Sharing God’s Message || 1 Corinthians 1:18 || Manna for the Mind #43

Welcome to Day 43 of my “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series takes a passage of scripture (typically 1-3 verses) and builds understanding through its context and connecting scripture. This helps us understand what the Bible truly teaches us.

1 Corinthians 1:18

18          The message of the cross is foolish to those who are heading for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

We’re focusing on aggressive words from Paul today, but these are important to understand. Those who are heading for destruction see Christianity as foolish. Those who are saved know that Christianity comes from the power of God. It can be straightforward to use this verse to condemn, bash, bully, and abuse those who do not believe in Jesus, but is that the point that Paul is trying to get at? Before I dive into our connecting scripture, I want to do two things: look at the original Greek to see what it means when it says, “heading for destruction,” and look at the context of what Paul is saying to see if there’s a bigger picture at play.

Those “heading for destruction” are translated to mean those “who are perishing.” The Greek for this phrase is apollumi (ap-ol’-loo-mee), which means to destroy or destroy utterly. It’s a compound word: apó (away from) and ollymi (to destroy). Putting it all together, it means to fully destroy or cut off entirely. It implies permanent and absolute destruction. It’s a cause that results in being lost by experiencing a miserable end. That last part is where Paul is focusing. It’s those people who are experiencing eternal misery. People who intentionally go against the teachings of God or intentionally blaspheme the teachings to deceive others. These people will not receive eternal life but instead eternal misery. It’s not even misery while they are alive, but what happens to them after their earthly form is no more.

Following this verse, Paul shares a quote from the Old Testament.

Isaiah 29:14

14          I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.  

Paul’s belief is that the wisdom taught through human wisdom is foolish. He asserts that God, in his wisdom, ensured that the world would never know him through human wisdom. This starkly contrasts those who use their own wisdom and agenda to promote teachings that aren’t from divine wisdom. Paul’s words in verses 22 and 23 in 1 Corinthians 12 highlight this contrast.

1 Corinthians 12:22-23

22          It is foolish to the Jews who ask for signs from heaven. It is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.

23          So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

When leaders use divine wisdom to express the teachings of the Bible, people will balk. Believers feel offended by it because it goes against the tradition of Christianity they learned through their family unit. Nonbelievers might feel that Christians are crazy and that believing this 2,000-year-old book about a Spirit that resides in Heaven is insane. However, there is a way to avoid this foolishness.

1 Corinthians 12:24-25

24          But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25          This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

God’s saving grace and mercy are not exclusive to believers. They are extended to all, both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus, as the embodiment of God’s power and wisdom, is the beacon of this inclusive grace. This should make us feel accepted and valued, regardless of our background or beliefs.

Romans 1:16

16          For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile.

Paul wasn’t ashamed of the teachings of Christ because he knew it was true and couldn’t be refuted by the wisest mind in the Roman or Greek culture. He had a message about how the world worked and humanity’s true story. It’s the message of salvation, God’s rescue plan for everyone. It’s the message of the Gospels. We need to continually remember this message in all parts of our lives. Even when you see Christians not being Christ-like. Even when it feels uncomfortable to share your Christian testimony. The end goal of everything is the saving grace of God.

The Jews were God’s special people for over 2,000 years, ever since God chose Abraham and promised great blessings to his descendants. God didn’t choose the Jewish people because they deserved to be chosen but because he chose to show his love and mercy to them. He wanted the Jewish people to exemplify his love and mercy toward those around them, just as he showed them. God’s plan was always for the Messiah, Jesus, to come to the world through them. God chose them, not because they were God’s favorite, but so they could tell the world about his plan of salvation.

For centuries, the Jewish people had been learning about God through obeying his laws, keeping his festivals, and living according to his moral principles. They would often forget his promises and laws. There are 613 laws among many promises, which makes sense that you would forget because who can remember that much? When I was studying to be a tax professional, we were taught: “Don’t study to remember; study to know where to look.” Applying this to the Bible is encouraging because we are taught to read our Bible daily. Because of their forgetfulness, they had to be disciplined. Yet, they still had a solid generational belief in the one True God. Of all the people of the world, the Jews would’ve been the most prepared to welcome the Messiah and to understand his mission and message. Some were successful – and some were not.

Among others, the disciples and the apostle Paul were faithful Jews who recognized Jesus as God’s most precious gift to humanity. Listen to how Paul shares this gift with the church in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 2:4

4            And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit

Paul’s confidence was not in his intelligence or speaking ability but in his knowledge that the Holy Spirit was helping and guiding them. How often do you give credit to the Holy Spirit? We often claim credit for studying, practicing, effort, strength, tears, and frustrations because we did the work to find success. Paul upholds the studying and preparation he went through. Practical work combines intense preparation with reliance on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. No matter how much effort we put into our preparation, the source of it is the Spirit. People look at us on Earth to see how we represent Christ and that representation through the Spirit itself. Here is another letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 4:3

3            If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.

The Good News is open and revealed to all except those who intentionally refuse to believe it. Satan works to deceive, hence why we see and talk about all the false teachers and idolatry of the world, and he has blinded those who don’t believe in Jesus. The temptations of money, power, and pleasure blind people to the light of Christ’s Good News. Those who reject Christ and prefer their own paths have unknowingly chosen to follow Satan. God chose you. Will you choose him?

Father God, we appreciate, love, and take advantage of the message of the cross. We are grateful for it, but we don’t share it enough. Please help us share our gratitude and your story with others. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.