The Ultimate Oxymoron 1 Cor 1:18- 2:5
Last week we began Paul's letter to the church at Corinth, and I emphasized the fact that Paul immediately began with the issue of factions, factions which surrounded different personalities and philosophies. Paul explained that divisions were contradictory to the Truth of Christ. After all, Paul asked rhetorically, “Is Christ divided?” Christ cannot be divided. In fact, a 'divided Christ' is an oxymoron. What is an oxymoron? Its when you combine 2 words together that don't seem to belong together; like... Jumbo Shrimp, or Hot water heater, or ...
So, since Paul had always taught that there is only one Christ, and Jesus is that Christ, it only stands to reason that here, he would use his own rhetorical oxymoron! Can Christ be divided or parceled out? A 'divided Christ' is an oxymoron! This is how Paul begins, by telling them that factions, & divisions, are mutually exclusive of our message. Since a divided Christ is an oxymoron, then a divided church is, as well. Following differing philosophies only serves to splinter the church. God wants you set apart, not split apart! The enemy's strategy, “Divide, and conquer! Let's get them distracted on people, personalities, & peripherals! On modes, methods, & means! Alienate them in their allegiances! Isolate them with individual issues! Pelt them with their preferences! Lose them in lofty speech!” Paul would have none of it, and God never endorsed it. God vindicated Paul's message. He reminded them, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of eloquence 'sophia logoin' [literally not with wisdom of words], lest the cross of Christ be ...emptied of its power.” Now here Paul introduces the basic contrast that's going to dominate his thinking to the end of Ch. 3. He sets human wisdom against the cross. "I came to preach the gospel ...not human wisdom." You need the Savior not Sophia! Now that's his subject. And, in fact, through the rest of Ch. 1, he uses the word, sophia 16 times.
In all its simplicity and profundity, the Gospel, which is here called, 'the Cross of Christ', as preached through Paul, was endorsed by God with the Amazing Power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the general populace of both Corinthian Jews and Corinthian Greeks saw it as foolish, the word is moronic, and in all its forms, it is used 5x in this short section. And even the Corinthian Christians wanted to mix the Gospel of Christ with the wisdom of the world around them. But Paul draws the line in the sand for them, since they seemed too immature to draw that line themselves. Paul tells them why it's wrong to mix the Gospel of Christ with the wisdom of the world. 3 Reasons, Reason 1- It Isn't the Message of the Gospel Call ...vs.17-25; Reason 2- It Isn't the Method of God at All ...vs.26-31; & Reason 3- It Isn't the Ministry of the Apostle Paul ...vs.2:1-5. We'll look at reasons 2 &3 next week.
I. Reason 1- It Isn't the Message of the Gospel Call ...vs.17-25
We'll see that the Message of the Cross is Darkness to Those who are Blind ...v.18; Deliberately & Wisely Designed ...vs.19-21; and is Dynamite to the called who will Find ...vs.22-25 Paul sets these Christians straight on the reality of what they will experience when speaking to the deadness of Jew & Gentile alike, whether it was to the Jewish Theologians of their day or the Gentile Thinkers of their day, and any day ...for that matter. The Light of the Gospel is...
A. Darkness to Those who are Blind ...v.18
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing”. Why is it folly or foolishness? Because those who are perishing are blind to God's Holiness and their great sinfulness. [Even these Corinthian Christians saw these important Truths through a darkened glass. I wonder, How much do Christians see the ugly offense of their sin in the light of God's Beautiful Holiness? Even more so, I wonder how much of this that I grasp. How much do I grieve my Lord? How about you? Do you think about your relationship with God?]Those who are, at present, perishing, and I say, at present, because by God's Grace, they may, yet, be numbered among the elect of God, who haven't come, but will. So, don't give up on those who are lost!] But 'those who are perishing' fail to see the glaring problem, because they are blind to the beauty of God's Merciful Plan. They are blind by nature, as Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless a man is born again he ...cannot ...see the Kingdom of God!”, so they are blind by nature, and they are blinded by the devil, as Paul will later write in his 2nd letter to these same Christians that, “...the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, ...who is the image of God.” 2Co 4:3
So, in their blindness all they can see is the seeming futility of an innocent man dying at the hands of those who wielded the power of life or death. Yet, even they who ruled “would have no power if it were not given to them from above”. But those who are perishing cannot see that either. No, the 'Word of the Cross' is foolishness [moronic]. But that is not the case to us who have the firstfruits of the Spirit ...to us who are True believers ...to us who are ...being saved it is, what? [Loud] 'the power of God!' Moronic? Never! No, it is Bionic! It is Symphonic! It is Supersonic! It is our Tonic! We have rejoiced in its radiance! We have marked out its magnificance! We have succumbed to its sweetness! There is no way to describe what the Word of the Cross means to those who have been given Eternal Life by it. One other thing though. The Word of the Cross is 'ironic'! Why? Because it is...
