More Biblical nonsense!
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. The Total Collapse (Death) Of Atheism
http://76.162.173.93/uit/coa/
. Biblical Christian Worldview
http://76.162.173.93/uit/bcw/bcw.wmv
. How Should We Then Live?
. http://76.162.173.93/members/hswtl.html
. login: guest password: guest
. There's no hurry?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrmDWn6awMA
"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will
not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and
flout him, for he cannot bear scorn."
. Wisdom
(1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NASB)
The Wisdom of God
18 For the word of the cross is ?a?foolishness to ?b?those who
?1?are
perishing, but to us who ?2?are being saved it is ?c?the power of
God.
19 For it is written,
"?a?I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside."
20 ?a?Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the
debater
of ?b?this age? Has not God ?c?made foolish the wisdom of ?d?the
world?
21 For since in the wisdom of God ?a?the world through its wisdom
did
not come to know God, ?b?God was well-pleased through the
?c?foolishness of the ?1?message preached to ?d?save those who
believe.
22 For indeed ?a?Jews ask for ?1?signs and Greeks search for
wisdom;
23 but we preach ?1??a?Christ crucified, ?b?to Jews a stumbling
block
and to Gentiles ?c?foolishness,
24 but to those who are ?a?the called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ
?b?the power of God and ?c?the wisdom of God.
25 Because the ?a?foolishness of God is wiser than men, and
?b?the
weakness of God is stronger than men.
[1]
The cross divides men. The cross divides the saved from the unsaved, but
it
doesn't divide the saved people. It should unite them, you see. A Dutch
artist
painted a picture called "The Last Judgment." It depicts the throne of
God, and
away from that throne the lost are falling into space. And as they fall,
they cling
together. This is an accurate picture of the one world that men are
working for
today. The lost want to come together in one great unity, and they are
going to
accomplish a great union in the last days. But cutting across the grain of
the
ecumenical environment and the contemporary thought is the gospel of
Christ.
Lord Jesus called Himself a divider of men, and the dividing line is His
cross.
The preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto
the saved
person it is the power of God.
Paul makes it very clear that his method was not in the wisdom of the
words of
the world, not in the method of dialectics of divisions or differences or
opinions
or theories, but he just presented the cross of Christ. That brought about
a unity
of those who were saved. To those who perish, the cross of Christ is
foolishness; but to the saved man it becomes the power of God. The cross
of
Christ divides the world, but it does not divide the church.
[2]
1 Corinthians 1:18 (a)
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.
The literal translation would more correctly render this verse: "For the
preaching of the Cross is to them that are perishing foolishness." When we
tell
people that Jesus loves them, died in place of them, and offers a new life
to
them, those who are perishing just don't get it because to deny one's self
and
take up the Cross seems foolish to them.
[3]
1 Corinthians 1:18 (b)
.but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Again, a more literal rendering of this verse would be ".but unto us which
are
being saved, it is the power of God." Salvation is, in a sense,
progressive.
When you opened your heart to Jesus Christ, you were saved from the
penalty
of sin. Day by day, we're saved from the power of sin. And when Jesus
comes
to take us to heaven, we'll be saved from the presence of sin. The message
of
the Cross gives hope when I have failed because Jesus' blood cleanses me
from all sin. It also gives direction to the way I live, for it is only
when I deny
myself and take up the Cross that I find life (Matthew 10:38, 39).
1:18 The message (logos) of the Cross, in contrast to the speech (logos)
of
human wisdom (v. 17), has the Cross as its central theme. When people hear
it,
it produces opposite effects in those who are on the way to perdition and
in
those on the way to glory. Paul contrasted foolishness and weakness with
wisdom and power (cf. Rom. 1:16).
"What would you think if a woman came to work wearing earrings stamped
with an image of the mushroom cloud of the atomic bomb dropped over
Hiroshima?
"What would you think of a church building adorned with a fresco of the
massed graves at Auschwitz? . . .
"The same sort of shocking horror was associated with cross and
crucifixion in
the first century."30
[4]
1 Corinthians 1:19, 20
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring
to nothing
the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe?
where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom
of
this world?
