BIG IDEA:
ONLY THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED IMPACTS MAN WITH THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD
INTRODUCTION:
Man pridefully asserts his own supposed strength and exalts his own worldly wisdom. He tries to formulate a religion where he can call the shots and approach God on his own terms. He imagines that he can control his own destiny and he relies on sophisticated rhetoric to conceal the lack of substance in his philosophic argumentations. But the message of the cross – the simple historical truth of Christ crucified – is the only message that can deliver sinful man from his lost condition of alienation from a Holy God. The unsaved will continue to mock at the humiliation of the cross as symbolizing only weakness and foolishness. But to those who believe the message of Christ crucified speaks of the power and wisdom of God.
I. (:18) THE RESPONSE TO THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED DIVIDES ALL MEN INTO TWO OPPOSING CAMPS
A. Same Message = Christ Crucified
“For the word of the cross”
B. Two Opposing Responses – Only 2 Groups of People in the World
1. Those Who are Perishing Mock the Message
“is foolishness to those who are perishing”
2. Those Who are Being Saved Experience the Power of God
“but to those who are being saved it is the power of God”
Note Pres. Tense – ongoing process, pathway that these 2 groups are on
II. (:19-21) GOD STANDS OPPOSED TO THE WISDOM OF MEN
A. (:19) God Will Ultimately Destroy Human Wisdom – Prophecy from Isaiah
“For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’”
B. (:20A) Human Wisdom Cannot Refute the Wisdom of God
“Where is the wise man?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?”
MacArthur: Paul paraphrased Is 19:12 where the prophet was referring to the wise men of Egypt who promised, but never produced wisdom. Human wisdom always proves to be unreliable and impermanent (cf. v. 17; Pr 14:12; Is 29:14; Jer 8:9; Ro 1:18-23).
C. (:20B) God Has Exposed the Foolishness of Human Wisdom
“Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”
III. (:21-25) ONLY THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION
A. (:21) Only the Mocked Message of the Cross Can Bring Salvation
1. Method Ordained by the Wisdom of God
“For since in the wisdom of God”
2. Failed Method of Human Wisdom
“the world through its wisdom did not come to know God”
3. Method Pleasing to God = The Mocked Message of the Cross
“God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
B. (:22-24) Christ Crucified Is the Power of God and Wisdom of God – Despite What Mockers Might Say
1. (:22) The World Seeks Different Solutions
a. Jews Seek Power in Signs
“For indeed Jews ask for signs”
b. Gentiles Seek Wisdom in Powerful Oratory and Argumentation
“and Greeks search for wisdom”
MacArthur: Gentiles wanted proof by means of human reason, through ideas they could set forth, discuss, and debate. Like the Athenian philosophers, they were not sincere, with no interest in divine truth, but merely wanting to argue intellectual novelty (Ac 17:21).
2. (:23a) We Preach Christ Crucified – There is only one solution
“but we preach Christ crucified”
3. (:23b) The World Mocks the Message of the Cross
a. Mocked by the Jews
“to Jews a stumbling block”
b. Mocked by the Gentiles
“and to Gentiles foolishness”
4. (:24) The Elect Experience Christ as Both the Power and Wisdom of God
“but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God”
C. (:25) The Mocked Message of the Cross Far Exceeds Any Human Wisdom and Power
1. The Wisdom of God – mocked as Foolishness
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men,”
2. The Power of God – mocked as Weakness
“and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”