I Corinthians 1:1-31
I love Paul’s section on wisdom and foolishness beginning with verse 20. I spent my working life among the wise – college professors who were all experts in one thing or another. But their worldly wisdom doesn’t get them anywhere with God: For since … the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. (v. 21) The Gospel is a simple message – we have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life through Jesus’ death and resurrection. But something that simple can’t be enough for those who are “uber-intelligent” – it’s got to be harder than that; it’s got to be something we need to work for, to study longer, something more challenging! But God turns it upside-down on those who want to make the Gospel more difficult: For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (v. 25) It’s a simple message that God wants us to take to simple people. Go!
See also: April 16 / I Corinthians 1:1-17; April 17 / I Cor. 1:18-31
Yes, it is a simple message, and yes, it is true that we cannot work our way to forgiveness. But we must not water down the Gospel into what Bonhoeffer calls “cheap grace” that demands nothing of us. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him. That is no easy thing.