But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
The message preached is Christ crucified, which is a stumblingblock to the Jews who require a sign and foolishness to the Greeks who seek after wisdom. The Jews stumbled because they demanded signs instead of a Saviour and expected the Messiah to prove His claims by mighty deeds of conquest and earthly triumph, while the Greeks counted the cross absurd folly because they valued their own wisdom and philosophy above the wisdom from God and could not see how a crucified man could ennoble or save humanity. To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, that same crucified Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, for what is called the foolishness of God is wiser than men and what is called the weakness of God is stronger than men. Preaching Christ crucified is the central message to be exalted, not with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that faith stands in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men. Lifted up before fallen humanity, the cross breaks and wins hearts, lays all desire for self-glorification in the dust, reconciles fallen people to God, and transforms character after the divine likeness.
Jews Greeks Responses
The message proclaimed is Christ crucified, which is a stumblingblock to the Jews who require a sign and foolishness to the Greeks who seek after wisdom, while to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. The same contrast shows that human standards of wisdom cannot grasp the gospel, for God's wisdom and strength surpass human wisdom and strength, and it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. Jews and Greeks stand as the two great classes who receive, reject, or distort the gospel, and both can misunderstand spiritual religion, since spiritual things are discerned through the Spirit and not by the natural mind. In Corinth many Jews found the message offensive and angering, while Greeks regarded it as absurd folly, because a crucified man seemed an unlikely Savior to people seeking human elevation through philosophy and science, so they could not see how the cross could ennoble humanity or save it.
At Athens comparatively few received the gospel because pride of intellect and worldly wisdom led people to count it foolishness. Those demanding a sign do not lack evidence, for even evidence piled upon evidence would not move them, as seen in those fed yet still asking for proof. They treat the light given for salvation indifferently, rest in signs and outward forms, wait until every seeming objection is removed before believing, and resist conviction because the truth is unpopular and involves self-denial and the cross, seeking an excuse to avoid it, yet God will never remove all seeming difficulties, for those who wish to doubt can find opportunity and those who wish to believe will find plenty of evidence. The gospel was a stumblingblock to the Jews because they demanded signs instead of a Saviour and expected the Messiah to prove His claims by mighty deeds of conquest and establish His empire on the ruins of earthly kingdoms.
They exalted the divinely appointed forms and ceremonies until they lost sight of their object, and traditions, maxims and enactments of men hid God's intended lessons and became an obstacle to understanding and practising true religion. The whole Jewish economy was designed to teach that at the appointed time One would come to whom the ceremonies pointed, but when the Reality came in the person of Christ they did not recognize in Him the fulfillment of all their types and the substance of all their shadows, but rejected the Antitype while clinging to types and useless ceremonies and kept asking for a miracle. The kingdom of God was to prevail not by force of arms or violent interpositions or earthly triumphs and national greatness, but by implanting a new principle in hearts, for Christ came not as a king but as a sower to scatter seed unto a harvest gathered after patient toil and through losses and disappointments. The Greeks valued their own wisdom above the wisdom from God, and pride, self-conceit, worldly pursuits, and worldly attractions blinded the worldly-wise so they disdained the simplicity of true godliness.
They failed to see Christ's beauty and did not recognize that their sins burdened Him with grief and suffering. Pride kept them from humbling themselves as lost sinners to receive the salvation and knowledge Christ alone gives, for in Christ God supplies wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, leaving no room to boast in self. To those proud of their own goodness and wisdom the preaching of the cross is foolishness, and those lacking a living connection with Christ do not understand it because self-love and self-sufficiency leave no room for the Saviour.
God's Wisdom Surpasses Human
To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation, and what human judgment rejects as shameful or senseless is revealed to them as divine power and wisdom. Jews and Greeks stand for the two great classes who receive, reject, or distort the gospel, the one demanding a sign and the other seeking human wisdom, and both can misunderstand spiritual religion because human standards cannot grasp the gospel. Those who believe and come to Jesus to be saved discern spiritual things through the Spirit and not by the natural mind, while the rich and learned who exalt themselves above them count the preaching of the cross foolishness.
What is called the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and what is called the weakness of God is stronger than men, so God's wisdom and strength surpass human wisdom and strength. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world and will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. In God's wisdom the world by wisdom knew not God, and it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe, with the preaching of the cross as foolishness to those who perish but power to those who are saved.
The calling itself proves this, for not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things to confound the mighty, and the base and despised things, yea things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence. Of God believers are in Christ Jesus, who is made unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, leaving no room to boast in self or in human status and achievement. Therefore he who glories must glory in the Lord and in the cross alone, forming the best and highest character after the divine likeness and making life and faith an instructive example to others.
Spiritual things are spiritually discerned and cannot be known by the natural mind, for to the natural man they are foolishness. The truth is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes, so the grand truths that men in pride and self-exaltation refuse to examine and cast aside as worthless are clearly apprehended and enjoyed by those who are babes in knowledge. Grace changes a person's estimate of everything relating to God's cause, so humble workers and God's humble plan for saving souls are no longer measured by worldly wisdom or worldly methods. Those who lack the heavenly anointing and grace in the heart see the message as inferior, offensive, and foolish and value advocates of error above advocates of truth, while to those who are saved it is the power of God.
