a letter to the disciples of Christ who gather together in Corinth

The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written,

"I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head,

I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots."

So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb - preaching, of all things! - To bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom [and Americans obsess with business, success, and power], we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle and Greeks pass it off as absurd [and Americans find a million exceptions].

But to us who are personally called by God himself - both Jews and Greeks [and Americans] - Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't began to compete with God's "weakness."

*1 Corinthians 1:18-25

* the words of the Apostle Paul from the Message paraphrase translation

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