Verse 18 is really interesting to me - Paul says that the Words of the cross are folly to those who are perishing, who are dying...and I think it is meaning those who are falling away from God and living in the world; destined for eternal death.  But these same words have power for those who have turned to God.  And, you know, that is so true in my experience.  When I opened my heart to God, I started to hear things communicated in His word, I started to be able to see things I didn’t see before.  When we turn to God, we are able to hear from Him for the first time.  This is a great little nugget of truth to get this section of reading going.

And the remainder of this chapter is brilliant...just brilliant.  Paul is arguing about how Jews want signs and Gentiles want wisdom and that these groups think these are the ‘proof’ they need to believe in God.  In reality, God has given both and both groups have obviously missed them.  And, further, God did something in the world that runs counter to their ideas, that runs counter to our worldly wisdom, that makes it so obvious that God is Who He says He is, that it can’t be missed.  I mean, wisdom says dead people stay dead.  If you want a sign, what more do you want than a man was obviously dead and then was seen walking around amongst friends, after proclaiming it would happen ahead of time.  What other signs to you want other than the hundreds of prophecies that were given in the Jewish Old Testament that were fulfilled in Jesus?  The Jews couldn’t accept this as their sign because, get this, their traditions say that dead people can’t rise from the grave.  And the world says Jesus can’t exist because dead people can’t rise from the grave...science has shown that to us.  But, if God created science, is He really going to be bound by it?  Wouldn’t it make sense that His proof would be something OUTSIDE of science rather than inside of the bounds of science?  What other sign would you want other than something so obviously ‘of God’ than that?

I think Paul is trying to shake these Christians awake and say, “Guys, this isn’t that complicated...Jesus was dead and now He isn’t, and we are therefore, as believers, charged to live the life He taught because He is obviously God.”  And, of course, he is communicating one other idea, “...and guys, this life that you are living ain’t it.”.

Such great stuff from Paul in this chapter.  Just so well written.