The preaching of Christ crucified is the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom ordained before the world unto glory. None of the princes of this world knew that wisdom, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The Spirit searches all things, yea the deep things of God, and reveals what eye has not seen nor ear heard nor entered into the heart of man, which God prepared for those who love Him, and those who have received the Spirit which is of God know the things freely given of God and speak them in words the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual and having the mind of Christ. With other scriptures the verse presents the pre-existence of Christ and the purpose of His manifestation to this world as living beams of light from the eternal throne, light shining in a dark place with divine, original glory.
Christ Crucified Message Center
Preaching Christ crucified is the central message and the lesson workers must learn and communicate. Eternal truth is to be presented plainly with warning of the danger of neglecting eternal interests, exalting Jesus rather than self or a message designed merely to please listeners. The truth of Christ crucified, risen, ascended to heaven, and coming again is to fill and soften the minister's mind and be presented with love and deep earnestness, so that Jesus is made manifest. Speaking with earnestness and convincing power about the crucified Saviour is central to Christian witness, to be spoken, prayed, and sung because the love of God revealed in Christ breaks and wins hearts and leads sinners to salvation. Understanding and proclaiming Christ crucified as the sinner's only hope calls for consecration to God and diligent study of Scripture, and it is the practical answer to opposition and error by presenting the Word and its Bible arguments clearly rather than entering controversy or debate.
His final suffering and death won a victory for the world and are to be presented earnestly and vividly, not as a stale account, with the crucifixion kept in living memory. As Advocate in heaven He presents the sacrifice offered at Calvary, and the Holy Spirit empowers this preaching to work on hearers' hearts so they are impressed as though Jesus were before them, through a power beyond human effort. After Jesus' death the disciples' hope failed, but His resurrection restored their faith and they boldly proclaimed Him as the Messiah, centering the message on the crucified and risen Saviour. Salvation requires living faith that lays hold of the merits of His blood and of Christ as righteousness. Christ's death for sin humbles each person before God, and His resurrection, ascension, and continuing intercession are the science of salvation to be learned and taught to children and youth.
Christ crucified for us is the great atonement for sin and the central truth of the gospel. The cross makes the plan of salvation plain and wins hearts to love Jesus, though resisted by those under Satan's power. This truth about the atonement is plainly and decidedly revealed in God's Word, yet only those who in loyalty to God obey His holy commandments can correctly explain it, while those who refuse to obey the law are ignorant of divine things because they love darkness rather than light. Lifting up the cross to stand prominent in the heart of the broken law, holding up before fallen humanity a sin-pardoning Saviour, infuses new power and efficiency into the message of truth. Christ is thus revealed as the sinner's hope and only hope, the believer's strength in every need, the One mighty to save, whose power to forgive sin is unlimited, with the gospel as God's power and wisdom working in the human heart, since intellectual agreement with truth alone accomplishes nothing without a penitent, convicted, converted heart.
The offense is that Christ made one sufficient sacrifice and is the only Mediator and sole Priest between God and man. No mortal man may be placed where God should be as intercessor or to receive confessions of sins, and every man must stand out of the way in his own place wearing Christ's yoke. Jesus calls every sinner into direct communication with Himself with no mortal interposed, accepting and cleansing from all moral defilement every soul who believes on His name and believes on Him whom the Father sent. Those who put man in God's place keep coming against the Rock of offense, and this gospel of Christ and His love and Him crucified, a stumblingblock to the Jews, remains a stumblingblock to many who claim to believe present truth, while the reproach of Christ rests on His people who preach it.
Christ's saving work embraced the whole world, and by the cross He died for all so that people of every race may receive His grace. Through His death the ceremonial distinction ended, so Gentiles did not have to be circumcised or become Jews to enter the church. Being children of Abraham meant belonging to him in the heart and showing the merits of Christ's grace through a righteous life, with Paul's central message of Christ crucified preached to Jews and Gentiles alike. The message of Christ crucified is a message of mercy for fallen sinners, and neglecting it or treating it with indifference is to slight God's mercy and His warning and appeal.
Preaching With Spirit Power
Preaching is not to be with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom, oratory, and philosophy, but in weakness and fear and much trembling, in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, in words the Holy Ghost teaches, so that faith stands in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men. Though able to meet oratory with oratory and philosophy with philosophy on people's own ground, Paul determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This preaching speaks the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom ordained before the world unto glory, which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Truth is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes, leaving no room for glorying as if wisdom were not received, and spiritual things are spiritually discerned and must be studied diligently, bringing not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, by whom alone character is transformed and what was lost is brought back.
The crucified Christ is to be talked, prayed, and sung about with love, deep earnestness, and vivid presentation, not as a stale account nor in formal set phrases and merely argumentative subjects. His final suffering and death won a victory for the world, and as Advocate in heaven He presents the sacrifice offered at Calvary, so preaching keeps the crucifixion in living memory with words full of moisture from Christ in the heart. The Holy Spirit empowers this preaching, working on hearers' hearts so that they are impressed as though Jesus were before them, through a power beyond human effort. The love of God shown through Christ reaches those hungering and thirsting for spiritual life, breaks and wins hearts, and leads sinners to receive the bread of life and the water of salvation.
