World's wisdom or God's foolishness - pick one

You are reading my open letter to Corinth, part: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Greetings to all of you at Corinth! I'm here with my friend Sosthenes, and I'm sending you this letter in response to Messiah's call on my life. Jesus the Messiah sent me to you, Messiah's followers who have been cleaned up and set apart for God, you folks who call on God's name everywhere you go. Grace and shalom to you from our Father and our common master, the Messiah!

I'm constantly thanking God for the grace he gave to you folks in Corinth, the grace given in the form of the Messiah, Jesus. From what we hear and know about you, God made your lives deeper and richer. From this, we know Messiah is in you. I see all God's gifts evident in you as you wait for Messiah to be revealed once again. This same Messiah will see you through to the end. I'm entirely convinced that when the Day of the Lord comes, you'll be seen spotless and blameless because of God's faithfulness in Messiah Jesus.

Stop fighting amongst yourselves!

I have a serious matter to bring up, however, and I want to call you to action on one thing, my brothers and friends: unity. I've heard some disturbing reports from my friend Chloe that some of you folks have divided yourself into camps: a group that follows my teachings, another group that follows Peter, one that follows Apollos, and finally another that follows only Messiah's teachings.

Don't do that. Listen, Messiah wasn't split between me, Peter, and Apollos. I wasn't crucified for you. You weren't baptized in my name, were you?

After hearing about this nonsense going on, thank God I didn't baptize you all! As far as I can remember, I only baptized Crispus, Gaius, and Stephanas's family. So at least no one can go around saying, "I was baptized into Paul."

God didn't send me to immerse you in water or make a following for myself. He sent me to speak with plain boldness the Good News of Messiah, so that the death of the sacrifice lamb, the Messiah himself, wouldn't be rendered pointless. This powerful, central act God did for us should be the focus.

God has picked the foolish things of this world

That statement about his sacrificial death is foolishness and silliness to the folks dying of ignorance or unbelief, those folks hellbent on doing it their own way. But to us, that statement makes perfect sense; it's the most powerful work God's ever done on our behalf.

You know the world thinks lowly of us. We're the dumb ones, the unintelligent ones who believe foolish rubbish, they'll tell you. It's ironic that this is exactly what God planned - remember when he spoke hundreds of years ago to Israel,

I'll destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will bring to nothing.

God has indeed chosen the foolish things of this world in order to confound and confuse those who think so highly of themselves. It's no wonder it's always the lowly and the broken-hearted folks who turn to God! Rarely do we see those who think themselves intelligent and higher than others turn to God. No, only after God breaks something in the core of their being and brings them to a humble place do we ever see them turn back to God.

In this masterful plan, God's made the wisdom and intelligence of the world into true foolishness, and folded man's supposed foolishness into his plan.

In this so-called enlightened day and age, is there really wisdom? Where is it? Is there really anyone truly intelligent? I considered myself such a man once, having studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel and learned man's latest doctrines; an intellectual by all means.

Yet God exposed man's intelligence -- even my own! -- as pretentious nonsense. The world in all its wisdom and knowledge remains clueless when it comes to knowing God. God's delighted in choosing what the world considers foolish -- preaching, of all things! -- in order that the high and mighty be laid low, and the low and humble be made righteous and upstanding before God. Thus, the world does not understand God.

As I write this, religious Jews ask for miracles, whereas you gentiles look for understanding and logic. So, when we preach Messiah's sacrificial death, it's a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Greeks! But we preach the power of God through Messiah to both Jews and gentiles anyways, because God's "foolishness" is wiser the world's wisdom and intelligence. God's "weakness" is greater than the world's strength.

I look at you and I don't see many of the "best and brightest", not many influential, not many high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women the culture overlooks and discards, exploits and abuses? God picked such "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies". He picks the ones who are broken, suffering, lowly, humble. In doing this, God shatters the self-importance of the pompous "high and mighty" folks. The first will be last, and the last will be first.

The world will call you weak, unintelligent, and foolish for following God. Don't worry about them. God's picked the foolish things in order to put the world's wisdom to shame. The things the world hates and despises and has contempt for -- these are the things God chooses, as if to laugh in the face of those who think themselves so great.

If there are any who are great, let them be great not for the world, but great for God.

Jew & gentile, praising God together

You are reading my open letter to Rome, part: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][[10][[11]][12][13][14][15][16]

If you've got strong faith, give a helping hand to those struggling. Do it even if it's inconvenient for you. Build each other up. Messiah did this very thing for us. Scripture put it this way:

I took on the troubles of the troubled.

Even though this Scripture was written long ago, it's still applicable to us today; teaching us and encouraging us, helping us endure to the end.

I hope that God -- the same one who gives endurance and encouragement -- will unify you with his Spirit, becoming one in Messiah, so that we can give our Father the glory from our hearts and from our lips.

Messiah of Israel,
Messiah of the whole world

So, accept each other just like Messiah accepted you. Jesus the Messiah held true to the old covenants and promises given to Abraham and Israel, confirming their truths as he became a servant to the Jewish people. And out of this came an amazing reality: you non-Jews spread all over the world came to know the God of Israel through Messiah, glorifying the Father in the process. Amazing! Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true by what you gentiles do:

Then I'll join gentiles in a hymn-sing;
I'll sing to your name!

And this one:

Gentiles, rejoice with God's people!

And again:

Praise the Lord, all you gentiles,
and sing His praises, all peoples, all nations!

And Isaiah's word:

The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
the gentiles will put their hope in him.

God is awesome! Oh, let the God of hope make you break forth in joy, filling you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of His Spirit, will brim over with hope!

Well done!

It seems to me you Roman believers in Messiah are currently filled with goodness, knowledgeable and competent, able to instruct each other. So, just because I've been bold and blunt with you doesn't mean I'm criticizing. I'm just walking out this assignment God's given me to teach His ways to you gentiles, so that you'll be acceptable as an offering to God through His Spirit.

Such teaching is part of my servant status to the Master. I'm not bragging; I don't boast about anything other than what Messiah has accomplished by my obedience! And what boasting we can do: all the signs and wonders God's done right in front of our eyes, through the power of his Spirit. From Jerusalem to Illyricum, Israel to Greece, I've spoke what God's led me to speak: this good news of Messiah. It's has been my desire to blaze a new trail outside of Israel, outside of Greece, somewhere where Messiah has never been heard of. This is why it's difficult for me to journey to you personally. Take comfort in the Scripture that is being fulfilled,

Those who were never told about him--they'll see him!
Those who've never heard of Him--they'll understand him!

There's little left for me to cover in this region; since I've looked forward to visiting you for so many years now, I'm planning to visit. I plan to visit you on my way to Spain, you can help me on my journey as I enjoy your company. Right now, however, I'm headed back to Jerusalem, to help out the poor people there who love Messiah. This is possible thanks to the contributions made by those in believers in Greece, who donated happily. It makes sense though, gentiles owe it to Jews: gentiles have shared in Jews' spiritual blessings, gentiles can at least share in material blessings.

So, after I personally see to it the Jewish poor receive the donations by the gentiles, I'll make my way over to you. I'm hoping this visit with you will be one of Messiah's more extravagant blessings!

I need to ask one more thing of you, my friends: pray for me. There are a lot of people who hate Messiah in Israel, so I ask you to pray God's protection and deliverance for me. Also, pray that the relief offering to the impoverished Messiah-followers in Jerusalem will be accepted in the spirit in which it is given. Then, God willing, I'll be on my way to you with a light and eager heart, looking forward to being refreshed by your company. God's peace be with all of you. Oh, yes!