The message of the
cross is the power of God
1 Cor 1:18-2:5
Key Verse 1:18
Key Verse 1:18
Introduction:
Paul is setting all human sinfulness among the believers in
Corinth up against the Gospel, the cross
of Jesus. This theme begins in Ch 1 and continues to ch 15. Any sinfulness or weaknesses that persist in
and among believers derives its root from relying on the world knowledge
instead of the cross f Jesus. This
fundamental flaw in our thinking must be rectified before even discussing any
particular aspects of sin.
The sinfulness of believers comes from not counting the
power of the Gospel, but relying on human wisdom and knowledge. Up against this
tendency or such frame of minds, which often discount the power and authority
of the Gospel, Paul is teaching that the Gospel is the wisdom and power of God.
Before discussing the Gospel and the world wisdom, it is
good to clarify what each of them is. The Gospel is the message that Jesus was
crucified for sinners and resurrected to become the Savior of the world.
Through his death Jesus redeemed sinners to God. So Paul interchanged the word
'the cross of Jesus' and the Gospel.
1.
The cross is the power of God[18]
a.
It is the foolishness to those who seek
miraculous signs or wisdom but for those who believe it is the power of God.
b.
the distinction between the people of the world
and we believers is at how we understand
and accept the message of the
cross of Jesus.
c.
Jesus , the son of God, suffered and died on the
cross to pay the sins of man.
2.
God frustrated the intelligence of the
intelligence [19-25]
a.
the message
of the cross, the key aspect of Jesus work as the Savior. ; If we ask many
who Jesus is, there are two answers; one is that Jesus is a great man of God or
prophet or the greatest man ever lived. The
other is that Jesus is the Savior that God promised to send through
Israel. Near the end of his ministry
Jesus asked the similar question to his disciples who do the people say I am?
and who do you say I am? The consensus opinion was that Jesus was one of the
greatest prophet of God. Contrary to this,
his disciples answered that Jesus is the Savior and the Son of the living God.
b.
Soon after this confession Jesus began a new
teaching and new work, i.e. his death on the cross as ransom for many. So we
can say that Jesus work can be divided
into two kinds; one, teaching and healing and driving out demon; Through
these works, Jesus showed his power and authority as the Savior, who has power
to deliver totality of care for all kinds of ailments which were incurred as
the result of sinning against God. The
other is his suffering and death on the cross in order to redeem the sins of
man. His death was enigma and impossible puzzle for all, even his disciples
because all including those who shouted 'crucify him' that during his ministry
Jesus clearly demonstrated his power as the Son of God and as the Savior. When he was dying on the cross, the religious
leaders, standing at the foot of the cross, said this ' Matthew 27:42
"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's
the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe
in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him,
for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" (Mat 27:42 NIV)
c.
the disciples said similar thing: Luke 24:19
"What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they
replied. "He was a prophet, powerful
in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief
priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they
crucified him; 21 but we had
hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more,
it is the third day since all this took place. (Luk 24:19 NIV)
d.
In their mind with the best of their intelligence, they
could not reason why such powerful Son of God succumb to death. His death speaks more powerfully than what he did
during his ministry. To those who wanted to see power in the messiah, Jesus'
death was a clear proof that he was not the Messiah. Dead man cannot be the
Messiah no matter how intelligent man can reason with his super
intelligence. To the Jews, seeking a mighty power that the Savior ought to
have', Jesus' death is a clear proof of loss of power or evidence of lack of
godly power.
e.
Why then, 'all' failed accept Jesus as the
Savior. Jews look for power of God
as the proof of one being Messiah. Greeks
look for wisdom or intelligence that put all pieces together in perfect
explanation. These two are essential parts of our decision making in life.
Accepting Christ is not just an idea but it is a total commitment. Our lives
are on the line. No one would take it lightly. So many demands proof beyond doubt
or they look for certainty
before one commit one's life. Proof
beyond doubt or certainty never comes through 'miracles' and/or 'intelligence'.
I like to list two examples: While Jesus was ministering people in Galilee,
Jesus did many miracles including raising Lazarus and feeding 5000 people. Yet
they demanded Jesus a sign from heaven. Why? Romans describe it in this
way: Romans
8:7 The mind governed
by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it
do so. 8 Those who are in the
realm of the flesh cannot please God. The second example is that there are
many religious systems in the world. Many Greek philosophies, or religions of
the world such as Hinduism, Moslem belief, Buddhism, or Confucius ideals do
not None of these give them a proof
beyond doubt or certainty of truth. So many 'intelligent' wanders without total
commitment to these systems of belief.
f.
Why does these two thing
efforts cannot lead them to the truth of salvation? What are the flaws of these
two avenues in seeking God's salvation or His truth?
i.
In God wisdom, God
frustrated the wisdom of the world. Romans 8:7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not
submit to God's law, nor can it do so; Romans 5:17 For if, by the
trespass of the one man, death reigned
through that one man; Romans 5:21
so that, just as sin reigned in death,--They
all see death as the ending point of life: it is said that sin reigned in
death! As long as we are under the power of sin, death reigns on our lives.
When death reigns on our lives, it means that death speaks with the authority
over our lives. Unless that authority of death over our lives is taken off of
our back, we will reason and talk within the confinement of 'death'. Hebrews
2:15 and free those who all their
lives were held in slavery by their fear of death
ii.
Our essential nature is
sin that lead to death. 1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
iii.
So death of Jesus
frustrated all that rely on miracles and wisdom of this world.
iv.
