- "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Goodnews: and not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect." Paul's ministry was to preach, without the cleverness of his own words, the simple salvation message of Christ Crucified for the forgiveness of sin for all those who believe in Jesus; as Paul said: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; so that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
- "For the preaching of the Cross is to those who perish foolishness." The simple Goodnews message of Crrist crucified, and the resurrection of the dead, is foolishness to those who are perishing, just as it was for those philosophers in Athens. Paul explains further: "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
- "But unto us who are saved it is the Power of God!" Salvation through the death of Jesus on the Cross, and His resurrectiom from the dead, is the power of salvation for all who put their faith in Jesus; just as it says: "For I am not ashamed of the Goodnews of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)
- "For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent“ This is a paraphrased quote from Isaiah 29:13-14: "Therefore the Lord said, 'Because this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden".
- "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this world?" These questions are retorical in nature, and are asked not to recieve answers, but rather to imply the lack of any worldly wisdom (whether Jewish or Greek) in reguards to obtaining true salvation.
- "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" It is as God spoke through the prophet Isaiah: Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb, I am the LORD that made all things; and who stretches forth the heavens alone; who spreads abroad the earth by Myself; and who frustratesh the tokens of the liars, and makes diviners mad; and who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish!" ( Isaiah 44:24-25)
- "For since in the Wisdom of God the world by its wisdom knew not God," Again, ""But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14). And again: "We do speak wisdom among those who are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, who are passing away. But we speak the Wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden Wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory; Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:6-8)
- "it pleased God by the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe." Although the preaching of the wisdom of the Goodnews of Jesus is foolishness to the worldly=wise; it is, to God's plasure, the Goodnews of salvation for all those who believe!; as it says: “For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, God has chosen, yes, and things which are not, to nullify the things that are; so that no flesh should boast in His presence. But by Him you are in Christ Jesus, who is made unto us the Wisdom of God, and (He is our) righteousness, and (He is our) sanctification, and (He is our)redemption; so that, according as it is written, 'He who boasts let him boast in the Lord (in Jesus!!).' “ (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
- "For the Jews ask for a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom;" Consider this situation: "Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from You. But He answered and said unto them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah; 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." (Matthew 12:38-40) For both Jews and Greeks, the preeminent sign and wisdom concerning the validity of the truth of who christ Jesus is, will be His crucifixion followed by His resurrection from the dead, in fulfillment of the prophetic scriptures!
- "but we preach Christ crucified" This is the true salvation essence of the Goodnews: Jesus the Christ, and Him crucified. Jesus Himself said: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. This he said, signifying what kind of death he should die." (John 12:32-33); and again: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:14-15)
- "unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness." To the Jews, the very thought of their promised Messiah (the Christ) suffering a shameful death by crucifixion on a cross was unthinkable, and thus a stumbling block to God's New Covenant of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. For the Greeks (and other Gentiles); who were ignorant of Jewish Messianic prophecy, and history, the idea of a Crucified Savior was mere foolishness in their minds, and made no sense within their darkened understanding.
- "But unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks," This statement marks a major turning point in History! God's promised Messiah for the Jews IS also the promised Messiah for the Greeks, and for the Romans , and for all the Gentile peoples! The promised Messiah Jesus is the Savior of the World! Consider this Messianic prophecy" "And now, says the LORD who formed Me (Jesus) from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him; and shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD; and My God shall be My strength. And He (God) said, 'It is a small thing that You (Jesus) should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; and I will also give You as a Light to the Gentiles, so that You may be My Salvation unto the ends of the earth!' " (Isaiah 49:5-6)
- "Christ the Power of God" This title speaks of the power of God's salvation through Jesus Christ crucified for our salvation from sin and eternal separtion from the Father; as it says: "For the preaching of the Cross is to those who perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the Power of God."
- "and (Christ) the Wisdom of God!" This, our current title of Jesus being stuided, speaks of Crrist Jesus as being the Wisdom of God the Father: God's Wisdom who was given for the salvation of all mankind; God's Wisdom who has achieved reconcilliation between fallen people and the Father; God's Wisdom who broke down the barrior of sepration between Jews and gentiles; God's wisdom in whom we receive eternal life!. It is as Jesus said: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)
- "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." In the above quoted passage from Isaiah God said: "It is a small thing that You (Jesus) should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; and I will also give You as a Light to the Gentiles, so that You may be My Salvation unto the ends of the earth!" (Isaiah 49:5-6). This "small thing" that the Father and Son has accomplished for mankind speaks of the whole master plan of salvation through Crrist Jesus Crucified!! This 'small thing' is what the unbeliving world calls foolishness! And yet this small thing, this foolishness of God is infinitly wiser than all the worldy wisdom of mankind! What the world call weakness, is actually stronger than any efforts of mankind men. Again, concerning the Goodnews of Christ Jesus, it is as it says: "For it is the Power of God unto salvation to every one who believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)
The wisdom of the world is salvation through self works, an altogether approach destined for failure! The Wisdom of God is Christ Crucified!! Consider these passages from the Bible:
