Lessons #29 and 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual exposition not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GWT = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Correct assessments derived from the message of the cross (1 Cor 1:24–25)
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 man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
It is not easy to recognize that the passage before us is still concerned with the subject of the message of the cross that we started to consider in 1 Corinthians 1:18, especially as there is no verb used in the Greek of verse 24. However, we contend that the passage is still concerned with the message of the cross in that the apostle in this section gives correct assessments of the message of the cross by the elect of God as it relates to the function of Christ with respect to our eternal salvation and to the superiority of God’s way over humans’ regarding the same issue of salvation.
Why do we assert that the passage before us is concerned with the correct assessments of the message of the cross by the elect? Firstly, it is because of the conjunction but that begins verse 24. The conjunction “but” is translated from a Greek conjunction (de) with several usages. For example, it may be used as marker that connects a series of closely related lines of a narrative with the meaning “and, as for.” It may be used as a marker that links narrative segments so that it means “now, then, and”. Under this usage, it can be used to provide explanation in which case it may be translated “that is” or it may not be translated when it is used to resume a discourse that has been interrupted. It may also be used as a marker of contrast with the meaning “but, on the other hand.” It is this meaning that best fits our context. Of course, this leaves us with the question of determining to what the present section is contrasted although in terms of persons, the contrast is between the elect and the unbelievers, Jews and Gentiles. We will explore this question shortly but for now let us continue with our justification for the assertion we made. Secondly, our assertion that our passage is concerned with the correct assessments of the message of the cross by the elect is because, as we have stated, there is no verb used in the Greek of verse 24 although the NIV used the verbal phrase has called. This being the case, we are left to determine what the apostle intended to contrast to our present section.
The preceding section of 1 Corinthians 1:22-23, as we interpreted it, is concerned with different assessments of the message of the cross by the Jews and Gentiles. Thus, the contrast in our present passage is concerned with the assessments of the message of the cross of the preceding section. The Jews, we were told, were more concerned with miraculous signs that they would not respond adequately to the message of the cross while the Greeks or Gentiles are concerned with wisdom or intellectual pursuit and explanations that they would not respond to the message of the cross correctly. Furthermore, the Jews considered the concept of the message of the cross offensive to them since they could not understand how the Messiah would be that weak as to be put to death on the cross, a manner of death that is reserved for criminals. Not to mention, that He is expected to be Israel’s deliverer from its enemies. In the same way, the Gentiles, that is, the educated non-Jews consider the message of the cross as nonsensical since they could not understand how one presented as God would be weak to be crucified. To make things worse for them, the idea of resurrection sounds ridiculous. Hence, the contrast that the apostle had in mind is the assessment of the Jews and the educated non-Jews regarding the message of the cross. They assessed it as powerless and foolishness, so the apostle contrasted their assessment of the message of the cross to that of the elect of God, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The point is that our passage is concerned with assessment of the message of the cross by the elect of God that contrasts with that of the Jews and enlightened Gentiles.
We have established that the contrast stated in the passage we are expounding is between the assessment of the message of the cross by Jews and Gentiles that are unbelievers and that of the elect. However, there is one more problem to resolve before we proceed in our analysis of the passage. It is the problem of the verb that is associated with verse 24 since there is no verb used in it in the Greek. Furthermore, the use of accusative in the Greek for the words “Christ”, “power” and “wisdom” demands we have a verb to which these words are its direct object. The most fitting word is the Greek verb (kēryssō) used in verse 23 where it is translated “preach” or as we indicated in that verse, the meaning “proclaim” is probably better. The implication is that verse 24 is still concerned with proclamation about Christ.
Be that as it may, it is our declaration that the assessment presented in the passage we are considering is that of the elect of God because the Holy Spirit through the apostle informs us that verse 24 is concerned with the elect. That verse 24 is concerned with the elect of God is given in the NIV in the clause to those whom God has called that is indeed a verbless phrase in the Greek since the literal Greek reads to them the called. This is because we have not a verb “called” but a Greek adjective (klētos) that in the Septuagint is used for persons invited to a feast, as it is used to describe those Adonijah had invited to himself when he wanted to be crowned the king, as we read in the Septuagint of 1 Kings 1:41:
Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”
The phrase all the guests is literally all the invited guests. This meaning of being invited is used as an imagery of invitation to the kingdom of God in Matthew 22:14:
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
The Greek word may mean “called” as it is used in Romans 1:7:
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek of this passage in Romans does not contain the verbal phrase to be since the verbal phrase called to be saints in the NIV is simply called saints. Those who trust in Christ are not called to be saints, they are saints because they have been dedicated to God through their faith in Christ.
Our Greek adjective then means “invited, called” but the meaning “invited” is only used once in the translation of the word in the NT; hence, the predominant meaning of the word is “called.” We are saying that of the ten occurrences of our Greek word in the NT, nine of them have the meaning “called.” It is true that our word may mean “called” but when it is used with reference to believers, it is an adjective that describes the elect. In effect, there is no one that is described as “called” in the NT but one who is an elect of God. Let me support this assertion by considering some passages of the Scripture since those called are for a purpose, as indicated in Romans 8:28:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
The called in this verse must refer to the elect as we may gather from considering what the apostle wrote in the two verses that follow, that is, Romans 8:29–30:
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Here in Romans 8, the apostle indicates that those called are those predestined. The word “predestined” is translated from a Greek word (proorizō) that means “to decide upon beforehand.” So, those called are said to be decided upon beforehand, implying election. Those predestined are described as those God “foreknew.” The word “foreknew” is translated from a Greek word (proginōskō) that means “to know before hand, foreknow”, “to select in advance or choose beforehand.” In this passage, the meaning is “to select in advance or to choose beforehand.” This meaning indicates that those God predestined, that is, decided upon beforehand are those He chose beforehand. Those He chose beforehand are those called. Those called are also those justified. The implication is that those who are called are the elect since those who are called are sure to be justified and to be glorified. Thus, when the Greek adjective translated “called” in 1 Corinthians 1:24 is used, it is a reference to the elect. Furthermore, those described with the adjective in the NT are believers so that it is considered by some as a technical term for Christians, as for example, in Jude 1:
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:
Jude wrote to those who have been called, implying that he wrote to believers or Christians who are the elect. There is also the fact that the elect and the called are the same people described in Revelation 17:14:
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
The point is that the “called” as used in referring to believers should be taken as being synonymous to the elect who then respond to the gospel and so became Christians. For it is impossible for an elect or one called by God not to respond to salvation, as implied in Jesus’ statement that those given to Him by the Father, that is, the elect, would come to Him in the sense they would believe and be saved, as recorded in John 6:37–40:
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
That the word called is a description of the elect of God is even clearer because of the phrase of 1 Corinthians 1:24 both Jews and Greeks. This phrase should be understood as referring to Jews and Gentiles as those who are God’s people. The word “Jews” as we have considered may refer to Hebrew persons but, in its usage, here, it refers to a Hebrew person who has believed in Jesus Christ since according to the Holy Spirit, through Apostle Paul, only such a person is a true Israelite, as we can gather from Romans 9:6–8:
6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
The Greeks in the phrase both Jews and Greeks in 1 Corinthians 1:24 refers to Gentiles who have also trusted in Christ, being of the elect. The Jews and Gentiles that have been saved, together form the body of Christ, as implied in Ephesians 3:6:
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
The Jews and Gentiles who are called are the elect and so both are included in the description of believers as the elect of God in 1 Peter 1:1–2:
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
The elect Peter mentioned here refers to Jews and Gentiles who are believers in Christ. Thus, we contend that because of the phrase both Jews and Greeks then the word called in 1 Corinthians 1:24 refers to the elect prior to their salvation as those who would be eventually saved and known as Christians. We are sure of this explanation because the Holy Spirit through the apostle indicated that those who are of the elect will receive the gospel for them to respond and be saved, as implied in 2 Timothy 2:10:
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
The assessment of the message of the cross by the elect or the called is different from that of the unbelievers – Jews or Gentiles. Thus, the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul gives us two assessments of the message of the cross by the called or the elect. Their first assessment is that its message enables them to perceive Christ as God’s capability or divine power to bring about salvation. It is this assessment that is given in phrase Christ the power of God.
