A Walk with Paul Through Cultural Minefields

By Ronald A Train

In the New Testament the verb “to walk” (peripateo) finds its use on ninety-five occasions. It is of interest that the Apostle Paul uses the verb on thirty occasions in his prolific writings. Hence, why I have chosen the title of this work as A Walk with Paul Through Cultural Minefields. In many respects, the cultural minefields of the ancient cities of Corinth, Ephesus, and Colossae are no different to the cultural minefields facing the modern church. The church of the twenty-first century is now faced with challenges to God’s absolutes in conjunction with opposition from other faith systems. Hence, it prevails upon every person who professes to have a Christian faith to understand those challenges. The Apostle Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, Ephesians, and Colossians, if studied carefully, will assist Christians to walk out their faith in the manner that will bring honor to God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Nov 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984503220

Ronald A Train

A graduate of Malyon College, Ronald A. Train is a retired pastor with twenty-seven years of experience in Christian ministry. Ronald was born in a small regional town in the country in New South Wales, Australia, and he is married to Gwenyth. Ronald is the holder of a graduate degree in theology, a bachelor’s degree in theology, and a master’s degree in ministry. His special interests have been theology and doctrine from the New Testament documents. His previous publications were Without Absolutes, God is not God in 2013 and Protestant Shame in 2014. The former addressed the issues such as God’s self-revelation, the trinity, revelatory faith, and effective discipleship. The latter addressed the conveyance of mixed messages about divorce and remarriage.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Ronald A Train.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2018912470

ISBN:                Hardcover                          978-1-9845-0324-4

                          Softcover                            978-1-9845-0323-7

                          eBook                                 978-1-9845-0322-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 11/06/2018

Xlibris

1-800-455-039

www.Xlibris.com.au

783906

To my children,

Their partners,

And Particularly,

My grandchildren and great-grandchildren,

In lasting gratitude.

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1    The First Letter to the Corinthians

2    The Letter To The Ephesians

3    The Letter to the Colossians

Epilogue

Bibliography

PREFACE

The ensuing pages of this work represent some twenty-six years of theological study and service in the pastoral ministry to four church congregations.

Each of Paul’s letters of 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and Colossians has been historically researched and systematically exegeted, with the appropriate tools, prior to being taught to a specific congregation. Following the teaching, discussion has been encouraged to enable problematic issues to be resolved. This is especially so with the spiritual-language debate of the letter to the Corinthians, the absolute Trinitarian value of seeking to understand the Bible and how that affects one being a disciple of the living Christ. Further, on many occasions, detailed sermon notes were provided to the members of the congregations for private study and reflection.

The work, as such, is a compilation of sermon notes from the three letters mentioned which have been re-edited and reconfigured to form a narrative which is readable for any disciple of Christ. Hence, it is not a detailed theological work with footnotes and language included, although there are some exceptions to this rule. Rather, the work is aimed at being a devotional tool for those who seek to have deeper insight into how:

➢ the apostle Paul over sighted churches

➢ church issues are resolved

➢ Churches should behave ethically in their service for the Lord.

With regard to the foregoing, the reader will find in the reference area the materials that the author has used to aid in the completion of this work. Nevertheless, as a student of scripture, the author always recommends that the reader use the Bible as his or her final arbitrator when working through issues that may seem problematic. The translation used when referring to the Bible is the New International Version.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to express my gratitude to Gwenyth, my soul mate, now deceased, whose encouragement and photographic skills provide the cover to this work. Special thanks to my children, who have prompted my thinking over the years. Appreciation is expressed to my daughter-in-law Kirsty, who designed the logo at the commencement of each commentary. Recognition is given to CIFT Ministries for supporting me during my theological studies and ministry endeavours. Finally, eternal thanks to my Saviour and Lord, Jesus the Christ, who’s Spirit encouraged my conceptual thinking.