"Where are the debaters, scribes, and thinkers? Where are the
psychiatrists
and psychologists?" asks Paul. "What have they done for your culture?
Hasn't
God made foolish the wisdom of the world?"
We can either become depressed over the foolish political and judicial
decisions of our leaders-or we can realize they are exactly what God
planned
to do all along. We won't be upset if we realize that even the foolishness
of the
world is part of God's plan.
1:20 The first three questions in this verse recall similar questions that
Isaiah
voiced when the Assyrians' plans to destroy Jerusalem fell through (Isa.
33:18;
cf. Job 12:17; Isa. 19:12). Paul's references to the age (Gr. aion) and
the world
(kosmos) clarify that he was speaking of purely natural wisdom in contrast
to
the wisdom that God has revealed. God's wisdom centers on the Cross.
"In first-century Corinth, 'wisdom' was not understood to be practical
skill in
living under the fear of the Lord (as it frequently is in Proverbs), nor
was it
perceived to be some combination of intuition, insight, and people smarts
(as it
frequently is today in the West). Rather, wisdom was a public philosophy,
a
well-articulated world-view that made sense of life and ordered the
choices,
values, and priorities of those who adopted it. The 'wise man,' then, was
someone who adopted and defended one of the many competing public world-
views. Those who were 'wise' in this sense might have been Epicureans or
Stoics or Sophists or Platonists, but they had this in common: they
claimed to
be able to 'make sense' out of life and death and the universe."31
[5]
S. Lewis Johnson in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary notes that in context
these
"words are God's denouncement of the policy of the 'wise' in Judah in
seeking
an alliance with Egypt when threatened by Sennacherib."? 2 How true it is
that
God delights to accomplish His purposes in ways that seem foolish to men.
How often He uses methods that the wise of this world would ridicule, yet
they
achieve the desired results with wonderful accuracy and efficiency. For
example, man's wisdom assures him that he can earn or merit his own
salvation.
The gospel sets aside all man's efforts to save himself and presents
Christ as the
only way to God.
[6]
1 Corinthians 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
People have their hope restored in the big picture of eternity through
that which
the world deems foolish: the preaching of the Word. Paul doesn't say that
people are saved by the preaching of foolishness. You'll know the
difference
between the preaching that is the power of God and the preaching of
foolishness by one simple rule of thumb: Does what is being said match up
with
the Scriptures? Is it seen specifically in the life of Jesus? Is it
practiced
throughout the Book of Acts? Is it taught by Paul in the Epistles? In
other
words, is it consistent with the entire New Testament?
Every true teaching, doctrine, and practice is seen in the life of Jesus,
practiced
in the Book of Acts, and taught by Paul in the Epistles. Therefore, if a
teacher
of preacher suggests something that doesn't match up in all those areas,
reject
it. Because there is enough in the Word to keep us busy for every day of
our
lives, there is no need to supplement it with deviant doctrine or bizarre
practices.
1 Corinthians 1:22, 23 (a)
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we
preach
Christ crucified.
Whether relating to marriage or government, depression or addiction,
parenting,
finances, or doubt, the Cross is indeed the crux of every matter.
Notice that Paul divides mankind into two great ethnic groups: the Jews
and the
Greeks (meaning Gentiles). He recognizes this twofold division. The Jew
represented religion. He had a God-given religion. The Jews felt that they
had
the truth, and they did-as far as the Old Testament was concerned. The
problem was that it had become just a ritual to them. They had departed
from
the Scriptures and followed tradition, which was their interpretation of
the
Scriptures. The power was gone. Therefore, when Christ appeared, they
asked
for a sign. Rather than turning to their Scriptures, they asked for a
sign. "Then
certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we
would
see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and
adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be
given to it,
but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three
nights
in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three
nights in
the heart of the earth" (Matt. 12:38-40). The Lord Jesus gave to them the
sign
of resurrection.
[7]
1 Corinthians 1:23 (b)-25
.unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto
them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and
the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and
the
weakness of God is stronger than men.
The Jews stumble at the crucified Christ. Why? They were looking for a
Messiah to lead them militarily and provide for them economically.
