Middletown transcript., 1916-07-29
LESSON FOR JULY 30
"THE WORD OF THE CROSS"


GOLDEN TEXT-Far be it from me to
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ.-Gal 6:14.
PauI's letter to the church at Cor
inth was written from the city OF
Ephesus some four of five years after
Paul had left COrinth. We have seen
some of the difficulties which sur
rounded this church. 1t was small
body of believers in a great city OF
four hundred thousand. 1t was sur
rounded by all kinds of liscentiousneSs
and excess so that to maintain Chris
tan moral ideal was difficult in the ex-
treme. That is why this first epistle
has so much to do with church govern
ment and such questions as the mar
riage relation, the conduct of public
assemblies, spiritual gifts, the resur-
rection from the dead, different fac
tiOns, the love feaSts of the rich and
the poor, eating meat offered to idols,
law suits conducted before the heath
en-, the Lords supper and church
dicipline are discussed. Paul did not
himself write the letter. SOsthenes
acted as his amanuensis. In this let
ter is the wonderful and immortal love
chapter (Ch. 13), and the magnificent
resurrection chapter (Ch. 15). Paul
recognizes many of the good things
that have been done by the COrinthian
church (See Oh. Wv. 1-9), but goes on
to entreat the church against any
party spirit and factions (vv. 1O-O.
His argument for church unity is
superb.
The only unity desirable or possible
is that which Christ prayed for (John
17:2D. This is not unity of opinion
or of organization, but unity of pur-
pose and power, the working together
of Delivers in harmony to attain the
great purposes of Christianity. 1t is a
unity of freedom and not of compul-
sion.
I. The Power and Wisdom of God.
wv. 1929. To a sin-blinded mind the
preaching of the cross is fOOliShness.
Even some professed Christians reject
the doctrine Of substitution which is
found everywhere in the Bible. lisa.
SO :6; Gal. 5 :13; Cor. ) Ply. If the
doctrine of the cross is fOolishness to
anyone 1t is to them that perish.
The Jews require a sign ". 22) but
the cross puts them to shame ". 20.
God is made unto us wisdom, not the
wisdom of men but the wisdom Of the
Spirit. 1t is such preaching as this
that is "the power of Cod" 1t has
proven itself the power of God in our
lives. 1t will destroy the wisdom of
the wise" and bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent Elsa.
20 IA CT. Jer. S:9). God is constantly
making foolish the power and wisdom
of this world. PhilOsophic research
after the unknOwable tries to make
a God of its own pattern but does
not satisfy the lOngingS of the human
heart" and God through the foolish
ness of the thing preached is pleased
to "save them which believe" The
performing of a miracle (Math. II :3S) l.,
and the Greeks seeking after wisdom,
or philosophical reasoning, is no match
for the Christ crucifed whom Paul
preached. The wisdom of man in COM
parison with the wisdom of God is
worthless: the fOolishneSS of God is
wiser than that of man, and the weak
ness of God is stronger than that OF
man. God does a good deal of playing
upon imperfect instruments.
He doubtless often longs to produce
! better music through these human in
struments. but hard as it is to keep
them near to concert pitch, yet he is
patient and, unto them which are
called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of
God" is producing the anthem OF glory
to the honor of his name.
II. The Preaching and Power of Paul
wv. 26 to Oh. ? :2). Taking the Bible as
a whole, we see in it Gods plan and
purpose with regard to the goal of
mankind The problem was by what
means this purpose could be per-
formed. The whole of the Old Testa-
ment is a story of God working to this
end. Then at the best time in all his
| tory came Jesus, the son of God, into
the world, and, by his death on the
cross and his resurrection, we are all
bound together in one, summed up in
the cross as the power and the wisdom
| of God for salvation. The symbol of
the cross is a common sight, yet the
great truth which it symbOlizeS is
often ObScured by scholars, and fails
to be lived by disciples. God chooses
| those whom the world rejects, 1.-The
foolish" and whom the world rejects
as "the weak" These are the ones
| that were called even in Paufs day.
The purpose of this call is to cOnfound
(Or to put to shame) the wisdom of
men. The most powerful motive in
existence is the motive of the cross.
(1) The cross is the highest proof and
| the strongest expression of the love
of God for man. (2) the cross was
! the agent whereby atonement was
made for sin. (3) The cross shows us
the terrible evils of sin and the de-
mand of such a sacrifice as Gods son
| in order to save US from it. az 1t
| shows us that God wants us to come
to him and to be saved, and that there
is Joy in heaven over every repentant
! sinner. (5) 1t shows the supreme val
ue of right and duty in that Christ
went to the cross at the terrible cost
of his life. (6) 1t shows the value of
the human soul. CD From the cross,
through the resurrection and the ever.
living Saviour, God has given us the
fullness of the Spirit to inspire and
| transform.
We are nothing in ourselves, and