INTRODUCTION

In the New Testament, the verb walk (peripatew, transliterated as peripateo) finds its use on ninety-five occasions.¹ It is of interest that the apostle Paul uses the verb on thirty occasions in his prolific writings, hence why I have chosen the title of this work as A Walk with Paul through Cultural Minefields. Whilst, on many occasions, the New International Version of the Bible translates the verb peripatew as ‘live’, the most accurate translation, however, is ‘walk’; and there is an essential reason for this being the better choice. The verb walk (peripateo) actually directs our thinking towards action. In other words, walking, as opposed to living, lends itself to being more than just a couch potato. It speaks to us of physical exercise. Thus, in Ephesians, Paul instructs the Christians of that community to walk (in exercising their faith) on seven occasions; in 1 Corinthians, on two occasions; and in Colossians, on four occasions. Therefore, for Paul, walking out one’s faith is a crucial activity and speaks to us of more than just having a lukewarm commitment to our Christian life.

For Paul, walking out one’s faith has far-reaching implications, and it impacts upon how he addresses the communities to which he is writing. For example, each of the letters to be commented upon have differences. In 1 Corinthians, for example, Paul writes to a community where spiritual pride is prevalent and where some of the community’s pagan practices are being blended with Christian ethics. Hence, Paul teaches the Corinthians about the centrality of Christ, marriage, and what is appropriate for Christian worship. These are just some of the issues that Paul addresses in the cultural minefield of Corinth, a city with a diverse demographic which included a Christian community where many had an embryonic faith.

In Ephesians, Paul writes in the first three chapters about the church’s calling. In the remaining chapters, 4 to 6, Paul writes about how to walk one’s Christian faith in terms of unity, holiness, love, and in light and wisdom. In Colossians, Paul addresses the Colossian faith community about false teaching which had arisen within it ranks. The important issues addressed, for example, concern understanding of the total satisfaction that Christ provides as he encourages the removal of unholiness and the analogy of putting on his clothing to exercise a walk of faith.

In many respects the cultural minefields of the ancient cities of Corinth, Ephesus, and Colossae are no different to the cultural minefields facing the modern church. The church of the twenty-first century is now faced with challenges to God’s absolutes in conjunction with opposition from other faith systems. Hence, it prevails upon every person who professes to have a Christian faith to understand those challenges. The Apostle Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, Ephesians, and Colossians, if studied carefully, will assist Christians to walk out their faith in the manner which will bring honour to God.

greece-1281450.jpg

The ruins of ancient Corinth

1 Corinthians

CONTENTS

Background and Purpose Chapter 1

Introduction (1:1–9)

Division in the Name of Wisdom (1:10–17)

God’s Foolishness—The Cross (1:18–31)

Chapter 2

Preaching and the Holy Spirit’s Revelation (2:1–16)

Chapter 3

A Corrective for the Church (3:1–9)

The Foundation and Building (3:10–17)

The Christian and Christ (3:18–23)

Chapter 4

What Really Matters! (4:1–5)

The Calling of God: Part 1 (4:7–13)

The Calling of God: Part 2 (4:14–21)

Chapter 5

Background To 1 Corinthians 5

Immorality and Litigation: Part 1 (5:1–13)

Chapter 6

Litigation and the Christian: Part 2 (6:1–11)

The Body for the Lord, the Lord for the Body (6:12–20)

Chapter 7

The General Principle for Marriage (7:1–15)

Marriage and Divorce (7:8–16)

Remaining True To One’s Calling (7:17–24)

Standards for Virgins and Widows (7:25–40)

Chapter 8

The Way of Love and Knowledge (8:1–13)

Chapter 9

Defending Apostleship (9:1–14)

Exercising Our Rights With Care (9:15–18)

Freedom and Self-Control (9:19–27)

Chapter 10

Historical Lessons (10:1–13)

Idolatry and God’s Response (10:14–22)

Guarding Christian Freedom (10:23–11:1)

Chapter 11

Honouring the Lord in Public Worship (11:2–16)

Misusing the Lord’s Supper (11:17–34)

Chapter 12

Spiritual Gifts Are for Spiritual People (12:1–11)

The Body of Christ and the Community of Faith (12:12–31)

Chapter 13

God’s Most Excellent Way (13:1–13)

Chapter 14

The Greater Gift of intelligibility (14:1–5)

Intelligibility in Church Worship (14:6–19)

Tongues and Unbelievers (14:20–25) Christian Worship (14:26–40)

Chapter 15

Christ’s Resurrection: the Foundation (15:1–11)

The Certainty of Resurrection (15:12–24)

The Resurrection Body (15:35–58)

Chapter 16

Financing the Work of God’s Kingdom (16:1–4)

Final Words (16:5–24)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

CITY OF CORINTH

Geographically, Corinth is situated in southern Greece. It is separated from the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth and the Gulf of Corinth. It had a diverse population and has been likened to the New York and Las Vegas of the ancient world.