B. Deliberately & Wisely Designed ...vs.19-21 ...designed to destroy man's wisdom
In vs. 19 & 20, Paul addresses each perishing group, both Jew & Greek, with a passage from God's Word, the O.T. In v.19 he addresses the Jews, by quoting from Isa 29:14, “For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." In our Call to Worship, we heard the prophet Isaiah rebuking Israel for their hypocrisy. Isa 29:13 And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” You remember that Jesus quoted this. And then Paul quotes v.14 therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden." He rebukes them further for questioning God's Unsearchable Ways. Isaiah says in v.16 “You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? Paul will later quote that verse out of the Greek O. T., and direct it at his Jewish brothers in Rom 9:19-21. So, Paul addresses the Jews in v.19.
But then he addresses the Gentiles by alluding to 2 other passages from Isaiah in v.20, when he asks “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe?” Now, the 1st question comes from Isa 19:12, where the prophet addresses the supposed wise counselors of Egypt, who were turned into fools, because, in their inept counsel to their Pharaoh, they could not discern what the LORD was going to do through Nebuchadnezzar, King of Baylon. So, Isaiah mocks their sorcerers & magicians, “Where is the one who is wise?” In the beginning of that chapter, ch.19, God proclaims, “And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor... and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel.” So, interestingly, the calamities of Egypt were actually brought upon them, not, initially, by means of the foreign invasion,'but' as John Gill comments, “by internal quarrels, and other means, which the Lord would, in judgment, send among them.” A Great word of warning for this Corinthian Church, who were, also, struggling with internal divisions.
And then Paul quotes, Isa 33:18 [which Matt read for us]. “Where is the scribe?” There, Isaiah addressed the Assyrians, who were all ready to record in the annals of their history books the rich spoils they presumed they were going to get when would invade Israel, but to the astonishment of all, God sent a mighty destroying angel, who killed 185,000 soldiers of the Assyrian army in one night. Do you think that may have squelched the invasion!? So, again, Isaiah mocks the Gentile fools, Where is the scribe? The Egyptians and the Assyrians, both representing the most wise & powerful nations of the world.
And perhaps, Paul was thinking of his address to the Athenian philosophers on Mars Hill, when he said “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” In all their sophomoric [wisefools] searching, they couldn't find God. Paul showed them their ignorance when he pointed to the statue of “the unknown god.” “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” This foolishness still runs rampant through our highly technological society. Think of the rich & famous, the powerful, the influential. Do they know how to overcome their temptations? Do they know how to be trustworthy or faithful? Do they know how to be good parents or spouses? No, man with all his intelligence, technology, and worldly wisdom doesn't know how to do any of those important and basic essentials!
God determined it to be this way, to show man the folly of his fallen wisdom. Paul writes in v.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 or the foolishness of the preached message, to save those who believe.” What Paul is saying is this, it pleased God by the stupidity of the gospel ...the content of the cross ...to save those who believe.” The idea isn't that preaching, itself, is foolish. Although, some preaching may be foolish, but that's not Paul's point here. The point here is the foolishness of the gospel itself. God uses this folly to keep the worldly wise man from the Truth! In other words, this is the wise plan of God, that He not only, allowed the world to run after its own wisdom, but in fact, He keeps the Truth from the wise & prudent. In fact, Luke writes that very thing in the 10th chapter of his gospel that Jesus “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” Luk 10:21 God leaves most men to their depraved wisdom, and Rom 1 says that this is part of His Wrath, to leave them to their own idolatrous choices. Pro 14:12 says,“There is a way that seems right to man, but its end are the ways of death.”
