How does 1 Corinthians 1:23 challenge our approach to sharing the Gospel today? The cross at the center 1 Corinthians 1:23: “but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” • Paul refuses to shift the spotlight from Jesus’ sacrificial death. • The verb “preach” (kēryssō) pictures a herald announcing a royal decree, not debating opinions. • The cross is non-negotiable; everything else in Christian witness flows from it (see 1 Corinthians 2:2). Why the cross offends and confounds • To many first-century Jews, a crucified Messiah contradicted Deuteronomy 21:23; cursed people hung on a tree. • To the Greco-Roman mind, worshiping an executed criminal seemed absurd. • Human pride recoils at a message that declares moral bankruptcy and total dependence on divine grace (1 Corinthians 1:29). • Yet “to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Implications for our gospel conversations today • Do not sanitize the offense of the cross. Softening sin and judgment empties the gospel of its urgency. • Expect mixed responses. Rejection does not mean failure; it confirms Scripture’s diagnosis of the human heart (John 3:19–20). • Rely on the Spirit rather than technique. Persuasive packaging can never substitute for divine power (1 Corinthians 2:4–5). • Keep the message simple: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). • Let humility mark every word. A cross-shaped gospel must flow from a cross-shaped messenger (Philippians 2:3-8). Scriptures echoing the same call • Romans 1:16 — “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation.” • Galatians 6:14 — “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” • Luke 9:23 — Following Jesus means personal cross-bearing, not self-promotion. • 1 Peter 3:15 — Defend the hope you have “with gentleness and respect,” showing the character of the One you proclaim. • 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 — The same message is life to some and death to others; God handles the results. Practical ways to keep the cross central • Open your Bible when you share; let people read the words for themselves. • Memorize a handful of cross-focused passages (Isaiah 53; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 1 Peter 2:24). • Include personal testimony, but anchor it in what Christ accomplished at Calvary. • When answering objections, circle back to who Jesus is and what He did. • Celebrate the Lord’s Supper regularly; it rehearses the gospel and shapes a cross-centered community. Encouragement when you face rejection • Jesus predicted hatred toward His followers because of His name (John 15:18-21). • Paul himself was “foolish” in the world’s eyes yet saw churches planted and lives transformed (Acts 17:32-34). • God delights to use “the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). • The aroma of Christ never returns void; it always accomplishes God’s purpose (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). The power and wisdom of God on display Every culture tries to reshape Christianity into something more palatable. 1 Corinthians 1:23 calls believers back to the rugged center: Christ crucified. Keeping the cross unapologetically front and center ensures that our message retains its divine power, confounding human wisdom while saving all who believe. |
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