1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (Lent 3B)

It’s getting to the point where I’m not certain I haven’t posted something on this passage before.  I have a draft translation of all of 1 Corinthians on my totally free Bible translation project.  It’s a very drafty translation, so herewith a few corrections and some notes, which hopefully I’ll get entered into the main database soon.

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is God’s power. ¹⁹For it is written:

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the intelligence of the intelligent I will set aside.

²⁰Who is wise? Who is a scribe? Who is a debater of this age? Has not God make the wisdom of the world foolishness? ²¹For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is God’s power. For since in the wisdom of the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God to save those who believe through the foolisness of proclamation. ²²And since the Jews ask for a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we, for our part, preach Christ crucified, a scandal to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks, ²⁴But to those who are called, Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power and wisdom of God. ²⁵Because foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of humanity, and the weakness of God is stronger than the strength of humanity.

Notes:

There are no substantial textual issues in this passage.

18 – I have chosen “message” to translate “logos.”  There is always an issue of just what to emphasize in translating this word since nothing in English gets the full and/or precise force.  But in this case it is the very basic message of the cross itself that is foolish.  It doesn’t make sense to human wisdom and understanding.

20 – I always find it interesting when this verse is used to defend human stupidity.  Too often we assume that because God has made the world’s wisdom foolishness, whatever wisdom we may come up with is obviously divine wisdom.  But the message is quite specific.  We couldn’t save ourselves and somehow God did it through the incarnation and by dying on the cross.  It is not an answer any of us would have come up with on our own.

21 – “Proclamation” here is the famous theological word “kerygma.”  It is another piece of the foolishness of God’s plan that he lets it accomplish its task through humans proclaiming or preaching the message.  Or perhaps it might be better to say that he ordains it to be that way.  I am very frequently challenged to explain why God chooses to use human beings with human failings to bring his logos, his message to people.  I don’t think I ever satisfy those who question.  I have my ideas, but it’s another aspect of the foolishness of God’s way.

22 – Whatever we think of the method and the message it is greater than anything of human invention.