The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, "I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as shams." So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered stupid—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. (I Corinthians 1:18-21 MSG) Using what the world considered stupid - preaching. Paul has just made a very pointed statement that we cannot overlook. He said, "God didn’t send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done,...
I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. (I Corinthians 1:10 MSG) When God has a 'bone to pick' with us, he certainly doesn't mince words, does he? Here we find the believers in Corinth at each other's throats, comparing what Paul, Apollos, and even the Messiah himself had taught or were presently teaching. They were 'taking sides' - in other words, there was division in the church even from the start! Imagine that - division amongst God's chosen - now how could that have happened? Pride, jealousy, misunderstanding, and even gossip could have been at the core of this division - we just don't know the specifics, but we do know God wanted it to stop. Learning to live in unity as believers is sometimes a bit of a challenge because we all come into thi...