Elaine's Notes

Elaine, my wife is preaching this week. Here are some of her notes:I Corinthians 1:18-25

Read Tract!

I Cor. 1:22 – How are we foolish today?

• Jews – tradition, letter of the law, practical (is this our foolishness?), need evidence


• Greeks – Acts 17:21 They sat around speculating on philosophy, proud of their intellect and reasoning.

Can we accept a God that is so gracious?

The preaching of the Cross has great effect, though seen foolish.

Exodus 20:1-7

Are these God’s requirements for salvation? Or does 20:2 represent our reason to follow and be saved?

Word and wisdom

Moses gives the Ten Commandments—the ways of the Lord, his word and wisdom. The psalmist speaks of the power of the law of God to bring wisdom and enlightenment.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;

Paul declares that this wisdom is foolishness to those who would see it for what it is.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

In the gospel reading we see the Jews demanding a sign, and Jesus responds with the foolishness of the gospel.

The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

Last week we began to see the foolishness of the gospel as Jesus introduced the cross for the first time. How can victory and dominion come through death? Yet this is the gospel. It is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. It is God’s foolishness and wiser than all the wisdom man can muster.