Episode 2811 - Lesson 2 - Sunday July 05 - The Gospel of the Cross

The Gospel of the CrossPaul says that the message of the Cross is the power of God to us. It is not surprising that "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" is the center of his preaching (1 Cor. 2:2, NKJV).Read 1 Corinthians 1:17-31. What important point is Paul making here?In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Paul deals with a contrast between human foolishness and divine wisdom. The Cross has the power to display the worst of man and the best of God. This section of 1 Corinthians is introduced by the statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17. Because the Cross of Christ is not supposed to be emptied of its power (1 Cor. 1:17), the message of the Cross must occupy the central place of our preaching (see also 1 Cor. 2:2).Paul says that he was sent not to baptize, but to preach the gospel of the Cross. This statement requires two important observations. First, the Greek verb translated as "to send" is apostellō, which stems from the same root as the word apostle. Thus, Paul's fundamental apostolic task was the proclamation of the gospel. Second, Paul's words about baptism did not mean that baptism was not important, or at least not as important as preaching. He was, instead, rebuking those who made a big deal out of who were the ones doing the baptizing as opposed to the One, Jesus, into whom they have been baptized.By "wisdom of words" (1 Cor. 1:17), Paul is not implying that eloquent speeches are bad in themselves. The point is that human wisdom should not obscure the message of the Cross. This phrase refers to Greco-Roman rhetoric. In Athens, Paul used logic, science, and philosophy, but this resulted in little fruit. So, "he decided to follow another plan of labor in Corinth in his efforts to arrest the attention of the careless and the indifferent. He determined to avoid elaborate arguments and discussions, and 'not to know anything' among the Corinthians 'save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.' "--Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 244.In what ways can elaborate discourses obscure the message of the Cross? Why did the proclamation of Jesus Christ and Him crucified produce more fruit in Corinth than logic, science, and philosophy did in Athens? Might there, however, be times that logic, philosophy, and science could be helpful in proclaiming the gospel?