the foolish preaching
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many translations ((not just English ones)) have some variant of "the foolishness being preached" -- with the implication that it isn't preaching itself which is foolish, but the thing being preached
if that's the case what's foolish about the thing being preached? _______________
if that's the case what's foolish about the thing being preached? _______________
22Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom
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1 Corinthians 1:
Wisdom from God
…26Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,…
Berean Study Bible
Wisdom from God
…26Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,…
Berean Study Bible
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Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1Co 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The flesh will want to rebel against the truth all in an attempt to exalt themselves so they will reject the cross, and they cannot understand how a man can shed his blood to take away our sins because of their exaltation of themselves, and have a different viewpoint of reality and what prospers them.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The time will come that they will not want to hear about the cross, and Jesus is Lord and Savor, but believe he evolved to be spiritual the same as they want to do.
The world will exalt themselves so they do not want to accept that someone can save them that is a human being like them, and do not understand the shedding of blood to take away sins, and that they need their sins taken away to be saved.
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Also the world does not have faith for they want to have visible proof of something to believe it such as the atheists which they say prove God exists.
The flesh will reject the truth of the cross for whatever reason.
And even we would of never came to the truth by the flesh alone for it took God to intervene in our life before we were saved to be saved.
Which no person says that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
And no person comes to the Son unless the Father draws them.
And Peter said Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus said flesh and blood did not reveal that to him but the Father.
And those that believe Jesus is come in the flesh is of God.
So if you confess these things then God has to be working in your life.
It is the foolishness of preaching because the world thinks it is foolishness, and it is the preaching of the cross that is foolishness to them, and look at how many people reject the cross such as Buddhists, Hindu, Islam, other religions as they look at prosperity and God from a natural perspective as well as spiritual, and many reject the cross.
Many people do not get the cross and understand it whether from exaltation of themselves, say they do not have proof, or believe another reality for their prosperity and spirituality, or grew up with a belief in their nation other than Christianity and think it is reality.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1Co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1Co 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The flesh will want to rebel against the truth all in an attempt to exalt themselves so they will reject the cross, and they cannot understand how a man can shed his blood to take away our sins because of their exaltation of themselves, and have a different viewpoint of reality and what prospers them.
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The time will come that they will not want to hear about the cross, and Jesus is Lord and Savor, but believe he evolved to be spiritual the same as they want to do.
The world will exalt themselves so they do not want to accept that someone can save them that is a human being like them, and do not understand the shedding of blood to take away sins, and that they need their sins taken away to be saved.
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Also the world does not have faith for they want to have visible proof of something to believe it such as the atheists which they say prove God exists.
The flesh will reject the truth of the cross for whatever reason.
And even we would of never came to the truth by the flesh alone for it took God to intervene in our life before we were saved to be saved.
Which no person says that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
And no person comes to the Son unless the Father draws them.
And Peter said Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus said flesh and blood did not reveal that to him but the Father.
And those that believe Jesus is come in the flesh is of God.
So if you confess these things then God has to be working in your life.
It is the foolishness of preaching because the world thinks it is foolishness, and it is the preaching of the cross that is foolishness to them, and look at how many people reject the cross such as Buddhists, Hindu, Islam, other religions as they look at prosperity and God from a natural perspective as well as spiritual, and many reject the cross.
Many people do not get the cross and understand it whether from exaltation of themselves, say they do not have proof, or believe another reality for their prosperity and spirituality, or grew up with a belief in their nation other than Christianity and think it is reality.
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1 Corinthians 2:13-14
These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the [d]Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Foolishness to the natural man, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the [d]Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Foolishness to the natural man, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
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They demand empirical evidence while completely overlooking the primary definition for the word empirical!
based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.
depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory
Then they refuse to listen to those with experience
based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.
depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory
Then they refuse to listen to those with experience
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Quite a few things are seen as foolish:
- How could a virgin birth even be possible?
- How could God become man and remain God at the same time?
- How could God the Father lay upon God the Son all the sins and guilt of the world?