Therefore,
when Jesus came on the scene and was nailed to a Cross, they discounted
Him
immediately. Today we see crosses around necks, on bookmarks, or above
churches. In Jesus' day, however, this would have been equivalent to
wearing a
little gold electric chair around one's neck, attaching a mini gas chamber
to a
bookmark, or hanging a noose atop a church.
The Greeks didn't find the Cross to be humiliating. They found it to be
too
simple. And the Greek mind-set is still present today in those who think
the
preaching of the Cross is too simple, that it doesn't deal with the
dysfunctional
families, drug addictions, and cultural differences of our complex
culture. We
who have personally experienced its power know otherwise.
[8]
"What is truth?" asked the fatalistic Pilate. Bacon asked the same
question, and
philosophy is still asking that question. Philosophy still has no answers
to the
problems of life. "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the
disputer
of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
Someone has defined philosophy as a blind man in a dark room looking for a
black cat that isn't there. The Greeks sought after wisdom. Today man is
still
searching for some theory or formula, and he thinks that it is through
science
that he will get the answers to some of the questions of life. Do you
think that
man today has the answers to the questions of life? I was interested in a
statement which I found in a periodical: "The truth is that modern man is
overimpressed by his own achievements. To put a rocket into an orbit that
is
more than a hundred miles from the surface of the earth takes a great deal
of
joint thought and effort, but we tend to overstate the case. Though men
who
ride a few miles above the earth are called astronauts, this is clearly a
misnomer. Men will not be astronauts until they ride among the stars, and
it is
important to remember that most of the stars are thousands of lightyears
away.
The Russians are even more unrestrained in their overstatements, calling
their
men cosmonauts. Someone needs to say, 'Little man, don't take yourself
quite
so seriously.'"
Man today thinks he has a few answers. Where are the wise today? It is a
good question to ask. You see, God has made foolish the wisdom of this
world.
"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."
This is
a tremendous statement.
"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto
the
Greeks foolishness." The Jews found the Cross to be a stumblingblock, a
skandalon. They wanted a sign. They wanted someone to show the way. They
wanted a pointer, a highway marker. They would have accepted a deliverer
on
a white charger who was putting down the power of Rome. But a crucified
Christ was an insult to them. That meant defeat-not victory. They didn't
want
to accept that at all. "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a
stumblingstone and
rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed"
(Rom.
9:33). And Peter wrote this: "Unto you therefore which believe he is
precious:
but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a
rock
of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient:
whereunto also they were appointed" (1 Pet. 2:7-8). A crucified Christ was
a
stumblingblock to the Jew.
To the Greeks (or Gentiles) the cross was foolishness, an absurdity. They
considered it utterly preposterous and ridiculous and contrary to any
rational,
worldly system. In Rome there has been found a caricature of Christianity,
a
figure on the cross with an *****' head. Also in our day our Savior is being
ridiculed.
Now Paul bears down on philosophy. While he was in the city of Corinth, he
was preaching Christ. "And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed,
he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own
heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles" (Acts
18:6). Can
philosophy lift man out of the cesspool of this life? It never has. Notice
that men
will be saved, not by foolish preaching, but by the preaching of
"foolishness,"
that is, by the preaching of the Cross. It is not the method but the
message that
the natural man considers foolish. Men still reject it. Today the wisdom
of the
world is to have an antipoverty program or some other kind of program. Or
the
wisdom of the world is to save man from his problems by education. May I
say
that what man needs today is the gospel. The wisdom of the world has never
considered that.
Now Paul introduces another class of mankind. "Unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks"-these are the called, the elect. They have not only
heard the invitation, they have responded to it. And they have found in
the cross
of Christ the wisdom and power of God which has transformed their lives,
made them new men. The Lord Jesus molded eleven men, then called Saul of
Tarsus, and sent them out. They took the gospel to Corinth with its sin,
to
Ephesus with its religion. For over nineteen hundred years the gospel has
been
going around the world, and it is the only help and the only hope of
mankind.
