Introduction
We return to our letter this morning. Paul has been addressing the matter of divisions in the church (v. 10). It was bad enough that they were identifying themselves under the names of church leaders, but even worse was that Christ was being treated as just another leader with these men. Paul is shocked at the suggestion that they should be placed on the same level as Christ: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (v. 13). He closes his reprimand with verse 17: For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Our text develops the latter half of his statement: to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. Paul presents his job description – preach the gospel. He also indicates the content of the gospel and the rationale for his methodology. That content is the work and message of the cross, which he not merely acknowledges, but even boasts, is a foolish message to the world. Indeed, he seems to revel in the folly that encompasses the gospel. Verses 18-25 present the folly of the cross; verses 26-31 the folly of the church; and 2:1-5 the folly of preaching. This morning we will consider the cross.
Text
Paul says in verse 17 that his job is to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. According to him, the gospel is about the cross, i.e. the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He indicates, furthermore, that the message of the cross contradicts human wisdom, so much so that to cloak it with what passes for eloquent wisdom is to empty it of its power.
In verse 18 he explains he means: 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. Here is Paul’s thesis. The effect of the message of the cross ultimately resides not in the ability of the preacher (in this case, Paul) to present it well, nor in the intellectual level of the hearer, but in the hearer’s status with God. We will consider more fully the preacher and the hearer in the next two sermons. Our text would have us focus now on the message itself and the status of those who hear.
That phrase in verse 17 – eloquent wisdom¬ – is literally “wisdom of logos, i.e. word.” The “word of the cross” in verse 18 is the “logos of the cross.” Do you see what Paul is doing? Against the word of man’s wisdom stands the word of the cross which represents God’s wisdom. To those who are perishing, who are enmeshed in the thinking of the world, yes, the cross is folly; but to those who are being saved, who are given the mind of God, the cross is the epitome of God’s power. For in the message of the cross is the power to save.
He quotes from Isaiah 19:12 to emphasize this power of the cross over natural wisdom.
19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
What he does next is something that would impress modern football and basketball players. Paul becomes a trash-talking preacher for God! 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
You think you wise? Hey, you scribe, you think you smart? Where’s that smooth talking debater? You ready to tangle with God? You think you guys got some wisdom? Man, my God has made your wisdom look the plain stupid that it is!
First of all, in all your wisdom you have not been able to figure out God: 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom. Paul could have then taken a stroll with his debaters through Corinth to the two dozen and more temples and sacred places with their idols to emphasize his point. He agrees with the point made by agnostics that the existence of so many religions and spiritual perspectives demonstrates no one has the right view of God. No argument from Paul on that matter.
Indeed, Paul contends that God planned it that way. It was in the wisdom of God that the world did not know him through its own wisdom. Why? Most likely because of our pride. We’ve talked about this in Proverbs. God cannot stand pride in us. It really irritates him. Whatever the reason, the fact of the matter is, use what wisdom we will, we will miss the mark when it comes to understanding God and having a right relationship with him.
Therefore, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. What we preach is the cross, i.e. that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins through dying on the cross. This message does not sit well with people, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. As Paul goes on to explain: 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.
The problem is the message. The cross is scandalous and foolish. How so? Paul notes that Jews demand signs. What is he referring to? For them to believe that someone is truly bringing speaking or acting for God, he must be able to demonstrate his credibility by performing some miraculous sign. This was demanded of Jesus.
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven (Matthew 16:1).
The Pharisee Nicodemus listened to Jesus because of his signs:
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2).
So why do the rest of the Jews not share Nicodemus’ view? Do they not know of his miracles? Do they not know of his resurrection? What better sign could they want? The Jews were no different than Jesus’ own disciples. The beam in their eye that kept them blind was the beam of the cross. Consider the cross from their perspective.
Their expectation of the Messiah (as was that of the disciples) was that of a conquering king who would set up the glorious kingdom of God in Israel. There certainly would not be a Roman occupation army in the territory after his coming. But instead of a king sitting on a throne, they got a prisoner hanging on a cross. That’s not power.
Furthermore, to the Jew the cross would be a sign of God’s curse, not blessing. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 reads: And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.
Paul acknowledged this fact, even having the audacity to speak of this positively in his letter to the Galatians: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (3:13). His whole discourse in Galatians would have offended Jews, for his premise is that the crucifixion of Christ delivers us from the evil effect of the law, which condemnation. Thus, it is not simply the fact of Jesus being crucified that is a scandal, but what it is intended to do – free us from earning righteousness through the law.
See how things get turned around? Paul would say that the law is the stumbling block. Trying to live it out as a means to salvation will cause you to stumble and be lost. The Jews would strongly protest. The law is the means to salvation; it is the stone upon which to build favor with God. Jesus is the stumbling block that leads God’s people astray from the law. Far from being the power to save, the cross has a dangerous power to deceive and mislead God’s people.
