“我们却是传钉十字架的基督，在犹太人为绊脚石，在外邦人为愚拙。” – 林前 1:23
使徒保罗写信给在希腊著名城市哥林多的基督徒朋友。伟大的思想家在
公共场合争论他们的观点；那些崇拜者会为他们鼓掌喝彩。希腊人（外邦人）喜欢哲学。当他们听说耶稣为拯救我们而被钉死在十字架上时，他们认为相信并宣扬耶稣是近乎癫狂的事。
另一方面，许多犹太人认为他们的弥赛亚应该是一位伟大的军事统帅，能将他们从罗马的暴政中解放出来。所以，对他们来说，这个人若是被钉在十字架上处决，是很不光彩的事。
保罗并没有被这些偏见和极端的反应吓倒。他继续传讲十字架的信息。他说，并没有别的福音可以传，只有基督的福音，基督为所有信祂的人被钉在十字架上。
除了基督的信息，再没有别的好消息给罪人。只有藉着耶稣的死和复活，我们才有生命。藉着祂的宝血，我们蒙了赦免和救赎。神喜悦藉着这被视为愚拙的信息拯救罪人。神的愚拙比世人所谓的智慧更有智慧。基督的十字架可能会被不信的人所弃绝，但对我们信的人来说，它是“神的大能与智慧”。
祷告
父神，耶稣成就的工作显明了你的大能和智慧。感谢你使我们相信耶稣，祂被钉十架，叫我们得着生命。奉祂的名祷告，阿们。
哥林多前书1:18-31
18因为十字架的道理，在那灭亡的人为愚拙，在我们得救的人却为神的大能。
19就如经上所记：“我要灭绝智慧人的智慧，废弃聪明人的聪明。”
20智慧人在哪里？文士在哪里？这世上的辩士在哪里？神岂不是叫这世上的智慧变成愚拙吗？
21世人凭自己的智慧既不认识神，神就乐意用人所当做愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人，这就是神的智慧了。
22犹太人是要神迹，希腊人是求智慧，
23我们却是传钉十字架的基督——在犹太人为绊脚石，在外邦人为愚拙，
24但在那蒙召的，无论是犹太人、希腊人，基督总为神的能力、神的智慧。
25因神的愚拙总比人智慧，神的软弱总比人强壮。
26弟兄们哪，可见你们蒙召的，按着肉体有智慧的不多，有能力的不多，有尊贵的也不多。
27神却拣选了世上愚拙的，叫有智慧的羞愧；又拣选了世上软弱的，叫那强壮的羞愧。
28神也拣选了世上卑贱的、被人厌恶的以及那无有的，为要废掉那有的，
29使一切有血气的，在神面前一个也不能自夸。
30但你们得在基督耶稣里，是本乎神，神又使他成为我们的智慧、公义、圣洁、救赎。
31如经上所记：“夸口的，当指着主夸口。”
Scandal And Madness
“We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” – 1 Corinthians 1:23
The apostle Paul was writing to his Christian friends in Corinth, a prominent Greek city. Great thinkers disputed their ideas in the public square. Their admirers applauded them. The Greeks (Gentiles) were fond of philosophy. When they heard about Jesus, who was crucified for our salvation, they thought it was madness to believe in and preach about him.
Many Jews, on the other hand, thought their Messiah should be a great warrior-king who would free them from the tyranny of Rome. So, to them, it was scandalous to think of this person nailed to a cross.
Paul was not intimidated by these prejudiced and extreme reactions. He continued to preach the message of the cross. There is no other gospel to be preached, he said, but the message of Christ, who was crucified for all who believe in him.
There is no good news for the sinner apart from the message of Christ. Only by the death and resurrection of Jesus do we have life. It is by his blood that we receive forgiveness and redemption. It has pleased God to save sinners by the foolishness of this preaching. The foolishness of God is wiser than the so-called wisdom of the world. The cross of Christ may be rejected by unbelievers, but to us who believe, it is “the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
Prayer
Father God, the finished work of Jesus reveals your power and your wisdom. Thank you for giving us faith in Jesus, who was crucified so that we may have life. In his name, Amen.
