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A Crucified Christ
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
October 1, 2017
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kids’ Korner.
The sermon starts at 13:45 in the audio file.
Or, The Perfect Offense to All Human Pretense
I don’t know anyone who dislikes pretentiousness more than my wife. Of course God dislikes it, and He can see the fullness of everyone’s heart, but Mo seems to have special (albeit not inerrant) sensors and serious unimpressed-ness when others try to act impressive. I am very grateful for this part of her.
Sinful human beings like to pretend that they are impressive. We make believe, and try to make others believe, that we are something to behold, someones to esteem. The world presents a variety of options for stroking our egos, and those in the church are not less susceptible to the marketing of these self-centered mindsets. You can be admired because of your authoritative presence, your financial power, your insightful wisdom, your winsome speech, your sharp appearance, even your ostensible righteousness. If you can’t have those qualities yourself, you can at least identify with those who are. You can be cool by association; you have the t-shirt.
Of course there are people who have genuine influence, who exercise actual discernment and can teach true truth to others. There are obedient saints, and they do tend to hang out together. But, to those with eyes to see, the ones who play at appearances are funny, foolish, and the object of God’s destruction. There is nothing that flays a faker and causes such offense to human pretense as a crucified Christ.
The church in Corinth was vulnerable to impressive appearances and under the spell of status seeking celebrities. Some of Chloe’s people reported to Paul that quarrels and divisions were happening among the believers over their favorite religious figures (1:10-17). Division is one of the reasons Paul writes this letter, and it’s one of the most inconsistent behaviors for those who believe in a crucified Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Paul reminds the church about appearances, about foolishness and wisdom, about weakness and power, about destruction and salvation, about who gets the last and loudest laugh. He reminds them that the best they can get from what men have to offer could never get them to God; why do they care so much about appearances? And he reminds them that his message and ministry were centered on the word of the cross, the perfect offense to all human pretense.
The cross perfectly offends those with the pretense of high status. (verses 18-21)
There is the “wisdom of word” (σοφίᾳ λόγου, ESV: “words of eloquent wisdom”) in verse 17 and it contrasts with the word of the cross (Ὁ λόγος…ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ). There are two ways of thinking, two paradigms that shape how men evaluate things.
The word of the cross is the “gospel” about the “cross of Christ” (verse 17), the preaching of “a crucified Christ” (verse 23). And this cross talk is folly, it’s ridiculous, and in a few verses we’ll see it is a stumbling block (verse 23). The cross is offensive to anyone and everyone in the world who thinks about it. In the Roman world the cross symbolized all that a man did not want to be. A crucified man wasn’t just a convicted criminal, he was scum to the Romans and was cursed according to the Israelites. The cross was a symbol of torture, yes, but for those who were judged and rejected. To die like this, in such a remote place like Jerusalem—in the Roman Empire equivalent to Fargo, SD, from the perspective of a New Yorker—was so obviously laughable.
And Paul agrees. The word of the cross is folly…to those who are perishing. A crucified Christ is clearly stupid to a certain kind of person who is in the process of being ruined.
Here is the antithesis. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God. We would expect the contrast to be between folly and wisdom, and it is that (see verse 24), but more. The word of the cross not only shows itself to[...]
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By Trinity Evangel Church1 Corinthians 1:18-25
October 1, 2017
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Download the bulletin.
Download the Kids’ Korner.
The sermon starts at 13:45 in the audio file.
Or, The Perfect Offense to All Human Pretense
I don’t know anyone who dislikes pretentiousness more than my wife. Of course God dislikes it, and He can see the fullness of everyone’s heart, but Mo seems to have special (albeit not inerrant) sensors and serious unimpressed-ness when others try to act impressive. I am very grateful for this part of her.
Sinful human beings like to pretend that they are impressive. We make believe, and try to make others believe, that we are something to behold, someones to esteem. The world presents a variety of options for stroking our egos, and those in the church are not less susceptible to the marketing of these self-centered mindsets. You can be admired because of your authoritative presence, your financial power, your insightful wisdom, your winsome speech, your sharp appearance, even your ostensible righteousness. If you can’t have those qualities yourself, you can at least identify with those who are. You can be cool by association; you have the t-shirt.
Of course there are people who have genuine influence, who exercise actual discernment and can teach true truth to others. There are obedient saints, and they do tend to hang out together. But, to those with eyes to see, the ones who play at appearances are funny, foolish, and the object of God’s destruction. There is nothing that flays a faker and causes such offense to human pretense as a crucified Christ.
The church in Corinth was vulnerable to impressive appearances and under the spell of status seeking celebrities. Some of Chloe’s people reported to Paul that quarrels and divisions were happening among the believers over their favorite religious figures (1:10-17). Division is one of the reasons Paul writes this letter, and it’s one of the most inconsistent behaviors for those who believe in a crucified Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 Paul reminds the church about appearances, about foolishness and wisdom, about weakness and power, about destruction and salvation, about who gets the last and loudest laugh. He reminds them that the best they can get from what men have to offer could never get them to God; why do they care so much about appearances? And he reminds them that his message and ministry were centered on the word of the cross, the perfect offense to all human pretense.
The cross perfectly offends those with the pretense of high status. (verses 18-21)
There is the “wisdom of word” (σοφίᾳ λόγου, ESV: “words of eloquent wisdom”) in verse 17 and it contrasts with the word of the cross (Ὁ λόγος…ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ). There are two ways of thinking, two paradigms that shape how men evaluate things.
The word of the cross is the “gospel” about the “cross of Christ” (verse 17), the preaching of “a crucified Christ” (verse 23). And this cross talk is folly, it’s ridiculous, and in a few verses we’ll see it is a stumbling block (verse 23). The cross is offensive to anyone and everyone in the world who thinks about it. In the Roman world the cross symbolized all that a man did not want to be. A crucified man wasn’t just a convicted criminal, he was scum to the Romans and was cursed according to the Israelites. The cross was a symbol of torture, yes, but for those who were judged and rejected. To die like this, in such a remote place like Jerusalem—in the Roman Empire equivalent to Fargo, SD, from the perspective of a New Yorker—was so obviously laughable.
And Paul agrees. The word of the cross is folly…to those who are perishing. A crucified Christ is clearly stupid to a certain kind of person who is in the process of being ruined.
Here is the antithesis. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God. We would expect the contrast to be between folly and wisdom, and it is that (see verse 24), but more. The word of the cross not only shows itself to[...]