The Blessed Hope Podcast -- with Dr. Kim Riddlebarger

"Christ and Him Crucified" Season Three/Episode Five (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

Mar 2, 2024

The podcast delves into the paradox of the cross, showing how it embodies divine wisdom contrary to human understanding. It discusses the scandalous nature of Christ's crucifixion and its implications across time. The transformative power of the Gospel for the early Corinthians is explored, emphasizing humility and grace in salvation. Lastly, it highlights the distinction between worldly and divine wisdom, challenging listeners to embrace the cross's message and its role in turning societal values upside down.

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INSIGHT

Cross Reveals Divine Wisdom

The cross is foolishness to the perishing but reveals God's true wisdom and power.
It confounds those seeking human wisdom and shamefully rescues the weak and lowly.

INSIGHT

Cross Challenges Greco-Roman Wisdom

Preaching Christ crucified challenges Greco-Roman notion of wisdom and power.
God uses this scandalous message to shame the wise and save sinners.

INSIGHT

Cross Defeats Pagan Wisdom

The cross defeats rulers proving their wisdom vain, saving people from sin's guilt and power.
Pagan wisdom cannot address sinfulness or God’s wrath, unlike the gospel.

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Episode Synopsis:

The cross of Jesus Christ is utter foolishness to those who are perishing in their sins. Yet, Paul tells the Corinthians that through message of the cross God reveals his wisdom and power. In the closing section of the first chapter of his first Corinthian letter, Paul explains how and why the preaching of Christ crucified confounds all those who seek mere human wisdom from sages, holy men, philosophers, prophets, and gurus across the ages, all of whom claim to be seeking after wisdom, but in reality are looking in all the wrong places.

The cross might be a shameful thing and a scandal in the minds of those Greco-Romans who think themselves to be wise, but it is here where we see how God rescues the weak and lowly to shame the wise–those who do not think it necessary to be redeemed from the guilt and power of sin. Paul’s audience in Corinth (Jews who seek after signs and Greeks who seek after wisdom) cannot grasp how the wisdom of God is revealed in a crucified Savior. For Jews, the cross is a stumbling block. For Greeks it is only so much foolishness. Both see the cross as the ultimate sign of weakness, humiliation, and shame. A crucified savior is a contradiction. Why would anyone embrace a dead and humiliated savior?

Yet, as Paul points out, the preaching of the cross turns the tables on those who think themselves to be wise. Through the proclamation of Jesus Christ and him crucified God saves his people from the guilt and power of sin, he calls the weak and lowly to faith in Jesus, he reveals true wisdom, and he shames the self-professed wise and powerful exposing them to be the fools.

The gospel of Jesus Christ confounds all those who see no need of a savior. It did so in the Greco-Roman world, just as it does in our own. But to those who have been called to faith in Jesus through this message of shame and scandal, “Christ Jesus, became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/