1 CORINTHIANS LESSON 2


     We will pick up in this lesson with I Corinthians 1:18 "For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God."

     To the unbelieving world it would seem as if this type of
preaching was foolish. To truly understand the magnitude of what Jesus
did for us on Calvary, we must study the sacrifice of the unblemished
lamb sacrifice in the book of Leviticus.  I will just say a few words
here about this, but I suggest you get our study on Leviticus, and
study that for depth on this. All sin is punishable by death of the
sinner.  There must be blood shed to do away with the sin. Jesus
became our substitute on the cross. He shed His precious unblemished
blood and paid our penalty in full for us. We are counted not guilty
of any sin, because Jesus abolished sin for those who will believe
this and accept it for themselves. You can see why the world would not
understand this. With His blood He has saved us and by His power He
has raised us with Him to eternal life. Ephesians 2:6 "And hath raised
[us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in
Christ Jesus:"  This is a mystery almost unexplainable, but even now,
all Christians are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

     I Corinthians 1:19 "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom
of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent."

     It is a very strange thing, to me, how it is so difficult for
those with great book learning to come to Christ. The analytical mind
can not comprehend the things of the Spirit. We have studied, over and
over, in these lessons just what wisdom is important. The gift of
wisdom from God is to be sought. The accumulated learning that you get
from worldly education will never help you receive the gift of wisdom
from God. We are told that the Holy Spirit of God must teach us for us
to truly understand. What seems to be wise to the world is but
foolishness to the Lord. God is not interested in your mind or your
intellect, He wants your heart.

     I Corinthians 1:20 "Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe?
where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world?"

     The scribes and Pharisees had a head knowledge of God and His
teachings. They missed the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah, because
they did not understand things of the Spirit. You cannot figure out
God. You must believe as Abraham did, and it was counted unto him as
righteousness. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."   The wise want evidence,
the believers have faith in someone they cannot see with their eyes.
Fact is the opposite of faith.

     I Corinthians 1:21 "For after that in the wisdom of God the world
by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching
to save them that believe."

     Human wisdom has a tendency to run a person away from God, rather
than cause him to come closer to God. Childlike faith is what it takes
to please God. Preaching the Word of God as the Spirit gives you
utterance is the power that causes many to believe. How can you
believe, except you have a preacher? I have said it many times
throughout all of these lessons, but the 2 great powers in this world
are the written and the spoken Word of God. You cannot study your
Bible very long without receiving Jesus as Saviour and Lord. You
cannot hear the true Word of God preached many times without receiving
Jesus as your Saviour. The Word convicts you and saves you.  It says
them that believe. Believe what? That Jesus died for your sins and
came to save you. We must believe that He is, and that He saves those
who believe.

     I Corinthians 1:22 "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks
seek after wisdom:"

     Paul found that the Greeks sought after wisdom, when he was
ministering in Athens. This was thought to be one of the foremost
areas for learning in the world at that time. They were constantly
analyzing every new thing that came along. We know from the teaching
of Jesus in the four gospels that the Jews were always demanding signs
from heaven. This was nothing new, because Elijah had run into this
very same thing. When he called down fire from heaven to devour the
offering, it was to prove whether the prophets of Baal were
representing the one true God, or whether Elijah"s God was the One
True God. I Kings 18:21 "And Elijah came unto all the people, and
said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God,
follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered
him not a word."  I Kings 18:38 "Then the fire of the LORD fell, and
consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the
dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench."  I Kings
18:39 "And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and
they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God."
Read all of this account in the 18th chapter to get the full impact.
God had proved Himself over and over to the Israelites. It was time
for faith to operate in these people without a sign.

     I Corinthians 1:23 "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews
a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;"

     The Jews had been for years expecting their Messiah to come and
free them from the oppression of the Romans. They were expecting a
mighty warrior king like David. They believed themselves to be God's
chosen people, and the teaching that all men were brothers was not
acceptable to them. The Greeks would not accept any teaching that they
could not accumulate the facts and come up with a theory about. The
crucifixion of Christ did not fit into either of their theories. Look
with me at the following Scriptures which show how Jesus is their
stumbling rock.  I Peter 2:7 "Unto you therefore which believe [he is]
precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the
builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,"  I
Peter 2:8 "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to
them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also
they were appointed."  Even though the Jews had the law, they could
not justify this crucifixion of Jesus. They could not go beyond this
one point. There would be no salvation without the crucifixion.

     I Corinthians 1:24 "But unto them which are called, both Jews and
Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."

     Jesus tore the middle wall of partition down, when He was
crucified on the cross. There is just One way to be saved, and that is
through belief in Jesus. It does not matter whether you are a Jew or
any other nationality. It is Jesus who saves. The power was given to
Jesus by the Father. Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto
them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Read Revelation chapter 5 verse 13 and chapter 11 verse 6 in
connection with this.

