What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 1:23? But we preach Paul highlights the non-negotiable call to proclamation. His focus is not on clever rhetoric or philosophical argumentation but on the straightforward announcement of God’s saving act. • 1 Corinthians 2:2 clarifies, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. • Romans 10:14-15 reminds us that people cannot believe unless someone “preaches.” • 2 Timothy 4:2 urges Timothy, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season”. Together, these verses underscore that the gospel advances chiefly through spoken testimony rather than human wisdom. Christ crucified The heart of the message is Christ’s substitutionary death. • 1 Corinthians 15:3—“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures”—places the cross at the center of redemptive history. • Isaiah 53:5 foretells, “He was pierced for our transgressions,” affirming that Christ’s crucifixion fulfills prophecy. • Galatians 6:14 shows Paul’s personal boast: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”. In preaching Christ crucified, believers declare that salvation rests on what Jesus accomplished, not on human merit or philosophical insight. A stumbling block to Jews Many first-century Jews expected a conquering Messiah, not one who would die on a Roman cross. • Deuteronomy 21:23 says, “Anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse,” making crucifixion seem incompatible with messianic honor. • Romans 9:32-33 explains that Israel “stumbled over the stumbling stone,” echoing Isaiah 8:14, where the coming One would cause offense to those who trust in works. • Acts 17:2-3 shows Paul “explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer,” indicating that Scripture itself foretold a suffering Messiah. Thus, the cross confronts religious pride and any attempt to reach God through law-keeping. Foolishness to Gentiles Greeks prized philosophical sophistication and saw power in human achievement, so the notion of a deity dying in weakness appeared absurd. • 1 Corinthians 1:18 states, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing”. • Acts 17:32 records Athenian philosophers mocking Paul when they heard of the resurrection, reflecting their disdain for bodily death and resurrection. • 2 Corinthians 13:4 admits Christ “was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power,” showing that divine power hides beneath apparent weakness. To Gentile ears, divine self-sacrifice upended every expectation of strength, yet it is precisely this paradox that reveals the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). summary Paul’s single-minded proclamation of “Christ crucified” exposes two kinds of unbelief: religious self-reliance that stumbles over grace, and worldly wisdom that scoffs at sacrificial love. Yet the same message is God’s power to save all who believe, demonstrating that the cross, though offensive and seemingly foolish, is the centerpiece of God’s eternal plan. |
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