1 Corinthians 1:18-31
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Welcome to Getting ready for Sunday, a podcast of first Lutheran Church. Each week I introduced the readings for the upcoming Sunday with some notes and explanation so you can be ready for worship when you arrive. I look at the Old Testament, song, epistle and Gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday and offer a few notes and explanation.
The Epistle reading for Sunday, March 3, is from First Corinthians chapter one, verses 18 through 31. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us we're being saved. It is the power of God, for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning I Will Forte whereas the one who is wise, Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age, is not God made foolish the wisdom of the world. For since in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom. It pleases God through the folly of what we preach, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs, and Greeks seek wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, for the foolishness of God is wiser than men. And the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling brothers, not many of you were wise according to worldly standards. Not many were powerful. Not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. So that, as it is written, let the one who boasts boast in the Lord, he runs the reading. This passage is one of the more famous passages from First Corinthians about the way the world looks at at everything, and the way that God and Christians do. It talks about the word of the cross being folly, it is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are saved it is the power of God. So he goes on to talk about how Greeks like the Corinthians, they were all about wisdom. You know, they had these wide sages, and they had philosophers and in the past, there are the 100 schools of philosophy. And they had all sorts of people who said all sorts of really interesting things. In the book of Acts, it talks about Paul going to Athens and he goes to the place, and he speaks. And it's says that there were people who sat around doing nothing but listening to something new. And so this idea of wisdom and debate and knowledge and understanding was really important for those people. And up against that the cross looks dumb, doesn't it? Like there's no powerful insight. There's no amazing anything. That's just a dead man, bleeding and broken and hanging on a cross. Like Plato doesn't write a dialogue about that. Socrates did not question anyone about that. Aristotle did not put together any treatises on a dead man hanging from across. But because of Christ, it is the power of God, the salvation for all it is everything, Christ's death, and resurrection, because hidden beneath the brokenness, of that poor man, hidden beneath his death, is the power of salvation for all. And all we need to do is be able to see it. And that's what this is, this passage is talking about, Has Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world. It says, And it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greek seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, for the foolishness of God is stronger is wiser than men, and the weakness of God Art is stronger than men. As we consider these words, I think it's wise to think about what are the things that our culture seeks after the Greeks wanted wisdom, Jews demanded signs. What do you think we hold high up? Is it achievement could be that it could be the you know, having, having a family that looks good, that achieves high that that accomplishes things. I certainly know a number of people who approach their family life like looking for preschools with an eye towards how does how will this preschool, get my kid into Harvard? That's a achievement oriented. And when you bump achievement up against the cross, you go, Whoa, that is not an achievement, a dead man on a cross. But again, it's the power of God, the salvation of God. Many of us see money. I think money is a thing that has been a part of every culture in every era. There is certainly no riches, no wealth, in a dead man on a cross with the crown of thorns jammed on his head. But it is treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in or steal. There are a number of places we do have a kind of wisdom there sort of a tech guru, influencer kind of wisdom that we hold high up right now that's all about finding the right foods or blazing the right path. Or if you've ever watched a TED Talk and thought, Oh, this is just amazing. I need to see more of this. That's kind of the where we are with wisdom. And even that just when you bump the cross up against it, the cross looks like nothing. And yet it's the power of God. St. Paul ends this passage when he said talks about the people there. He says, For consider your calling brothers. Not many of you were wise. Not many were powerful. Not many were of noble birth. Now, he doesn't say none. He says not many. So some of them were wise. Some of them were powerful. Some did have noble birth. And yet none of that matters in the church, not power, not wealth, not nobility. It's just the cross of Christ, as it says, But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not pet is even things that don't exist. He chose those things, to bring to nothing the things that do exist, so that none of us no human being might boast in the presence of God. And that's the key is that the cross shows us exactly what we have to boast on. Nothing. Because on the cross is where our sin was paid for on the cross was where our punishment was doled out to Christ. And it reminds us of only one thing. We are nothing without the cross and the resurrection. And that is why we boast in Christ. Why this weak and broken thing is really what we celebrate. We don't celebrate the wealth and the power and the wisdom and the might in the the like tech guru guidance that so many people do. We just celebrate the cross of Jesus Christ because it's the salvation that God gives us. That's all we have for today. We'll see you on Sunday. Bye
Transcribed by https://otter.ai