What does the apostle mean in the phrase Christ the power of God? To answer this question, we need to consider first the word “power” in our passage and then its relationship to the word God. The word “power” is translated from a Greek word (dynamis) that may mean potential for functioning in some way and so means “power, might, strength, force, capability.” It is in the sense of capability that the word is used when Apostle Peter explained his miracle as not due to his own capability but that provided through the name of Jesus Christ, as we read in Acts 3:12:
When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
It is with the meaning of ability to function that the Greek word translated “power” is used in Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
The Greek word may refer to “power” that works wonder as it is that which Jesus declared went out from Him after the woman with bleeding was healed in Mark 5:30:
At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
The word “power” may refer to effectiveness in contrast to mere words or appearance, as Apostle Paul used the word in 1 Thessalonians 1:5:
because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
The word may mean “ability” to carry out something, as the word is used to describe the generosity of the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8:3:
For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
The word may mean “miracle, wonder” as it is used in Apostle Paul’s question to the Galatians who were gravitating towards the law as a means of justification, as we read in Galatians 3:5:
Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
The word may mean “power” in the sense of a being, human or transcendent, that functions in a remarkable manner so it is used for created supernatural beings in Ephesians 1:21:
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
The word may refer to capacity to convey thought and so means “meaning”, as the word is used in 1 Corinthians 14:11:
If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.
The phrase the meaning of what someone is saying is more literally the power of the voice. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 1:24, the meaning of the word is “power” or “capability.
To the problem of the relationship of the word “power” to “God,” the phrase of God may be understood in several ways because the Greek genitive is subject to various interpretations. For example, the phrase power of God may be understood as power that characterizes God or power that belongs to God or power from God. It is probably the case that the Holy Spirit intended for us to understand the phrase as “divine power” or “divine capability.” This being the case, the apostle meant to say in the phrase Christ the power of God that as he proclaims Christ crucified, he also proclaims Christ as the divine power implying that He is God. Someone may ask, if the apostle meant to say this why did he not use a Greek word (theios) that means “divine” instead of the Greek word (theos) that means “God?” There are three possible reasons. First, the apostle did not use anywhere in his epistle the Greek word that means “divine” although he used a Greek word (theiotēs) that means “divinity” or “divine nature” in Romans 1:20:
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Second, the apostle used the Greek word (theos) translated “God” to convey divine power in 2 Corinthians 10:4:
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
The phrase divine power is more literally powerful to God. Third, and probably the most important reason is that the Holy Spirit intended the apostle to convey that Christ is God since the Greek word that we considered previously that means “power” is used as a title for God in Matthew 26:64:
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
The phrase the right hand of the Mighty One that refers to God is more literally the right hand of the Power. Hence, it is probably that the apostle intended to convey that he preached not only Christ crucified but that the One crucified is also God in the flesh. This is an important truth every elect of God believes. No one who denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that is, God, is saved. The Holy Spirit makes this point clear through Apostle John in John 20:31:
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
So, it is not difficult to understand that the Apostle wrote the phrase Christ the power of God to indicate that Christ is divine power who is also God that brings salvation. This, he proclaimed which every elect accepts contrary to the unbelievers – Jew and Gentiles. In effect, the apostle indicates that the elect assesses the message of the cross as that which conveys that Christ is divine power responsible for our salvation. This declaration is in fact similar to what the Holy Spirit stated through the apostle when he called the gospel message the power of God for salvation in Romans 1:16:
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
This brings us to the second assessment of the elect that involves Apostle Paul’s proclamation.
The second assessment of the elect regarding the message of the cross is that Jesus Christ is divine wisdom based on the proclamation of Apostle Paul as in the last phrase of 1 Corinthians 1:24 and the wisdom of God. The Greek does not contain the definite article used in the NIV since the literal translation is and wisdom of God. That aside, as we indicated previously, this phrase should be related to the word “preached” or “proclaimed” in 1 Corinthians 1:23. The implication is that the apostle proclaimed Christ as the wisdom of God.
A major problem is to understand what the apostle meant in the phrase the wisdom of God. This requires examining the word “wisdom” and how it is related to the word God, that is, how to understand the phrase of God.
The word “wisdom” is translated from a Greek word (sophia) that means the capacity to understand and, as a result, to act wisely. There are two kinds of wisdom conveyed with the Greek word. There is the natural wisdom or insight obtained, for example, through education that is referred by Apostle Paul as “worldly wisdom” in 2 Corinthians 1:12:
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.
The phrase worldly wisdom is more literally “fleshly wisdom” or “human wisdom.” There is also that wisdom that is given by God to those who are in close relationship with Him that Jesus promised His disciplines in Luke 21:15:
For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
The Greek word may have the sense of “good judgment” in practical matters, as the word is used to give the qualifications of those the early church chose to administer their affairs, as recorded in Acts 6:3:
Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them
Wisdom here in Acts 6 has the sense of good judgment or knowledge that allows one to do things properly. The Greek word may refer to personified wisdom, that is, “Wisdom”, as it is used in Matthew 11:19:
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
Wisdom here is personified which agrees with the concept of personification of wisdom in the OT Scripture, as for example, wisdom personified called out, but people did not respond adequately hence the declaration of Proverbs 1:23:
If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
The phrase my rebuke refers to the correction, reprimand or scolding Wisdom gives to the foolish, hence wisdom is personified. In any event, the Greek word as used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 1:24 has the sense of the capacity for rational thought so to act wisely. This brings us to the question of how to relate the word “wisdom” to “God” in the phrase of God in 1 Corinthians 1:24.
The phrase of God being a translation of a genitive in the Greek is subject to several interpretations in relation to the word wisdom. It could mean wisdom that characterizes God or the wisdom from God or wisdom possessed by God. It is probably in the sense of the wisdom that God possess or that characterizes Him that is intended since the apostle is concerned with His proclamation of Jesus Christ. Hence the phrase the wisdom of God is a reference to divine wisdom. The implication is that the apostle not only preached Christ crucified but he also proclaimed Christ as the divine wisdom displayed in salvation of humans. This proclamation of Jesus Christ as divine wisdom is in keeping with what the apostle wrote in his epistle to the Colossians regarding Jesus Christ where He described Him as the embodiment of wisdom in Colossians 2:3:
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
The point is that the apostle proclaims Jesus Christ as divine wisdom which the elect accept for in Him divine wisdom as practical demonstration of rational thought in solving the problem of sin is revealed. There is a difficult problem of how to save the sinner and God still maintains His character of justice. But this difficult problem was solved in the person of Jesus Christ as God’s display of His wisdom. Therefore, the Holy Spirit could refer to what Christ did as the solution to the impasse between how to forgive sin and God still maintains His justice as declared in Romans 3:25–26:
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
The point we are stressing is that Jesus Christ is the display of divine wisdom in that God solved a problem that is impossible to solve from a human perspective but the fact He solved it through Jesus Christ implies that He is the divine wisdom in action as He is the God revealed in human flesh.
Anyway, it is our interpretation that in 1 Corinthians 1:24, the apostle intended to convey that he preached or proclaimed Jesus Christ as divine power and divine wisdom. This interpretation is supported by the reasons the apostle gives in verse 25.
