every person, based on what they have done with the message of the cross.

Is the Cross foolishness to you? You think you are good enough to make it to heaven…or maybe you think there is NOTHING after this life…or maybe you just think what kind of God would demand a human sacrifice for sin?

OR…Is the Cross the power of God for you? You appreciate the serious of your sin and the graciousness of God, to give His life for yours! You trust that your sin was really paid for by Jesus on the cross.

1 Corinthians 1:19–21 (NIV)

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. [* Is 29:14]

The message of the cross is certainly not in reality, foolishness, but Paul is making a sarcastic statement to shame those who think they are so wise. A crucified King is NOT the message most Jews nor Gentiles appreciated nor applauded.

1 Corinthians 1:22–23 (NIV)

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

Despite the many miracles Jesus performed, many Jews of Jesus’ day demanded more and more signs. When He fed the 5000 plus, rather than trust Him as their Messiah, many came back the next day and asked Him to do it again (Jn 6:30-31). The Greeks wanted to hear the latest wisdom being touted by the most intelligent philosophers. But instead of offering signs for the Jews and wisdom for the Gentiles, the first followers of Jesus continued to preach Christ crucified.

a stumbling block to Jews: This kind of horrific death of the Messiah was incomprehensible for Jews since 1) they believed the Messiah would take over rather than surrender Himself 2) those who were killed and hung on a tree were understood to be cursed by God (See Deut 21:22–23; cf. Gal 3:10–14)…so how could God’s Messiah be cursed by God? That made no sense to them.

When Jesus told His disciples about his upcoming death, Simon Peter pulled Jesus aside to set Him straight, because the Messiah couldn’t be killed - so he thought (Mt 16:21-23). This was a stumbling to the Jews and...

foolishness to Gentiles: Cicero, the Roman philosopher who died some 40 years before Jesus was born, called crucifixion a “most cruel and disgusting penalty.”1 Further, crucifixion was a punishment only handed out to non-Roman citizens.2 How could the Gentiles of the mighty Roman Empire bow their knee to a crucified foreigner instead of the conquering Caesar?

1 Cicero, In C. Verrem 2.5.65 (quoted in Fitzmyer [First Corinthians], 154)

2 Derek R. Brown and E. Tod Twist, 1 Corinthians, ed. John D. Barry and Douglas Mangum, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013), 1 Co 1:18–2:5.

1 Corinthians 1:22–25 (NIV)

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

So, to the unsaved Jews and Gentiles, the message of the cross of foolishness...

But to those Jews and Gentiles whom God has called and saved, the message of the Cross is the power and wisdom of God - We bask in the beauty of how our Sinless Savior took upon Himself the punishment of our sin that a Holy & Just God must judge.

Paul next phrase drips with sarcasm as he writes that the foolishness of God is wiser than the highest of human wisdom. And if God had any weakness - and He doesn’t - then the weakness of God is still stronger than the greatest of human strength.

The message of the cross transforms the lives of Jews & Gentiles who listen and respond in humility rather than bow up in pride and say, “I don’t like the version of Messiah/King”.

But as is often the case today, the most intelligent and best educated, the best looking and most athletic, the most popular and most wealthy push away from the humble message of the Cross. They struggle to simply turn from their sin and turn to Jesus rather than relying on their abilities, good looks, or wealth to determine their worth.

Rather than taking pride in what one can offer God, the humble sinner should stand in awe of what God has offered to us. Because of this, it is easier for those who aren’t the cream of the crop to respond to the message of the Cross, and Paul now offers ‘exhibit A’ and essentially holds a mirror up to their faces.

1 Corinthians 1:26–27 (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

You were…the foolish things and the weak things of the world who were used to shame the strong. Paul continues with that thought...

1 Corinthians 1:28-31 (NIV)

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

We boast in the Lord, not in our abilities & trophies. We boast in the Lord, not in our leaders. We brag on Jesus and what He has done for us!

N.T. Wright says: “The Christian good news is all about God dying on a rubbish-heap at the wrong end of the Empire...It’s all about the true God confronting the world of posturing, power and prestige, and overthrowing it in order to set up his own kingdom, a kingdom in which the weak and the foolish find themselves just as welcome as the strong and the wise, if not more so.” 1 Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 13.

For ‘exhibit B’ could point to his own life - how the story of a Paul’s past 'wisdom’ was overpowered by God’s wisdom. Paul was trained under one of the most elite Jewish rabbis who ever lived - Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). This young, intelligent Jewish Pharisee was prestigious and tenacious among his peers. But then Paul in all his human wisdom - while on the hunt to arrest Jesus followers - was confronted by the risen Jesus. This intellectual giant was cut down to size by the Savior he used to slander, and Paul began to carry the message of the crucified, risen Jesus - to others - both Jews & Gentiles (Acts 22:4-21).

And everywhere Paul went, his point was crystal clear...

BIG TRUTH: The message of the Cross is more important than the messenger.

Because of that, Paul didn’t enter Corinth with flashy philosophical formulas, but with the simple message of his crucified and risen King.

1 Corinthians 2:1–3 (NIV)

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (NIV)

I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

This doesn’t mean that Paul wasn’t trying to persuade these folks, but that his hope was in the Spirit’s power to deal with human hearts through the message of the Cross, Jesus the Messiah - crucified for our sins.

Instead of trying to compete with the newest philosophies being introduced in Corinth, Paul was sticking to the Gospel message - GOD, MAN, SIN, JESUS, JUDGEMENT…and trusting the Spirit’s power to deal with their hearts.

And that’s what WE should do too. This doesn’t mean we never try to answer questions non-Christians have nor does it mean we shouldn’t prepare to have Gospel conversations with others.

Some people misuse the passage when Jesus tells the disciples not to worry about what they will say when they stand before rulers to share the message of the Cross (Luke 21:12–15), but we must remember that these guys have been training with Jesus for at least 3 years! Jesus’ point, and the point we should receive, is this…the Holy Spirit would give THEM and can give US His wisdom as we share the message of the Cross. But we must never forget, that WE are the stars of the story. We aren’t the ONE who convicts people of their sin and need for a Savior. We aren’t the ONE who changes and transforms hearts. There is FREEDOM in knowing that!

May we lean and trust in the message of the CROSS - we have been forgiven! And…may we ask God to use us to share the message of the Cross, always remembering that...

BIG TRUTH: The message of the Cross is more important than the messenger.

Have YOU responded to the message of the Cross?

John MacArthur writes these words: “When human wisdom recognizes its own bankruptcy and a man turns in faith to Jesus Christ, whose saving work is the message preached, he [she] can exchange poverty for riches, sin for righteousness, despair for hope, death for life.” John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), 44.

If you want to talk more about that, please call YOUR STAFF

or YOUR DEACONS.

What’s that LOOK like?

This week I know of a couple who sat down to ask questions and BAPTISM.

I know of another lady, just a couple of weeks ago - who has been talking with folks for months about the claims of Jesus - and she just surrendered her life to Jesus - and had Communion for the 1st time - ever!

And just this week, a growing Christian man asked a more mature Christian to sit down to lunch to talk with his friend…who is an atheist!

Those are just a few of the stories going on around here and through our folks. So…make the phone call! Pull a Christian aside and ask your questions!

PRAY & Music

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discussionquestions Take some time to discuss these questions with your family, friends, or group.

What challenged or encouraged you most from today’s teaching? Explain your answer.

Read 1 Cor 1:10-13. Why is it important that there are no divisions among people in the Church? What’s are some of the dangers in choosing favorite leaders in our church? What are some other issue we must be careful to not allow us to divide over?

Read 1 Cor 1:18-25.Why is the message of the Cross foolishness to those who are perishing while it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved? Why do you think that so many people struggle to believe the simple Gospel message of GOD, MAN, SIN, JESUS, & JUDGEMENT?

Read 1 Cor 1:26-31. Why is it that people who are not as wise, influential, or noble are more likely to respond to the Gospel? What does it mean to “boast in the Lord”? Let’s take a few minutes and do that…brag on Jesus for WHO He is and WHAT He has done in your life.

Read 1 Cor 2:1-5. Paul is certainly not saying he wasn’t trying to be persuasive and his writings make clear that he was very wise and communicated deep, difficult, wise teachings (in fact, 2 Cor 2:6 begins talking about “a message of wisdom to the mature”). In light of the Corinthians desire for newest philosophies, why was Paul stressing the message of the Cross over “wise and persuasive words”? While Christians should prepare to answer questions that non-Christians ask, how might we keep coming back to the message of the Cross? Take a moment and have someone role-play taking the talk in a different direction (i.e. “So, how old do you believe the universe is”), while YOU bring it back to the message of the Cross. How does it encourage you to know that the Holy Spirit of God can do what you can’t do - He can deal with people at the heart level to convict of sin and see the need for the Savior?

PRAY for God to give you an opportunity to share the message of the Cross with others this week. Consider praying for individuals who need to know and follow Jesus.

Share other prayer needs. Continue to pray for the Supreme Court decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade. Pray for our governing leaders and spiritual leaders. Pray for Ukraine.