The Word of the Cross: Folly or Power? Studies in 1 Corinthians Series 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 May 25, 2014 Pastor Paul K. Kim

A ROOT PROBLEM OF DIVISIONS IN CORINTHIAN CHURCH “... to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (v. 17) They lived in the Greco-Roman world that loved all types of philosophy (human wisdom) and rhetoric (words of wisdom). They were constantly enthralled by powerful teachers and popular rhetoric in a man-centered culture. They brought this worldly wisdom and culture into the church even after their conversion. Consequently, they considered the gospel as sophia (wisdom) and the apostles as sophists/orators (teachers/speakers).

WHY IS THE WORD OF THE CROSS THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD? 1)The word of the cross is God’s nonsense that reveals the power of God for the salvation of those who believe in Christ. 18 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. (v. 18)  The fact that the Messiah—who came to save the world— died on the cross is folly [lit. moronic/silly] to unbelievers.  However, God chose to reveal his power through this folly in the eyes of human wisdom to those who are being saved.  Hence, we must NOT be ashamed of the word of the cross but to CHERISH it for experiencing God’s saving power daily.

WHY IS THE WORD OF THE CROSS THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD? 2)The word of the cross is God’s way of destroying the pride of worldly wisdom and humbling the wise. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 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? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. (vs )  The cross was not an isolated incident but a pattern of God’s way of showing how God’s wisdom nullifies human wisdom.  Why? It is to destroy the pride of worldly wisdom and to humble the wise—i.e., only the humble/poor sees their Need.  Hence, we as God’s church ought to be vigilant against the illusive lures of eloquent human wisdom and rhetoric.

WHY IS THE WORD OF THE CROSS THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD? 3)The word of the cross is offensive to the man-centered world but wise to those who are called by God’s sovereign grace. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (vs )  To Jews, the cross was a stumbling block (lit. scandal) because it was devoid of power and sign they expected from Messiah.  To Gentiles, the cross was folly (lit. moronic) because it was devoid of eloquent wisdom they expected from the Victor.  To those who are called, the cross reveals God’s power and wisdom because it is devoid of pride, merit, & self-reliance.

A Shift in the Central Focus of Faith The disappearance of theology from the life of the Church, and the orchestration of that disappearance by some of its leaders, is hard to miss today but, oddly enough, not easy to prove. It is hard to miss in the evangelical world—in the vacuous worship that is so prevalent, for example, in the shift from God to the self as the central focus of faith, in the psychologized preaching that follows this shift, in the erosion of its conviction, in its strident pragmatism, in its inability to think incisively about the culture, in its reveling in the irrational. ― David F. Wells

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1.In what ways do you realize that the word of the cross is the power of God to you? What will you do with this realization? 2.What perspective do you need to change if the cross is indeed God’s way of destroying the pride of worldly wisdom? 3.In what practical ways can you become more God-centered, knowing that you were called by the word of the cross?