PURPOSE

Paul writes to a church with divisions which included individual pride in one’s spirituality coupled with pockets of opposition to his teaching on Christology and pneumatology. It is more than probable that some in the Corinthian community were blending their previous pagan practices with Christian observances, hence Paul’s strong rebukes throughout the letter as he addressed specific issues. A central purpose of the letter is Paul’s understanding of the nature of the church. Hence, as a theological document, it provides a window view into how the modern church should express itself.

DATING

Most scholars date the letter around 53–55 AD.

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION (1:1–9)

Chapter%20logo%20-%20Copy.jpg

THE GREETING (VERSES 1–3)

The apostle Paul opens his letter to the Corinthians with these words:

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes. To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.

➢ The first observation to note from the greeting is Paul’s divine calling. His status as an apostle of Christ comes from on high, for it is given to him by God, and note that is affirmed with the comment ‘by the will of God’. He reasserts this calling later in the letter when his credentials seem to be in question (cf. 9:1–2).

➢ The second observation to note is the mention of Sosthenes in the greeting. Paul cites him as a brother. As such, he is identified as one who joins with him and others in the spread of the gospel. Not a lot is known about Sosthenes, but it could be the same person mentioned in Acts (cf. Acts 18:17).

➢ The third observation to note is those being addressed in the letter. The letter is directed to those who have been ‘sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours’. Although the universal Christian movement is being addressed, it seems that Paul is singling out the community of Corinth with the words ‘to the church of God in Corinth’. As such, this constitutes a subtle rebuke for a community which appears to be striking out independently from the rest of the church. Affirmation for this comment is provided by the words ‘their Lord and ours’. Hence, Paul is reminding the Corinthians at an early point that no one has an exclusive right to the lordship of Christ.

THE THANKSGIVING

Paul writes:

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—because your testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore, you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

In verse 4, we note the word always, which is a reminder of Paul’s regular habit of giving thanks for his converts and other Christians (cf. 1 Thessalonians, Romans, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon). In this instance, Paul’s thankfulness is due to God’s grace, which has been poured out on the Corinthians in Christ Jesus. Hence, God’s grace is the expression of his mercy towards those who do not merit it. For the Corinthians, whose arrogance Paul will address throughout his letter, grace is provided to them not on the basis of their works but because of God’s love.

Next in verse 5, Paul details the ‘graces’ for which he gives thanks. Paul informs the Corinthians of the enrichment they have received because of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. What are the specifics that Paul is referring to in this verse? Paul writes that the Corinthian community have been enriched in all their speaking and in all their knowledge. The Greek terms for speaking is logos, and for knowledge, it is gnosis. Generally, both terms are weighed in a positive manner², but they can also be considered negatively, as Paul will explain throughout his letter. For Paul, there has to be a balanced humility when expressing one’s spiritual giftedness, and it will become obvious in the forthcoming pages that the Corinthian community have not maintained that balance.

Verse 6 informs the reader that the enrichment that the Corinthian community have received is due to their testimony and confirmation of such. The word testimony refers to the gospel and is given affirmation with the Word confirmed. Hence, despite their pride and arrogance, Paul, nevertheless is thankful for their witness of the gospel.

Verse 7 brings closure to what Paul has expressed to this point, his appreciation for the Corinthian spiritual giftedness. However, Paul adds an eschatological note to the context with the words ‘as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed’. This is a subtle but gentle reminder that spiritual giftedness has a temporal use whilst one awaits the final revealing of the Son of God at his Second Coming (Parousia).

Verse 8 elaborates on the eschatological note of the previous verse. It is Christ who will keep the Corinthians strong whilst they await the day of the Lord (a reference to Christ’s Second Coming). The subtle reminder by Paul is that pride in one’s own spirituality is not recommended. Rather, resting in one’s relationship with Jesus will lead one to being blamelessness at the final judgment.

