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.
1 Corinthians 1:20-29 (NASB)
Here we have a discourse on the qualitative difference between human knowing and God’s way views things.
Corinth was a seaport in southern Greece on the gulf of Corinth. Believers three were strongly influenced by both Jewish and Greek cultures.
A key segment here is verses 22 and 23:
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,
When Jesus came, the Jews were expecting for a sign. The sign they were asking for was a conquering messiah to free them from foreign rule.
But, instead of a mighty King, Jesus came as a humble servant to teach men by example and died an ‘ignoble’ death on the cross. This made the acceptance of the Gospel problematical to many Jews (a stumbling block).
The Greeks loved philosophical discussions, particularly about the natural world (math, animal classification, etc.) and philosophies. Winning an argument by intricate logic was their view of victory. But most of the ‘arguments’ concerning Jesus as messiah came from the Jewish culture and seemed irrelevant to their discussions.
The Corinthians are known to have been argumentative (Greek influence). I can imagine them getting heated, particularly with Jews mixing with Greeks.
Paul pointed out to the Corinthians that both approaches miss the point. The central point of Christianity is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Until that truth is accepted, neither the Jewish approach nor the Greek approach is likely to bring one to salvation.
But, once one has a personal relationship with Christ, the stumbling block becomes a steppingstone leading to Christ, and the examination of nature becomes a study of God’s creation.
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.
1 Corinthians 1:20-29 (NASB)
Here we have a discourse on the qualitative difference between human knowing and God’s way views things.
Corinth was a seaport in southern Greece on the gulf of Corinth. Believers three were strongly influenced by both Jewish and Greek cultures.
A key segment here is verses 22 and 23:
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,
When Jesus came, the Jews were expecting for a sign. The sign they were asking for was a conquering messiah to free them from foreign rule.
But, instead of a mighty King, Jesus came as a humble servant to teach men by example and died an ‘ignoble’ death on the cross. This made the acceptance of the Gospel problematical to many Jews (a stumbling block).
The Greeks loved philosophical discussions, particularly about the natural world (math, animal classification, etc.) and philosophies. Winning an argument by intricate logic was their view of victory. But most of the ‘arguments’ concerning Jesus as messiah came from the Jewish culture and seemed irrelevant to their discussions.
The Corinthians are known to have been argumentative (Greek influence). I can imagine them getting heated, particularly with Jews mixing with Greeks.
Paul pointed out to the Corinthians that both approaches miss the point. The central point of Christianity is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Until that truth is accepted, neither the Jewish approach nor the Greek approach is likely to bring one to salvation.
But, once one has a personal relationship with Christ, the stumbling block becomes a steppingstone leading to Christ, and the examination of nature becomes a study of God’s creation.