Exegetical Work for 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

A.  God’s way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true.  And it is foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom.  So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.  But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.  This “foolish” plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.  1 Cor 1:22-25  NLT

B.  I chose this text among the few choices given in order to further develop my understanding of the ecclesiology of 1 Corinthians, and especially in coming to terms with how it relates to our era.

C.  First impression -- God knows what he is doing in doing what he did.  We need to not second-guess his strategy because of any apparent silliness of it  There really are no real "tricky" words – though it would be useful to examine more deeply Paul’s understanding of “the power of God” and the “wisdom of God”.  The passage looks at 2 approaches to finding Truth -- signs and logic.  In our era we can also see those who want to either be convinced or those who want outside proof.  The difficulty is that the burden of meeting either test is virtually impossible, no proof is good enough, no logic is unarguable  enough.  We can also add to this the argument of relativism – The postmoderns want everyone to be right, what I happen to believe is true for me.  Questions I am prompted to ask -- What signs would work, what wisdom would be acceptable?  The sign that was given was not acceptable nor reasonable -- but it's true.  How do we know?  The power -- reality outside of the box which we create, reality outside of the "what is right to me" mentality.  It doesn't matter that it doesn't fit in the preformed picture or meet a criteria, it is how God decided to work.  We know because of the Power.  He gives the answer we need, not necessarily the answer we want!  The power of God is Christ, the wisdom of God is Christ, this is what we preach. 

Questions the text is asking me:  What do I demand from God?  What do I preach?  Do I readily give in to the demands of others -- knowing that these are not necessarily questions God is answering.  Are our questions foolish?

D.  Context of the Passage- Exegetical points.  Immediate Context -- An apparent overflowing of emotion of his own mission and message.  He begins the letter with the usual hello's, going then into a discussion of the divisions he had heard about in the church -- he then removes himself as a "competitor", his role is not to choose a side, establish a competing ecclesiology, his role is to simply tell what he himself was told.  He was not called to elaborate, but to relate -- the power of the cross, see 1:17, can be diluted by our attempts to tame it.  In the broader passage, the "foolishness" of God is not simply to mock those who think they know something -- it's not just a silly exercise to establish a faith only policy. Ch. 2 relates the wisdom of the Cross as being an example of a higher wisdom, a work which in its infinite complexity works in a way which nothing else could.  The letter then deals with the various issues-- for some reason, the love chapter keeps coming to mind.  Is the love a visible preaching of Christ?  Holding on to the power without a necessary logic or order? 

Power -- duvnamis- From Kittel, v. II -- original, "To be able", "to be capable of".  In LXX.  "ability" power, competence -- also can imply a superior force or dominion. 

In the OT -- p. 290ff.  We have the power and might of the personal God.  This gives us the further result that the important and predominant feature is not force or power but the will this power must execute and therefore serve.  (Power is not simply a practice for itself, it is the accomplishing of a purpose). 294 --

In Paul -- 299ff.  As the preacher of Christ he shows forth the saving power of Christ, and through his preaching Christ present in the Spirit establishes believers in this saving power.  This event constitutes the Christian community (exactly what Paul was admonishing the Corinthian Church about).  The power of Christ is needed to protect the upbuilding of the community.  The power which Paul exercises in his apostolic activity is the power of Christ, and it is not he, but Christ, who disposes of it.  It is necessary that he should cooperate with this power.    For the total Pauline view it is important that Satan has no power over the Christian believer.  The community is rescued from the power of Satan and finds itself in a new mode of existence.  In this existence, however, it is beset by perils and conflicts, and it waits for the final deliverance and the destruction of its enemies.  The power of Christ granted to the community is thus by nature a power to protect and preserve.  In this knowledge there is appropriation of the power to protect and preserve because it brings into fellowship with Christ.  In knowledge, however, the power of the Christian also shows itself to be a power to transform.  I Cor. 4:20  “For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power.”  p.317 The power concealed in weakness is the power of the resurrection which is hidden in the power of death exercised in the weakness and death of he flesh, and which overcomes the power of death in this concealment

Wisdom - sofiva- From NBD -- Like all intellectual virtues, wisdom is intensely practical, not theoretical.  It is the art of being successful, of forming the correct plan to gain the desired results.  Its seat is the heart, the center of moral and intellectual decision.  Wisdom in the fullest sense belongs to God alone (Jb. 2:13ff; Is 31:2; Dn. 2:20-23). His wisdom is not only completeness of knowledge pervading every realm of life but also 'consisting his irresistible fulfillment of what he has in mind."  Biblical wisdom is both religious and practical.  Pagan wisdom, though it, too, may be religious, has no anchor in the covenant-God and, therefore, is doomed to failure. 

Gordon Fee:  v22 -- 2 forms of idolatry.  The Jews were guilty of thinking they had God figured out, wanting an authentication of their preconceived notions.  For the Greeks idolatry was to conceive of God as ultimate Reason, meaning of course what we deem reasonable.  We think that God must function as the all-powerful or the all-wise, but always in terms of our best interests – power in our behalf, wisdom like ours!  For both the ultimate idolatry is that of insisting that God conform to our own prior views as to how "the God who makes sense" ought to do things. V24 Paul's concern here is not so much on their being able to perceive the cross as wisdom, but on the actual effective work of the cross in the world. "We simply cannot abide the scandal of God's doing things his way, without our help.  But we have often succeeded in blunting the sandal by symbol, or creed, or propositions.  God will not be so easily tamed, and, freed from its shackles, the preaching of the cross alone has the power to set people free.”

E.  HOW IS THIS RELEVANT???  How does this passage translate into a message for this audience? The relevance is found in the power.  Outside of the continual proclamation of Christ the Christian religion is simply a waste of time.  If we don't deal with Christ, we might as well pack up our bags, because we have nothing else to offer.  If we do, then we can offer all there is - life, hope, love.  God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom -- God knows more about what will work for all people, rather than a select few.  Not a culturally bound proof.  Why are we here?  Christ -- not signs or argument.  The question every ones asks is how God should work -- but the question is really how God did work.  We don't know why he did what he did, but in the act is power.  The power not to convince, though it may, not to enact obvious miracles, though it might, but the power of God within to restore, renew, and refresh.

F.  FOCUS:  Christ has to be the center of our preaching, teaching, and living.

FUNCTION: To remind and encourage the listeners to maintain the person and work of Christ as the center of their own Christian life, and in all their ministerial endeavors.