Consider these questions as you dwell in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25:

1. How does Paul explain the contrast between the perception of the cross for those who are perishing and those who are being saved? What significance does he place on understanding the message of the cross?

2. Paul highlights the divergent expectations of Jews and Greeks regarding signs and wisdom, respectively. How does he subvert these expectations by emphasizing Christ crucified? Why might this message be challenging for both groups to accept?

3. Paul asserts that the wisdom and strength of God, even in their "weakest" form, surpass human comprehension and capability. How does this understanding inform our approach to sharing the gospel? What does it mean for believers to trust in the power and wisdom of God, especially in the face of worldly perspectives?

Transcript:

This is an amazing passage, an important one for us to understand. Look at how we started out today. 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. Think about that.  You know, if you do not understand the cross, it's going to be foolish to you.

Wait a second. You're saying, you’re saying that God took on human flesh and suffered and died and was humiliated.  And this is how you're saved? That's just going to seem off to somebody who is perishing. But to those of us who understand, those of us who have been given the gift of faith by the Holy Spirit, we're going to understand that this message is the power of God unto salvation.

This is how we're saved. That God has taken this, uh, this foolishness to rescue his people. He's done it through weakness. He's done it in the most unbelievable way possible. And look at what Paul quotes here. He says, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.

In other words, Those who think they're wise, God is going to show that he is wiser. And those who think that they can discern, he, God will show that his discernment is greater, that his knowing how to save people is in fact better. And so we come down to verses 20 through, 22 through 25,  and we see more of this.

Now look at what it says here. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom.  So, the Jewish people were looking for some sort of miracle. They were looking for some sort of Sign from God that, that this was the way that God was working, but what do Greeks want? They want wisdom. They want to be able to sit down and, and argue things through and, and do these kind of things and, and have worldly wisdom.

But Paul says, you know what, we're not going to give you either of those. We're going to preach Christ crucified. And so, that's going to be a stumbling block to the Jews. Why would that be? Well, think about some of the stuff that the New Testament tells us about the message of the cross, and how it would be a problem for Jews.

Remember, the Old Testament says that anyone who is cursed who hangs on a tree, the, the ones who, um, who are hearing this message of salvation, these Jewish folks who are hearing the message of salvation are going to be like, wait, how can the Messiah, this one who's supposed to be elevated and lifted up, How is he to be crucified?

How can this possibly lead? This isn't, this isn't the way our minds expect this to work. Well, and then, for the Greeks, to give to them the idea that, that Jesus is saving people through weakness, that Jesus is saving people through the cross, that isn't earthly wisdom. And so, it's a stumbling block to the Jews.

They're going to fall right over the cross because they can't understand that God is working through the Messiah this way. And it's going to seen as foolishness to the Greeks, to the Gentiles.  But notice what Paul says, But to those who are called, So those who have received the gift of faith by the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ is the power of God and he is the wisdom of God.

And so, what do we see here? Verse 25, For the foolishness of God is wiser than men. That makes sense. God created all wisdom. We can't even begin to understand the wisdom of God.  And so, God's wisdom is going to be far greater than even the, the greatest wisdom of men. As it says here, any foolishness that God would have.

Now, now Paul isn't saying that God is foolish. The point is to have the contrast here. The, the least of what God would know as wisdom is greater than the greatest that men could know. And then what else do we have here? The weakness of God is stronger than men.  Obviously, God is all powerful. The, the weakest God could possibly be, and again, he can't be weak, But it's still going to be stronger than men.

People cannot come close to the awesomeness of God.  So, this is what Paul is driving home here. Stick with what God has given you in the message of the cross. Proclaim Christ and Him crucified, because regardless of what people think, it is the message that is of salvation. And so, when we hear it, when we believe it by faith, the Spirit works in us, and we are saved.

This is the way that God has chosen to work. He has made the wisdom of the world look foolish through the cross. And that is the hope that we have, that God's wisdom is greater than ours, and that his strength is greater than ours, and it's the only hope we got, this, this message of Christ and him crucified.

And so may, as we, may we today, as we think about this passage, may we remember that  it's our job to proclaim Christ and Him crucified. You know, we often think that we have to take the gospel and gussy it up a little bit, right? We need to polish a little bit here. We need to clean it up a little bit. But Paul's saying people are either going to fall over it or they're going to think it's foolish.

What they need is they need to be called. They need the Holy Spirit to work. And so, it's not our job to polish it up. It's our job to proclaim it. Proclaim Christ and Him crucified. And trust that the Spirit will bring people to faith. Just as we have been brought to faith by hearing the Gospel and believing.

And so, may we go out today. And may we be faithful to that message. Trusting that the Spirit will be at work.