We are surrounded by God's wisdom and are ignorant of it. Rom. 1 says, "That which may be known of God is ...in them." And it surrounds them, as well. The invisible things of God can be seen by all of creation! But men did not like to retain God in their knowledge. Professing to be wise, they became fools! We classify ourselves as Homo Sapiens, 'Wise man', which, from this Biblical contrast seems to be an oxymoron, does it not?! Homo Sapiens, 'Wise man' We, also, call him the Noble Savage! Another oxymoron! Biblicly, he's also, the walking dead! Another oxymoron!
Man had turned from God, turned His truth into a lie, and worshiped the creature rather than the creator...” And the Corinthian church is exhibiting the worldly habit of focusing on the creature. “I am of Paul ...I am of Apollos ...I am of Cephas!” Paul says,”Its of the world's wisdom”, and since the world in its wisdom, knew not God, you cannot know God by your factions, and you cannot please Him in your carnality. In other words, it all foolishness! But Paul says its...
C. Dynamite to the called who will Find ...vs.22-25
So, the majority of the general world of Jews and Gentiles will never, in their own wisdom, embrace the Explosive Power of the Cross. Paul writes, “For Jews demand signs [power] “show us a sign Rabbi, and we will believe You are the Messiah!” “No, a wicked and a perverse generation is constantly seeking a sign, but ...no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah!” Death & Resurrection! That wasn't enough? “They wouldn't believe”, Jesus said, “even if one were to rise from the dead!” He was right! He's always right! Don't seek signs. Seek the Risen Christ!
So, the Jewish problem, which found a home in this Corinthian Church, they were seeking powerful signs & wonders, a problem which still lingers in the Church today! Another problem, which still exists today, adulterating the Truth with the world's philosophies. Paul writes “the Greeks seek wisdom”. And what does that mean? They sought intricate, complicated, profound, complex philosophies with fancy words and esoteric concepts. And they laughed at the simplicity of the gospel. Remember the Athenians, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Act 17:18 and the unbelievable idea that a crucified God was to be worshiped. That consensus was summed up in a 1st Century wall carving that was uncovered in Rome, that depicts a man bowing down to a crucified jackass with the body of a man. The words on the carving read, “Alexamenos worships his god.” A jackass on a cross! That is what much of the world thinks about the Word of the Cross!
“Christ crucified, is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles”, that is, those who have only heard the external call of the Gospel, but v.24 “to those who are called”, with the internal effectual call of God, the Holy Spirit, “both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Christ is Dynamite to the Called Who Will Find. And “the called ...will find. Jesus said, in Joh 6:37 “All that the Father gives me ...will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” 'The called' are those who were chosen, cleansed, & changed all for God's glory. That, as foolish as it may sound to some, is the wisdom of God Almighty! Who are we to argue with God? Paul wrote in Rom 8:30 “...those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God! v.25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” What is the Ultimate Oxymoron? the foolishness of God and the weakness of God. These are words which are really mutually exclusive of one another. Why? Because it really took great wisdom and great power to carry out the plan to save people who were hell bent against him, and to initiate the birth that would cause them to fear Him & to yield, in love to Him.”
Closing
It is my hope that each Christian here would grasp, “How deep the Father's love for us, ...How vast beyond all measure ...That He should give His only Son ...To make a wretch His treasure.” Yes, You & I are wretches!
2000 years ago God could not look upon what the wisdom of men was doing the His Son, who was becoming a curse for us, “How great the pain of searing loss ...The Father turns His face away ...As wounds which mar the chosen One, ...Bring many sons to glory!” I was one of those sons...
because I heard the call, “Behold the Man upon a cross ...My sin upon His shoulders ...Ashamed I hear my mocking voice ...Call out among the scoffers ...It was my sin that left Him there ...Until it was accomplished ...His dying breath has brought me life ...I know that it is finished!”
Now, I join with the apostle Paul, in saying “I will not boast in anything ...No gifts, no power, no wisdom ...But I will boast in Jesus Christ ...His death and resurrection!”
And I also, join with the apostle in asking, “Why should I gain from His reward? ...I cannot give an answer ...But this I know with all my heart ...His wounds have paid my ransom!”
So, we follow God's Own Fool, where only the foolish can tell. Believe the unbelievable. Come be a fool as well. Embrace the Ultimate Oxymoron, the Foolishness of God! Lets pray.