The world is to be converted by preaching Christ crucified, with the Holy Spirit allowed to work, not by tongues or miracles. The effort must not be delayed while waiting for some wonderful thing to be done or costly apparatus to be provided. Believers are to use every instrumentality God placed in their hands, employ all God-given means to introduce truth into new localities, build churches as centers of light, sow beside all waters, keep souls in the love of God, and work while it is day. However humble the sphere and however lowly the work, laboring in harmony with the Saviour's teachings causes Him to reveal Himself through the worker, so that influence draws souls, and the meek and lowly who seek earnestly to serve Him are honored, with the endeavor to save souls brought into all that is done whether in shop, farm, or office.
Workers are to present eternal truth plainly, warn of the danger of neglecting eternal interests, and exalt Jesus rather than themselves or a message designed merely to please listeners. They are to present the Word and its Bible arguments clearly rather than entering controversy or debate. They must not make it their duty to introduce arguments upon testing truths like the Sabbath at first, but lead thirsting souls to surrender heart, mind, and will to God and behold His melting love, so they are then prepared to weigh evidence on solemn truths. Preaching Christ crucified as the gospel in distinct lines, rather than dwelling constantly upon the law, is the great instrument for conversion and for leading every church to the high standard of holiness needed to become living, for neglecting experiential faith in Christ misleads souls and leaves many who claim to believe without it.
The first, second, and third chapters of First Corinthians are of the greatest importance to all in God's work and should be studied. They rebuke envy, strife, and carnal party spirit saying I am of Paul and I am of Apollos, teaching that Paul and Apollos are only ministers by whom believers believed, that one plants and another waters but God gives the increase. They call believers to speak the same thing on a plain thus saith the Lord, with no divisions, perfectly joined in the same mind and judgment, loving as brethren, pitiful and courteous, confirmed in the testimony of Christ, waiting for His coming, confirmed blameless unto the end, and in fellowship with the Son.
The chapter belongs to God's decision about education without a practical knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He sent; eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ. The education including that knowledge, with the living Word finding entrance into the heart and applied to the soul unto transformation of character, is of more value than gold, silver, precious stones, worldly honor, or empty applause. When its convincing power enters understanding and heart it becomes the power of God in transformation, making believers not only hearers but doers whose conversation and course harmonize with the Word, living by every word proceeding from God's mouth with a Divine Instructor.
The cross is the source of true wisdom, though rejected as foolishness or a stumblingblock by those judging by human wisdom, calling for courage to proclaim the truth without obscuring it to gain the world's approval. Understanding and proclaiming Christ crucified as the sinner's only hope calls for consecration to God and diligent study of Scripture. It calls for having Jesus abiding in the heart, the Holy Spirit for power and efficiency, firmer faith, fervent devotion, and death to self with adoring love for Jesus.
Effects That Change Hearts
Speaking, praying, and singing about the crucified Christ breaks and wins hearts and gathers people to Him, for the love of God shown through Christ reaches those hungering and thirsting for spiritual life and leads them to receive the bread of life and the water of salvation. Formal set phrases and merely argumentative subjects do little, while words full of moisture from Christ abiding in the heart become as a well of water springing up unto everlasting life to water others. Preaching the uplifted Saviour is God's provision to counterwork human and satanic agencies united to destroy the soul, since God gave His own Son to die to save the guilty sinner. It awakens the careless in indifference and neglect of the great salvation, arouses the attention of those dead in trespasses and sins, convicts of the evil of sin, and enlightens the eyes of the transgressor. All who have been drawn to Christ and felt His converting power are to share in telling the story of His love and doing what they can in the Lord's name, leading thirsting souls to surrender heart, mind, and will to God and behold His melting love and accept Him slain for transgressions as personal Saviour and healer, rather than making it their first duty to introduce arguments upon testing truths like the Sabbath, so that being thus prepared they can weigh evidence and advance in Christian experience with firmer faith, fervent devotion, death to self, and the Holy Spirit for power and efficiency.
The message gives the proper level to the human mind, for looking to Jesus as Author and Finisher of faith and contemplating the cross lays all desire for self-glorification in the dust. It brings self-abasement, lowliness, humbleness of mind, and true humility with no self-exaltation, and seeing God in Christ and Christ as God aright levels human exaltation and pride. Contemplating the cross enables every believer to see the wonderful provision it has brought. It reveals the Creator of all worlds humbling Himself to human nature in meekness and lowliness, the Majesty of heaven clothing divinity with humanity in the days of humiliation, rich in heaven's treasure yet becoming poor so that through His poverty believers are made rich, so that cherishing high-mindedness, self-trust, self-sufficiency, and self-complacency dishonors the Maker and will surely be humbled, and he who glories must glory in the Lord and in the cross alone.
Christ crucified is the manifestation of the wisdom and power of God, daily converting the soul and divinely adapted to meet all obstacles and trials of daily experience. Crucified to take away sins and risen from the dead, He is Intercessor, chosen and appointed Advocate, Substitute and Surety in God's presence, through whose blood every soul may have access to God. In Him humanity and divinity are combined, and all sufficiency is provided for every soul, so the follower of Christ is fitted for every work and every trial. Genuine faith in this personal Saviour who helps the soul in every emergency is very rare, and the desire for virtue and holiness is opposed at every step, requiring personal spiritual conflict. Through the cross God wins rebel hearts, reconciles fallen people to Himself, brings them near, and transforms character. Those who accept Christ become members of God's family and heirs with Him, and receiving Him who is made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption forms the best and highest character after the divine likeness, making life and faith an instructive example to others.
