Weakness
January 27, 2001
Strength is a ‘big deal’ anymore. It shows up in many guises and in many different situations. Just a week or so back, there was a lot of advertising from the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) encouraging people not to miss the wonderful wrestling by the world’s strongest people, and that they could go to some of the theatres in Montreal to watch on the big screen. Our southern neighbors have just completed an election and inauguration process in which the outcome of the election has gone to the stronger. In Canada, it’s quite the same- the party with the strongest organization, the clearest record, and greatest potential to help Canada stay strong into the future, in the eyes of the electorate, has won the day. There’s an increasing amount of advertising about health clubs, it seems, and a push from there for us to keep our strength through regular exercising- aimed toward us aging baby boomers.
People tend to believe that the battle does go to the strong, and that is normally the case. At the human level, that tends to be true. From youngest ages, you hear children shouting about ‘my Dad is stronger than your Dad; my Mom cooks better than your Mom’, and the like, and that continues, it seems, but just in a more ‘refined’ way in politics and national and international activities. People swell with pride when someone from their/our country does well- for instance, Melanie Turgeon in downhill ski racing last weekend. This subject of ‘strength’ just doesn’t go away.
This line of thinking can creep into the minds of Christians, too, and can lead to all sorts of problems. It did for the early church in Corinth. It can for us, as well, and we have to learn what’s what when it comes to the subject of strength. Where is the real strength? Where is the real weakness? And where do we want to be?
Paul launches into this subject once he has pointed the Corinthian Christians to Him, their source and their identity and their all. He calls on them to get their perspective straight, and then he takes the theory to the very practical to show how their worldly view was infiltrating their church.
1 Cor. 1.10- Paul called for unity. This is not a call for thinking the same about everything but for unity on what’s most important. This is a call for focus. So what is the proper focus for them and for us? It is the name of Jesus, which can heal wounds in a church as it healed – Acts 3.6. This is the one authoritative name under which they are to be joined together, or mended together, which is the sense of this word, here. In the church they are to be mended together. I used to watch my paternal grandmother darning socks- it was a work of art! She made holes disappear and it was hard, oftentimes, to see where the hole had been! This is what is called for!
v. 11- Paul had heard that there were contentions among the Christians.
Now, stop, for a moment, and think about this- “quarrels among you (saints)”- if that isn’t a non sequitur, I don’t know what is. Based on scripture, quarrels among saints? I think not enough see the disconnect between those two ideas- quarrel…..saints! Those words don’t go together, do they? Yet, in the name of Christ, all sorts of quarrels have been started over the years and have been continued and it’s no wonder many people have a hard time with the name of Jesus Christ. Look at Northern Ireland. Look at the ongoing antagonism between many Protestant Evangelicals, in particular, and the Roman Catholic Church- doesn’t show wonderful spirit of Christ. Look what they did:
v. 12- they put themselves forward by groups- ‘my leader is better than your leader’. This is precisely what is happening here. There was personality cult going on- something that has never been seen since, as you know. (Tongue in cheek!!) Well, no!! There was even the Christ sect, which seems to indicate a group that was spiritually independent; I’m of Christ- I’m better, more spiritual, less in need- you get the idea, I hope.
v. 13- Paul kept focus. The appeal must be to the person, work, and name of Christ; there is no room for attachment to any person. People are not the focus for centred, rooted Christians!
Look at the history of Christianity over the years, or of any particular denomination, and you’ll see the personality cults that have existed- that still do- even in our church as in so many others. It’s not wrong to appreciate particular ministers or leaders, but to start personality cults with regard to ministers or even churches is not of Christ!
People can be fans of particular areas of ministry, like I am for faith healing, prayer, small groups, Experiencing God, missions, worship.
Or, it can even extend into feelings about which special days of celebration should be given priority.
Sometimes we hear too much of this and it all reflects the same kind of what the NT calls ‘party spirit’ that Paul had to deal with in Corinth.
v. 14, 15- Paul certainly didn’t want people focused on him. He’s clear that he didn’t use elements of normal ministry to get some sort of devotees for himself. He didn’t use baptism to bring people to himself in any way. He kept focus- his was not a baptizing ministry- in fact, is there really such a thing? The message to give has to do with the cross of Christ. (2.2).
v. 17- Paul emphasizes, again, the sovereignty of Christ (it was Christ who sent him) and God- this was Christ’s message that had to be given- not a message of or about a person- a merely human person! The Corinthians, like too many who listen to messages like sermons, might love ‘eloquent wisdom’, but that would merely dazzle and obscure the meaning of the cross. So, Paul simply and clearly put forward the message. God’s completely inspired and unexpected gospel message will do what all the messages of man- however good- could not even begin to do!
