1 Corinthians 1:18 Commentary and Bible Study

Why would people think that the preaching of the cross is foolish? ‘Well,’ some said, ‘you mean to say that someone named Jesus, who was born in a poor home, following a poor profession, from an obscure place, is the saviour of the world? Foolishness!’ Others might say, ‘A man who died as a criminal on a Roman cross, the Saviour of the world?’ They don't understand what he was doing. So to them it is all foolish. Others, like those surrounding the cross at the time may say, ‘But he couldn't save himself from death. How can he be the Saviour of the world?’ Others say, ‘His career ended in humiliation and ignominious death. How can he be Lord of all?’ Others attack things theologically. They say, ‘You say that Christ died for all who would be saved, and took their punishment, but you cannot transfer guilt from one person to another. There is no way you can do that.’ Of course there is, but they do not see it, and they think, how could he be a Saviour with a transfer of guilt from us to him? And then others say, ‘It would be immoral for God to punish an innocent man on our behalf’, and they suddenly claim to be experts in morality and moral things. For various reasons people think that this gospel is foolish. And then others are saying today, ‘Oh, this was just a desperate theory invented by the early church to save them the embarrassment of their Saviour being crucified, so they turned him into one who made a substitutionary atonement for the sins of others. It is just a normal and clever thing invented by the early church.’ Yes, but it was also prophesied for centuries beforehand that this is exactly what God would do, and they don't know that in their ignorance. And others simply say, ‘Well, it is foolish to ask me to go on my knees and grovel before God and trust in a Saviour for forgiveness’, and their pride makes them regard it as foolishness. So there are a lot of reasons why people think the preaching of the cross is foolishness. Even Christians think the act of preaching is foolishness so often, and they say, ‘What? In an age of drama and communications and visual things, and you are still preaching? Preaching Christ in words and reasoning? That's no good’, and they despise preaching, and in their churches it doesn't happen very much. The Greek actually is ‘to them that are perishing.’ Our translators have rendered it ‘them that perish’. They are perishing all through their lives; they are deteriorating and being lost in cynicism, and we seek to win them and persuade them. ‘But unto us which are saved’ – and again, ‘us who are being saved’ is what he actually says – ‘it is the power of God.’ He has in mind your salvation, conversion, and your ongoing sanctification, and the cross of Christ energises both. Isn’t that true? When you are saved it comes to your mind, and you understand the atoning death of Christ, and the system of atonement, one who takes your place. And then your heart is moved and your feelings. You are so moved that Christ, through whom all the world was created, died for you and suffered in your place and took your eternal woe, and you are moved. Then by the power of the Spirit, your will is moved and you fall at his feet and yield yourself to him. Mind, heart, will are all conquered through the work of the Spirit by the cross of Christ. That is where the power is.