Bible Studies
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - The Foolishness of the Cross
Background:
Paul is writing to the Greeks in Corinth where intellectual debate and human wisdom are celebrated as the best human attributes. Due to this, the Corinthians are debating which teacher exhibits the greatest intellectual gifts. Paul argues that a person cannot come to know God through human wisdom and debate. Instead, truth resides in the recognition that Christ was crucified in order to assure our salvation.
Key Verses: (NRSV)
- 18: "For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God." – The full extent and meaning of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross cannot be discerned through debate and sophistry. The truth of the cross is revealed through belief.
- 19: "For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise…'" – Paul brings out these verses from Isaiah 29 in order to stress that God’s ways are not fully comprehensible by humans.
- 22: "For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom." – Paul points to two methods that ineffectively are attempting to discern and explain God’s wisdom. One looks to miracles and signs while they wait for the promised Messiah to free them from Roman rule, and the other focuses on human wisdom and debate in an attempt to explain God.
- 23: "but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block…and foolishness…but to those who are called." – Unless we believe in Christ and repent of our sins, the message of the cross will remain meaningless.
- 24: "For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength." – How could we possibly think that we had the ability to second-guess God?
- Do you ever attempt to second-guess God?
Promises of the Gospel:
The wisdom of God comes to us through the foolishness of the cross. It is a foolishness to accept a gift so great that its magnitude cannot be measured. It is a foolishness to believe that God would send His Son to live among us and then allow Him to be killed just so our sins could be forgiven. It is a foolishness to think that God, creator of the universe, would provide each us with the Holy Spirit living in our hearts in order to help us grow closer to Him. We are fools to believe that eternal life comes simply from our belief in Christ. And, yet, the wisdom of all humanity cannot begin to comprehend the capacity God’s love for us. Believe and live forever.
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Gary, Love the title, a real attention getter! Even more I enjoyed this bible study, filled with food for thought. Blessings, Rita
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