What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 1:18? the message of the cross “For the message of the cross” (1 Corinthians 1:18a) points us straight to the centerpiece of the gospel: Christ crucified, buried, and risen (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). The cross is not an add-on; it is the entire rescue plan of God. • In John 3:14–16 Jesus links His impending crucifixion to the bronze serpent Moses lifted up, showing that looking to the cross brings life. • Paul later says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14), anchoring every boast, hope, and victory in that single event. is foolishness The same message that thrills believers sounds absurd to the unregenerate mind. • When Paul preached Christ in Athens, some sneered (Acts 17:32). • “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). • People prefer messages that fit their own desires (2 Timothy 4:3), so the idea that salvation comes through a blood-stained cross seems ridiculous to worldly ears. to those who are perishing “Those who are perishing” describes people headed for judgment apart from Christ. • Satan blinds their minds so they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). • Jesus said, “Whoever does not believe has already been condemned” (John 3:18). • Their understanding is darkened and their hearts hardened (Ephesians 4:18). Rejection of the cross is not intellectual neutrality; it is spiritual death in motion. but to us Paul shifts the lens: “but to us.” The dividing line is not education, class, or culture; it is response to the cross. • All who receive Christ are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). • Believers are God’s “chosen people, a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), distinct because of their allegiance to the crucified and risen Lord. who are being saved Salvation is both finished (John 19:30) and ongoing—God keeps shaping, securing, and preserving His people. • “He who began a good work in you will perfect it” (Philippians 1:6). • We “shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9–10), yet Peter says we “are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed” (1 Peter 1:5). Believers live in the tension of already-secured redemption and not-yet-completed glorification. it is the power of God The cross is not merely a symbol; it unleashes divine power. • “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). • Paul resolved to know nothing but “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” so that faith would rest on God’s power, not human wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:2–5). • At the cross, Jesus disarmed rulers and authorities, triumphing over them (Colossians 2:13–15). • The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in believers (Ephesians 1:19–20), proving that what looks weak is in fact omnipotent. summary Every person stands on one side or the other of 1 Corinthians 1:18. The cross is either dismissed as nonsense by those in spiritual decay or embraced as God’s life-giving power by those being saved. The difference is not in the message but in the heart that hears it. To see the cross as God’s power is to step from perishing into salvation; to regard it as foolishness is to remain under judgment. The verse calls each reader to behold the crucified Christ and discover the Almighty power hidden in what the world calls weak. |
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