1 Corinthians 1:18

But what sayest thou, O man? Christ became a slave for thee. "having taken the form of a slave," and was crucified, and rose again. And when thou oughtest for this reason to adore Him risen and admire His loving kindness; because what neither father, nor friend, nor son, did for thee, all this the Lord wrought for thee, the enemy and offender-when, I say, thou oughtest to admire Him for these things, callest thou that foolishness, which is full of so great wisdom? Well, it is nothing wonderful; for it is a mark of them that perish not to recognize the things which lead to salvation. Be not troubled, therefore, for it is no strange nor unaccountable event, that things truly great are mocked at by those who are beside themselves. Now such as are in this mind you cannot convince by human wisdom. Nay, if you want so to convince them, you do but the contrary. For the things which transcend reasoning require faith alone. Thus, should we set about convincing men by reasonings, how God became man, and entered into the Virgin's womb, and not commit the matter unto faith, they will but deride the more. Therefore they who inquire by reasonings, it is they who perish. And why speak I of God? for in regard of created things, should we do this, great derision will ensue. For suppose a man, wishing to make out all things by reasoning; and let him try by thy discourse to convince himself how we see the light; and do thou try to convince him by reasoning, Nay, thou canst not: for if thou sayest that it suffices to see by opening the eyes, thou hast not expressed the manner, but the fact. For "why see we not," one will say, "with our hearing, and with our eyes hear? […]

Now observe: when I say, "He was crucified;" the Greek saith, "And how can this be reasonable? Himself He helped not when undergoing crucifixion and sore trial at the moment of the Cross: how then after these things did He rise again and help others? For if He had been able, before death was the proper time to display His power: and actually in the midst of horrors He should have shewn Himself above all horrors; and being in the enemy's hold should have overcome; this cometh of Infinite Power. For as in the case of the fish, to suffer no harm from the monster, than if he had not been swallowed at all;-so also in regard of Christ; His not dying would not have been so inconceivable, as that having died He should loose the bands of death. Say not then, "why did He not help Himself on the Cross?" for he was hastening on to close conflict with death himself. He descended not from the Cross, not because He could not, but because He would not. For Him Whom the tyranny of death restrained not, how could the nails of the Cross restrain? But these things, though known to us, are not so as yet to the unbelievers. Wherefore he said that "the word of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us who are saved it is the power of God."

Then when he says, for the word of the cross, he proves that the cross of Christ is made void by the method of teaching which consists in eloquent wisdom. First he gives the proof; secondly, he gives the reason for his statements (v. 19). …

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing." There were in Corinth unbelievers who subjected the cross to mockery and said: truly, it is foolish to preach a crucified God, for if He were God, He would not have allowed …

It is to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God,

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:88%@v19-24

To them that perish - By obstinately rejecting the only name whereby they can be saved. But to us who are saved - Now saved from our sins, and in the way to everlasting salvation, it is the great instrument of the power of God.

For the preaching of the cross,....

NOTE well that in the 17th verse Paul had renounced the "wisdom of words." He says that he was sent to "preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of no effect." It is very clear, therefore, that there is an excellence, elegance and eloquence of language which would deprive the Gospel of its due effect.

God's powerful instrument of salvation; the highest exhibition of God's power (Ro 1:16). What seems to the world "weakness" in God's plan of salvation (1Co 1:25), and in its mode of delivery by His apostle (1Co 2:3) is really His mighty "power." What seems "foolishness" because wanting man's "wisdom of words" (1Co 1:17), is really the highest "wisdom of God" (1Co 1:24).

NOTE well that in the 17th verse Paul had renounced the "wisdom of words." He says that he was sent to "preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of no effect." It is very clear, therefore, that there is an excellence, elegance and eloquence of language which would deprive the Gospel of its due effect. I have never yet heard that the Cross of Christ was made of no effect by great plainness of speech, nor even by ruggedness of language—but it is the, "wisdom of words," which is said to have this destroying power. Oh, dreadful wisdom of words! God grant that we may be delivered from making attempts at it, for we ought earnestly to shun anything and everything which can be so mischievous in its influence as to make the Cross of Christ of no effect. The "wisdom of words" works evil at times by veiling the Truths of God which ought to be set forth in the clearest possible manner. The doctrine of Atonement by blood, which is the essence of the preaching of the Cross, is objectionable to many minds and, therefore, certain preachers take care not to state it too plainly. Prudently, as they call it—craftily, as the Apostle Paul would call it—they tone down the objectionable features of the great Sacrifice, hoping by pretty phrases to somewhat remove the "offense of the Cross." Proud minds object to Substitution, which is the very edge of the doctrine and, therefore, theories are adopted which leave out the idea of laying sin upon the Savior and making Him to be a curse for us. Self-sacrifice is set forth as possessing a high, heroic influence by which we are stimulated to self-salvation, but the Lord's suffering as the Just for the unjust is not mentioned! The Cross, in such a case, is not at all the Cross by which self-condemned sinners can be comforted and the hardened can be subdued, but quite another matter.

For the preaching of the cross - Greek, “the word (ὁ λόγος ho logos) of the cross;” that is, the doctrine of the cross; or the doctrine which proclaims salvation only through the atonement which the Lord Jesus Christ made on the cross, This cannot mean that the statement that Christ died “as a martyr” on a cross, appears to be foolishness to people; because, if that was all, there would be nothing that would appear contemptible, or that would excite their opposition more than in the death of any other martyr. The statement that Polycarp, and Ignatius, and Paul, and Cranmer died as martyrs, does not appear to people to be foolishness, for it is a statement of an historical truth, and their death excites the high admiration of all people. And if, in the death of Jesus on the cross, there had been nothing more than a mere martyr’s death, it would have been equally the object of admiration to all people. But; the “preaching of the cross” must denote more than that; and must mean: (1) That Christ died as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of people, and that; it was this which gave its speciality to his sufferings on the cross. (2) That people can be reconciled to God, pardoned, and saved only by the merits and influence of this atoning sacrifice. To them that perish - τοις μεν απολλυμενοις tois men apollumenois. To those who are about to perish, or to those who have a character fitting them for destruction; that is, to the wicked. The expression stands in contrast with those who are “saved,” that is, those who have seen the beauty of the cross of Christ, and who have fled to it for salvation. Foolishness - Folly. That is, it appears to them to be contemptible and foolish, or unworthy of belief. […]

The Cross is more poetical than the Union Jack, because it is simpler. The more simple an idea is, the more it is fertile in variations. Francis Thompson could have written any number of good poems on the Cross, because it is a primary symbol. …