THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS

1 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.

The preaching of the cross, ...is the power of God that brings the hope of eternal salvation to all that accept it, believe it, and obey it. The preceding verse tells us that Paul did not preach the gospel of the cross of Christ with (human) wisdom of words. In the next chapter of this letter, Paul refers to this worldly manner of preaching as with excellency of speech (Vs. 1), and with enticing words of man's wisdom (Vs. 4). Those in the audience of a great, but erring, orator may accept his words of wisdom, and submit to it merely because of his eloquent manner of speaking, or his personal philosophy, rather than to the true reason Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary. This being the effect of some preachers, Paul says it is possible, or even probable, that the cross of Christ should (or would) be made of none effect (Vs. 17 above). In other words, one should not accept Jesus as their Savior because of the charming ability of the preacher. Neither should they respond for any reason other than accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior, realizing their present sinful condition, having an urgent desire to become a Christian, and submitting to those acts of faith that leads to baptism for the forgiveness of past sins.

As an additional comment, a child that has not reached the age of accountability, for their thoughts and actions, could never comply with these conditions. They do not possess the ability to hear and understand God's plan of salvation. That being the case, they are not capable of believing it, repenting of past sins, confessing Jesus to be the Son of God and Savior of the world, and being baptized into the body of Christ. To an infant, or one in early childhood, these acts required to become a Christian - this preaching of the cross would be made of none effect.

To preach God's message of eternal salvation, Paul said that it is necessary to preach the cross of Christ (Vs. 17 above), to preach Christ crucified (Vs. 23 below), to preach the glorious gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4), and to preach Jesus and the resurrection (Acts 17:18). This is the message that God, through the Holy Spirit, says is required to bring salvation to the world. It was the message needed to reconcile sinners to God in the first century, and it is the same message needed today. This message was contained in Paul's preaching, as well as in his inspired writing. With him, there was no hesitation to deliver this message from God. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth (Rom. 1:16a). This should serve as the divine example for all dedicated preachers of God's word today.

One cannot preach God's message of salvation without the preaching of the cross. When this message is faithfully, and reverently taught, it will have one of two effects on each person hearing it. The message of the cross will either be considered foolishness, or will be considered the power of God unto salvation. This Paul assures us in verses that follow the lesson text. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them, which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (Vs. 23-24).

To them that parish, which Paul referred to in the lesson text, he considers to be the same as them that are lostin his second epistle to the church at Corinth. To the lost, God's invitation to the hope of salvation, contained in the gospel message of the cross, is hidden. Worldly wisdom hath blinded the minds of them, which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:3-4). The wisdom of mankind had great difficulty accepting the Savior of the world, as one coming from such a humble background as that of Jesus. To them, the Messiah would never submit to the humiliation of crucifixion on the cross of Calvary, therefore, many could not comprehend the sin cleansing power of baptism - all of which are necessary for eternal salvation.

To the saved, the message contained in the preaching of the cross, that is, the preaching of the gospel of Christ, ...is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). To all that are truly searching for salvation, can find it only in Jesus Christ. Only those that have open and receptive hearts will receive the gospel of Christ, obey it, be made free from sin, become of God's children, and enjoy the hope of eternal salvation.