Believing What the World Calls Foolish

1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 - Riley Boggs

This morning we find ourselves in a passage that I had a rather hard time trying to divide up. I’ve mentioned this before, but my goal is to preach through the entire Bible at multiple levels. I want to preach texts at a higher altitude, like we did in Habakkuk, where we look at large sections and draw out major themes. I want to preach texts in much smaller sections, just a handful of verses at a time. And then I’d like to preach texts somewhere between that. The plan is to preach through the whole Bible at varying levels, and when I have done that, start over again and choose a different level for each text than I used previously.

Well, this passage we are looking at gave me a hard time. I think that a lot of texts in the Bible can be preached at these varying levels, but I don’t think all texts can be preached at all 3 levels. What I mean is that sometimes, I think breaking up the text further just to fit the mold does a disservice to the text. So I’ve shifted the wording of my plan a bit to say that I now plan to preach through the Bible at as many levels as each text will allow.

Here’s what I mean with the passage we are looking at this morning. Two weeks ago we looked at the first 9 verses, and last week we looked at 8 verses. I wanted to preach roughly the same number of verses this week, but the text just wouldn’t allow it. Instead, this week we will be looking at 19 verses. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t preach these in 2 different 9 or 10 verse sections and be faithful to the text, I think you can. And I looked at a lot of outlines from great preachers who have done it the way I plan to and have done it in smaller section. But I think these 19 verses come together best in this way, and hopefully you’ll see why as we work through them. Maybe years later when I come to this text again, I will think otherwise, but this is where I am as of now. 

You’ll noticed that I titled this sermon, “believing what the world calls foolish.” I want you to really consider this. Do you know that what we, as Christians, believe, the world thinks is absolutely insane? Really, they do. The whole thing. Sure, they will borrow bits and pieces of it when it helps them out, but by and large, what we proclaim every week is foolish to the world. Consider some of these things. 

We say our King was killed, and we are happy about it. We say that we aren’t our own, we belong to someone else, and are happy about it. Or that we think by simply telling someone a story we call “good news” their eternity could be completely altered. It does seem a bit foolish, right? 

It’s okay if you are thinking yes, because I think that’s what we are supposed to see in this passage this morning. The point is that it’s supposed to seem a bit foolish. That is how God designed it. He didn’t want to His plan to look like a plan that a human would call wise. He wanted a plan that to the world seems foolish, but to those whom He saves, they see it as the most incredible thing ever. The wisest plan of all. 

Remember, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth. And Corinth was one of the larger cities in Rome and all kinds of ideas were being exchanged. And the believers in this church didn’t know to hold fast to this Gospel story that everyone was calling foolish. Everyone was exchanging ideas and thoughts and beliefs, and when it came to the Christians time to share, everyone thought, “now that is the dumbest of them all. There is no wisdom there, only foolishness.”

And so Paul writes to tell them that’s exactly right, and that is how God designed it. And in this section, he tells them why it is like this and gives 3 groups of things that Christians believe, that the world sees as foolish. 

1.) Our Savior and King was crucified on the cross (1:18-25)

In Corinth, at this time, you have a Jews and Gentiles. And both groups had their own problem with Jesus really being the Messiah. Look at what Paul says in verse 22. He says, “For the Jews demand signs and the Greeks seek wisdom.” Paul is pointing out the reason that the Jews and Gentiles thought Jesus being the Messiah was a foolish idea.

For the Jews, they demanded signs. When they thought of the Messiah coming to save them, they didn’t see a humble man dying a brutal death on the cross. They didn’t see that at all. They saw a triumphant earthly kingdom being established. They thought the Messiah would be a strong political or military leader who would come in and overthrow the Romans and create the Jewish Kingdom they believed they had been promised. The idea that meek Jesus, simple carpenter Jesus, was the Messiah was foolish to them. They would say, of course he isn’t the savior. Of course he isn’t the king. He’s dead and gone, and the kingdom isn’t here. 

For the Gentiles, it was a different problem. They demanded reason. For them, if you told them that Jesus was the Messiah, they would respond with, “prove it.” They want more than, simply believe, more than have faith, more than the eye-witness accounts provided, more than the prophecies fulfilled, more than all of it. They wanted proof. “Show me”, they would say. For them, there’s no way to prove that Jesus is the Savior. Theres no way to reason that Jesus is King. Of course not, it doesn’t make sense. They are wise, not stupid, and they don’t believe such foolish things.

But see, that’s the point. God has brought about all of this in such a way, that it does seem foolish to the world. Look at how Paul describes this reality in verse 21-22. The fact that Christ was crucified creates a stumbling block for the Jews, and seems foolish to the Gentiles, on purpose. Because coming to know Christ and seeing Him as He is, as savior and king, is not about any of this. It’s not about signs and scribes making it clear to see, though they can. It’s not about reason or debater’s bringing enough proof to the table, though they can. The cross and our Christ only makes sense to those whom God makes it make sense to. To those He saves.

