1 CORINTHIANS 1 (SECOND READING)
1 CORINTHIANS 1 (SECOND READING)
Ques Why is it said that Christ sent Paul to preach?
CAC I suppose Christ being brought in personally would have a great bearing on the apostle’s service. The anointed One being brought in did not leave any room for what was diverse in character. The apostle had in mind the true meaning of the cross of Christ, and he kept Christ and the cross always in mind in his service. He received his commission from the exalted and glorified One. “Not in wisdom of word” — you cannot talk people into being christians.
It would seem that the cross was not presented prominently in the preaching in the Acts but that Christ was presented personally. It was brought in there once to accentuate the guilt of men who crucified Him. The cross is brought in prominently in Corinthians and Galatians when there has been departure. Where there is a slipping away from Christ and the Spirit and from divine grace, the truth of the cross becomes very necessary as the power of recovery. They had reverted largely to the wrong man and Paul does not come down on them in a withering way, but, in the skill of divine love, he showed how the cross had governed his own service among them. They had been so affected by it that he knew they would understand and he appealed to the divine work in them [p. 8] that could receive what was presented. The cross governed his service and he would give no place to man in the flesh. The gospel does not address itself to man’s intellect but to his conscience and heart. There is nothing more needful today than the preaching of the cross, especially among those who believe.
It is very necessary for us as believers to consider the cross and that Christ was crucified — not only that He died but the kind of death that He suffered. The Lord referred to His being lifted up and the Spirit adds that He spoke of “what death he was about to die”, John 12: 33. It was the death of the cross; He died in the position of the utmost reproach. There is no death that is so expressive of reproach and before God it speaks of a curse “Cursed is every one hanged upon a tree”, Galatians 3: 13. Now we have to come to it that that is our place, because if Christ, God’s anointed Man, is there, He is not there for anything in Himself. It is the only thing we can boast in: “far be it from me to boast save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world”, Galatians 6: 14. What a practical thing it became to Paul! It is no good to speak about the cross and then exhibit fallen man in my words and ways. It was myself who was judged publicly in the cross of Christ; it was not a private but a public matter. If it took hold of me as it did of Paul it would powerfully affect my service, for that is what is in mind — the cross as a regulating power that would shut out the flesh in the service. The apostle reminds them how he could move in perfect liberty in his service by bringing in the cross. By his learning he could have silenced the philosophers but he took a line that would have been contemptible in the eyes of the learned Greeks and which was a scandal in the eyes of the Jews. Such a man should be crucified himself, they would say.
[p. 9] It is touching that he does not bring the cross to bear on them to crush them. He reminds them of how he served. He would not have the cross emptied of its meaning. As having learned Christ as God’s wisdom and God’s power we ought to be very sympathetic with this ministry. The power of the cross has shown that not one single bit of me can remain before God, and I am thankful.
Rem It is a relief to turn away from myself to Christ.
CAC It is very important when christendom is so characterised by Judaism. The Messiah on the cross is the death-blow to the aspirations of the Jew. The religious man is absolutely rejected by God and this is seen in the cross. The cross is the power of God to free me from everything connected with myself naturally. If you could get all the wisdom of the world in one man it would not help him one jot as a christian. God has set all aside in the cross, the wisdom of the world and the religion of the world. It is part of His definite plan to “destroy the wisdom of the wise, and set aside the understanding of the understanding ones”, 1 Corinthians 1: 19. It is only by the calling of God that we come into it, not because of any good disposition on our part. Without God’s calling we should have no appreciation of Christ or understanding of the cross, so we do not seek to work on what man is. The cross is God’s estimate of man after the flesh.
Rem In Romans 8 it is said, “God, having sent his own Son, in likeness of flesh of sin, and for sin, has condemned sin in the flesh”.
CAC Yes, it is publicly condemned for those who are called of God, as those at Corinth were. God had called them Himself, and the result was that Christ was precious as the wisdom and power of God. Paul was encouraged to labour at Corinth because the Lord had said, “I have much people in this city”. To everyone not called of God it is a scandal, or foolishness, to tell him he [p. 10] is under death and the judgment of God. What we are is a deeper matter than what we have done. There is a fountain of evil in ourselves and many spend their lives in fruitless struggles to improve themselves. When this is faced and accepted nothing remains before God but Christ, and the believer finds everything in Him, God’s anointed Man, as we read: “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption”. So there is a complete furnishing for the bankrupt sinner who did not know what to do. He finds everything he could desire in Christ. It is most emancipating! It is the greatest wisdom too — there is no philosophy like it! Philosophy tries to patch men up, but all is worthless for man is under death. It is a simple gospel which is true, and angels have been wondering at it for two thousand years. By divine grace we are linked up with the wisdom and power of God. The man with whom I was linked has been publicly judged in the cross of Christ so that I may be linked up in grace with the Man Christ Jesus. By the mighty power of God the saved ones, the called ones, believers are taken out of Adam and planted in Christ. There is nothing left but to glorify God and that is liberty, for the service of God is in view.
In chapter 2 we have the Spirit, but the truth of the cross is necessary if we are to get the gain of the Spirit. I think I ask every day for more of the gain of the Spirit but it is only possible as the power of the cross is applied to us by God. There is no need why any christian should walk according to the flesh for five minutes — we are under no obligation to do so. The divine furnishing is that we are not debtors to the flesh. If it does act for a moment it should be judged immediately; then we can go on.
Verses 26 - 29 show how it works out practically. Look [p. 11] round and see who is called. God is set to put aside anything that would give distinction to man. It is not said, ‘not any high-born’ but “not many”. If He does choose such He brings them down in their thoughts. “God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that he may put to shame the wise ... the ignoble things of the world, and the despised, has God chosen, and things that are not, that he may annul the things that are”. He is really referring to persons. We have to learn what nonentities we are, and God says, ‘I have chosen you to show what I can do for you; I will take you out of all that you are by nature, and put you in Christ Jesus, and then you will have nothing to do but to praise Me!’ It is a profound comfort to me. God will bring to nothing all that men boast in. If there is anything we fancy in ourselves, God is set to crush it, for He wants us to boast in Christ Jesus.