1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 from the daily (8/5/17) reading in the One Year Bible

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 from the daily (8/5/17) reading in the One Year Bible

For the word 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,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”

²⁰ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater 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 come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

²⁶ For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ²⁷ but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no man may boast before God. ³⁰ But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, ³¹ so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

2 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. ² For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³ I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, ⁴ and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

2 Timothy 3:1-8 says:  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.   We see that indeed there are many in our culture and our society who have become:  lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Even among those who name themselves as Christians these things exist and in fact are prevalent. For them, the result is that they:  have a form of godliness but are denying or lacking its power. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus says:   “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”   Neither can anyone serve God and self. We can only serve one Lord. If we are self loving, self-centered and self absorbed, we are self serving and Jesus is not Lord.  

In contrast, in today’s text Paul says:  When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.    There are teachers who are more concerned with how they say things than what they say. They are trained orators, eloquent and persuasive speakers. They have knowledge, but their wisdom is the wisdom of man, not God. Today’s text says:    God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

Many today try to find and declare new revelation in God’s word. Using man’s wisdom they declare a new meaning to the truth of the word. There are many good and successful teachers in the world today, but  few if any could claim the level of influence that Paul had, without the aid of modern technology. Paul says:  I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.   Why then do pastors and teachers today think they need more? Do we focus on adding to our followers, rather than making followers of Christ? Many focus on what Jesus did, how He lived in the world, but neglect what He said. Today’s text says:  For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.     In John 12:32 Jesus says:  "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."   In John 14:6 He says:  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”   The gospel, the good news is really a simple message. We tend to make if far more complicated than it is. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” That’s the power of God for salvation.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit thank You for the simplicity of the gospel. I believe You died for my sins, that I might be forgiven. I am eternally saved. You have empowered me with Your Holy Spirit that I might walk in Your ways. Thank You. Amen.