First Principles. Lesson 6 Lesson Text—I Corinthians 1:18- 21 I Corinthians 1:18-21 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;

First Principles

Lesson 6

Lesson Text—I Corinthians 1:18-21

I Corinthians 1:18-2118 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the

prudent. them that believe.


20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.


I Corinthians 1:22-2622 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of

God, and the wisdom of God.


25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:


I Corinthians 1:27-3027 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;


28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Lesson Text—I Corinthians 1:31

I Corinthians 1:30-3130 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Focus Verse—Matthew 16:24

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his

disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Focus Thought

The Cross is more than a

historical event.

The blood Jesus shed makes

salvation

available to all.

I. Meaning of the CrossCULTURE CONNECTION

The Cross—A Piece of Jewelry, or a Life of Sacrifice?

Modern culture today knows very little about the significance of a cross. To many people, it is just an emblem or a piece of religious jewelry—on a chain to be worn around the neck, a pin to be worn on the lapel, or possibly an emblem on a bumper sticker or Bible cover. But how many people know the significance of the symbol?

I. Meaning of the CrossLong before it occurred to anyone to

use a cross as an emblem or piece of jewelry, it represented the idea of suffering and sacrifice. The Cross was the supreme seminal event of all history—the one sacrifice that changed everything for mankind, providing the means of human redemption. Jesus Christ suffered and died that we might be saved from the prison of sin that held us captive.

To believers today, a piece of polished silver or gold could never contain the true significance of the

Cross.

I. Meaning of the CrossThe Cross is holy, personal, and emotional to every believer. It was Jesus Christ dying in our place. It should have been us, but He chose to die that we might live.

When we consider Christ giving His all, how can we even think of giving less? He died that we might live. How can we then live unto ourselves in a selfish vacuum? The Cross calls true believers to a lifestyle of sacrifice, even suffering if necessary to fulfill His purpose on earth.

I. Meaning of the CrossDon’t give me a piece of jewelry; give me a life of sacrifice to live performing the mission of Jesus Christ. It is the least I can do for my Savior.

I. Meaning of the CrossCONTEMPLATING THE

TOPIC

What does the cross of Jesus Christ mean to us?

On the day Jesus suffered and died on Golgotha, the cross meant a great deal to some but very little to others. For the jeering multitude stirred to frenzy by their religious leaders, it was a symbol of a sadistic victory. To the calloused soldiers of the Roman governor, it was just another execution.

I. Meaning of the CrossTo the eleven disciples who remained after the death of Judas, the cross spelled the collapse of all their hopes and dreams. For Mary, the mother of Jesus, it became the piercing sword that cut through her heart (Luke 2:35).

What does the cross of the Lord mean to us?

There are probably as many opinions today about the Cross as there have ever been—perhaps more. Some deny the Crucifixion even took place, while others believe it was totally unnecessary.

I. Meaning of the CrossThere are the skeptics who think sin is a delusion and redemption is a fallacy. There are certain historians who believe what took place was a passing event, less important in their minds than the birth of Julius Caesar or the fall of the Roman Empire.

Perhaps the greater question that one should ask is, “What did the Cross mean to the Almighty?” What did the death of the Son of God signify to the Father?

I. Meaning of the CrossCertainly, the blood of Jesus Christ spoke “better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24), for it expressed the ultimate will of God: Jesus Christ died to provide redemption for all mankind.

Let us look again at what took place on Golgotha. Let us look past what men with evil hearts were doing—past the betrayal of Judas, the unjust trial of Christ, His terrible scourging by the Romans, even the actual nailing of Jesus to the cross. Let us try to see what God saw.

I. Meaning of the CrossSurely, what He saw was a Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. (See I Peter 1:19-20; Revelation 13:8.) Let us hear our Lord’s dying cry, “It is finished” (John 19:30) and realize with the Almighty what an awesome price was paid for our atonement.

I. Meaning of the CrossSEARCHING THE

SCRIPTURESI. MEANING OF THE CROSS

A. Foolishness to Them Who Perish

In I Corinthians 1:18, Paul revealed the preaching of the Cross is foolishness to an individual who continues to reject the message of Calvary, and without it he will perish.