Look at verse 18, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” In other words, those have been and are being saved by God, the cross is powerful. It has changed our lives forever. But to those who are lost, who want enough of something before they believe, the cross is folly. But, verse 24, to those who are called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power and wisdom of God. 

R.C. Sproul describes it like this, “Those who are wise according to the standards of the world think the gospel is foolish, since it identifies one who has suffered shameful crucifixion as the unique and only remedy to the plight of humanity. But even the most ‘foolish’ thing about God is wiser than human wisdom. God can use the simplicity and seeming shamefulness of the gospel’s central event, the cross, to demonstrate that real foolishness belongs to those who oppose Him. The arrogance of human wisdom blinds unbelievers to the truth. Jesus thanked the Father for His good pleasure in hiding these things from the wise and learned but revealing them to the little children (Matthew 11:25-26).”

To the world, it’s foolish. But, verse 25, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took on flesh and was born of a virgin in a stable. He lived a lowly life as a carpenter. The Bible tells us he wasn’t particularly attractive, seemingly just a man. He didn’t try to establish an earthly kingdom, but simply told of who He is. He is God. And so, they mocked Him, tortured Him, and crucified Him. And yes, He is our Savior and He is our King. How? Because He rose again and ascended to heaven where He reigns as the King at the right hand of the Father, waiting to one day and return for His people. 

What we believe is that Christ is our Savior and King, and to the world, this is foolish.

2.) Our identity and salvation in Christ (1:26-31)

After working through how God brought about salvation in such a way that it would seem foolish to those who don’t believe, he tells the church of Corinth to think about how they were saved. And so, I want you to think about this yourself. 

Regardless of whether or not you grew up in a Christian home or heard the Gospel a lot of times growing up or not, if you are a in Christ, at some point you heard the Gospel in such a way that it demanded a response from you. Maybe some of you believed the Gospel and responded the very first time you heard the Gospel, but I think for the majority of us, we didn’t. It was after several times of hearing. So my question is, what changed that made you believe it all of sudden? Was it because you were finally smart enough to repent and believe?

Or maybe think of it like this. Imagine 2 people are standing beside each other with the same life experiences and same previous understanding of the Gospel. And you share the Gospel with both of them, and one of them says, “Okay, that’s a cool story” and that’s all. But the other person says, “That is the greatest news I have ever heard, and they repent of their sins and trust Christ for salvation.” The question is, why did one person believe and respond, and the other person not? Was it because of their intelligence, the person who believed was just smart enough? Was it because they were wiser? No, it’s none of this.

So why? Because God revealed it to them and allowed them to see the truth of the Gospel in such a way that demanded a response. He used the words you spoke in the Gospel to convict the heart of a sinner in need of repentance. 

Why do I say all of this? Well, it’s because that’s the reality Paul is drawing on here in this section. He says in verse 26, “consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” In other words, you were called by God because of nothing that was good enough about you. No, instead, verses 27-28, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.” And why does God do it this way? Verse 29,”so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

Paul is saying here that the way that the way God has decided salvation to take place can result in anyone being saved. Being in Christ does not require enough intelligence, wealth, earthly wisdom, popularity, or anything of that kind. It only requires repentance and faith. And God has done this for 2 reasons. First, He has done is this way so that we cannot boast about ourselves in salvation, but instead we boast in the Lord. We have nothing to boast about. Our salvation is solely a work of grace and mercy from God. The second reason is so that He can save people who the world might see as lesser, and in doing so, He shames the strong and wise who see these people as lesser.

Alright one more thing from this section. Look at verse 30. Paul says, “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” What does this mean? It means that God, being all-wise, sent His son, Jesus Christ to be your righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed, or given, to you. You are sanctified, made holy, and will one day be made completely holy. And redemption. We have been saved from the bondage of sin, and are made to walk in the newness of life.

And the world thinks all of this is crazy. All of it. It goes against all the worldly wisdom. We don’t find our worth or identity in anything in this side of heaven, but we find our identity in the person who came to save us. And we don’t for a second to think that we deserved saving, that we could have saved ourselves, or that we did save ourselves. But we say that it is all of God, who chose to save us who were weak and unable, and who now boast in Him.

That is why we sang the song, “my worth is not in what I own”, because of this section of text. I think it fits so well. Our worth is found in Christ, despite the fact that the world says such a thing is foolish. 

3.) Our message and the manner in which we share it (2:1-5)

In this section, Paul talks about what he did when he was there with the Corinthians, at the beginning, for that year and half. Let’s read these 5 verses.

