Monday · Jul 6
People Who Think the Cross is Silly
Paul compares human ideas to God’s wisdom: “Some people think that the message about Christ’s [the Savior’s] death on the cross is silly. Those people are destroying themselves [their own lives]” ( 1 Corinthians 1:18 , EASY).
Read 1 Corinthians 20, 21, 23, 25, and 27 (EASY). How many times do these verses use the word ‘silly’? How does this word help us understand Paul’s message about the Cross? Why is the message about the Cross silly to people who are destroying their own lives?
In 1 Corinthians 1:18, 23 , Paul talks about lost people. These people think that the Cross is silly. The word “silly” (EASY) in these verses doesn’t mean stupid or not being smart. The word “silly” is really connected with bad behavior or evil thinking. The word also means fighting against God and not having any understanding. So, the people who thought the Cross was silly were really fighting against God. They didn’t have understanding. Their thinking was evil because their behavior was evil. No wonder Paul talked so much about this topic in 1 Corinthians.
Think about Paul’s problems in the city of Corinth. He is in a city where the people are filled with pride because they know a lot. So, they are very smart and wise in their own eyes. Paul tells them about a Jew, Jesus of Nazareth. The Romans nailed Jesus to a cross. Then Jesus woke up from the dead. Jesus did all these things to pay for their sins. He also died for the sins of everyone else on earth. No doubt the Corinthians said, “Is this guy Paul joking? How can anything he’s saying be true?” They thought Paul’s message was completely crazy. Why should any smart, educated Corinthian believe anything Paul said?
For many of the Jews, Paul’s message was worse than crazy. What Jew expected Rome to kill their Savior? The Savior would beat the Romans. The Romans wouldn’t kill Him.
So, from the start, Paul had many problems in Corinth. But Paul won many people, both Jews and non-Jews, to Jesus.
What lesson does Paul’s experience teach us?
Whatever problems we have, God has people who are willing to hear Bible truth. We must be ready to let God use us to bless these people, wherever they are. Some of these places may be as bad, or worse, than Corinth was.