The Gospel: Christ Crucified

October 20th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolish-ness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

In v. 20, Paul summons all who think they are wise by the world’s standards—those who think they can write and those who think they can debate. Challenging them to a debate with him regarding God’s wisdom, Paul says that God has made their worldly wisdom foolish. Explaining this in v. 21, he says that God, in His eternal wisdom, ordained that no human could ever personally know Him through human wisdom. If anyone could, and who could teach others to know God through human wisdom, such would exalt himself and create a self-exalting people. Instead, God made the gospel message, which is “foolishness” (mōria) to worldly-wise people, so simple that they would deem it absurd, both then and now. Truth is, the gospel of salvation comes through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (cf. Eph. 2:8-10). Pretty simple! And Paul says that God was “well-pleased” (eudokeō) through the so-called “foolishness of the message” that is faithfully preached by apostles like him, to save those who will simply believe.

In this world, then and now, various people seek various forms of wisdom. As for the Jews, they “ask for signs” (v. 22). This makes sense given their history—from the Egyptian exodus to the miraculous signs given by Elijah and Elisha, the Jews were accustomed to phenomenal signs from God. When Jesus arrived on the scene, the Jews required signs from Him (Mark 8:11), signs He repeatedly gave them in His teachings and miracles, though they rejected Him. What they desired was a Messiah who would appear in the clouds and descend upon their enemies. Although Jesus will do such, His first appearance was absurd to them, coming in humility. As for the Greeks (aka, Gentiles), they “search for wisdom”—seeking what they deemed rational, intellectual, logical, and computational reasonings. Now although God is logical and reasonable, He has ordained that these cannot lead the unsaved to salvation. That requires faith in Christ.

So what was Paul’s divine message that leads the lost to saving faith? Answer: Christ crucified. Why is this a “stumbling block” (skandalon) to Jews and “foolishness” (mōria) to Gentiles? Because “Christ” (Heb. Messiah) is God, and logically speaking, God cannot be “crucified” (stauroō). God, by definition, is eternal and unable to die. Even if He could die, to die by crucifixion—the most humiliating and debasing form of death, would be all the more absurd. So, the very phrase “Christ crucified, to Jews,” is akin to “fried ice.” To the logical mind, it cannot happen. It is therefore a skandalon, or offense, to Jews, and it is moronic to Greeks.

In spite of its seeming absurdity, “Christ crucified” is the gospel message from the Almighty, Eternal God. God Himself became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth who lived our life, died our death, and rose from the dead. It is those who are “the called” (klētos) who stand in stark contrast to those who claim the gospel message is offensive or absurd. The “called” are the saved, namely the ekklesia—“called out ones.” They are those who readily receive the simple message of “Christ crucified.” These “called” ones are God’s elect, summoned to believe in Christ from “both Jews and Greeks” (v. 24). To them, Christ crucified means “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” After all, “the foolishness of God,” if there is any, is still “wiser than men”; and the “weakness of God,” if there is any, is still “stronger than men” (v. 25).