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Power of God

Power of God

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 WEB

In the previous verses, Paul greeted the Corinthians and offered thanksgiving for the grace God gave the church in Jesus Christ. He then briefly addressed divisions in the church that arose from petty human rivalries. In verse eighteen, Paul expands upon a statement he made in 1 Corinthians 1:17 which reads, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void. WEB”

The divisions in the church came from misplaced enthusiasm over church leaders. Some bragged that they followed Paul, or Cephas, or Apollos based upon who evangelized them with the gospel message of Christ. Paul points to the absurdity of these claims asking in 1 Corinthians 1:13-14, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? WEB” 

Faith in Jesus 

To address the issue of divisions in the church, Paul divides people into two groups. First, he describes those who perish without Christ. Second, Paul mentions those who receive salvation by the power of God. Paul teaches that it is not he, or Cephas, or Apollos, or any other evangelist that saves, it is faith in Jesus Christ that saves by the power of God. 

For this reason, Paul gives a simple message of salvation rather than attempting to impress crowds with eloquent speech. No matter what is said, the scoffers and the mockers reject the gospel message as foolishness. But for the faithful, it is enough to share the truth of God’s grace and love in the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. It does not matter who shared the word or how gifted the individual evangelist, what matters is that faith in Jesus Christ transforms repentant sinners by the power of God. 

Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the record of the early church found in the Bible. Thank you for the simple truth of salvation through faith in Christ. Guide me by the power of your holy word. Help me to share the truth of your love with the world. In Jesus’ name – Amen”

Yesterday’s Devotional: To Lie to the Holy Spirit

He Will Guide You

However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. John 16:13 WEB During the ministry of Jesus, his disciples...

The Forgiveness of Sins

Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 WEB Jesus promised his disciples in John 14:13. “I will pray to the Father, and he will...

The Fullness of the Deity

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 NIV These verses are a potion of Paul’s message of spiritual fullness in Christ. In verse...