What is Christ crucified to Jews, Greeks, and the called?
Paul writes that Christ crucified is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, but to the called—the elect, the saved—both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Les explains that Paul preaches Christ crucified. To the Jews this is a stumbling block, and to the Greeks it is foolishness. But to those who are called—the elect, the saved—both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Les contrasts this with Peter's preaching: Peter preached the crucifixion to prove God had overcome what they had accomplished and could still fulfill His covenant promises, while Paul looks at the whole scene from a different perspective—that He did it for us, that we might have life eternal. Les illustrates with the Red Sea: it was not Israel or Moses but God's power that opened it supernaturally. Likewise, when we believe the gospel, God works supernaturally and gives us a new divine nature that we cannot produce ourselves, and this is where faith comes in—not by doing anything, but by believing.
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
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