No eloquence or force of argument can convert the sinner; only God's power can apply truth to the heart. Neither Jewish learning nor Greek eloquence can reach the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus, and the highest human eloquence and the greatest physical strength cannot convict and convert souls. Only heart reception of the pure principles of the gospel makes a person an honor to God and an influence that wins souls to Christ. The message goes with power only when the Holy Spirit confirms the spoken word, and only when the fullness of the Spirit is imparted and the breath of God is breathed into the soul can human agencies prevail against satanic agencies and impress souls aright. To those who perish the preaching of the cross is foolishness, but to those saved it is the power of God. To the unbeliever whose happiness is in the things of the world, its pleasures and vanities, conscientious observers of the Lord's Sabbath seem wild and erratic, stubborn and foolish, odd and singular from the world, even to their own children, while great men, ministers, doctors, and the learned do not accept the truth because of the cross, because popularity and worldly inducements are too great to yield up and their minds are darkened.
To those lacking the heavenly anointing and grace in the heart the message looks inferior, offensive, and foolish, so they value advocates of error above advocates of truth and divert time, intellect, money, and strength to the enemy while thinking it virtue. Those proud of goodness and wisdom and lacking living personal connection with Christ do not understand the cross because self-love and self-sufficiency leave no room for the Saviour, and those refusing the invitation to drink of the waters of life remain restless and unsatisfied until grace changes their estimate of everything relating to God's cause. God uses what the world calls foolish to humble the learned and display the power of the cross, as illustrated by a poor man repeating the message of Christ's coming through whom God's Spirit rather than learning or persuasive reasoning brought a proud hearer to repentance. God's wisdom and ways appear foolish to the boastful and self-confident who cannot grasp His power, but He brings victory through humble, simple means that depend on Him rather than human strength or ingenuity, for treating human wisdom as superior to God's leads astray because human wisdom is foolish beside God's wisdom. The message stands against human speculation and worldly philosophy, which cannot replace the eternal truths taught by prophets and apostles, yet as God's wisdom it can instruct both the highly intelligent and those with limited understanding, so learners who humbly become like little children receive wisdom from the Great Teacher beyond what human schools impart.
Calls For Daily Living
The work of the gospel and of reform is not to be handicapped and stopped by doubtful questions and councils, by doubt and criticism, when new methods are advocated. At Athens comparatively few received the gospel because pride of intellect and worldly wisdom led the people to count it foolishness, yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the crucified Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and what is called the foolishness of God is wiser than men and what is called the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The inclination to extol men and to exalt human ideas of education and learned men as supreme is foolishness in the sight of God. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world and will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent, and because the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased Him by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. Preaching Christ crucified is a stumblingblock to the Jews because they require a sign and foolishness to the Greeks because they seek after wisdom, but to those who are called it is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, and not many wise after the flesh, mighty, or noble are called, for God chose the foolish, weak, base, despised, and nonexistent things of the world to confound the wise and mighty and bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence. God's people therefore have higher aims than the study of man and must hunger and thirst after righteousness in order to receive the Holy Spirit, and educators must not place disloyal men where God should be nor place all on the same level without distinguishing obedience from disobedience and the sacred from the common.
The truth that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that believers should not perish but have everlasting life is to be developed and proclaimed in the closing scenes of this earth's history to show that the Crucified One, though a stumblingblock to the Jews and foolishness to supposedly wise men, is nevertheless the power of God and the wisdom of God. Those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour with unquestioning faith will stand the test of trial in the last days. Even the illiterate disciple will withstand the doubts and questions of infidelity, put to blush the sophistries of scorners, receive tongue and wisdom that adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist, and bear affirmative testimony with convincing power that brings thousands to conversion.
Men and women are to be converted by the preaching of Christ crucified, not by the gift of tongues nor by the working of miracles, and this preaching is God's provision to reveal the uplifted Saviour to guilty sinners and through human agents to counterwork human and satanic agencies united to destroy the soul. The effort to make the world better by it must not be delayed while waiting for some wonderful thing to be done or some costly apparatus to be provided. All who have been drawn to Christ and have felt His converting power on their own souls are to share in this preaching by telling the story of His love and doing what they can in the name of the Lord. The endeavor to save souls is to be brought into all that is done, whether work in the shop, on the farm, or in the office, and however humble the sphere and however lowly the work, laboring in harmony with the teachings of the Saviour causes Him to reveal Himself through the worker so that influence draws souls to Him, and the meek and lowly ones who seek earnestly to serve Him are honored. This preaching awakens the careless in indifference and neglect of the great salvation, arouses the attention of those dead in trespasses and sins, convicts of the evil of sin, and enlightens the eyes of the transgressor, and the work is to go forward in faith and hope since God gave His own Son to die to save the guilty sinner.
Preaching Christ crucified divides hearers, for the Jews stumble over it because they require a sign and the Greeks count it foolishness because they seek after wisdom. The rich and learned exalt themselves above those who come to Jesus that they might be saved and count the preaching of the cross foolishness. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, who believe and come to Jesus to be saved, Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world, destroys the wisdom of the wise, and chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak and base and despised things to confound the mighty and bring to nought things that are, so that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
The message preached is Christ crucified, which is a stumblingblock to the Jews who require a sign and foolishness to the Greeks who seek after wisdom. The Jews stumbled because they demanded signs instead of a Saviour and expected the Messiah to prove His claims by mighty deeds of conquest and earthly triumph, while the Greeks counted the cross absurd folly because they valued their own wisdom and philosophy above the wisdom from God and could not see how a crucified man could ennoble or save humanity. To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, that same crucified Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, for what is called the foolishness of God is wiser than men and what is called the weakness of God is stronger than men. Preaching Christ crucified is the central message to be exalted, not with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that faith stands in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men. Lifted up before fallen humanity, the cross breaks and wins hearts, lays all desire for self-glorification in the dust, reconciles fallen people to God, and transforms character after the divine likeness.
Jews Greeks Responses
The message proclaimed is Christ crucified, which is a stumblingblock to the Jews who require a sign and foolishness to the Greeks who seek after wisdom, while to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. The same contrast shows that human standards of wisdom cannot grasp the gospel, for God's wisdom and strength surpass human wisdom and strength, and it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. Jews and Greeks stand as the two great classes who receive, reject, or distort the gospel, and both can misunderstand spiritual religion, since spiritual things are discerned through the Spirit and not by the natural mind. In Corinth many Jews found the message offensive and angering, while Greeks regarded it as absurd folly, because a crucified man seemed an unlikely Savior to people seeking human elevation through philosophy and science, so they could not see how the cross could ennoble humanity or save it.
At Athens comparatively few received the gospel because pride of intellect and worldly wisdom led people to count it foolishness. Those demanding a sign do not lack evidence, for even evidence piled upon evidence would not move them, as seen in those fed yet still asking for proof. They treat the light given for salvation indifferently, rest in signs and outward forms, wait until every seeming objection is removed before believing, and resist conviction because the truth is unpopular and involves self-denial and the cross, seeking an excuse to avoid it, yet God will never remove all seeming difficulties, for those who wish to doubt can find opportunity and those who wish to believe will find plenty of evidence. The gospel was a stumblingblock to the Jews because they demanded signs instead of a Saviour and expected the Messiah to prove His claims by mighty deeds of conquest and establish His empire on the ruins of earthly kingdoms.
They exalted the divinely appointed forms and ceremonies until they lost sight of their object, and traditions, maxims and enactments of men hid God's intended lessons and became an obstacle to understanding and practising true religion. The whole Jewish economy was designed to teach that at the appointed time One would come to whom the ceremonies pointed, but when the Reality came in the person of Christ they did not recognize in Him the fulfillment of all their types and the substance of all their shadows, but rejected the Antitype while clinging to types and useless ceremonies and kept asking for a miracle. The kingdom of God was to prevail not by force of arms or violent interpositions or earthly triumphs and national greatness, but by implanting a new principle in hearts, for Christ came not as a king but as a sower to scatter seed unto a harvest gathered after patient toil and through losses and disappointments. The Greeks valued their own wisdom above the wisdom from God, and pride, self-conceit, worldly pursuits, and worldly attractions blinded the worldly-wise so they disdained the simplicity of true godliness.
They failed to see Christ's beauty and did not recognize that their sins burdened Him with grief and suffering. Pride kept them from humbling themselves as lost sinners to receive the salvation and knowledge Christ alone gives, for in Christ God supplies wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, leaving no room to boast in self. To those proud of their own goodness and wisdom the preaching of the cross is foolishness, and those lacking a living connection with Christ do not understand it because self-love and self-sufficiency leave no room for the Saviour.
God's Wisdom Surpasses Human
To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation, and what human judgment rejects as shameful or senseless is revealed to them as divine power and wisdom. Jews and Greeks stand for the two great classes who receive, reject, or distort the gospel, the one demanding a sign and the other seeking human wisdom, and both can misunderstand spiritual religion because human standards cannot grasp the gospel. Those who believe and come to Jesus to be saved discern spiritual things through the Spirit and not by the natural mind, while the rich and learned who exalt themselves above them count the preaching of the cross foolishness.
What is called the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and what is called the weakness of God is stronger than men, so God's wisdom and strength surpass human wisdom and strength. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world and will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. In God's wisdom the world by wisdom knew not God, and it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe, with the preaching of the cross as foolishness to those who perish but power to those who are saved.
The calling itself proves this, for not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things to confound the mighty, and the base and despised things, yea things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence. Of God believers are in Christ Jesus, who is made unto them wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, leaving no room to boast in self or in human status and achievement. Therefore he who glories must glory in the Lord and in the cross alone, forming the best and highest character after the divine likeness and making life and faith an instructive example to others.
Spiritual things are spiritually discerned and cannot be known by the natural mind, for to the natural man they are foolishness. The truth is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes, so the grand truths that men in pride and self-exaltation refuse to examine and cast aside as worthless are clearly apprehended and enjoyed by those who are babes in knowledge. Grace changes a person's estimate of everything relating to God's cause, so humble workers and God's humble plan for saving souls are no longer measured by worldly wisdom or worldly methods. Those who lack the heavenly anointing and grace in the heart see the message as inferior, offensive, and foolish and value advocates of error above advocates of truth, while to those who are saved it is the power of God.
The preaching of Christ crucified is the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom ordained before the world unto glory. None of the princes of this world knew that wisdom, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The Spirit searches all things, yea the deep things of God, and reveals what eye has not seen nor ear heard nor entered into the heart of man, which God prepared for those who love Him, and those who have received the Spirit which is of God know the things freely given of God and speak them in words the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual and having the mind of Christ. With other scriptures the verse presents the pre-existence of Christ and the purpose of His manifestation to this world as living beams of light from the eternal throne, light shining in a dark place with divine, original glory.
Christ Crucified Message Center
Preaching Christ crucified is the central message and the lesson workers must learn and communicate. Eternal truth is to be presented plainly with warning of the danger of neglecting eternal interests, exalting Jesus rather than self or a message designed merely to please listeners. The truth of Christ crucified, risen, ascended to heaven, and coming again is to fill and soften the minister's mind and be presented with love and deep earnestness, so that Jesus is made manifest. Speaking with earnestness and convincing power about the crucified Saviour is central to Christian witness, to be spoken, prayed, and sung because the love of God revealed in Christ breaks and wins hearts and leads sinners to salvation. Understanding and proclaiming Christ crucified as the sinner's only hope calls for consecration to God and diligent study of Scripture, and it is the practical answer to opposition and error by presenting the Word and its Bible arguments clearly rather than entering controversy or debate.
His final suffering and death won a victory for the world and are to be presented earnestly and vividly, not as a stale account, with the crucifixion kept in living memory. As Advocate in heaven He presents the sacrifice offered at Calvary, and the Holy Spirit empowers this preaching to work on hearers' hearts so they are impressed as though Jesus were before them, through a power beyond human effort. After Jesus' death the disciples' hope failed, but His resurrection restored their faith and they boldly proclaimed Him as the Messiah, centering the message on the crucified and risen Saviour. Salvation requires living faith that lays hold of the merits of His blood and of Christ as righteousness. Christ's death for sin humbles each person before God, and His resurrection, ascension, and continuing intercession are the science of salvation to be learned and taught to children and youth.
Christ crucified for us is the great atonement for sin and the central truth of the gospel. The cross makes the plan of salvation plain and wins hearts to love Jesus, though resisted by those under Satan's power. This truth about the atonement is plainly and decidedly revealed in God's Word, yet only those who in loyalty to God obey His holy commandments can correctly explain it, while those who refuse to obey the law are ignorant of divine things because they love darkness rather than light. Lifting up the cross to stand prominent in the heart of the broken law, holding up before fallen humanity a sin-pardoning Saviour, infuses new power and efficiency into the message of truth. Christ is thus revealed as the sinner's hope and only hope, the believer's strength in every need, the One mighty to save, whose power to forgive sin is unlimited, with the gospel as God's power and wisdom working in the human heart, since intellectual agreement with truth alone accomplishes nothing without a penitent, convicted, converted heart.
The offense is that Christ made one sufficient sacrifice and is the only Mediator and sole Priest between God and man. No mortal man may be placed where God should be as intercessor or to receive confessions of sins, and every man must stand out of the way in his own place wearing Christ's yoke. Jesus calls every sinner into direct communication with Himself with no mortal interposed, accepting and cleansing from all moral defilement every soul who believes on His name and believes on Him whom the Father sent. Those who put man in God's place keep coming against the Rock of offense, and this gospel of Christ and His love and Him crucified, a stumblingblock to the Jews, remains a stumblingblock to many who claim to believe present truth, while the reproach of Christ rests on His people who preach it.
Christ's saving work embraced the whole world, and by the cross He died for all so that people of every race may receive His grace. Through His death the ceremonial distinction ended, so Gentiles did not have to be circumcised or become Jews to enter the church. Being children of Abraham meant belonging to him in the heart and showing the merits of Christ's grace through a righteous life, with Paul's central message of Christ crucified preached to Jews and Gentiles alike. The message of Christ crucified is a message of mercy for fallen sinners, and neglecting it or treating it with indifference is to slight God's mercy and His warning and appeal.
Preaching With Spirit Power
Preaching is not to be with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom, oratory, and philosophy, but in weakness and fear and much trembling, in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, in words the Holy Ghost teaches, so that faith stands in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men. Though able to meet oratory with oratory and philosophy with philosophy on people's own ground, Paul determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This preaching speaks the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom ordained before the world unto glory, which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Truth is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes, leaving no room for glorying as if wisdom were not received, and spiritual things are spiritually discerned and must be studied diligently, bringing not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, by whom alone character is transformed and what was lost is brought back.
The crucified Christ is to be talked, prayed, and sung about with love, deep earnestness, and vivid presentation, not as a stale account nor in formal set phrases and merely argumentative subjects. His final suffering and death won a victory for the world, and as Advocate in heaven He presents the sacrifice offered at Calvary, so preaching keeps the crucifixion in living memory with words full of moisture from Christ in the heart. The Holy Spirit empowers this preaching, working on hearers' hearts so that they are impressed as though Jesus were before them, through a power beyond human effort. The love of God shown through Christ reaches those hungering and thirsting for spiritual life, breaks and wins hearts, and leads sinners to receive the bread of life and the water of salvation.
The world is to be converted by preaching Christ crucified, with the Holy Spirit allowed to work, not by tongues or miracles. The effort must not be delayed while waiting for some wonderful thing to be done or costly apparatus to be provided. Believers are to use every instrumentality God placed in their hands, employ all God-given means to introduce truth into new localities, build churches as centers of light, sow beside all waters, keep souls in the love of God, and work while it is day. However humble the sphere and however lowly the work, laboring in harmony with the Saviour's teachings causes Him to reveal Himself through the worker, so that influence draws souls, and the meek and lowly who seek earnestly to serve Him are honored, with the endeavor to save souls brought into all that is done whether in shop, farm, or office.
Workers are to present eternal truth plainly, warn of the danger of neglecting eternal interests, and exalt Jesus rather than themselves or a message designed merely to please listeners. They are to present the Word and its Bible arguments clearly rather than entering controversy or debate. They must not make it their duty to introduce arguments upon testing truths like the Sabbath at first, but lead thirsting souls to surrender heart, mind, and will to God and behold His melting love, so they are then prepared to weigh evidence on solemn truths. Preaching Christ crucified as the gospel in distinct lines, rather than dwelling constantly upon the law, is the great instrument for conversion and for leading every church to the high standard of holiness needed to become living, for neglecting experiential faith in Christ misleads souls and leaves many who claim to believe without it.
The first, second, and third chapters of First Corinthians are of the greatest importance to all in God's work and should be studied. They rebuke envy, strife, and carnal party spirit saying I am of Paul and I am of Apollos, teaching that Paul and Apollos are only ministers by whom believers believed, that one plants and another waters but God gives the increase. They call believers to speak the same thing on a plain thus saith the Lord, with no divisions, perfectly joined in the same mind and judgment, loving as brethren, pitiful and courteous, confirmed in the testimony of Christ, waiting for His coming, confirmed blameless unto the end, and in fellowship with the Son.
The chapter belongs to God's decision about education without a practical knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He sent; eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ. The education including that knowledge, with the living Word finding entrance into the heart and applied to the soul unto transformation of character, is of more value than gold, silver, precious stones, worldly honor, or empty applause. When its convincing power enters understanding and heart it becomes the power of God in transformation, making believers not only hearers but doers whose conversation and course harmonize with the Word, living by every word proceeding from God's mouth with a Divine Instructor.
The cross is the source of true wisdom, though rejected as foolishness or a stumblingblock by those judging by human wisdom, calling for courage to proclaim the truth without obscuring it to gain the world's approval. Understanding and proclaiming Christ crucified as the sinner's only hope calls for consecration to God and diligent study of Scripture. It calls for having Jesus abiding in the heart, the Holy Spirit for power and efficiency, firmer faith, fervent devotion, and death to self with adoring love for Jesus.
Effects That Change Hearts
Speaking, praying, and singing about the crucified Christ breaks and wins hearts and gathers people to Him, for the love of God shown through Christ reaches those hungering and thirsting for spiritual life and leads them to receive the bread of life and the water of salvation. Formal set phrases and merely argumentative subjects do little, while words full of moisture from Christ abiding in the heart become as a well of water springing up unto everlasting life to water others. Preaching the uplifted Saviour is God's provision to counterwork human and satanic agencies united to destroy the soul, since God gave His own Son to die to save the guilty sinner. It awakens the careless in indifference and neglect of the great salvation, arouses the attention of those dead in trespasses and sins, convicts of the evil of sin, and enlightens the eyes of the transgressor. All who have been drawn to Christ and felt His converting power are to share in telling the story of His love and doing what they can in the Lord's name, leading thirsting souls to surrender heart, mind, and will to God and behold His melting love and accept Him slain for transgressions as personal Saviour and healer, rather than making it their first duty to introduce arguments upon testing truths like the Sabbath, so that being thus prepared they can weigh evidence and advance in Christian experience with firmer faith, fervent devotion, death to self, and the Holy Spirit for power and efficiency.
The message gives the proper level to the human mind, for looking to Jesus as Author and Finisher of faith and contemplating the cross lays all desire for self-glorification in the dust. It brings self-abasement, lowliness, humbleness of mind, and true humility with no self-exaltation, and seeing God in Christ and Christ as God aright levels human exaltation and pride. Contemplating the cross enables every believer to see the wonderful provision it has brought. It reveals the Creator of all worlds humbling Himself to human nature in meekness and lowliness, the Majesty of heaven clothing divinity with humanity in the days of humiliation, rich in heaven's treasure yet becoming poor so that through His poverty believers are made rich, so that cherishing high-mindedness, self-trust, self-sufficiency, and self-complacency dishonors the Maker and will surely be humbled, and he who glories must glory in the Lord and in the cross alone.
Christ crucified is the manifestation of the wisdom and power of God, daily converting the soul and divinely adapted to meet all obstacles and trials of daily experience. Crucified to take away sins and risen from the dead, He is Intercessor, chosen and appointed Advocate, Substitute and Surety in God's presence, through whose blood every soul may have access to God. In Him humanity and divinity are combined, and all sufficiency is provided for every soul, so the follower of Christ is fitted for every work and every trial. Genuine faith in this personal Saviour who helps the soul in every emergency is very rare, and the desire for virtue and holiness is opposed at every step, requiring personal spiritual conflict. Through the cross God wins rebel hearts, reconciles fallen people to Himself, brings them near, and transforms character. Those who accept Christ become members of God's family and heirs with Him, and receiving Him who is made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption forms the best and highest character after the divine likeness, making life and faith an instructive example to others.
