This is a free resource created and published by the team at Glasgow City Mission. We hope you find it useful. If you would like to support our ongoing work with those affected by homelessness, addiction and poverty, please consider donating by following the link below.

 

The Wisdom of the Cross: Challenging Values and Promoting Unity

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[a]

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b]

 


Monday 15th January

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 

In this passage Paul trying to prevent the Corinthian church from becoming even more divided. He has learned that there are already factions, and he is horrified. Some of the Corinthians believers have become “fans” of certain leaders who have particular public speaking and leadership skills. Similar things can (and often do) happen in our churches today – we have favourite preachers, worship leaders and so forth and we can begin to think that our group is the right one and that the others are in the wrong. In our contemporary culture, it can be tempting to think that strength and power lies in people who look good on social media or who are able to convince people that they are worth listening to. Paul was worried that the Corinthian believers were being bamboozled by surface presentation skills which could ultimately be deceptive.  It’s easy to be taken in by showmanship and charismatic leadership, and fail to see that there is a lack of substance. How do we discern who is speaking the truth in our world and in our church communities? Pray about this today.

 


Tuesday 16th January

21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 

What do you admire? Is it cleverness? Talent? Good looks? Status? Wealth? It might be worth taking a little while to think about this and being honest about it before God. As in all walks of life, self-awareness is important. For here, Paul effectively says that none of these is of any account in the kingdom of God. Rather, they are distractions. At Corinth, the believers seem to have been getting their priorities wrong and Paul has to remind him of what it is that brought them into the kingdom in the first place – a message which the world thinks is nonsense and foolish. Here, he notes that we are all influenced by our culture – some people are constantly looking for signs, or miracles or overt evidence that God is working while others are more convinced by leadership and speaking skills. Paul reminds the Corinthians not to look for power but to Jesus himself, who works in completely different ways to the expectations of society. Take time today to pray for self-awareness and discernment and give thanks for Jesus himself.

 


Wednesday 17th January

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

These words are very challenging to us. What kind of community do you want to be a part of? Do you want to be part of a community which is no different from any other club or a community of humble followers of Jesus who, because they don’t conform to societal expectations, don’t necessarily impress those who are looking on? The Corinthian believers were becoming distracted – confusing human “wisdom” (Paul uses the word ironically here in the sense of what society values) for divine power and strength. They were attracted to influential people whom they considered to be successful (Paul included) and Paul is alarmed – it could be the beginning of forgetting what being a follower of Jesus is all about. “Hero worship” is not good for the “ordinary” believers and it isn’t good for those who are in leadership either. Moreover, it distracts our attention away from those whom we think are less important. How do we keep our priorities right in a world ruled by pride and ambition? Pray that God will help us to be the church he wants us to be.

 


Thursday 18th January

27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

Over the years there have been too many stories of hyped up church leaders who eventually fall, usually taking the reputation of the church with them. Can you think of any? It was a danger in Paul’s day, and it is perhaps even more of a danger today, given the potential for publicity and global recognition via the media. The fact is that leaders who are allowed to rise to prominence and to lead without accountability structures are very often being set up to fail. Unchecked authority can bring about a  hubris which means that leaders (not just in churches but in any organisation) can begin to believe that they have a right to be there and that no one should question them. We owe it to them and to our churches to make sure that this does not happen – and this is, in part, what Paul is doing in these first few chapters of this letter. Paul’s strategy is interesting – he takes his readers back to the story of Jesus himself whose life and ministry was marked by opposition and rejection, and whose death was, in earthly terms, an abject failure and disgrace. How does this tactic of Paul’s influence your thoughts about the nature of the church’s witness in the word today? Take time to pray about this.

 


Friday 19th January

 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Having warned the Corinthians against hero worshipping and divisions, Paul reminds the believers in the community why they are there: they are there because God has called them to be a community which follows a different kind of wisdom from that of everyone else. He has called them to be followers of Jesus who have nothing to boast about except Him. It is Christ who gives us new eyes through which to see the world. It is Christ who teaches us about what wisdom really is – not self help gurus or other celebrities. Jesus does this by example and through his teaching, and through teachers like Paul who are humble enough to recognise that they themselves are still vulnerable to being taken in by the “wisdom” of the world. It is Christ who teaches us about righteousness, holiness and redemption – hardly the values of the culture we live in. Pray that God will help us to see with the eyes of righteousness, holiness and redemption to be able to see the world as it is and to understand our place and calling within it.

 


Saturday 20th January

Revelation 7:9-12

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

 


Sunday 21st January

7:13-17

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
    will shelter them with his presence.
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
    nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the centre of the throne
    will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b]
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]”

 

Marion Carson
Chaplain

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash