The Paradigms Of The Cross

 THE PARADIGMS OF THE CROSS

1) The cross is viewed from many paradigms and different viewpoints by people.

The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that perish .But it is the power of God unto Salvation to those who are saved.

I Corinthians 1 : 18

18 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.

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2) The cross remains a puzzle and a mystery to many.

Many today fail to understand the significance of the cross .

They are blinded to the great salvation provided through the cross of Jesus Christ.

They are bound to their religious traditions and human intellectualism and the cross remains a puzzle to them.

I Corinthians 1 : 18 - 21

18 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.

19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

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3) The Apostle Paul said that the cross was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks.

Even today the world holds many different views on the cross. People of different religious beliefs react differently to the message of the cross.

May God grant that the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus would shine in the hearts of those who find the cross of Jesus a puzzle and bring them to the knowledge of the truth .

I Corinthians 1 : 22 - 25

22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

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4) The Apostle preached only Christ and Him crucified.

Our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God

1 Corinthians 2 : 1-5

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

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5) The rulers of this world did not know the hidden wisdom of God.

If they had known it , they would not have crucified the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 2 : 6-8

6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,

8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

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6) Even the Angels are eagerly looking into the cross with amazement at the love of God towards mankind .

I Peter 1 : 10-12

10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,

11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.