I. Meaning of the CrossThe Amplified Bible translates the beginning of this verse, “For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition.” Paul later wrote, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost” (II Corinthians 4:3).

The word “foolishness” in I Corinthians 1:18 suggests that people who reject the Cross are actually scorning the plan of God. They despise that which seems impossible to the natural mind.

I. Meaning of the CrossThey reason, How could anyone claim what Christ claimed when Jesus couldn’t even save Himself? The rulers and soldiers hurled this accusation at the Lord during His crucifixion. Even “one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us” (Luke 23:39).

B. Power of God to the Redeemed

B. Power of God to the Redeemed

The instrument of death became the source of life for the believer. The wooden cross by itself could not save us, nor can we find redemption by venerating a crucifix. However, it was the sinless Lamb of God’s death on the cross that purchased our salvation. It was His innocent blood that made atonement for sinners possible.

I. Meaning of the CrossWhat Paul meant by the Cross was “the preaching of the cross” (I Corinthians 1:18). He recognized the Cross as the most powerful message of all. The message of the Cross is the truth that will transform the lives of all who are willing to humble their hearts before God.

I. Meaning of the CrossThe Corinthians had prided themselves in their philosophies and in their knowledge, but Paul came to them with neither clever speech nor worldly wisdom, but in the power of God. “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2).

C. Stumbling Block to JewsC. Stumbling Block to Jews

The idea of a suffering Messiah offended the Jews, for they were looking for a magnificent ruler and mighty conqueror. They had hoped for restoration of the nation of Israel to a place of great power and influence. How could they believe Jesus Christ was the Son of God, they reasoned, when instead of conquering, He Himself was conquered.

I. Meaning of the CrossThe prophet wrote, “We hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). Contemptuously the Jews referred to Jesus Christ as “the man who was hanged,” notes Arthur Penryhn Stanley in his book The Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians. They stumbled over what appeared to be weakness, but what appeared to them to be weakness was really the power of God.

D. Foolishness to GreeksD. Foolishness to Greeks

The gospel always opposes human pride and sinful behavior. The message of the Cross counteracts worldly wisdom, so naturally those who feel self-important reject it. To the Greeks, largely ignorant of the Old Testament, the gospel message simply spoke of another one of the gods, of which they believed there were many. (See Acts 17:18-34.)

I. Meaning of the CrossThey had little or no understanding of the God of the Jews, and it is well known that the Epicureans and Stoics followed philosophies that were evolutionary in nature. It was difficult for the Greeks to believe Christians could have life through One who had died. The doctrine of a resurrected Christ was particularly hard for them to accept.

Acts 17:32

“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some

mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter” (Acts

17:32).

E. Power and Wisdom of God to Christians

E. Power and Wisdom of God to Christians

The Cross was God’s greatest gift to mankind. The grand purpose of Christ’s life was the ignominious death He endured for our sins (John 12:27). Jesus knew His own destiny, knew what kind of suffering and death He would face. Evil men led Christ to the cross, but it was all in “the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). It was all in the heavenly Father’s plan.

I. Meaning of the CrossThat wonderful plan transcends

human wisdom. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,” God has declared, “so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). Paul the apostle recognized the perfection of the divine plan for human redemption, and he knew it was centered in the Cross. “Christ,” he told the Corinthian believers, is both “the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 1:24).

A. Early Symbol of ShameThe Cross as a SymbolA. Early Symbol of Shame

The extreme brutality of a crucifixion offends our natural sensibilities. Even the Roman executioners, it has been said, often had to steel themselves with heavy drink before performing their gruesome task. Three women named Mary were at the cross of Christ, and we have to wonder how they could have endured watching the awful ordeal (John 19:25).

I. Meaning of the CrossIn the days of Christ’s earthly life, a

shameful stigma was attached to the cross. The Jews considered the person hanging on a cross as being cursed of God (Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:13). Only slaves, foreigners, and the lowest types of criminals were crucified under Roman law. In Roman times, as a sign of public scorn, the soldiers often forced the condemned person to carry the wooden timber, or at least the crossbeam, to the place of his own execution.

