The cross is the heart of the gospel: the preaching of the cross is foolishness to the lost, but to those who are saved it is the power of God.
Les Feldick teaches from 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the cross of Christ — His death, burial, and resurrection 2,000 years ago — divides all of humanity into two groups: those who perish, to whom it is foolishness, and those who are saved, to whom it is the power of God. The cross matters today because the eternal God was on that cross, and God's saving power is released only when a person believes that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again.
1 Corinthians 1:18 — This verse is the anchor of Les's teaching on the cross — it contrasts the cross as foolishness to those who perish with the power of God to those who are saved.
1 Corinthians 1:18 declares, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." The passage that follows explains why the cross exposes the limits of human understanding: God says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent" (v. 19). Scripture then asks, "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" (v. 20), and states that "the world by wisdom knew not God" (v. 21). While "the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom" (v. 22), to those who are called — "both Jews and Greeks" — "Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (v. 24).
Les Feldick repeatedly turns to 1 Corinthians 1:18 as the verse that "says everything that needs to be said." He defines the preaching of the cross as the gospel itself: that Christ died, was buried, and rose again. To the lost world — the "hustling and bustling humanity" around us — that message is foolishness, and people ask what someone who died 2,000 years ago has to do with them today. Les insists it has everything to do with them, because it was the eternal God who was on that cross. To those who are saved, however, the preaching of the cross is the power of God — the power that alone can free a person from the shackles of sin and that is released when a person believes the gospel. Paul came to the Greek, philosophy-driven city of Corinth not with intellectual degrees or a new philosophy but with the simplicity of the gospel, the cross of Christ. The cross likewise confronts human wisdom, for God has promised to destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring the understanding of the prudent to nothing, since the world by wisdom knew not God. Good works never save anybody; salvation is entirely the power of God through the preaching of the cross.
The lost world regards the preaching of the cross as foolishness because people cannot comprehend that what someone did 2,000 years ago has anything to do with them today. Les points to the masses "hustling and bustling" through life and says that to that lost humanity the cross does not amount to anything; they ridicule and scorn it. Yet Les maintains the cross has everything to do with us today because the eternal God was on that cross.
To those who are saved, the preaching of the cross is the power of God. It takes God's power to save us and set us free from the shackles of sin, and that power can never be released until we believe the gospel: that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. Because salvation comes through that power, good works never save anybody.
The Greeks in Corinth were devoted to philosophy, always seeking some new thing to philosophize about. Paul, however, did not come with intellectual degrees or a new philosophy; he came with the gospel, which is the cross of Christ. The cross sets aside human achievement, because God has written that He will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. The world by wisdom knew not God.
Les shows that Paul preached the same message everywhere, including to the deputy in Acts — the preaching of the cross. To them that perish it is foolishness, but to us who are saved it is the power of God. Jews require a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom, but unto them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The Cross vs. Greek Philosophy
Les explains that the cross is not the result of intellectual achievement — Paul came to philosophy-driven Corinth with the simple gospel, the cross of Christ, which the lost world regards as foolishness.
The Cross as the Power of God
Les teaches that to the saved, the preaching of the cross is the power of God — the power that frees us from the shackles of sin is released when we believe Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again.
Defining the Preaching of the Cross
Les defines the preaching of the cross as Christ died, was buried, and rose again, and shows that the world dismisses it because it cannot connect a man who died 2,000 years ago to today.
The Cross's Effect Today
Les emphasizes that people cannot comprehend how something done 2,000 years ago affects us today, yet the preaching of the cross is the power of God to those who are saved.
The Eternal God on the Cross
Les highlights that the significance of the cross rests on the person who died — the eternal God was on that cross — which is why it has everything to do with us today.
The Cross vs. Human Wisdom
Les shows that the cross confronts human wisdom, since the only reason anyone can have Christ in their heart is what He did on the cross, and God destroys human wisdom and understanding.
The Cross Says Everything
Les says 1 Corinthians 1:18 says everything that needs to be said — the cross is foolishness to the lost and the power of God to the saved, which is why good works never save anyone.
Christ the Power of God
Les shows that Paul preached the same cross everywhere — to the saved it is the power of God, and to the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ Himself is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
This is the anchor verse Les repeats in nearly every clip — it defines the cross as foolishness to the lost and power to the saved.
1 Corinthians 1:19: For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Les quotes this to show that God sets aside human wisdom through the cross.
1 Corinthians 1:20: Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
Confirms that God has made the wisdom of the world foolish.
1 Corinthians 1:21: For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
The world's wisdom could not find God; salvation comes through the preaching of the cross.
1 Corinthians 1:22: For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
Les cites this to contrast what the Jews and Greeks demanded with what the cross actually is.
1 Corinthians 1:24: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Les cites this to show that Christ Himself is the power of God to those who are called.
The cross is the power of God to everyone who is saved, and foolishness to those who perish. Les teaches from 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the preaching of the cross — Christ died, was buried, and rose again — has everything to do with us today because the eternal God was on that cross.
The lost world cannot grasp that what someone did 2,000 years ago has any effect on them today. To that lost humanity, the cross does not amount to anything, and they ridicule and scorn it.
The power of God to save is released when a person believes the gospel that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. That power sets believers free from the shackles of sin, and good works never save anybody.
In the Greek, philosophy-driven city of Corinth, Paul did not come with intellectual degrees or a new philosophy. He came with the gospel, which is the cross of Christ.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Cross Is Foolishness to the World — 1 Corinthians 1:18-25