     I Corinthians 1:25 "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than
men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

     Let us look at this same thing in some Scriptures from Romans.
Romans 11:33 "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways
past finding out!" Romans 11:34 "For who hath known the mind of the
Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?"  Romans 11:35 "Or who hath
first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?"
Romans 11:36 "For of him, and through him, and to him, [are] all
things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen."  The things that man
thought of as weakness or defeat, brought about the greatest victory
that man has ever known. Of course, I am speaking of the crucifixion.

     I Corinthians 1:26 "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,
[are called]:"

     We see that this is true. God does not go down and call the king
away from his kingship to follow Him and be His worker. He went and
got some fishermen, who were unlearned in the law. God did not choose
the scribes and Pharisees, or the priest, or high priest to be His
apostles either. He chose the simple people who were not burdened down
with their own importance. Usually God chooses someone who is very shy
in the flesh {like Moses}. God chooses those who would be totally
dependent on Him. Those who would not decide on their own what to do,
but would seek the will of God in every matter are the ones He would
use. God is looking for a few people who will serve Him, in whatever
task He has for them to do.

     I Corinthians 1:27 "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things which are mighty;"

     The following Scripture in Luke explains this very well. Luke
21:15 "For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your
adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist."  God called
those who were not caught up in their own importance. He called those
who would obey His will. He made the mouth, the tongue, the brain, and
everything else the body contains. He can remake it to whatever use He
has. God is interested in using those who will empty themselves of all
things of this world and let Him fill them. He wants those He can
speak through, but use His Words, not theirs.

     I Corinthians 1:28 "And base things of the world, and things
which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not,
to bring to nought things that are:"

     If you are nothing in the sight of the world, you have one
qualification that God is looking for. He takes those from complete
obscurity {by the world's calculation} and makes them His helpers. The
only power, or wisdom, or strength we need is Jesus in us. We do not
need a highly educated mind by the standards of the world. He gives us
the mind of Christ. I Corinthians 2:16 "For who hath known the mind of
the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
The spoken Word of God created all the earth, and everything in it,
and around it from nothing.

     I Corinthians 1:29 "That no flesh should glory in his presence."

     If we are truly His, everything we are and hope to be is because
He ordained it. That leaves no room for self-glory. The creation is
flesh. The Creator is Spirit. Even our salvation is by divine
intervention into our affairs.

     I Corinthians 1:30 "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption:"

     I have said so many times, that if you could think of all the
truly good things in life, such as Light, Peace, and Love: you would
find they are all caught up in Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate
Wisdom. He is Righteousness. It is His righteousness we are clothed in
that puts us in right standing with God. He is our Sanctification. He
makes us holy. He is our Redeemer. In fact, He is the Redeemer of the
whole world, to all who will accept it.

     I Corinthians 1:31 "That, according as it is written, He that
glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

     Glory, in the verse above, could also be boast. We have nothing
to boast of except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I Chronicles 16:10
"Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek
the LORD."  Galatians 6:14 "But God forbid that I should glory, save
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified
unto me, and I unto the world."




                      1 Corinthians 2 Questions

1.  What is the preaching of the cross to them that perish?
2.  What is it to those of us who are saved?
3.  Where should we study to truly understand the sacrifice Jesus made
    for us on the cross.
4.  What one word shows that He paid the price for us? He was our
    ____________.
5.  Quote Ephesians chapter 2 verse 6.
6.  What is a mystery that is almost unexplainable?
7.  In verse 19 it says: I will destroy the _______- of the wise.
8.  The analytical mind cannot comprehend the things of the _______.
9.  Who must teach us the things of God, for us to truly understand?
10. God is not interested in your ______ or your _____, He wants your
    heart?
11. What kind of knowledge did the scribes and Pharisees have?
12. Quote Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1.
13. The world by wisdom _______ ___ ___.
14. It pleased God by the foolishness of ______ to save them that
    believe.
15. What does human wisdom have a tendency to do?
16. What are the two great powers in the world?
17. What must we believe?
18. The Jews require a _______.
19. The Greeks seek after ___________.
20. Why did Elijah call down fire from heaven to devour the offering?
21. What did the people say when the fire came down?
22. Where can you find the account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal
    trying to call fire from heaven?
23. What was a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the
    Greeks?
24. Why does the author believe the Jews did not recognize Jesus as
    Messiah?
25. Quote 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 7.
26. What is Christ to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks?
27. Who was all power in heaven and in earth given to?
28. The foolishness of God is wiser than ___.
29. What does the 11th chapter of Romans have to say about this?
30. What has God chosen of the world to confound the wise?
31. Where does our mouth and our wisdom come from?
32. What is the one requirement to be called to do a job for God?
33. "That no ________ should glory in His presence".
34. What things is Christ made unto us, in verse 30?
35. What is the only thing permissible to glory in?