Verse 9 culminates the whole passage of thanksgiving. The reality is that it is God who calls Christians into fellowship with the triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is God who maintains and sustains one’s faith as one’s earthly journey of Christian fellowship and witness await the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

SUMMARY

The introduction to his letter to the Corinthians expresses Paul’s theology and pastoral heart. He is intent on his readers grasping that their position with God is solely due to God’s grace. Therefore, the Corinthians are able to fellowship and be enriched entirely because of that expression of grace, a grace given and centred in Christ Jesus.

DIVISION IN THE NAME OF WISDOM

(1:10–17)

The Christian Scriptures teach that there are essentially two kinds of wisdom—one which is from above (heaven) and one from below (earth). The wisdom from heaven finds its origin and efficiency in God. The wisdom from earth finds its origin and unproductiveness in the devil, who is the ruler of the earthly domain. What the Bible teaches then is that wisdom which ignores God is unspiritual and worthless.

As previously noted, ‘the Corinthian experience’ was commented upon in the opening verses 1 to 9. In those verses, we observed the heartache that the Corinthians were causing Paul. Nevertheless, Paul’s pastoral attitude moved him to address the situation that was causing him so much pain. The apostle identifies that in the Corinthian church, there is a spiritual cancer which is dividing it. The cancer concerns what constitutes wisdom. Having received information, by report, Paul commences to address the situation.

THE APPEAL AND REPORT (VERSES 10–12)

Paul makes an appeal to the Corinthians in the following words:

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

➢ The Appeal

The first observation from verse 10 is that Paul appeals to them as brothers. In other words, they enjoy the same Christian status as he does. The second observation is, Paul’s appeal is not in his name but in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the same Lord that they jointly profess to worship. The third observation is, Paul seeks for them to agree. The purpose behind Paul’s request is twofold. First, so that they won’t be divided, and second, so that they will be united in both mind and thought. The reason behind Paul’s request will become obvious in due course. But suffice it to consider, at this point, that the divisions or factions that Paul has knowledge of, and is about to address, concern leadership (chapters 1 and 3), marriage and food (chapters 7–10), women in worship and the relations between the rich and poor (Chapter 11), and the relative value of spiritual gifts (Chapter 14). Thus, the first overall observation is, Paul doesn’t immediately criticize the Corinthians, but rather he appeals to them. Having made the appeal, the apostle then explains how he became aware of the divisions. He writes: ‘My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.’ The quarrels are detailed in what we could call the report.

➢ The Report

Paul’s knowledge of events in Corinth has come from a report he has received from Chloe’s household. It is likely that those who have reported to Paul are Corinthians from the church and they wanted to give him an ‘earful’ of the situation inside the church. Paul is informed that there are quarrels among the Corinthian Christians. The New International Version’s translation of the word informed is a little weak in its meaning. The better translation is that they have made it clear to Paul that there is strife and contention in the Corinthian Church. In other words, there is open conflict among the Corinthian Christians. The reason for this conflict is provided in verse 12, where Paul writes:

What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, I follow Christ.’

This statement by Paul is significant and is probably the core of how to understand 1 Corinthians as a whole. So what does the statement reveal? First, there are quarrels being initiated in the name of Christian leaders. Second, Paul’s tone and the question which immediately follows reveal that some are showing personal allegiance at the expense of the gospel. In other words, the gospel is supposed to encompass those who will follow Jesus, first and foremost. It is not about the creation of some elite group within a church. Third, it seems due to the reference to more than one faction that the whole church has fallen prey to the love of conflict. The report which Paul has received then is about a church divided. It is divided because a cancer is spreading within it. It is a cancer which has distracted the Corinthians from the undivided head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why Paul appeals to them. This is why Paul is so concerned about the report he has received. Having voiced his concern in writing, Paul then moves to ask a series of questions to show the absurdity of the church’s actions, and together they pose one simple question.

HUMAN WISDOM OR CHRIST? (VERSES 13–17)

How does Paul go about bringing this challenge to his readers? First, he draws them back to consider Christ.

➢ Consider Christ

Paul exposes the absurdity of the church’s actions with these words: ‘Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?’ These three questions ask the Corinthians to consider Christ first and foremost. In other words, Paul is asking ‘Can Christ be made a party faction in the same breath as others?’ or ‘Do you mean to say that Christ has been shared out so that only one group has ownership of him?’ The questions reveal the nonsense of their situation and the foolishness of their actions. In fact, Paul’s questions represent a very sharp rebuke. For it is entirely foreign for him to be considered as the Messiah instead of the Lord Jesus. ‘Consider Christ,’ Paul reminds them, ‘and do not wear a tag saying I follow Paul, I follow Apollos, I follow Peter, or I have the slice of Christ.’