Last week we began Paul's letter to the church at Corinth, and I emphasized the fact that Paul immediately began with the issue of factions, factions which surrounded different personalities and philosophies. Paul explained that divisions were contradictory to the Truth of Christ. After all, Paul asked rhetorically, “Is Christ divided?” Christ cannot be divided. In fact, a 'divided Christ' is an oxymoron. What is an oxymoron? Its when you combine 2 words together that don't seem to belong together; like... Jumbo Shrimp, or Hot water heater, or ...
So, since Paul had always taught that there is only one Christ, and Jesus is that Christ, it only stands to reason that here, he would use his own rhetorical oxymoron! Can Christ be divided or parceled out? A 'divided Christ' is an oxymoron! This is how Paul begins, by telling them that factions, & divisions, are mutually exclusive of our message. Since a divided Christ is an oxymoron, then a divided church is, as well. Following differing philosophies only serves to splinter the church. God wants you set apart, not split apart! The enemy's strategy, “Divide, and conquer! Let's get them distracted on people, personalities, & peripherals! On modes, methods, & means! Alienate them in their allegiances! Isolate them with individual issues! Pelt them with their preferences! Lose them in lofty speech!” Paul would have none of it, and God never endorsed it. God vindicated Paul's message. He reminded them, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of eloquence 'sophia logoin' [literally not with wisdom of words], lest the cross of Christ be ...emptied of its power.” Now here Paul introduces the basic contrast that's going to dominate his thinking to the end of Ch. 3. He sets human wisdom against the cross. "I came to preach the gospel ...not human wisdom." You need the Savior not Sophia! Now that's his subject. And, in fact, through the rest of Ch. 1, he uses the word, sophia 16 times.
In all its simplicity and profundity, the Gospel, which is here called, 'the Cross of Christ', as preached through Paul, was endorsed by God with the Amazing Power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the general populace of both Corinthian Jews and Corinthian Greeks saw it as foolish, the word is moronic, and in all its forms, it is used 5x in this short section. And even the Corinthian Christians wanted to mix the Gospel of Christ with the wisdom of the world around them. But Paul draws the line in the sand for them, since they seemed too immature to draw that line themselves. Paul tells them why it's wrong to mix the Gospel of Christ with the wisdom of the world. 3 Reasons, Reason 1- It Isn't the Message of the Gospel Call ...vs.17-25; Reason 2- It Isn't the Method of God at All ...vs.26-31; & Reason 3- It Isn't the Ministry of the Apostle Paul ...vs.2:1-5. We'll look at reasons 2 &3 next week.
I. Reason 1- It Isn't the Message of the Gospel Call ...vs.17-25
We'll see that the Message of the Cross is Darkness to Those who are Blind ...v.18; Deliberately & Wisely Designed ...vs.19-21; and is Dynamite to the called who will Find ...vs.22-25 Paul sets these Christians straight on the reality of what they will experience when speaking to the deadness of Jew & Gentile alike, whether it was to the Jewish Theologians of their day or the Gentile Thinkers of their day, and any day ...for that matter. The Light of the Gospel is...
A. Darkness to Those who are Blind ...v.18
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing”. Why is it folly or foolishness? Because those who are perishing are blind to God's Holiness and their great sinfulness. [Even these Corinthian Christians saw these important Truths through a darkened glass. I wonder, How much do Christians see the ugly offense of their sin in the light of God's Beautiful Holiness? Even more so, I wonder how much of this that I grasp. How much do I grieve my Lord? How about you? Do you think about your relationship with God?]Those who are, at present, perishing, and I say, at present, because by God's Grace, they may, yet, be numbered among the elect of God, who haven't come, but will. So, don't give up on those who are lost!] But 'those who are perishing' fail to see the glaring problem, because they are blind to the beauty of God's Merciful Plan. They are blind by nature, as Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless a man is born again he ...cannot ...see the Kingdom of God!”, so they are blind by nature, and they are blinded by the devil, as Paul will later write in his 2nd letter to these same Christians that, “...the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, ...who is the image of God.” 2Co 4:3
So, in their blindness all they can see is the seeming futility of an innocent man dying at the hands of those who wielded the power of life or death. Yet, even they who ruled “would have no power if it were not given to them from above”. But those who are perishing cannot see that either. No, the 'Word of the Cross' is foolishness [moronic]. But that is not the case to us who have the firstfruits of the Spirit ...to us who are True believers ...to us who are ...being saved it is, what? [Loud] 'the power of God!' Moronic? Never! No, it is Bionic! It is Symphonic! It is Supersonic! It is our Tonic! We have rejoiced in its radiance! We have marked out its magnificance! We have succumbed to its sweetness! There is no way to describe what the Word of the Cross means to those who have been given Eternal Life by it. One other thing though. The Word of the Cross is 'ironic'! Why? Because it is...
