Jews And Greeks And Wisdom Series

them that perish (see 2 Cor 2:15-16)—is better stated, "them that are perishing," namely, by preferring human "wisdom of words" to the doctrine of the "cross of Christ." It is not the final state that is referred to; but, "them that are undergoing the process of perishing.” The reason men perish is simply because they stubbornly reject the only name whereby they can be saved.

2 Cor 2:15-16 (KJV) For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

foolishness;

A lot of people don’t like the preacher when he uses the cross as the subject of a sermon; and the reason they don’t like it is that it didn’t originate from man's wisdom, and man didn’t have a part in designing it or discovering it; and when it is revealed it is very disagreeable to carnal minds. They say this way of preaching is very impolite and out of fashion, and therefore it is despised; it is a doctrine which is not acceptable to the wise and highly educated. In every age it has been disliked and stigmatized as either a strange or shameful doctrine. But it is the only doctrine God has given for conversion, which gives comfort to troubled souls, and is food for the faith of believers; it contains the highest wisdom; is wiser than the wisdom of men; it has made foolish the wisdom of this world, and is the only thing able to make a man wise unto salvation; and yet this doctrine is labeled foolish by those who are perishing.

The Greek philosopher and the Jewish scribe scoffed at the thought of a Savior who had been crucified. They said publicly that his crucifixion proved that he was not divine.

To the great mass of the Jews, and to the heathen philosophers, and indeed to the majority of the men of this world, the preaching of the cross appears to them to be distasteful and foolish, or unworthy of belief. It has always been considered foolishness, for the following reasons:

(1) The humble origin of the Lord Jesus. They despised him because he lived in Nazareth, and was poor; he had no home, few friends, no wealth, and little honor among his own countrymen.

(2) They despised him because he was put to death as an impostor by his own countrymen. It was a disgraceful death, because he was crucified like a criminal.

(3) They did not see any particular usefulness in his death. They thought it was incredible for anyone to think that he could save them, when he couldn’t save himself.

(4) They were blind to the true dignity of his nature; to his power over the sick, the lame, the dying, and the dead; they don’t see the bearing of the work of atonement on the law and government of God; they did not believe in his resurrection, and his present state of exalted glory. The world looks only at the fact that the despised man of Nazareth was put to death on a cross, and smiles at the idea that such a death could have any important influence on the salvation of man. Therefore, his death on the cross was associated with the idea of all that is shameful and dishonorable; and to speak of salvation only by the sufferings and death of a crucified man, could only excite feelings of unmingled scorn.