Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

 

   Paul summarizes Isaiah 29:14 to emphasize a point Jesus often made: God’s way of thinking is not like the world’s way. And God offers eternal life, which the world can never give. We can spend a lifetime accumulating wisdom and yet never learn how to have a personal relationship with God. We must come to the crucified and risen Christ to receive eternal life and the joy of a personal relationship with our Savior. 

   Many Jews considered the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be foolish, because they thought the Messiah would be a conquering king accompanied by signs and miracles. Jesus had not restored David’s throne as they expected. Besides, He was executed as a criminal, and how could a criminal be a savior? Greeks, too, considered the Gospel foolish: They did not believe in a bodily resurrection, they did not see in Jesus the powerful characteristics of their mythological gods, and they thought no reputable person would be crucified. To them, death was defeat, not victory. 

 

   The Gospel of Jesus Christ still sounds foolish to many. Our society worships power, influence, and wealth. Jesus came as a humble, poor servant, and He offers His kingdom to those who have faith, not to those who do all kinds of good deeds to try to earn salvation. This looks foolish to the world, but Christ is the mighty power of God, the only way we can be saved. Knowing Christ personally is the greatest wisdom anyone can have. 

 

   The message of Christ’s death for sins sounds foolish to those who don’t believe. Death seems to be the end of the road, the ultimate weakness. But Jesus did not stay dead. His resurrection demonstrated His power even over death. And He will save us from eternal death and give us everlasting life if we trust Him as Savior and Lord. This sounds so simple that many people don’t accept it. They try other ways to obtain eternal life. But all their attempts are futile. The so-called foolish people who simply accept Christ’s offer are actually the wisest of all, because they alone will live eternally with God. 

 

   Is Christianity against rational thinking? Christians clearly do believe in using their minds to weigh the evidence and make wise choices. Paul is declaring that no amount of human knowledge can replace or bypass Christ’s work on the cross. If it could, Christ would be accessible only to the intellectually gifted and well educated and not to ordinary people or to children. 
God is our source and the reason for our personal relationship with Christ. Our union and identification with Christ results in our having God’s wisdom (Colossians 2), being acceptable to God (2 Corinthians 5), being pure (1 Thessalonians 4), and having the penalty for our sins paid by Jesus (Mark 10). 

 

   Paul emphasizes that the way to receive salvation is so simple that any person who wants to can understand it. Skill and wisdom do not get a person into God’s kingdom: simple faith does. So no one can boast that personal achievements helped him or her secure eternal life. Salvation is totally from God through Jesus’ death. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation; we need only to accept what Jesus has already done for us. 

 

   In this large and diverse Corinthian church, the believers favored different preachers. Because there was as yet no written New Testament, the believers depended heavily on preaching and teaching for spiritual insight into the meaning of the Old Testament. Some followed Paul, who had founded the church; some who had heard Peter in Jerusalem followed him; others listened only to Apollos, an eloquent and popular preacher who had had a dynamic ministry in Corinth (Acts 18-19). Although these three preachers were united in their message, their personalities attracted different people. At this time the church was in danger of dividing. By mentioning Jesus Christ 10 times in the first 10 verses, Paul makes it clear who it is all preachers and teachers should emphasize. God’s message is much more important than any human messenger.