- How could the Father forsake the Son for three dark hours?
- How could Christ become the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world?
- How could the full penalty for sins be paid on a Roman cross during three dark hours?
- How could an innocent man be held guilty for the sins of someone else, particularly for all the sins of all sinners?
- How could a man rise from the grave within three days?
- How could believing on the death, burial, and resurrection of man give salvation and eternal life to a wicked criminal guilty of heinous crimes?
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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.
(1 Corinthians 1:21 kjv)
what is foolish about preaching?_________
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good -
statistically speaking the people would probably believe in a god - at least one - and believe in something like sin. everyone knows evil exists in the world and in people - that something is 'wrong' that's sometimes close to right.
so i'm talking to a people who knows there is a spiritual world and knows there is good and evil. they probably even have some kind of rudimentary concept of 'salvation' at least in the sense of either achieving goodness in themselves or pleasing the deity or deities so that goodness will result, or some combination of such things. of 'fixing' the 'something wrong'
they likely believe achieving goodness or pleasing god(s) is accomplished by some combination of doing right actions, observing some ceremonial habits and/or rituals, and possibly somehow offering some kind of substance to the deity, usually connoting destruction of that substance.
so what is 'foolish' to such a person about the act of preaching? what's the general idea of preaching - what are the nuts and bolts of what it is and what it means to accomplish, and what are the details of why this is seen is as foolish by a generally deist, moralistic & religious audience?
and what are the nuts and bolts of what makes the gospel 'foolish' to a generally religious, moralistic, deist culture that prizes wisdom and stature?
numbering your points for reference:
1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 8 i don't think are very far fetched considering Greek mythos and how Rome adopted it. the Greek pantheon did a lot of weird & cosmic, miraculous things and was very anthropomorphic. 3 & 6 i think are a little esoteric to finer points of theology or nit-picking the precise nature of heavenly things - not 'deal breakers' to a religious Mediterranean audience but mysteries to awe at & meditate on. these aren't atheists we're talking about - IMO atheism is a relatively recent psychosis to develop among mankind - undoubtedly at least recent in its percentage of infected population.
which leaves 9, which i think is kind of the crux.
why does salvation by grace through belief, a righteousness of faith come across as foolish? what kind of mindset does that seem foolish to?
why does God humbling Himself to become a man, be rejected and abused even to death by His own people, and Him doing this on purpose to sacrifice Himself as a ransom, carrying away the guilt of all who put their hope in Him, sound foolish? what kind of mindset sees this as a ridiculous narrative?
- How could a virgin birth even be possible?
- How could God become man and remain God at the same time?
- How could God the Father lay upon God the Son all the sins and guilt of the world?
- How could the Father forsake the Son for three dark hours?
- How could Christ become the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world?
- How could the full penalty for sins be paid on a Roman cross during three dark hours?
- How could an innocent man be held guilty for the sins of someone else, particularly for all the sins of all sinners?
- How could a man rise from the grave within three days?
- How could believing on the death, burial, and resurrection of man give salvation and eternal life to a wicked criminal guilty of heinous crimes?
1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 8 i don't think are very far fetched considering Greek mythos and how Rome adopted it. the Greek pantheon did a lot of weird & cosmic, miraculous things and was very anthropomorphic. 3 & 6 i think are a little esoteric to finer points of theology or nit-picking the precise nature of heavenly things - not 'deal breakers' to a religious Mediterranean audience but mysteries to awe at & meditate on. these aren't atheists we're talking about - IMO atheism is a relatively recent psychosis to develop among mankind - undoubtedly at least recent in its percentage of infected population.
which leaves 9, which i think is kind of the crux.
why does salvation by grace through belief, a righteousness of faith come across as foolish? what kind of mindset does that seem foolish to?
why does God humbling Himself to become a man, be rejected and abused even to death by His own people, and Him doing this on purpose to sacrifice Himself as a ransom, carrying away the guilt of all who put their hope in Him, sound foolish? what kind of mindset sees this as a ridiculous narrative?