We maintain that verse 25 provides reasons that support that verse 24 is concerned with descriptions of Christ as divine power and divine wisdom. This is first because of the conjunction for that begins verse 25. The word “for” is translated from a Greek conjunction (hoti) that has several usages in the Greek. It can be used as a marker that introduces a direct discourse in which case it is not translated in the English, but it is represented using quotation marks. It may be used as a marker of narrative or discourse content, direct or indirect, with the translation “that.” It may be used as a marker of explanation and so may be translated “that is.” It can be used as a marker of cause or reason in which case it may be translated “because, since” or “for.” It is in this sense of marker of reason that the conjunction is used in verse 25. In other words, the conjunction is used to introduce reasons the apostle proclaimed Christ as divine power and divine wisdom. In fact, there are two reasons the apostle gave for proclaiming Christ as divine power and divine wisdom, beginning with the concept of wisdom that he mentioned last in verse 24.
A first reason to proclaim Jesus Christ as divine power and divine wisdom is that what people of the world consider divine foolishness is still wiser than human wisdom. It is this reason that is given in the first clause of 1 Corinthians 1:25 the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom. Truly, the word wisdom although necessary to make sense of what the Greek states, does not appear in the Greek but that is implied since the Greek literally reads the foolishness of God is wiser than men. The word “wiser” implies that it is men’s wisdom that is being compared to what is described as the foolishness of God.
The phrase the foolishness of God is to be understood as ironical or an oxymoron because of the word “foolishness” is inapplicable to God as we can understand from the Greek word used. The word “foolishness” is translated from a Greek word (mōros) that means “foolish, stupid” as it is used to describe an unwise person in Jesus’ teaching in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:26:
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
It is used not only to refer to a person but to things such as controversies in Titus 3:9:
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
God is all-wise and all-knowing so that there is no way to describe Him as foolish. Therefore, when the apostle used the phrase the foolishness of God it is an ironical way of referring to human evaluation of divine activity. Of course, because the apostle used the definite article before the word foolishness, he probably was thinking of death of Christ on the cross that God brought about to accomplish our salvation. This act of God is evaluated by unbelievers as foolish.
That this understanding is what the apostle intended is reflected in the comparison he made in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 1:25 the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom. The word “wiser” is translated from a Greek word (sophos) that pertains to knowing how to do something in a skillful manner hence means “clever, skillful, experienced” as it is used in 1 Corinthians 3:10:
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.
The phrase an expert builder may alternatively be translated a skilled master builder or more literally a wise master builder. The Greek word may pertain to understanding that results in wise attitudes and conduct and so means “wise”, as in Ephesians 5:15:
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,
It is the meaning wise, that is, skillful in discernment that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 1:25. The irony is that God is in absolute sense the only wise being as the Holy Spirit conveyed through the apostle in Romans 16:27:
to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Therefore, to compare divine foolishness to human’s wisdom is to compare that which is incomparable. The point of the apostle then is that what humans consider divine foolishness is superior to what understanding or wisdom that humans can possess. Humans think it is ridiculous to say that Jesus Christ died on the cross and resurrected but this truth is God’s wisdom being displayed. Human’s in our arrogance think that God’s way is not correct. We probably think that it is unnecessary for Christ to die on the cross and so that God should accept us based on our goodness which does not exist as far as He is concerned. We humans probably have our solution of how to deal with sin which is that God should forget it without any concern for His justice. This is what is promoted in world religions. That kind of thought is incomparable to the wise thing God did in offering Christ as the sacrifice for our sins. As we have indicated, it is God’s wisdom that was displayed in solving an impasse of forgiving sins and maintaining His justice. In any case, a first reason to proclaim Jesus Christ as divine power and divine wisdom is that what people of the world consider divine foolishness is still wiser than human wisdom.