[9]
Evangelist, speaking to Christian after Christian's encounter with Worldly
Wiseman: "I will now show thee who it was that deluded thee. . That man
that met thee is one Worldly Wiseman; and rightly is he so called; partly
because he savoreth only of the doctrine of this world (therefore he
always
goes to the town of Morality to church), and partly because he loveth that
doctrine best, for it saveth him from the Cross."
John Bunyan in The Pilgrim's Progress
[10]
SILLY, SUPERFICIAL, AND SIMPLE
Paul had literally been where no man had gone before. He had taken the
gospel
to uncharted territories and untested hearers. He understood rejection.
When
Paul mentioned audience reactions (1:21), he had the scars to prove just
how
violently some resisted the gospel. Problems in sharing the gospel were
not
theoretical for Paul.
Those who proclaim the gospel may find that others think they are
ridiculous. If
our message did not hold the answer to life and death it might seem silly
and
superficial. Though some ridicule it, the gospel remains the simple truth.
Paul
described the attitude we ought to have this way: "For I am not ashamed of
this
Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone
who believes-Jews first and also Gentiles" (Romans 1:16 nlt). Like Paul,
we
must proclaim the simple gospel.
[11]
MIXED REACTIONS
The Good News of Jesus Christ still sounds foolish to many and offensive
to
others. It is foolishness to any who have chosen another way to face their
unavoidable appointment with death and what comes after. It is offensive
to
those who attempt to maintain a facade of self-righteousness or
self-confidence
in the face of life's questions. Those who cannot consider their own
sinfulness
will find that the gospel offers a solution they insist they do not need.
Our
society worships power, influence, and wealth. Jesus came as a humble,
poor
servant, and he offers his kingdom to those who have faith, not to those
who
work hard or improve themselves. This may look ridiculous to the world,
but
Christ is our power, the only way we can be saved. Make sure you know
Christ personally; then you'll have the greatest wisdom anyone could
desire.
[12]
What Is Pragmatism?
Pragmatism is the notion that meaning or worth is determined by practical
consequences. It is closely akin to utilitarianism, the belief that
usefulness is the
standard of what is good. To a pragmatist/utilitarian, if a technique or
course of
action has the desired effect, it is good. If it doesn't seem to work, it
must be
wrong.
Pragmatism as a philosophy was developed and popularized at the end of the
last century by philosopher William James, along with such other noted
intellectuals as John Dewey and George Santayana. It was James who gave
the
new philosophy its name and shape. In 1907, he published a collection of
lectures entitled Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking,
and thus defined a whole new approach to truth and life.
Pragmatism has roots in Darwinism and secular humanism. It is inherently
relativistic, rejecting the notion of absolute right and wrong, good and
evil, truth
and error. Pragmatism ultimately defines truth as that which is useful,
meaningful, and helpful. Ideas that don't seem workable or relevant are
rejected as false.
What's wrong with pragmatism? After all, common sense involves a measure
of
legitimate pragmatism, doesn't it? If a dripping faucet works fine after
you
replace the washers, for example, it is reasonable to assume that bad
washers
were the problem. If the medicine your doctor prescribes produces harmful
side effects or has no effect at all, you need to ask if there's a remedy
that
works. Such simple pragmatic realities are generally self-evident.
But when pragmatism is used to make judgments about right and wrong, or
when it becomes a guiding philosophy of life, theology, and ministry,
inevitably it
clashes with Scripture. Spiritual and biblical truth is not determined by
testing
what "works" and what doesn't. We know from Scripture, for example, that
the gospel often does not produce a positive response (1 Cor. 1:22, 23;
2:14).
On the other hand, satanic lies and deception can be quite effective
(Matt.
24:23, 24; 2 Cor. 4:3, 4). Majority reaction is no test of validity (cf
Matt. 7:13,
14), and prosperity is no measure of truthfulness (cf Job 12:6).
Pragmatism as a
guiding philosophy of ministry is inherently flawed. Pragmatism as a test
of truth
is nothing short of satanic.
[13]
Thinking Again
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
when
the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
-Acts 3:19
Peter had preached to the crowd in the temple: Jesus Christ crucified,
risen,
ascended; Jesus Christ coming again; Jesus Christ the great Deliverer; the
baptizer with the Holy Spirit; Jesus Christ who alone can refresh us and
give us
new life and health and vigor and strength. He had expounded all that, but
still
he had not finished, and we have not finished. God forbid that we should
finish
without looking at this subject that is left here for us to consider. Far
too often
we stop at the wrong point, we do not go all the way, but here it is.