But those who trust God and His authority in Jesus death, they chose to
give credit to Jesus as the Son of God, despite of his death on the cross;
they do this not because it was reasonable to their understanding but because
they believed that God is right in what He had taught in His Son Jesus during
his earthly ministry and God has special truth in the cross of Jesus beyond
their reasoning. One of the key feature of such belief is the fact that they
accept that they are sinners and helpless in sin and sin must be paid off; that
payment was made by Jesus on the cross. By believing they gave credit to God as
the righteous judge and as the supreme authority of our lives as well as for
the world.
g.
On the contrary the
wisdom of God is rich in the death of Jesus. This made the smartness of the
world that counted Jesus death foolish is rendered foolish. Then what is the wisdom of God in the cross of
Jesus?
h.
Paul made emphasis on
Jesus death on the cross within few facets of the Gospel. He did not mention
the resurrection much until far later in the last chapter of this letter. So he
mentioned 'the cross of Jesus' more than Jesus' death and resurrection. Paul
is making emphasis on the death and its
effect on our lives. ; we can think two things: there is a genuine power in the cross that exert on
the calloused heart: power to obey, power to love in life-giving spirit;
power to paying off sins, power to purify sinners' heart; second is the power that God would impart his salvation
to sinners through the cross and the power that changed calloused heart in
the heart of flesh, making them holy, which was impossible to do as Israel
history testify.[Ps 118:22-23] This is miracle and power. These things will be
detailed in the next.
i.
3.
God called them through the cross of Jesus , the
power and wisdom of God [26-31]
a.
They were
the weak and foolish in this world: When they came to believe Jesus, they
were not considered as smarts of the world; this is well evidenced in their
social standing; materially not affluent and they were not of standing in power
and authorities of the world.
b.
But God
chose these weak and foolish people and revealed the message of cross: though
they were considered by the world to be foolish and weak. They belong to the
group of the lowly and despised.
c.
So that no
one can boast but trust the cross: the
reason? is so that no one can boast before God. What they have become is totally of God grace and mercy. In this
process, there are two things: faith or
belief in God's righteous judgment and God's mercy and honor to God as the
Lord ; God's mercy on them in giving out such blessing though none of them
deserve such blessing.
d.
This blessing is through the cross of Jesus;
Jesus is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. These three things are
deeply rooted in the fact that we are sinners and God is holy and God demands
us to be holy in order to be accepted as his children. ***
e.
Expiatory
sacrifice; do away with sins of us
i.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in
him we might become the righteousness of God. (2Co 5:21 NIV)
ii.
1 Corinthians 8:11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is
destroyed by your knowledge. (1Co 8:11 NIV)
iii.
Galatians 1:4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the
present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, (Gal 1:4 NIV)
f.
Propitiatory Sacrifice ; to meet the need for the holiness/righteousness of God
i.
Romans 3:25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,
through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to
demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins
committed beforehand unpunished-- (Rom 3:25 NIV)
ii.
Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human
in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest
in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
(Heb 2:17 NIV)
g.
reconciling sacrifice
i.
Romans 5:10 For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled
to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled,
shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we
also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
received reconciliation. (Rom 5:10 NIV)
ii.
Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups
one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15
by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His
purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making
peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through
the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and
preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. (Eph
2:14 NIV)
Why are these three so important? These three contains
God's truth; God's truth is fulfilled on the cross of Jesus; all is centered on
redemption of man in sin. If we itemize each of the knowlege that is conveyed
through the cross of Jesus,
a.
Jesus cross speaks that we are sinners and our
sins must be paid off.
b.
God is righteous in judging or punishing
sinners.
c.
God is holy and we must be purified to be
accepted by God.
d.
God is loving and gracious providing a payment
for our sins through His Son Jesus ; totally by his grace and mercy that we are
saved and become children of God.
e.
We take Jesus' sacrifice on behalf of me and
believe God's love and his will to justify sinners like me by faith.
f.
God counted us righteous as we believe the cross
of Jesus though we did not do anything that deserve such mercy and blessing.
g.
All these message is on the cross ; that is the
wisdom and power of God; If we failed to know any of these things that God
worked through the cross, then we do not have the power of God or the power of
God is not with us.
h.
The power of God is evident in us as we keenly
aware that we have become children of God, citizen of God's kingdom from ugly
sinners, facing God's judgment.
4.
Paul
preached them the cross of Jesus with the spirit's power instead of human
wisdom [2:1-5]
a.
Paul did not reason with them in the strength of
superior wisdom about God that he had. Instead he believed in the power of the
cross of Jesus and preached the cross of Jesus since he firmly believed that in
the message of the cross God's power and his wisdom would be conveyed to this
listeners.
b.
This is expressed in the way Paul preached as
well. He preached in weakness, fear and trembling, focusing on wise and
persuasive words
c.
Paul preached the word of God with a demonstration of the Spirit's power :
what is it? It is evidenced in the hearts of many who listen to the message of
the Gospel as they receive the Gospel evidenced by work of the Holy Spirit! It is fully relying on the sovereignty of God in the message of
salvation.
i.
God's mighty act of raising Jesus from the dead
and its implication
ii.
2 Corinthians 12:12 I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a
true apostle, including signs, wonders
and miracles. (2Co 12:12 NIV)
iii.
actual conversion and
gift of Holy spirit
iv.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but
also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we
lived among you for your sake. (1Th 1:5 NIV)
v.
act 1:8--Holy Spirit and
power
vi.
1
Peter 1:5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of
the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1Pe 1:5 NIV)
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