What is Paul saying here? Essentially, he is saying when he was there, he didn’t proclaim the things of God with lofty speech and earthly wisdom. And he didn’t try to pretend to “be someone”. But instead, in humility and weakness, he preached. And he did it in this way so that the power of His words couldn’t be tied to how him, but had to be seen as God working through him. He wanted these people to hear what Paul is saying and not saying, “wow, Paul is so great.” But instead say, “Wow. God has spoken through Paul and God is so great.”

Paul is not saying that he wasn’t able to preach in amazing ways. He wasn’t saying it’s bad to use lofty speech or refer to human wisdom. It’s not that those things are bad in and of themselves. What he is pointing out, is that the world can also do all of those things, and they do. But, what the world misses lies beneath all of that. In the simple articulation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the clear preaching of God’s Word, amazing things happen. If we try to sugarcoat the Gospel or come up with new and clever ways to preach so that more people will believe, we’ve missed it. It isn’t about all of that. The Word of God is powerful enough to accomplish all it’s purposes, and the more we realize that, the more free we will feel when it comes to sharing the Gospel.

In the second letter Paul writes to the Corinthians, he mentions this truth again. He says, in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

That is, when we have less to offer but do it anyway, God is even more glorified, and that is a better thing. Let me put it like this. If you a certain Gospel presentation over and over again until you have it memorized, and then you share the Gospel with someone, that is a great thing. but there is a chance that you could walk away and say, “I am glad that I did that because I practiced enough”. And look, there is nothing wrong with that at all.

But, if you are talking to someone, and all of sudden you sense the Spirit prompting you to share the Gospel with them, but you’re afraid to because you don’t know what to say. But, you choose to share anyway and all of sudden words just start coming to you and you are saying things you didn’t expect, and the Spirit is clearly giving you all the words to say. When you walk away from that conversation, you won’t say, “wow am I awesome.” No, you’ll say, “God, thank you. You did all of this. I was scared, weak, but in that you have seem all the more strong.”

This example isn’t perfect because both situations are good things. The point is that when we don’t have “enough”, God is made out to be even stronger in our lives, which is a great thing.

Okay, now let me begin to close all of this and show why the world thinks this aspect of the Christian faith is foolish as well. You don’t have to turn there, but earlier in the quote I shared from Sproul, he mentioned 2 verses out of Matthew 11. In verses 25 and 26, Jesus says this to the Father, “At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”

Jesus thanks the Father for intentionally hiding these things from those who are wise and understanding. And he thanks God, for revealing it to the little children, and then he says it was God’s gracious will for it to be this way.

What Jesus is saying here and what Paul is getting at in this text is not that the Gospel isn’t for everyone, it is. However, the Gospel and Christ cannot be more than what it is. And it lacks nothing, and is totally sufficient. For the person who demands more than the Gospel to believe, it’s not going to be for them. For the person who, like the Jews, want a Messiah who isn’t Jesus, it’s not going to be for them. For the person, who like the Gentiles, want more proof and more reason and for it to “make more sense”, it’s not going to be for them. 

But, for the person who God gives faith. For the person who believes. For the person hears the Gospel and responds in repentance and trust in Christ alone. It is certainly for them. And though the world may call it foolish, it isn’t.

Church, think of what we believe. We believe that we are inherently sinful simply by nature of being human, and we are indebted to a holy God. And it is a debt that we cannot pay. Contrary to what the world things, no amount of money, hard work, or doing good things, will get us out of the problem. But God, sent His Son to die for us. In His death, He took our sins and condemnation, and His is resurrection He proved His power over sin and death. He, Jesus Christ, the slain lamb of God, is our Savior and King.

And now, as people who have repented of our sins and trusted Him for salvation, our whole being is wrapped up in Him. We don’t find our self-worth in how much we have or who likes us. We don’t turn to the culture to ask who we are. But instead, we know who we are. We are the chosen, redeemed, saints of God, who have been saved by God because of nothing we have done, and nothing about who we are. And yet, now we live as righteous people who are being made more and more like Christ daily and who will one day be made entirely like Him and dwell with Him forever.

And not only that, but we spend our lives proclaiming this message. And we don’t have to find a better message or come up with new ways of sharing because it’ll lose its power. No, its power is unending. And when we fail and are weak and struggling and need help, it doesn’t hinder the message. Actually, it furthers the message, because it shows all the more that this is a message of God, not us. And, as we share it, more people will hear it and believe, really.

Church, the world hears all of that and says it’s foolish. All of it. It’s dumb. It can’t be proven and it’s hateful and it’s all of this stuff. But that’s okay, because God tells us, through Paul in this text, that’s the way He designed it. It’s supposed to sound foolish to those who think they are wiser than God, until they realize they aren’t. And then, like us, it because the most believable thing of all, because it is true. And we are examples of how true it really is.