Christ Crucified: the Wisdom and Power of God (I Corinthians 1.18-31)

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. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because these gifts are spiritually discerned. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. You are being saved if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Behold, the Lord says, “I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.” He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end. The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them?

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? He leads counselors away stripped and judges He makes fools. He frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish. They are like seeds sown among thorns; they hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and the seed proves unfruitful. Ever since the creation of the world God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been seen and understood through the things God has made. So they are without excuse, for though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of the proclamation, to save those who believe. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. When we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. He can save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

For Jews ask for signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles. I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ isthe power of God and the wisdom of God. I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. For He was crucified in weakness but lives by the power of God.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human 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. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”

God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are. He shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of His hands. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of His mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of His coming.

No one may boast in the presence of God. In contrast, God is why you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”