Power and wisdom from where?

For the message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. For it is written,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the intelligence of the intelligent I will reject."

Where is the wise person? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? God has turned the wisdom of the world into nonsense, hasn’t he? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe through the nonsense of our preaching. Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach the Messiah crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the Messiah is God’s power and God’s wisdom. For God’s nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is nonsense in the world to make the wise feel ashamed.God chose what is weak in the world to make the strong feel ashamed. And God chose what is insignificant in the world, what is despised, what is nothing, in order to destroy what is something, so that no one may boast in God’s presence. It is because of God that you are in union with the Messiah Jesus, who for us has become wisdom from God, as well as our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. There-fore, as it is written‚The person who boasts must boast in the Lord.

I find myself in the modern Pentecostal movement so often talking to two groups of people: The miracles, signs, and wonders crowd and the academics. It seems like more and more in a world increasingly in need of a church active in sharing the Gospel, we are seeing a divide within the Church based on an all or nothing mentality of reaching people.

Many say we need a strong apologetic with well thought out arguments. Peter does command this and rightfully so! If someone is to hear the message, it must be preached, but is it merely the clever putting together of scientific and philosophical arguments? Does God need the wisdom of man to explain the wisdom and mystery of God? In an attempt to reach a more scientific culture, are we using the weaker to try to explain the greater?

Others say we need to seek after the Holy Spirit and miracles, signs, and wonders. They quote Paul of the many times he talks of coming not in intellect, but in the Power of God. Once again, these people are also very right scripturally. We are to be conduits and vessels for God to pour out his love and healing. After all, we carry the ministry of reconciliation where in people can see the love of God through His miraculous and powerful works! Is it possible we can become so focused on the person of the trinity that has been tasked to point us to Christ? Can we elevate the Holy Spirit beyond His mission? Can we become so miracle focused we lose the actual mission of Christ?

The Jews desire miracles.....the Greek desire wisdom. We preach Christ crucified as the true power AND wisdom of God! We preach resurrection as foolishness to those who do not understand that in God all things are possible. I am starting to see that Peter and Paul both are speaking a clear message. It's not about being of signs and miracles or great learning and wisdom although both are important disciplines when following Jesus, but It's about making sure that our first priority is the Cross and the perfection of Jesus taking the imperfection of the world, so that we could be accounted as righteous before God when we turn our everything to Jesus.

Maybe with all the hype of revivals, we should recognize through Jesus we were once dead, but are NOW alive and only the sleeping and dead need to be revived.

In the face of the interest in scientific understanding of proof of a God, we should recognize that the greatest and rarely heard message of the cross and repentance is the initial evidence of Gods existence for those who choose to believe because Jesus came to be light in the darkness that some might see the truth.

Maybe it's time to place things back into proper order and put are actions and arguments in subjection to Lord Jesus and the cross? That in the end we can say we preach Christ and Him crucified, the hope and glory forever. Amen

Lord help me to not become an idol to my self through spiritualism or Gnosticism. Help me to be the worshiper Jesus talked about in John 4. I want to worship you in spirit and truth. Not mine but yours, in Jesus name.
Amen

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