I. Meaning of the CrossGolgotha, which was the common

site of crucifixions just outside Jerusalem, seemed to be far from being a place of mercy; it was a place of the most severe judgment. The name of the place meant “a skull,” and its location reminds us that a sin offering under the Jewish law had to be carried “without the camp” (Leviticus 4:12). “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate” (Hebrews 13:12).

B. Now a Symbol of VictoryB. Now a Symbol of Victory

According to Colossians 2:14, God has erased every note of indebtedness—“the handwriting of ordinances”—that stood against us by “nailing it to his cross.” The term “blotting out” signifies a wiping off, as a person might clean a blackboard. All evidence of our past sins has been obliterated. The record of the charges against them is gone forever for those who choose to embrace the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

I. Meaning of the CrossWhen the authorities crucified a criminal, they attached to the cross a list of his crimes. But by His death, Jesus Christ bore the full penalty for all our sins.

Colossians 2:15 in The Amplified Bible states that “[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].”

I. Meaning of the CrossAs a Roman general stripped his enemies and led them captive in his train, so the Lord has disarmed the forces of darkness and given us surpassing victory over them. Through the Cross “we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).

C. Christian Symbol of Self-Sacrifice

C. Christian Symbol of Self-Sacrifice

Jesus has challenged us to take up our cross and follow Him. Take up our cross? The Lord might just as well have said, “Take up loneliness; take up suffering; take up pain; take up betrayal; take up death to self.” He could have said all these things, but the Cross said it all. The cross was the symbol of complete self-denial, the ultimate sacrifice of our will.

I. Meaning of the CrossIndividuals do not understand

cross-bearing in modern culture as easily as they did in Christ’s day. Individuals today are apt to think of a cross as an inconvenience or a setback in their plans. But cross-bearing meant far more than these things to the early disciples. They were well aware of the torturous death that accompanied a crucifixion. They saw the wounds that Christ bore, and they were never able to forget what they saw.

I. Meaning of the CrossThe cross of Jesus Christ exposes our selfish desires. It reveals the sinfulness of our errant actions and thoughts. We see ourselves as never before in the light of what took place on the Cross. Isaac Watts wrote these memorial words about Christ’s crucifixion: When I survey the wondrous Cross,On which the Prince of glory died,My richest gain I count but loss,And pour contempt on all my pride.

A. Self-DenialThe Cross as a Sacrifice

The principle of the Cross involves the death of self-interest. It demands willingness to sacrifice ourselves in an effort to please our heavenly Father. It entails abandoning anything that would take precedence over God’s will. It means identifying ourselves with Christ in His most agonizing time of suffering and shame.

I. Meaning of the CrossThere is no higher standard for

service than living in self-denial. This is living the crucified life. If we have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within us we should share His sense of dedication, compassion, and willingness to suffer for others. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” We should model our actions and thoughts after our Savior who “humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

B. Borne DailyB. Borne Daily

Walking with Jesus must have been a series of shocking contrasts for the disciples—from climbing the thrilling heights of popularity to traversing the thorny lowlands of rejection. Shortly after the feeding of the five thousand and the revelation of Himself as Christ to His disciples, Jesus declared, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22).

I. Meaning of the CrossImmediately, Peter “took him” (perhaps by His hand as a friend) and rebuked Him for speaking of these things (Mark 8:32). But it was all to be as the Master prophesied. Moreover, Jesus stated to His followers, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

There probably are many things in our lives that we need to crucify daily. Paul wrote, “I die daily” (I Corinthians 15:31).

I. Meaning of the CrossThe Amplified Bible translates, “I face death every day and die to self” (I Corinthians 15:31). Clearly, Paul spoke of dying out to his self-interests and self-will. He was not exaggerating his case or being overly dramatic. The persecutor became the persecuted. After Paul met his Messiah on the Damascus Road, God commanded Ananias to go to this oppressor of the church. The Lord said, “I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9:16).

