Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION:

I- GOD’S FOOLISHNESS HAS CIRCUMVENTED THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD.

(1 Corinthians 1:18-20).

A- The message the world counts as foolish is the very power of God.

(1 Corinthians 1:18)

(18 Ὁ λόγος γὰρ ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῖς μὲν ἀπολλυμένοις μωρία ἐστίν, τοῖς δὲ σῳζομένοις ἡμῖν δύναμις θεοῦ ἐστιν.)

1- The message of the cross (Ὁ λόγος γὰρ ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ) is not popular with the world.

a- The world cannot understand the proclamation of the cross - How can it be relevant to contemporary people.

1- σταυροῦ= “a pole stuck into the ground in an upright position with a crosspiece attached to its upper part so that it was shaped like a or like a—‘cross.’

εἱστήκεισαν δὲ παρὰ τῷ σταυρῷ ‘they stood near the cross’ Jn 19:25.

In Mt 27:32 (τοῦτον ἠγγάρευσαν ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ ‘they forced him to carry Jesus’ cross’)

Because of the symbolism associated with the cross, translations of the NT in all languages preserve some expression which will identify the cross, not only as a means of capital punishment, but as having a particular form, namely, an upright pole with a crossbeam.

Cannot refer to just an upright “stake.”

2- The message of a crucified savior is absolute foolishness to those who are lost.

a- τοῖς μὲν ἀπολλυμένοις μωρία

ἀπολλυμένοις= to be lost, in the religious or spiritual sense—‘to be lost, to perish.’

μωρία= foolishness, nonsense, what is thought to be foolish.

b- Example of the reaction of the Athenians (Acts 17:32) “...some laughed in contempt”

3- Those of us who believe know that the message of the cross is the power of God for salvation!

(1 Corinthians 1:18b)

a- Note What Paul States in Romans 1:16!

B- God has discarded that which the world counts as intelligent and wise.

(1 Corinthians 1:19)

(19 γέγραπται γάρ· Ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν, καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω.)

1- Worldly wisdom dictates that salvation can only come through human effort.

a- Check out the other world religions:

Judaism - keeping the law

Islam - Religious practices, such as ritual prayers, reciting Koranic passages, obeying laws, carrying out jihad.

Eastern religions such as Hinduism: performance of duty, meditation, achieving enlightenment.

Cult Groups (such as Mormans and Jehovahs Witnesses, etc.): performance of religious works, participate in rituals

2- The intelligence of men dictates the acceptance of special knowledge.

a- even then, no real salvation is applicable.

b- Atheism and agnosticism is the way they go.

3- God casts aside (ἀθετήσω) and destroys (Ἀπολῶ) worldly wisdom and empty intellectualism.

C- God has made the wisdom of the world to look foolish.

(1 Corinthians 1:20)

(20 ποῦ σοφός; ποῦ γραμματεύς; ποῦ συζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου; οὐχὶ ἐμώρανεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου;)

1- God’s wisdom displays the world’s wisdom as utter foolishness (ἐμώρανεν )

(Romans 1:18-23)

II- GOD’S PLAN REJECTS HUMAN WISDOM.

(1 Corinthians 1:21-25)

A- God, in His wisdom saw the utter futility of letting human wisdom come up with salvation’s plan.

(1 Corinthians 1:21-23)

(21 ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν θεόν, εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ τῆς μωρίας τοῦ κηρύγματος σῶσαι τοὺς πιστεύοντας.

22 ἐπειδὴ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι σημεῖα αἰτοῦσιν καὶ Ἕλληνες σοφίαν ζητοῦσιν·

23 ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον ἔθνεσιν δὲ μωρίαν,)

1- God, in His wisdom, saw that people could never come to know Him through their own wisdom.

a- How could man ever do enough good works to offset their sins?

(note what the scriptures say about people: Luke 18:19.

(Galatians 3:10)

b- How could man ever meditate enough to gain enlightenment of eternal things?

c- How could man ever study enough to gain enough knowledge about God to understand Him?Even if we could know all about God, that is not enough.

(John 17:3)

d- How could man ever fulfill his duty well enough to gain God’s favor?

2- Both Jews and Gentiles look in the wrong place for salvation.

(1 Corinthians 1:22)

a- The Jews want a sign and Greeks want human wisdom.

3- The message ordained by God is offensive to both Jews and Gentiles.

(1 Corinthians 1:23)

B- God chose to ordain a plan that surpasses human wisdom and provides the power to transform lives.

(1 Corinthians 1:21b, 24-25)

1 Corinthians 1:21b (NLT)

21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.

21 ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν θεόν, εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ τῆς μωρίας τοῦ κηρύγματος σῶσαι τοὺς πιστεύοντας.

(24 αὐτοῖς δὲ τοῖς κλητοῖς, Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν, Χριστὸν θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θεοῦ σοφίαν.

25 ὅτι τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφώτερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν, καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ θεοῦ ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων.)

1- God uses the “foolish preaching” of the cross of Christ to save souls and transform lives.

2- The “foolish plan” of God to save souls is wiser than the wisest of human plans.

a- Fact: Man (in his wisdom) can define all of the problems and failures of the human heart and mind, but cannot save a soul or transform a life for the good.

Sociology & Psychology define the problems, but do not provide the solutions.

b- God’s “foolish plan” radically transforms lives and saves souls!

3- God’s “weakness” (as displayed on the cross) is stronger than the strongest strength of human kind.

a- The idea of a crucified savior appears to the world as weak.

b- It was through the crucifixion that the Kingdom of God was born.

III- GOD CHOOSES TO USE THOSE WHOM WORLDLY WISDOM REJECTS.

(1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

A- God uses for His glory the people that the world rejects.

(1 Corinthians 1:26-28)

(26 Βλέπετε γὰρ τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα, οὐ πολλοὶ δυνατοί, οὐ πολλοὶ εὐγενεῖς·

27 ἀλλὰ τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφούς, καὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τὰ ἰσχυρά,

28 καὶ τὰ ἀγενῆ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, τὰ μὴ ὄντα, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ,

1- God does not look for and call out those who are praiseworthy, strong or intelligent and wise to follow Jesus.

2- God chooses those of us who weak, powerless and foolish to use in overcoming the rich, strong and powerful of the world.

3- God uses us to demonstrate the worthlessness of the world’s priorities.

a.

All that the world counts as powerful and valuable will be destroyed by this crucified savior.

(2 Peter 3:10-13)

B- God, through Christ, has done for us what human wisdom could never do.

(1 Corinthians 1:30)

(30 ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις,)

1- Christ made us pure, holy, and free.

(John 8:36)

2- Christ united what sin divides.

(Romans 12:13)

(Ephesians 2:15-16)

3- Jesus can do this because He IS widom!

C- The believer has no reason to boast other than in Christ!

(1 Corinthians 1:29, 31)

(29 ὅπως μὴ καυχήσηται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ.)

(31 ἵνα καθὼς γέγραπται· Ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω.)

1- The believer has no right to boast in self.

2- We are to boast in Christ and what He has done for us!

CONCLUSION: