1 Corinthians 1:18-25
For on one hand the word of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but on the other hand it is the power of God to we who
are being saved. For it has been
written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding
of those who understand.” Where is the
wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the one of this age who is skilled
in debating? Did God not make foolish
the wisdom of this world? For since in
the wisdom of God the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased through
the foolishness of proclamation to save the ones who believe. And in as much as Jews ask for signs and Greeks
seek wisdom, we instead proclaim Christ having been crucified. On one hand to the Jews it is a scandal and on
the other hand to the Gentiles it is foolishness. But to the called ones – both Jews and Greeks
– Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wise in mankind
and the weakness of God is strong in mankind.
Thoughts for Today
First Thought:
In the first two verses, Paul is quoting Isaiah 29:14. God’s faithful people have always believed that
God’s understanding is far superior to anything that humanity can come up
with. However, what is interesting in
this point is what it implies is necessary for truly coming to God. Paul uses the words “destroy” and “set aside”
when talking about what God does with human understanding. These are both words that imply a natural
position of submission. It’s not that we
cannot use the gifts within us that are natural to us. What Paul is saying that our default position
should begin with deferring to God. Our
default position should be to listen to God and be willing to put aside ourselves
when called to do so. Seeking God’s ways
should take precedence over asserting our own understanding, especially when
there is a difference between the two.
How good are you at putting aside your own understanding and
instead doing things God’s way? How do
you think this topic applies back to yesterday where we talked about division
within the church? Why might Paul have
put these two ideas in such close proximity to one another?
Second Thought:
Moving from this point, we come to another interesting
question lifted up by Paul. Did God not
make foolish the wisdom of this world?
If you think about it, it was human wisdom that crucified Jesus. The religious leaders wanted to get rid of
Jesus before he started a riot. They
wanted to be done with Jesus before they lost control over the crowds. From a human perspective their choices make
logic sense for people who are in charge.
But from a divine perspective, they killed God’s own Son. From God’s perspective, their wisdom has no
basis for any logic. But here’s the
thing. God was still able to use their
most irrational choice. Through the
death of His Son, salvation came to those of us who embrace the cross of
Christ! Through their folly – although they
thought it brilliant strategy – came the best gift any of us could have ever
hoped to receive.
How does this truly put the power of God on display? How do you feel knowing that God can use
human folly and make it turn out for His and our benefit? In what way does this actually help take
pressure off of us?
Third Thought:
Let’s take a fairly large step back and truly lay out the
true proclamation of Jesus Christ. The
true proclamation of Jesus Christ is that He came to this earth to lay down His
life for those who will receive the truth of God. That’s the foolishness that Paul is talking
about. Imagine going up to the typical
person in the world and saying, “God wants you to give up your life and lay it
down for what He wants you to do instead.”
In fact, imagine the people with whom you worship. Imagine going up to them and saying to them, “God
wants you to give up your personal agendas and lay them down for what He wants
you to do instead.” We’re not talking
about giving a few hours of volunteering a week here. We’re talking about truly laying down one’s whole
life and picking up the agenda of God instead.
How well is that message truly received in the world? How well is it received even among the people
with whom you worship? Now you see why
Paul refers to this as foolishness in the eyes of the world. The typical person is not ready to truly
receive this message. Yet we believe that
it is precisely the message of salvation to which we must cling. Jesus gave up His life for the sake of
accomplishing God’s agenda. He is our
model. He is our example. We are to imitate Him. How could we say we love Jesus and not
embrace the sacrificial nature of our calling?
How difficult is it for you to embrace sacrifice? Why do we as human beings want to pursue our
own agendas so much? What might God be
calling you into?
Fourth Thought:
I’ll make this one quick.
Paul says Jews ask for signs.
Gentiles ask for things to be explained so that they make sense to
them. Paul says both positions are not
where we need to be. We see Christ on the
cross giving up His life. So many people
say that they will believe if only they could see God’s power on display. Others will only follow God if it makes
sense. In reality the cross of Christ
looks like foolish defeat to the world.
When we are looking for signs or when we demand an explanation we are
being human, not really stepping out in faith as Christ stepped.
Do you ever want a sign?
Why is that natural? How does
that show your humanity? Do you ever
want things to make sense? Why is this
natural? What is the danger in always
having to understand something before you are willing to follow God?
Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
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