Tuesday September 11th, 2018 1 Corinthians 1:18-24
For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles? (verses 22-23)
Today’s passage concerns a message that many Jews and some Jewish Christian converts living in the years not long after Jesus’ death found difficult to comprehend or accept. Many of these people would have known Paul prior to his conversion on the road to Damascus. They probably remembered him as a cosmopolitan, multilingual, observant Jew and a Roman citizen. They might have heard him sharing pearls of wisdom with the Greeks and splitting hairs with his fellow Jews while interpreting the Torah.
What the converted Paul talked about was unlike anything they had ever heard him say before. His new message was about a crucified Messiah who called both Jews and Gentiles God’s chosen people. Many people dismissed Paul’s message as unbelievable.
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, preached the message of Christ crucified to the predominately Gentile Corinthians. His message fell on receptive ears. The Corinthians happily believed that without pedigree, wealth or circumcision, they were part of the body of Christ and therefore citizens of God’s kingdom. Maybe the message seemed strange and a little foolish, but it was good news for the Corinthians and for us.
Lord, help us to remember that we are all one with you. Amen. — CKA
Contributed by What Kind of Message is That?
Today's passage concerns a message that many Jews and some Jewish Christian converts living in the years not long after Jesus' death found difficult to comprehend or accept. Many of these people would have known Paul prior to his conversion on the road to Damascus. They probably remembered him as a cosmopolitan, multilingual, observant Jew and a Roman citizen. They might have heard him sharing pearls of wisdom with the Greeks and splitting hairs with his fellow Jews while interpreting the Torah.
What the converted Paul talked about was unlike anything they had ever heard him say before. His new message was about a crucified Messiah who called both Jews and Gentiles God's chosen people. Many people dismissed Paul's message as unbelievable.
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, preached the message of Christ crucified to the predominately Gentile Corinthians. His message fell on receptive ears. The Corinthians happily believed that without pedigree, wealth or circumcision, they were part of the body of Christ and therefore citizens of God's kingdom. Maybe the message seemed strange and a little foolish, but it was good news for the Corinthians and for us.