I. Meaning of the CrossPaul labored fervently and suffered dreadfully. The apostle faced beatings, a stoning, shipwrecks, and natural perils. He experienced sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, cold, and nakedness. (See II Corinthians 11:24-27.) And Paul wrote further, “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches” (II Corinthians 11:28).

C. Cross-Bearing a Personal Matter


The matter of cross-bearing is entirely up to every individual; each must decide for himself whether or not to take up his cross. It is a personal and costly decision, which entails a willingness to live for Christ, and if need be, die for Christ. In studying the history of the church from the time of the apostles to the present day, many pages are stained with blood.


There have been many times of severe persecution, and many believers have faced imprisonment and martyrdom. A person’s cross may be long-term and heavy. Although many have felt the weight was too much to carry, Paul wrote in Romans 8:17 that if we suffer with Christ we also will be glorified with Him.

For those who suffer with Christ there is an incorruptible crown waiting (I Corinthians 9:25).


It may sometimes seem the only crown we wear for now is a crown of thorns, and the only robe, a weary robe of service. Even Christian leaders sometimes become fatigued. Peter encouraged the elders, “When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (I Peter 5:4).

A. What the Blood of Christ DidThe Blood

A. What the Blood of Christ DidThe precious blood of Jesus Christ

did what nothing else in this world could do. Though many individuals on earth have often undervalued and even rejected it, God has placed high value upon it and accepted it in Heaven. It did what the Mosaic law could not do with ceremonies and sacrifices. It did what the blood of bulls and goats failed to do. It did what all the Sabbaths and holy

days in Jerusalem could never do.

IV. The Blood1. Became Permanent Sacrifice.

Powerfully, the writer of Hebrews 9 drew a contrast between the sacrifices offered under the Law and the sacrifice made by the Son of God. The offerings of bulls and goats in the Tabernacle, he wrote, were only typical, a mere shadow, of the redemptive work that was to come. The services of the priests never were complete. Those priests continued to make sacrifices on a daily basis, but the consciences of the worshipers could never be made perfect under the old system.

IV. The BloodThe way into the Holy of Holies was closed, excluded to all but the high priest who entered in once a year on the Day of Atonement. Even then the high priest was made aware of his own sins, for he went past the veil with blood that “he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people” (Hebrews 9:7).

The blood of animals could never permanently remove the guilty stains of sin. This would be done only through the sinless blood of the Lord Jesus.

IV. The Blood“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12). There is no need for further shedding of sacrificial blood. The price of redemption paid by our Savior on Calvary satisfied the Father’s righteous demands for all of eternity.

2. Replaced the Old Covenant. Hebrews 8:6-13 explains that God established a New Covenant to replace that which was imperfect.

IV. The BloodWith the coming of a new and better dispensation the Old Covenant had become obsolete (Hebrews 8:6, 13). In Hebrews 8:13 the writer used the word palaioo, which translates “he hath made old.” In Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Greek word means “to make (passively, become) worn out, or declare obsolete.”

IV. The BloodThe former system involved

physical promises. Under the old dispensation, the Israelites were to obey the letter of the Law, were to offer animal sacrifices, and were to observe a circumcision of the flesh. Under the New Covenant, however, there were spiritual promises. God established a spiritual relationship whereby the believer had God’s laws in his mind and heart. The Savior cleansed the consciences of individuals by His blood.

IV. The BloodCircumcision was no longer outward (Romans 2: 28-29), but an inward circumcision of the heart through water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. (See Jeremiah 4:4; Acts 2:38; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 2:11-12.)

B. What the Blood of Christ Does

B. What the Blood of Christ Does

1. Signifies Dying with Christ. It would be difficult to read the biblical account without realizing the tremendous hatred Christ faced during His trials and crucifixion. The loathing of mankind for Jesus was livid and inspired by Satan himself. A whole band of soldiers gathered about the Lord (Matthew 27:27). Viciously they scourged Him, and mercilessly they mocked Him. Blood flowed freely on that momentous

day when our Savior died.

IV. The BloodSome individuals may discredit

Christ’s shed blood, but a believer wholly trusts in it for the salvation of his soul. While some “counted the blood of the covenant . . . an unholy thing” (Hebrews 10:29), the Christian sees it as the conclusion of his old life. He must die to past sins through repentance, lay aside his old ways, and take up his cross to follow the Savior. Paul wrote, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11).

IV. The Blood2. Provides Pardon—Remits Sins.

Over and over the New Testament emphasizes the power of the blood of Christ to remit our sins. John ascribed glory and dominion forever “unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5). Paul wrote that it is Christ “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

IV. The BloodNot only so, but Christ, through His blood, has been set forth as the propitiation, a meeting place between God and mankind (Romans 3:25). In the Old Testament the golden mercy seat, the covering over the Ark of the Covenant, typified this meeting place. “And there,” the Almighty told Moses, “I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat” (Exodus 25:22).

God performed a complete work on the cross that opens the door to every sinner. Jesus said, “It is finished”

(John 19:30).

IV. The BloodIndeed, at the brink of death, having refused the sponge of vinegar (which Matthew Henry called “that last indignity”), the Savior knew His suffering and shame finally were over. But more than that, Jesus also was declaring that He had fulfilled and completed the plan of God for the redemption of mankind. His precious life’s blood purchased our eternal salvation.

3. Provides Redemption. “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty”

(I Corinthians 1:27).

IV. The BloodThere is a precedent in the

Scriptures that one could call the divine paradox: God deliberately has selected what appears to be weak and insignificant to put the strong and the much-admired to shame. Although there are many examples of this in the Old Testament, the pattern seems to reach its apex in the New Testament. Could anything be more helpless than a newborn baby in a manger? Yet God confounded King Herod in his attempts to murder the Christ child.

IV. The BloodIs there anything weaker than a man dying in agony on a cross? Yet our Lord’s death has conquered the hearts of millions. Was ever a victim’s blood shed in a more heartless and wanton way? Yet Christ’s blood has become more precious than silver or gold.

Why has the Lord’s blood become so valuable to us? We cherish it because it is the price that purchased our redemption. It became the ransom price paid for our souls.

Revelation 5:9

“Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for

thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every

kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

IV. The BloodGod longs to transform our lives by

the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. The Almighty has provided and presented us with a wonderful gospel message that will perform that transformation when embraced and followed. Just as three thousand responded to the gospel on the Day of Pentecost, we too may repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).

IV. The BloodGod would “have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (I Timothy 2:4). How desperately He desires our redemption! Even as pestilence plagued all of Egypt, so sin has plagued all of mankind, but God says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13).

C. What the Blood of Christ Will Do

C. What the Blood of Christ Will Do

It was through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that He Himself entered into Heaven (Hebrews 9:12). It will be by the same means that faithful believers will be able to do the same. Already we have access to the presence of God (Hebrews 10:19). Already Christ has “obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12). But one day the blood-washed believers will rejoice when they see their Savior

face to face.

IV. The BloodINTERNALIZING THE

MESSAGE

What is it that draws individuals away from their bondage to an evil past into a new and living relationship with Jesus Christ? What causes individuals to repent of their sins and to yield themselves to God? Clearly, it is the Cross that makes the difference. Christ’s sacrifice on Golgotha, with all its injustice, with all its cruel suffering, draws us to the Lord.

IV. The BloodWhat happened at Calvary was awful and yet awesome, scandalous but at the same time magnificent. As sinners, our hearts are broken when we catch sight of Jesus Christ dying in our place. No greater love has ever been known; no greater grace has ever been shown. The Cross was uppermost in His mind when our Lord said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32).

IV. The BloodAmazingly, God accepts the shed blood of His Son as a provision for our sins. Isaiah 53:6 says, “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” What a tremendous price God has paid for our salvation! What great value He must place upon our souls!

Documents

First Principles. Lesson 6 Lesson Text—I Corinthians 1:18- 21 I Corinthians 1:18-21 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;