For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.
5 sermons cite this verse
… Now look. Verse 18 begins a series of statements this apostle makes regarding the message of the cross, which we proclaim. Which he proclaimed. The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. Stop right there. See the word foolishness? The Greek term is moria. Guess what word we get from it in English. To the people who are perishing, the cross is moronic. I mean, how stupid can you get? You cut off your head when you come to know this Jesus? When you start believing some cross message? How moronic. That's the word of the lost person. That's the person running in the wrong direction. In fact, Paul describes this conflicting opinion as those who see the cross as foolishness. And then he says, but to us who are being saved, why, it is the very power of God. Then he quotes from Isaiah 29 in the verse that follows, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the cleverness of the clever. I will set aside. …
… And then there is the scandal of the message itself. 1 Corinthians 1.18, the gospel is folly to those who are perishing. This message that we have in verse 16, and really it's the theme of the whole book of Romans, it is folly to those who are perishing. We ought not to expect that unbelievers would hear this and say, wow, I'm very impressed with this Christian gospel. You know, I don't believe it, but it really is smart, really is such a good message. No, it will be folly to those who are perishing. And they'll either ignore it and just dismiss it because it's all silly foolishness, or they will hate it or maybe even hate those who espouse it. 1 Corinthians 1.22, Jews demand signs. Paul says Greeks seek wisdom. And we just have the gospel. So the Jews wanted signs. They went, can you show us something? Is there a miracle? Can you give us some sign from heaven? They were used to, right? Moses threw down the staff and it became a serpent. …
God's word for us today is 1 Corinthians 1, verses 17-18. Paul writes, For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. Here ends our text. I'm sure you are much better at these than I am. In fact, you do one of these almost every day. You're so good at these, you've been a little bored lately. It's almost too easy now. But no matter what, easy or hard, you're going to keep on doing them. I'm talking about crossword puzzles. Crossword puzzles. Those daunting, challenging, mocking puzzles that ask me to know words I've never heard of before. Crossword puzzles. With their rigid rules of six across only six spaces, even though I have a great answer, but it has seven letters. …
… First, he points us back to the cross of Christ. And he confesses up front that this word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. It's offensive. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. As God said, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the intelligent. I will frustrate. In the last couple of weeks, I spent a lot of time studying the Rwandan genocide. I read books and articles, watched videos, listened to podcasts. I even interviewed a survivor, a woman named Denise, whom you'll get to hear from at the end of the program. I experienced what that visitor to the church where all those people were killed described. the mind surrenders to such scenes contemplating this real-life horror this massive failure of humanity it strips you of the tools that you normally use to make sense of the world it's like contemplating the murder of the innocent son of god the sort of thing that destroys the wisdom of otherwise. And disoriented, I find myself facing an old problem. Maybe you've faced it too. I find that the more I try to learn, the more I try to be a better, wiser human, the more I try to do good, the more it leads me either to arrogance or despair. It usually starts with arrogance, setting my own course finding my own factions throwing stones at those we think are less than us but in time this arrogance turns to disillusionment and then despair and i realize …
… This foolishness is so deep in humankind that in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, when somebody comes along to preach the gospel, 1 Corinthians 1.18, the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. When someone brings the truth, they see it as foolishness. This is how profound the deception is. They are fools who think they're wise, and they think the ones who are wise are the fools. And then the writer Paul of 1 Corinthians quotes from Isaiah 29, where God says, "'I'll destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.'" When you come before God and you spout what you think is wisdom, the questions posed, where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" In God's eyes, the wisdom of the world is folly. But sinners relabel their folly as wisdom. as wisdom. By human wisdom, you can't know God. …