A second reason to proclaim Jesus Christ as divine power and divine wisdom is that what people of the world consider divine weakness is still stronger than human strength. It is this reason that is given in the second sentence of 1 Corinthians 1:25 the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
The word “strength” does not appear in the Greek but it is implied since the literal Greek of the second sentence reads the weakness of God (is) stronger than men. This, again, is an ironical statement because of the phrase weakness of God is an oxymoron since God is all powerful. You see the word “weakness” is translated from a Greek word (asthenēs) that pertains to suffering from a debilitating illness hence means “sick, ill” as it is used in Acts 5:15:
As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
It may mean helpless in a moral sense as in Romans 5:6:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Our Greek word is translated “powerless” in the NIV of Romans 5:6 while others such as the NET used the meaning “helpless.” The word may refer to physical weakness as it is used to describe wives in comparison to their husbands in 1 Peter 3:7:
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Wives are weaker in a physical sense. Our Greek word may refer to relative ineffectiveness, whether external or inward and so means “weak, feeble, ineffectual” as it is used to describe the regulation of the old covenant in Hebrews 7:18:
The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless
It is in the sense of relative ineffectiveness, that is, “weak, feeble, in effectual” that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 1:25. Again the weakness of God refers to Christ allowing Himself to be crucified on the cross without resistance so that He can be described as crucified in weakness in 2 Corinthians 13:4:
For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.
The phrase the weakness of God must be an irony since He is all powerful. Thus, the use of divine weakness is to be understood as an irony and so what the apostle is concerned is the perception of humans of God being weak although that is not true. In effect, people who perceive the death of Christ as sign of weakness do not understand that His death is not a sign of weakness but of greatest strength ever. For, it takes great strength to restrain from demonstrating one’s power when the person possesses it. Christ is God man and had the power to keep from dying on the cross, but it is a great demonstration of His power that He restrained its use and to offer Himself on the cross for us.
That it is an irony that people attribute weakness to God because of the death of Christ on the cross is reflected in the comparison of the sentence of 1 Corinthians 1:25 weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. The word “stronger” is translated from a Greek word (ischyros) that may mean physically strong and so may mean “strong” or “mighty” in relation to battle as it is used to describe some heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:34:
quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
The verbal phrase became powerful in battle translated became mighty in battle in the NET is literally became strong in battle. It can mean “loud, mighty” as it is used to describe Jesus’ cries in His prayer, as stated in Hebrews 5:7:
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
The word may mean “severe” as it is used to describe the strength of famine in the Parable of Compassionate father often known as that of the Prodigal son in Luke 15:14:
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
In 1 Corinthians 1:25, the word is used in sense of having strength or power greater than average or expected. God is all powerful so that in a sense it does not make sense to compare Him to humans. Thus, the apostle is showing the irony of thinking that there is such a thing as divine weakness because Christ who is God man died on the cross. The Jews, as we have explained, could not accept that the Messiah would be weak as to die on the cross. Hence, the Holy Spirit through the apostle intended to convey that it is a display of greater strength for Him to restrain the use of His power as God to keep from dying on the cross. Thus, the message of the cross instead of being considered as one that involves foolishness and weakness should be consider one that demonstrates divine power and divine wisdom. In any event, a correct assessment of the message of the cross must result in recognizing that Jesus Christ is the divine power and divine wisdom displayed in our salvation. So, let me end by reminding you of the truth that we have been expounding about the message of the cross which is that the message of the cross has signification, is superior to world’s wisdom, is assessed differently by Jews and Greeks; nevertheless, it reveals descriptions of Christ and superiority of God’s way over humans’. This being the case, I want you to answer honestly the questions. How do you assess the message of the cross? Do you see it as God’s wisdom at work or does it not make sense to you? Your answer is an indication of your spiritual life, that is, an indication of whether you are heaven or hell bound. May the Lord help us to answer the questions correctly!
03/09/18