How is Christ crucified viewed by Jews and Greeks versus by those who are called?
Scripture presents Christ crucified as a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks. But to those who are called—the elect, the saved—both Jews and Greeks, Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God, not human foolishness or weakness.
Les teaches that Paul says, “We preach Christ crucified.” He contrasts Paul’s perspective with Peter’s: Peter was not preaching the crucifixion as a means of salvation but to prove that God had overcome what they had accomplished and could still fulfill His covenant promises. Paul, however, looks at the whole scene differently—that Christ did it for us, that we might have life eternal. Les explains that to the Jews this crucified Christ 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 illustrates this with the Red Sea: it was not Israel or Moses who opened it, but God’s supernatural power. Likewise, when we believe the gospel, God works supernaturally and gives us a new, divine nature, which we cannot produce ourselves. It is by faith, not by doing anything, but by believing.
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;