In the light of all this, said Peter, "Repent ye therefore ." Here is the
focus of
the whole sermon, and this is the point that pierces. This is an essential
and a
vital part of the preaching of the Gospel, and the first thing we must
realize is
that this message, this Gospel, is not something theoretical and academic.
It is
not just one of a number of views of life that you can take up and read
about or
listen to lectures or sermons concerning it and still remain in the
position of a
spectator. One can have an intellectual interest in various subjects-"Very
good, very intriguing, very enjoyable." But this is not like that; this is
the most
practical thing in the world. This is something that concerns life and
living. This
is a life and death matter.
This emphasis was present, in exactly the same way, in the sermon Peter
preached on the day of Pentecost, and it characterizes the whole of the
New
Testament teaching. It is a note of urgency: "Repent ye therefore ." Peter
was
urgent and insistent. He was not entertaining these people. He was not
just out
to deliver an address. He was not a kind of orator. Not at all! This man
had
been a fisherman, but suddenly he had been called and commissioned. He had
been sent to do something, and he was alive. He was alert. He was
insistent
and urgent. He said, "Repent." He pressed his message upon his listeners,
and
thereby he showed them that it was not just of general or theoretical
interest. It
is the most urgent and practical thing in the world. So he pleaded with
the
people.
[14]
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a 1 Cor 1:21, 23, 25; 2:14; 4:10
b Acts 2:47; 2 Cor 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess 2:10
1 Or perish
2 Or are saved
c Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:24
a Is 29:14
a Job 12:17; Is 19:11f; 33:18
b Matt 13:22; 1 Cor 2:6, 8; 3:18, 19
c Rom 1:20ff
d John 12:31; 1 Cor 1:27f; 6:2; 11:32; James 4:4
a John 12:31; 1 Cor 1:27f; 6:2; 11:32; James 4:4
b Luke 12:32; Gal 1:15; Col 1:19
c 1 Cor 1:18, 23, 25; 2:14; 4:10
1 Lit preaching
d Rom 11:14; James 5:20
a Matt 12:38
1 Or attesting miracles
1 I.e. Messiah
a 1 Cor 2:2; Gal 3:1; 5:11
b Luke 2:34; 1 Pet 2:8
c 1 Cor 1:18, 21, 25; 2:14; 4:10
a Rom 8:28
b Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18
c Luke 11:49; 1 Cor 1:30
a 1 Cor 1:18, 21, 23; 2:14; 4:10
b 2 Cor 13:4
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (1 Co 1:18-25).
LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the
Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:10). Nashville: Thomas
Nelson.
[3]Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1014).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
30 30. D. A. Carson, The Cross & Christian Ministry, p. 12.
[4]Tom Constable. (2003; 2003). Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the
Bible (1 Co 1:18). Galaxie Software.
31 31. Ibid., pp. 15-16.
[5]Tom Constable. (2003; 2003). Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the
Bible (1 Co 1:20). Galaxie Software.
? 2 (1:19) S. Lewis Johnson, "First Corinthians," The Wycliffe Bible
Commentary, p. 1232.
[6]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible
Commentary : Old and New Testaments (1 Co 1:19). Nashville: Thomas
Nelson.
[7]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the
Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:10-11). Nashville:
Thomas
Nelson.
[8]Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson's Application Commentary (1014).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
[9]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the
Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:11-12). Nashville:
Thomas
Nelson.
[10]Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). 1 & 2 Corinthians. Life
application Bible commentary (32). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House.
nlt Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New
Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
[11]Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). 1 & 2 Corinthians. Life
application Bible commentary (32). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House.
[12]Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). 1 & 2 Corinthians. Life
application Bible commentary (33). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House.
[13]MacArthur, J. (1993). Ashamed of the gospel : When the Church becomes
like the world (12). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.
[14]Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (2000). Authentic Christianity (1st U.S. ed.)
(291).
Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.
.