All of us who teach must remember that it is not how well we speak that counts or some interesting and exciting new slant we bring, although the speaker does have responsibility in those areas. It is that God be allowed to shine through- He is above and better than all our finest efforts! (Speakers, though, have no excuse for making the word of God dull- too often the exciting word of God has been made to be despised because speakers have made it dull.)
v. 18- he says something incredible about the message, which we must not forget in 2001. He says that the message of the cross is the ‘power of God’. That word used is one from which we get ‘dynamite’. God’s message IS dynamite that will shatter human pride and wisdom! This was Paul’s focus- to allow God to do what God would do. We must not get impatient. When things don’t go along as we’d like, we must be careful to not feel like we have to do it. Being rooted in God, we’ll appreciate His sovereignty and the fact that He will accomplish what He purposes to accomplish!
v. 19- 20- after all is said and done, what is the end result of all the wisdom of the world? Read any newspaper on any day, and you’ll see clearly enough. It’s not the Kingdom of God! It’s not the World Tomorrow! It’s certainly not heaven! The end result of all the best wisdom of mankind is what we see around us today. (For illustration read from today’s newspaper!)
v. 21- Paul’s emphasis is always on God’s love and sovereign choice. The idea of God’s folly is interesting- it’s God’s folly that works. It’s called folly because it’s unexpected and contrasts with human expectation- it’s not what humans expect. But, amazingly, it works!
v. 22- everybody has his or her own personal standard, it seems. Unless God comes this way or does that way, I won’t believe. Some can expect prophetic beliefs to work out in certain ways. Some can put out fleeces to try to force God’s hand. Signs show distrust of God and human wisdom is all about the effort to discover God through human means. Neither work!
v. 23, 24- A crucified messiah was unthinkable to the Jews and for God to come and die was incomprehensible to the Greeks- that’s not what their gods did or could do! BUT- wonderful big word- the cross reveals the power of God to overcome sin and the wisdom of God in offering the only effective scheme for salvation of everyone. Salvation is not just for a certain few. It’s not just for a higher class, or a lower class- you can find ministries that focus on one group or another in some societies.
v. 25- God’s foolishness is better than what individuals can devise. God’s foolishness is even better than what whole ethnic groups- Jews, Greeks- can devise, desire or expect! God’s foolishness is better than all the combined wisdom of 6.6 billion people in the world could devise! God’s apparent weakness is shown in allowing His Son to hang on the cross- this is stranger and more effective than any human effort.
But this brings out an important question for the Christian- for you and me today. This is really the question and the ‘so what?’ of this message! “Who will you ally yourself with?” Will you ally yourself with the apparent wisdom of the world, society, and national groups? Or will you ally yourself with God and His apparent foolishness? Do you want the world’s strength? Or do you want God’s weakness? This is a compelling and necessary question to answer!
v. 26, 27, 28- Paul brings it right down and dirty, as we might say- right down and personal. If it was going to be done some human way, chances are that you and I wouldn’t be here! Think about the type of people in the church in Corinth! (6.9-11). Think about the type of people we are! There’s nothing to recommend us, in particular, is there? Think of the type of people we must be able to minister to!
What matters is God’s initiation of the process. Three times, God’s initiation and responsibility find focus here. Three times, God’s overturning the world’s standards is shown. He called those of low birth. He called those which are nothing much. He created a church where there was none, except in His mind!
v. 29- In the end, there is absolutely no room for anyone to glory except in God! There is no opportunity for human congratulation!
So where does the glory go? To God- to Him- who is the source of new life. In fact, something interesting is in these last two verses of the chapter. Paul is quoting from Jeremiah 9. 23, 24, which speaks of the Lord, but he applies this to Jesus, clearly telling us that Christ is divine! And in Christ, who is the express image of God, and the focus for God’s work on earth, is where the glory is to focus.
Conclusion
From the human perspective, God was a tremendous failure. He couldn’t even keep His son from dying on the cross. There was apparent defeat. However, in that foolishness and weakness is strength because the message of the cross is one of victory. Oh, yes, there was Good Friday. Oh, yes, there was Saturday- a truly dark day for the disciples and lovers of Jesus. But, too, there was Sunday morning- Easter Sunday morning, and that is the message of the cross! The world focuses on the apparent defeat of Friday, or the despair of Saturday. God’s focus is on the victory of Sunday! There’s not weakness with God. There’s not foolishness with God. But if the world wants to think so, He can handle it.
As for me, I align myself with the weak and foolish God who won! I’d rather God’s foolishness than the world’s wisdom any day! I’d rather God’s weakness than the world’s strength any day! How about you?
Let us revel in the foolishness and the weakness of God- in the cross. In the cross is God’s greatest wisdom and God’s greatest strength!
