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The Nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is foolishness to the perishing v.18.
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The Nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ • It is foolishness to the perishing v.18
“Since the cross represents painful death and profound humiliation, it calls into question the conventional wisdom about power and the divine. The ancients took for granted that deities possessed power, and the degree of their power determined their ranking in the pyramid of gods. In the cross, that pyramid is turned upside down. The most powerful God appears to be the most powerless. The cross makes hash of all secular and religious attempts based on human wisdom to make sense of God and the world. Victory is won by giving up life, not taking it.)
Selfish domination of others is discredited. Shame is removed through divine identification with the shamed in shameful death. God offers a new paradigm that makes the experience of shame the highest path to glory and honor” (Stansbury 1990:472…excerpt from Baker Exegetical: Garland pg. 63
The Nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ • It is foolishness to the perishing v.18 • It cannot be destroyed v.19-20 • It cannot be discovered (by mere human intellect) v.21-23 • It has a power all its own v.18, 24-25
“The cross does not part the sea for the people to cross in safety and then drown the pursuing enemy. Instead, it splits the temple veil, and only those who see with faith can see the defeat of the enemy. Paul is not attacking Jews as such but a problem endemic to all those who expect God to provide to their satisfaction visible confirmation before they will risk faith.” (Baker Exegetical Comm. Garland pg. 69)
The Nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ • It is foolishness to the perishing v.18 • It cannot be destroyed v.19-20 • It cannot be discovered (by mere human intellect) v.21-23 • It has a power all its own v.18, 24-25