Next, Paul writes how grateful he is that he only baptized a few of them:

I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)

With such words, the apostle Paul reveals: ‘I don’t really remember whether I baptized anybody else, for that is not my calling, nor is it my point.’ Instead, Paul argues, that showing loyalty to humans instead of to Christ is foolishness. Loyalty to the gospel is what is paramount, hence why it is that human wisdom cannot replace Christ.

➢ Human Wisdom Cannot Replace Christ

To explain such, Paul writes:

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Paul’s statement is significant because it seeks to move the Corinthians, and anybody else with similar ideas, back on track. He reminds his readers that his task is not to baptize but to preach the gospel. As such, Paul is revealing: ‘I did not come to speak to you flowery words of human wisdom but to speak to you concerning the cross of Christ.’ In other words, Paul wants his readers to know that the power of human wisdom is temporary, for it will perish just like a flower and that if he were to speak about the cross at that level, then it would be empty and meaningless. But to preach the gospel, Paul writes, is to speak about the power of the cross, which is eternal. Indeed, Christ is not divided, and no one can lay claim to having been baptized into the name of the apostle.

SUMMARY

There are indeed two kinds of wisdom—that which is from heaven and that which is from earth. The wisdom from earth can be discovered every time you turn on the television. For there you will see politicians and others seeking to solve the world’s problems without even considering or acknowledging God. I am confident also that each of us at some time has met some fine person who believes they too have the solution to social injustice but in their eloquent words, they too do not acknowledge God. In not acknowledging God, all such efforts are doomed to failure because they lack the power of heavenly wisdom.

The foregoing text reveals that true power is found in the cross of Jesus Christ, whereas, on the other hand, empty human words of wisdom only bring division and misguided loyalty. In the cross of Jesus, then, we have power from heaven being unleashed against all that is evil, all that is earthbound, and all that needs healing and reconciliation. The question we should ask then is ‘What is the power of the cross?’ The answer is that it is Jesus Christ crucified, dead, and risen. This is what Paul is revealing to the Christians in Corinth. In other words, he is writing that it is absurd, that it is foolish to think that human wisdom can replace the good news of the cross. The cross does not contain empty and hollow words of human wisdom, which ushers forth division. The cross of Jesus Christ, by contrast, ushers forth power and the promise of fellowship. Division in the name of wisdom, then, is an aberration because it is earthbound. True wisdom is from heaven, and the one who has come from heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ.

GOD’S FOOLISHNESS—THE CROSS

(1:18–31)

The previous passage revealed the divisions within the Corinthian faith community. The divisions were the result of Christians showing personal allegiance to Christian leaders at the expense of the gospel. In other words, the gospel, which requires a belief in Jesus as the supreme head of the church, was playing second fiddle to people with their own personal axes to grind as they broke into to elite splinter groups. The apostle Paul addressed the Corinthians by proffering some hypothetical questions in verse 13 and then challenged them to reflect upon the fact that words of human wisdom were not an alternative to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The next section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians calls them back to the basic tenets (convictions/doctrines) of their faith. Indeed, the passage is a checkpoint for the contemporary church also because Christians today live in an age of virtual reality. In other words, some find it is easier to take refuge in an unreal world than to face up to the truth of the real world. In the passage to be commented upon, the Corinthian Christians with their flowery words and articulate debating skills, were entertaining the world of human wisdom instead of experiencing the power of Christ crucified. Paul seeks for them to understand that human wisdom is no substitute for the cross. In our contemporary circumstances, if we too were to pursue this type of wisdom at the expense of the cross, then it could cause irreparable damage to our world view.