What about the Greeks, or Gentiles? They prized wisdom. They looked for the same thing we look for – a philosophy of life that makes sense. This may be the wisdom of the philosophers or the wisdom of the mystery religions. Whatever the case, wisdom is the means by which man discovers and acquires truth, and what they want from Paul and his Christ is teaching that appeals to their concept of higher truth. What they get instead is foolishness. Consider what they hear.
There is one God. They can handle that concept even with their multiplicity of gods and goddesses. It is a credible idea and can be made to fit in even with the other religions.
We are separated from God. That also is a credible concept. Certainly the philosophers agreed that the common mass of people have their faults.
God sent his Son to be a revelation of God and his will, and to reconcile us to him. That’s okay too. Isn’t that the way that most religions and spiritual movements get started? God gives someone a special revelation to share with everyone else as to how to get back to God. And it certainly would not have been strange to Roman and Greek ears to hear of a “Son of God” with all their children of God in their divine pantheology.
This Son of God reconciled us to God by sacrificing himself on a cross, thus atoning for our sins and making us right with God. Run that by me again. Well, over in Palestine… You mean that backwater territory that is considered a punishment for any official or soldier to be assigned to. Yes, that’s the place. Well, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified for treason, but in reality he was the Son of God incarnate who really died to save everyone throughout the world who calls on his name. That’s going to win a lot of followers!
It sounds plain silly. But not only does it sound farfetched, it is offensive as well. Consider what the cross implies about people. It says that everyone is not merely in bad shape but is offensive to God. The Jews could understand that about the Gentiles, but the Gentiles were not to please with the idea. It says that even the philosopher, even the one who has devoted his life to truth and ethics is neither good enough nor capable of doing anything about it. Search as much as he like, be devoted to truth and being good, whatever he does is but an exercise in futility. The answer is to confess one’s sinfulness and helplessness and to profess faith and allegiance to a peasant Jew who was crucified.
Paul, “this is stupid stuff.” You turn people away from the law and philosophy. You idolize a cursed peasant. You uphold a sign of failure and cursing as power and blessing. What is wrong with you? No wonder the Roman ruler Festus cried out to Paul, “You are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind” (Acts 26:24).
But Paul is not fazed by these reactions, for he has seen the wisdom and power of the cross and seen it transform the lives of both Jews and Gentiles: 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Note that word “called.” It is key to understanding Paul’s confidence in the message of the cross. It is what marks the difference between those who are perishing and think the cross is foolishness, and those who are being saved and find in it power. For the difference is not that some people are wiser or more spiritually in-tuned; the difference is not in the quality of the believers; the difference lies in God’s calling. Those whom he effectually calls, i.e. those whom he has determined to be saved will indeed respond to his calling. The best case study of the power of God to successfully call to himself who he will is found in John 6:22-71. Jesus has performed just the kind of sign that would attract followers – miraculously multiplying bread and fish to feed thousands of people. They are impressed and are ready then and there to pronounce him their king. If he were to proclaim himself the Messiah, they would believe.
Instead, he slips away at night and takes a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Not to deterred, the people go after him. They are his followers. When they catch up with Jesus, he is rather short with them, claiming that what they really want is food. At one point he makes a public declaration about himself and invites belief. We will pick up the story there at verse 35:
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out... 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him…43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…
Jesus goes on to speak of his flesh being real food and blood real drink, which drew the expected response. We’ll pick back up at verse 60:
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?... 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe…) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
What has happened? Jesus has issued a general call: he is the bread of life and gives eternal life to all who believe in him. He is met with skepticism. Unruffled by this, he simply states that facts: the only people that will respond are those drawn by (effectually called by) God.
What is the point in Jesus and Paul speaking of this call? It is to show the wisdom and power of God to carry out his will. Jesus did not fret when he was rejected. He did not rethink how to sell himself to the people. Maybe I ought to lay off the flesh and blood stuff. Nor did Paul reconsider his message. Though he was an apostle who had performed miracles (healing, bringing the death to life) he did not turn to miracles to give his message more credibility with the Jews. And even though he was highly educated, he did not think of ways to cast the gospel in philosophical language to make it more credible to the Gentiles. Why? He says why in verse 25: For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. God is wiser and stronger than, well…there simply is no comparison.
Application
What does God want us to get from this? He wants us to be as Paul who told the Romans (1:16): I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. He wants us to have confidence in the cross and not be ashamed to say we believe.
Furthermore, he wants us to trust him in the same way as did Jesus and Paul. Trust him to save. Don’t be shaken when the gospel is rejected and don’t be discouraged. The Lord told Paul early in his ministry at Corinth, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people” (Acts 18:9,10). So when Paul was mocked and vilified by many in Corinth because of preaching the cross, he did not waver, but he trusted God’s promise that he had many in the city who would respond at the right time.
That is what the doctrine of effectual calling, also known as irresistible grace, is meant to do for us. Give us confidence; give us hope. No one is too intelligent and too resistant to fend off God’s will to redeem. Keep giving them the gospel. Keep presenting the cross. For to those called by God, it is the wisdom and the power to save.
