God’s Foolishness
Opening Prayer
Thank the Lord for what the Gospel of the crucified Savior has meant in your life.
Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5
[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. [19] For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” [20] 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? [21] 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. [22] Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, [23] but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, [24] but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [25] For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. [26] Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. [28] God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, [29] so that no one may boast before him. [30] It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. [31] Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” [1] And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. [2] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. [4] My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What does Paul see as the core of his preaching?Paul says: Jews expect miracles, Greeks clever arguments (22), but God’s answer is a man dying on a cross (1:23; 2:2). This is God’s “weakness,” his “foolishness”–except of course it is stronger and wiser than anything in this world. Through the cross, Jesus is our “righteousness, holiness and redemption” (30). How do you share your faith? Do you shy away from talking about the cross? Are you afraid to do it because you aren’t a theologian or don’t know any clever arguments? If that describes you, look again at what Paul says in 1 and 2. He spoke “fearfully” and with “much trembling,” but he didn’t worry about clever arguments–he simply pointed people to Jesus Christ. You don’t have to be the world’s greatest orator to share, like Paul, the simple message of salvation: the cross saves, and without Jesus we perish.
Apply
Who do you know who needs to hear the message of Christ crucified?
Closing prayer
Thank God for his salvation, and ask him for the courage to share Christ with those who are perishing.
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