B. Deliberately & Wisely Designed ...vs.19-21 ...designed to destroy man's wisdom
In vs. 19 & 20, Paul addresses each perishing group, both Jew & Greek, with a passage from God's Word, the O.T. In v.19 he addresses the Jews, by quoting from Isa 29:14, “For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." In our Call to Worship, we heard the prophet Isaiah rebuking Israel for their hypocrisy. Isa 29:13 And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” You remember that Jesus quoted this. And then Paul quotes v.14 therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden." He rebukes them further for questioning God's Unsearchable Ways. Isaiah says in v.16 “You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? Paul will later quote that verse out of the Greek O. T., and direct it at his Jewish brothers in Rom 9:19-21. So, Paul addresses the Jews in v.19.
But then he addresses the Gentiles by alluding to 2 other passages from Isaiah in v.20, when he asks “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe?” Now, the 1st question comes from Isa 19:12, where the prophet addresses the supposed wise counselors of Egypt, who were turned into fools, because, in their inept counsel to their Pharaoh, they could not discern what the LORD was going to do through Nebuchadnezzar, King of Baylon. So, Isaiah mocks their sorcerers & magicians, “Where is the one who is wise?” In the beginning of that chapter, ch.19, God proclaims, “And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor... and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel.” So, interestingly, the calamities of Egypt were actually brought upon them, not, initially, by means of the foreign invasion,'but' as John Gill comments, “by internal quarrels, and other means, which the Lord would, in judgment, send among them.” A Great word of warning for this Corinthian Church, who were, also, struggling with internal divisions.
And then Paul quotes, Isa 33:18 [which Matt read for us]. “Where is the scribe?” There, Isaiah addressed the Assyrians, who were all ready to record in the annals of their history books the rich spoils they presumed they were going to get when would invade Israel, but to the astonishment of all, God sent a mighty destroying angel, who killed 185,000 soldiers of the Assyrian army in one night. Do you think that may have squelched the invasion!? So, again, Isaiah mocks the Gentile fools, Where is the scribe? The Egyptians and the Assyrians, both representing the most wise & powerful nations of the world.
And perhaps, Paul was thinking of his address to the Athenian philosophers on Mars Hill, when he said “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” In all their sophomoric [wisefools] searching, they couldn't find God. Paul showed them their ignorance when he pointed to the statue of “the unknown god.” “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” This foolishness still runs rampant through our highly technological society. Think of the rich & famous, the powerful, the influential. Do they know how to overcome their temptations? Do they know how to be trustworthy or faithful? Do they know how to be good parents or spouses? No, man with all his intelligence, technology, and worldly wisdom doesn't know how to do any of those important and basic essentials!
God determined it to be this way, to show man the folly of his fallen wisdom. Paul writes in v.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 or the foolishness of the preached message, to save those who believe.” What Paul is saying is this, it pleased God by the stupidity of the gospel ...the content of the cross ...to save those who believe.” The idea isn't that preaching, itself, is foolish. Although, some preaching may be foolish, but that's not Paul's point here. The point here is the foolishness of the gospel itself. God uses this folly to keep the worldly wise man from the Truth! In other words, this is the wise plan of God, that He not only, allowed the world to run after its own wisdom, but in fact, He keeps the Truth from the wise & prudent. In fact, Luke writes that very thing in the 10th chapter of his gospel that Jesus “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” Luk 10:21 God leaves most men to their depraved wisdom, and Rom 1 says that this is part of His Wrath, to leave them to their own idolatrous choices. Pro 14:12 says,“There is a way that seems right to man, but its end are the ways of death.”
