17 "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." Here Paul is not minimizing baptism; rather, he is proclaiming that the mission God gave him was to preach, not baptize. (If you look in the previous verse, remember he was trying to convince the people that they were not baptized into the name of Paul but into the name of Jesus -- Jesus is the one they, and Paul, are following). So, Paul's calling is just to proclaim Christ. And he says that he does not preach with wisdom and eloquence, or the persuasive techniques the Jewish rabbis and Greek philosophers had developed. In our human-ness, we like to be entertained, and we appreciate good orators...not so in Paul. There's nothing fancy about how he speaks of Christ, so that all the power can be given to Christ and His cross.
18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Paul wants his audience to focus on the message and not on him! His message is the cross, which seems absolutely ridiculous to non-Christians. Just look at how Christians are portrayed in the media -- we're dumb, right? And remember a few years ago when the man went into the Amish schoolhouse and murdered a bunch of children, and then the Amish families went and consoled and forgave the family of the murderer -- the media had NO idea what to do with that! They thought the Amish people were being naive! Christianity is foolishness to them! And in Paul's day, people couldn't believe the idea that their Savior had supposedly just died via the equivalent of today's electric chair! I think I can understand why they'd think it foolishness.
19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Here Paul reminds them what they already know because it is in their Scripture already. These words would be familiar to them, but Paul speaks them in a new context -- Jesus. In His wisdom, God didn't want the idea of Jesus, the Messiah to be flippant. His Kingdom runs a different way than our current kingdoms, remember? The weak are the strongest. The humble and meek are raised in honor. The poor are considered rich. But today's "intellectual people" don't understand this at all -- it doesn't seem to make sense in their logic. It seems foolish and frustrating that people would follow such beliefs. And that's where God gets all the glory. He set it up that way on purpose!
20-21 "Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe." The questions posed here are rhetorical, because Paul's hoping they're starting to get his point by now. The cross, which seems so foolish to the world, is actually where wisdom and salvation are found! (Imagine all the jaws dropping to the floor at this point.) Then, Paul goes on to say that as hard as we have tried all throughout humanity and even throughout the Old Testament, the world could not understand Him in their own "wisdom" and that worldly wisdom would not be the means by which we would come to know Him. It does take humility to allow ourselves to trust in this story of redemption that God died on a cross (the worst pain and most humiliating death) for me. I can't buy my salvation (which wealthy people don't understand), and I can't debate my way to earn salvation (which the intelligent people don't understand), and I can't manipulate or excuse my way to earn salvation (which criminals and prideful people don't understand). This is the way God designed it, and it rather knocks us off our feet when we really begin to grasp this plan and design!
22-24 "Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Paul knows his audience. The Jews were looking for all these signs of the Messiah that they were told about -- a literal Prince of Peace. But Jesus was not a prince and ruler as we know the terms. And the Greeks, in all their study and philosophies, could not imagine that no reputable person, especially their Savior, would allow Himself to die a criminal's death or be a criminal by their nation's standards. Yet it is these very people, the Jews and the Greeks, whom God has called Paul tells them.
I wonder what our stumbling block as Americans would be. I think I know: image. As in all our presidents in the past few decades, as an overall society, we want a leader who looks good, who looks put together, and who knows and is seen with all the right people. We want a "pretty" person. I wonder how put together and pretty Jesus looked since He spent most of His days wandering around outside in the heat and dust while loving the unlovable. We don't know a lot of how He looked, but the Bible does say, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). I'm not sure we would've held Him in high esteem if He were here today.
25 "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." (I don't think God had ANY weaknesses. I think that line is an example of hyperbole to make a point). This is the good news...God's wisdom is not our wisdom. God knows our silly human desires, but goes ahead with His plan, His better plan anyway. He knows that His kingdom looks silly to some, but once we are part of it, it doesn't look so silly anymore does it? It's as if blinders have been removed! I can see, oh yes, this is much better! I am so thankful that the God I serve is THIS much greater than me, and not only that, He loves me. His wisdom is the best, and can I surrender my life and my desires to Him? Where I am weak, He is wise. His wisdom is what I desire. I may not understand it, but I trust it.
Can you say that this morning?
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