Paul writes there is no substitute for the cross of Christ:

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

With the foregoing comment, Paul reminds the Corinthians that their present boasting is in stark contrast to their Christian beginnings. His technique is not what we would expect, because he is proposing by way of a summary: ‘So you think the gospel is a form of wisdom?’ How foolish can you be? Look at its message; it is based on the story of the crucified Messiah. My goodness, who in the name of wisdom would have dreamed that up? Only God is so wise to be that foolish. This is a summary of verses 18–25. ‘Furthermore, look at who has received the Gospel. You, yourselves! Who in the name of wisdom would have chosen you to be the new people of God?’ This is the summary of verses 26–31. So in these two summary statements, you have essentially what Paul addresses in the passage containing verses 18–31: first, God’s foolishness, a crucified Messiah, and second, God’s foolishness, the Corinthian Christians.

GOD’S FOOLISHNESS: A CRUCIFIED MESSIAH (VERSES 18–25)

Paul sets the scene in verse 18 by proposing that there are essentially two groups of people—those who are being saved and those who are perishing. Ultimately, everybody falls into one category or the other. Hence, he writes: ‘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.’ Paul’s use of us in this verse is to remind the Corinthians of who they are. The Corinthians have come to their present existence as a result of God’s power, not as a result of flowery words and articulate debate.

Paul now moves on to clinch his argument with a quotation from Isaiah 29:14. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Paul is informing his readers that God’s ways have never been the ways of men. God brings wisdom and intelligence to nothingness. Thus, Paul seeks for his readers to understand that neither can stand before God.

As such, the apostle next hammers home the point by writing: ‘Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?’

Paul observes that this world is a passing show and the wisdom which belongs to it passes with it. The reason for the passing of the world’s wisdom is found in what God has achieved, and that begs the question ‘What has God achieved?’ The answer is located in verse 18. By means of the cross, God has turned the tables on wisdom. Wisdom is now foolish when contrasted with the cross.

Having informed his readers of the world’s wisdom, Paul then adds:

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God has pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

With these words, Paul explains to the Corinthians that it was not God’s intention to be discovered through human wisdom because such a God would be the projection of human imagination and human pride. Instead God was pleased to save people through the foolishness of what was preached. What was it that was preached? The answer is the crucified Messiah. And to the advocates of human wisdom, this was foolishness, but to those who believed, it was salvation.

The absoluteness of God’s salvation is then given expansion when Paul writes: ‘Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom.’ Hence, the apostle sets the Jews over and against the Greeks and, in doing so, brings out the characteristics of the two people groups—one who demanded evidence from messianic signs and the other who worshipped the names of outstanding thinkers. The Jews demanded a Messiah who would perform mighty wonders, and therefore, a crucified Messiah contradicted their way of thinking. The Greeks, on the other hand, found no place for the gospel in their intellectual wanderings. Both the Jewish and Greek world view, then, produced no saving power for humankind.

But Paul writes in verses 23–25:

We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

Paul wants his readers to understand that the crucified Messiah is the ultimate expression of God’s ‘power’ and God’s ‘wisdom’ and is available to all, and that includes both Jew and Greek.

It is notable that this passage has been about wisdom. Numerous times the word wisdom or wise man has been used. The Corinthian Christians had evidently emphasized it. The Greeks habitually sought it. The cross, then, seemed foolishness to them. Yet it is in the cross that real power and real wisdom are found, and this is what Paul seeks for his readers to understand. In the cross, God has outsmarted his human creatures and thereby annulled their wisdom. The crucified and suffering Messiah, hanging on the cross, appears to be weak. But it is the weakness of God which is displayed on the cross, and it disarms any human being because God’s weakness is stronger than man’s strength. Paul then moves to give attention to the reception of the gospel, and he does so by pointing out the contrast between God’s foolishness and the Corinthians Christians.

GOD’S FOOLISHNESS AND THE CORINTHIAN CHRISTIANS (VERSES 26–31)

Paul seeks to reveal the difference between the kind of people God calls and those who would have appealed to the intelligentsia. In other words, Paul wants to show that human wisdom would have concentrated on choosing outstanding men and women. But God has no need for human wisdom. The apostle sums up this contrast in verses 26–29, where he writes:

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; Gold chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

There are two significant words to notice in these verses. The first is the word called in verse 26, and the second is the word chose in verses 27 and 28. The word called refers to a divine calling from God. In other words, the initiative has been taken by God, which reveals that human wisdom is not involved in being called by God. In verses 27 and 28, the greater glory of the gospel is on display. The Corinthians did not stumble into the gospel upon hearing it. Rather, God’s choice is what is important because he chose the foolish in order to shame the so-called wise. He chose the weak in order to shame the so-called strong. He chose the lowborn and those things which are despised in order to cancel the things which seem to be. And the reason for God’s method of choice is given in verse 29, where Paul writes: ‘So that no one may boast before him.’