We are surrounded by God's wisdom and are ignorant of it. Rom. 1 says, "That which may be known of God is ...in them." And it surrounds them, as well. The invisible things of God can be seen by all of creation! But men did not like to retain God in their knowledge. Professing to be wise, they became fools! We classify ourselves as Homo Sapiens, 'Wise man', which, from this Biblical contrast seems to be an oxymoron, does it not?! Homo Sapiens, 'Wise man' We, also, call him the Noble Savage! Another oxymoron! Biblicly, he's also, the walking dead! Another oxymoron!
Man had turned from God, turned His truth into a lie, and worshiped the creature rather than the creator...” And the Corinthian church is exhibiting the worldly habit of focusing on the creature. “I am of Paul ...I am of Apollos ...I am of Cephas!” Paul says,”Its of the world's wisdom”, and since the world in its wisdom, knew not God, you cannot know God by your factions, and you cannot please Him in your carnality. In other words, it all foolishness! But Paul says its...
C. Dynamite to the called who will Find ...vs.22-25
So, the majority of the general world of Jews and Gentiles will never, in their own wisdom, embrace the Explosive Power of the Cross. Paul writes, “For Jews demand signs [power] “show us a sign Rabbi, and we will believe You are the Messiah!” “No, a wicked and a perverse generation is constantly seeking a sign, but ...no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah!” Death & Resurrection! That wasn't enough? “They wouldn't believe”, Jesus said, “even if one were to rise from the dead!” He was right! He's always right! Don't seek signs. Seek the Risen Christ!
So, the Jewish problem, which found a home in this Corinthian Church, they were seeking powerful signs & wonders, a problem which still lingers in the Church today! Another problem, which still exists today, adulterating the Truth with the world's philosophies. Paul writes “the Greeks seek wisdom”. And what does that mean? They sought intricate, complicated, profound, complex philosophies with fancy words and esoteric concepts. And they laughed at the simplicity of the gospel. Remember the Athenians, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Act 17:18 and the unbelievable idea that a crucified God was to be worshiped. That consensus was summed up in a 1st Century wall carving that was uncovered in Rome, that depicts a man bowing down to a crucified jackass with the body of a man. The words on the carving read, “Alexamenos worships his god.” A jackass on a cross! That is what much of the world thinks about the Word of the Cross!
“Christ crucified, is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles”, that is, those who have only heard the external call of the Gospel, but v.24 “to those who are called”, with the internal effectual call of God, the Holy Spirit, “both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Christ is Dynamite to the Called Who Will Find. And “the called ...will find. Jesus said, in Joh 6:37 “All that the Father gives me ...will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” 'The called' are those who were chosen, cleansed, & changed all for God's glory. That, as foolish as it may sound to some, is the wisdom of God Almighty! Who are we to argue with God? Paul wrote in Rom 8:30 “...those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God! v.25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” What is the Ultimate Oxymoron? the foolishness of God and the weakness of God. These are words which are really mutually exclusive of one another. Why? Because it really took great wisdom and great power to carry out the plan to save people who were hell bent against him, and to initiate the birth that would cause them to fear Him & to yield, in love to Him.”
Closing
It is my hope that each Christian here would grasp, “How deep the Father's love for us, ...How vast beyond all measure ...That He should give His only Son ...To make a wretch His treasure.” Yes, You & I are wretches!
2000 years ago God could not look upon what the wisdom of men was doing the His Son, who was becoming a curse for us, “How great the pain of searing loss ...The Father turns His face away ...As wounds which mar the chosen One, ...Bring many sons to glory!” I was one of those sons...
because I heard the call, “Behold the Man upon a cross ...My sin upon His shoulders ...Ashamed I hear my mocking voice ...Call out among the scoffers ...It was my sin that left Him there ...Until it was accomplished ...His dying breath has brought me life ...I know that it is finished!”
Now, I join with the apostle Paul, in saying “I will not boast in anything ...No gifts, no power, no wisdom ...But I will boast in Jesus Christ ...His death and resurrection!”
And I also, join with the apostle in asking, “Why should I gain from His reward? ...I cannot give an answer ...But this I know with all my heart ...His wounds have paid my ransom!”
So, we follow God's Own Fool, where only the foolish can tell. Believe the unbelievable. Come be a fool as well. Embrace the Ultimate Oxymoron, the Foolishness of God! Lets pray.