No eloquence or force of argument can convert the sinner; only God's power can apply truth to the heart. Neither Jewish learning nor Greek eloquence can reach the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus, and the highest human eloquence and the greatest physical strength cannot convict and convert souls. Only heart reception of the pure principles of the gospel makes a person an honor to God and an influence that wins souls to Christ. The message goes with power only when the Holy Spirit confirms the spoken word, and only when the fullness of the Spirit is imparted and the breath of God is breathed into the soul can human agencies prevail against satanic agencies and impress souls aright. To those who perish the preaching of the cross is foolishness, but to those saved it is the power of God. To the unbeliever whose happiness is in the things of the world, its pleasures and vanities, conscientious observers of the Lord's Sabbath seem wild and erratic, stubborn and foolish, odd and singular from the world, even to their own children, while great men, ministers, doctors, and the learned do not accept the truth because of the cross, because popularity and worldly inducements are too great to yield up and their minds are darkened.
To those lacking the heavenly anointing and grace in the heart the message looks inferior, offensive, and foolish, so they value advocates of error above advocates of truth and divert time, intellect, money, and strength to the enemy while thinking it virtue. Those proud of goodness and wisdom and lacking living personal connection with Christ do not understand the cross because self-love and self-sufficiency leave no room for the Saviour, and those refusing the invitation to drink of the waters of life remain restless and unsatisfied until grace changes their estimate of everything relating to God's cause. God uses what the world calls foolish to humble the learned and display the power of the cross, as illustrated by a poor man repeating the message of Christ's coming through whom God's Spirit rather than learning or persuasive reasoning brought a proud hearer to repentance. God's wisdom and ways appear foolish to the boastful and self-confident who cannot grasp His power, but He brings victory through humble, simple means that depend on Him rather than human strength or ingenuity, for treating human wisdom as superior to God's leads astray because human wisdom is foolish beside God's wisdom. The message stands against human speculation and worldly philosophy, which cannot replace the eternal truths taught by prophets and apostles, yet as God's wisdom it can instruct both the highly intelligent and those with limited understanding, so learners who humbly become like little children receive wisdom from the Great Teacher beyond what human schools impart.
Calls For Daily Living
The work of the gospel and of reform is not to be handicapped and stopped by doubtful questions and councils, by doubt and criticism, when new methods are advocated. At Athens comparatively few received the gospel because pride of intellect and worldly wisdom led the people to count it foolishness, yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the crucified Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and what is called the foolishness of God is wiser than men and what is called the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The inclination to extol men and to exalt human ideas of education and learned men as supreme is foolishness in the sight of God. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world and will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent, and because the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased Him by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. Preaching Christ crucified is a stumblingblock to the Jews because they require a sign and foolishness to the Greeks because they seek after wisdom, but to those who are called it is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, and not many wise after the flesh, mighty, or noble are called, for God chose the foolish, weak, base, despised, and nonexistent things of the world to confound the wise and mighty and bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence. God's people therefore have higher aims than the study of man and must hunger and thirst after righteousness in order to receive the Holy Spirit, and educators must not place disloyal men where God should be nor place all on the same level without distinguishing obedience from disobedience and the sacred from the common.
The truth that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that believers should not perish but have everlasting life is to be developed and proclaimed in the closing scenes of this earth's history to show that the Crucified One, though a stumblingblock to the Jews and foolishness to supposedly wise men, is nevertheless the power of God and the wisdom of God. Those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour with unquestioning faith will stand the test of trial in the last days. Even the illiterate disciple will withstand the doubts and questions of infidelity, put to blush the sophistries of scorners, receive tongue and wisdom that adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist, and bear affirmative testimony with convincing power that brings thousands to conversion.
Men and women are to be converted by the preaching of Christ crucified, not by the gift of tongues nor by the working of miracles, and this preaching is God's provision to reveal the uplifted Saviour to guilty sinners and through human agents to counterwork human and satanic agencies united to destroy the soul. The effort to make the world better by it must not be delayed while waiting for some wonderful thing to be done or some costly apparatus to be provided. All who have been drawn to Christ and have felt His converting power on their own souls are to share in this preaching by telling the story of His love and doing what they can in the name of the Lord. The endeavor to save souls is to be brought into all that is done, whether work in the shop, on the farm, or in the office, and however humble the sphere and however lowly the work, laboring in harmony with the teachings of the Saviour causes Him to reveal Himself through the worker so that influence draws souls to Him, and the meek and lowly ones who seek earnestly to serve Him are honored. This preaching awakens the careless in indifference and neglect of the great salvation, arouses the attention of those dead in trespasses and sins, convicts of the evil of sin, and enlightens the eyes of the transgressor, and the work is to go forward in faith and hope since God gave His own Son to die to save the guilty sinner.
Preaching Christ crucified divides hearers, for the Jews stumble over it because they require a sign and the Greeks count it foolishness because they seek after wisdom. The rich and learned exalt themselves above those who come to Jesus that they might be saved and count the preaching of the cross foolishness. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, who believe and come to Jesus to be saved, Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation. God has made foolish the wisdom of this world, destroys the wisdom of the wise, and chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak and base and despised things to confound the mighty and bring to nought things that are, so that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.