1:22
Jews demand miraculous signs, and Greeks look for wisdom.
These are the natural tendencies of these two people groups in Paul's day (I'm not saying for all time). Many Jewish people in Jesus' and Paul's day wanted to see miracles. In John 6, a great chapter to read by the way, the people wanted Jesus to perform another miracle despite the fact that he'd just fed 5000 + people! This shows that miracles by themselves do not make people believe.
Of course, God does do miracles, and even today He often causes miracles to accompany the preaching of the gospel. (Here is a great grocery store miracle story). But miracles in themselves do not guarantee belief in Jesus. Paul knew this and that's why, despite the many miracles God performed through him, he relied on the preaching of the gospel to convert others. The preaching of "Christ crucified" and resurrected, is God's way of spreading the truth about Jesus.
The Greeks that Paul encountered, as we have already seen in this study, were looking for wisdom. This sounds good, but what they were doing was looking for human wisdom, expecting the gospel to fit into their philosophical categories. They were saying, "If this message fits into our philosophical boxes, then we'll believe it." The problem was that it didn't, and it never will. (Read Acts 17 where Paul preaches to the Athenians, the masters of philosophy. When he talks about the resurrection of the dead, some Athenians sneered at him.)
What we encounter in 1:22 is the idea that the gospel of Jesus Christ does not appeal to the natural man. It only appeals to those whom God calls, to those whom He is working on by His Spirit. Remember that Jesus said "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44).
Should we speak the gospel in language that people can understand? Of course. We should remove as many barriers to understanding it as we can, without compromising any of it. But even more than that, we must pray, pray, pray for the Father to draw people to Himself. Then they will be ready to hear the message. Otherwise, neither miracles nor a perfect philosophical presentation of the gospel will cause people to believe.
These are the natural tendencies of these two people groups in Paul's day (I'm not saying for all time). Many Jewish people in Jesus' and Paul's day wanted to see miracles. In John 6, a great chapter to read by the way, the people wanted Jesus to perform another miracle despite the fact that he'd just fed 5000 + people! This shows that miracles by themselves do not make people believe.
Of course, God does do miracles, and even today He often causes miracles to accompany the preaching of the gospel. (Here is a great grocery store miracle story). But miracles in themselves do not guarantee belief in Jesus. Paul knew this and that's why, despite the many miracles God performed through him, he relied on the preaching of the gospel to convert others. The preaching of "Christ crucified" and resurrected, is God's way of spreading the truth about Jesus.
The Greeks that Paul encountered, as we have already seen in this study, were looking for wisdom. This sounds good, but what they were doing was looking for human wisdom, expecting the gospel to fit into their philosophical categories. They were saying, "If this message fits into our philosophical boxes, then we'll believe it." The problem was that it didn't, and it never will. (Read Acts 17 where Paul preaches to the Athenians, the masters of philosophy. When he talks about the resurrection of the dead, some Athenians sneered at him.)
What we encounter in 1:22 is the idea that the gospel of Jesus Christ does not appeal to the natural man. It only appeals to those whom God calls, to those whom He is working on by His Spirit. Remember that Jesus said "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44).
Should we speak the gospel in language that people can understand? Of course. We should remove as many barriers to understanding it as we can, without compromising any of it. But even more than that, we must pray, pray, pray for the Father to draw people to Himself. Then they will be ready to hear the message. Otherwise, neither miracles nor a perfect philosophical presentation of the gospel will cause people to believe.
posted by Rob | 9:18 AM
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