Paul informs the Corinthians that the ultimate purpose of God’s apparent foolishness is ‘so that no one can boast before him’. Hence, God wants us to appreciate that the basis upon which anyone can come before him is to be found at the ground level of the cross. In other words, not a single thing that we possess—not intelligence, not brilliance, not achievement, not money, nor prestige—will advantage a person in the end. The only reason that a person can come before God is to be found in the cross. Wisdom, then, is cancelled when confronted with the cross of the crucified Messiah.

Having pointed this out to his readers. Paul then winds up this passage in verses 30–31 by writing:

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’

Thus, once again, the Corinthians are reminded of their calling. It is God’s intention to end human wisdom. The Corinthians owe their very existence to the prior activity of God. God is the source of their life, and he has affected this in history through Christ Jesus. It is God’s prior activity in Christ Jesus, who has become their wisdom. Hence, it is God’s prior activity in Christ Jesus, who enables them to stand right before God, holy and redeemed.

SUMMARY

This passage is a reminder for Christians to recall the basic tenets (convictions/doctrines) of their faith. As stated previously, we live in an age of virtual reality, and that means for some it is easier to take refuge in an unreal world than to face up to the truth of the real world. In the Corinthian situation, the Christians, with their flowery words and articulate debating skills, were entertaining the world of human wisdom instead of experiencing in their lives the power of Christ crucified. Paul sought for them to understand that human wisdom is no substitute for the cross and if they were to continue pursuing this type of wisdom at the expense of the cross, then it would be like living in a world of virtual reality or an unreal world.

Critically, the same challenge faces us today. There are many who say that the Christian way has lost touch with reality. In other words, it is no longer relevant to an intelligent, sophisticated, and technological society. The so-called intelligentsia, the so-called wise, who promote this suggestion are encouraging people to take a path of self-destruction. Truthfully, there is only one destiny for those who ignore God’s prior activity of the cross. That destiny is a future without experiencing wisdom, without experiencing righteousness, without experiencing holiness, and without experiencing being rescued from self-annihilation. God’s love for us is revealed in his beloved Son. The truth of the cross is that it is a prior act of God, and it comes out of his love. To move away from this fact is to live in a world where reality ceases to exist because God is not there and is the consequence of the path of human wisdom. Christians have a calling, and that calling is to accept in full God’s foolishness—the cross. Because the message of the cross is the power of God.

CHAPTER 2

PREACHING AND THE HOLY SPIRIT’S REVELATION (2:1–16)

Chapter%20logo%20-%20Copy.jpg

Every Sunday, in churches across nations, someone will stand and seek to deliver a message from God. Generally, this message is in the form of a sermon, but in some cases, it may be a word of prophecy, where a person will stand up and speak a word from God, a word which they believe they have received and which they believe has to be delivered for the benefit of those present. The question we should ask ourselves as we hear a person speak about God or as we hear a person interpret or preach the scripture is this: ‘Is there a spiritual dimension to what this person is saying?’ or, to put it another way, ‘Does this person reveal and declare God?’ I want to suggest that if we cannot discern this from what we are hearing, then two things are probable. Either the hearer is not spiritually connected to God and therefore the conversation becomes indiscernible, or the person speaking is not spiritually connected to God and therefore the conversation remains at a worldly level without the involvement of God’s power.

In chapter 2, we discover the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the act of revelation. The first five verses of this chapter bring a declaration about the apostle Paul’s preaching. The remainder of the chapter, verses 6–16, reveal the Holy Spirit’s role in God’s revelation. The Corinthian Church is being addressed with two issues in this chapter, and they are, first, ‘Is Paul’s preaching that which declares human wisdom, or does it declare the power of God?’ and, second, ‘What does the Holy Spirit revelation indicate?’ Our challenge is to discover what it means to acknowledge God’s wisdom. So turning to the first issue, what is it that we discover about the apostle Paul’s preaching?’

PAUL’S PREACHING (VERSES 1–5)

Paul writes in verses 1 to 5:

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to