1Corinthians 1v10-31 Christ The Power of God and the Wisdom of God

·44 min·4 clips

Paul says Christ sent him to preach, not to baptize, revealing salvation comes through faith alone.

Eric Tribble opens the episode by introducing the message from Calvary Chapel Crossover in Tustin, California. He sets the context of 1 Corinthians 1, noting the church in Corinth was generated from a dark culture and was thriving but facing divisions. Tribble reads verse 10, where Paul pleads for unity, and verse 12, which shows factions forming around ministers like Paul, Apollos, and Peter. He explains Paul's three questions in verse 13 to challenge these divisions, focusing on Christ's centrality. Tribble discusses baptism as identification with Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection, referencing Romans 6. He highlights Paul's statement in verse 17 that Christ sent him to preach, not to baptize, stressing salvation is by faith alone, not ritual. Tribble then shifts to Paul's preaching method, noting he avoided worldly wisdom to prevent emptying the cross of its power. He reads verse 18, contrasting the cross as foolishness to the perishing but God's power to the saved. Tribble references Isaiah 29:14 to show God destroys human wisdom, as the world cannot know God through its own understanding. He emphasizes the need for prayer when sharing the gospel, citing the Harvest Crusades as an example. Tribble explains verse 22, where Jews request signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but Paul preaches Christ crucified as a stumbling block and foolishness respectively. He shares a personal anecdote about his brother challenging his view on salvation. Tribble notes verse 24 declares Christ as the power and wisdom of God to those called. He discusses verses 26-31, where God chooses the foolish, weak, and despised to shame the wise, ensuring no flesh glories in His presence. Tribble concludes by urging listeners to glory only in the Lord, quoting Jeremiah 9:24, and leads into a prayer and communion preparation.

As heard by us

A measured study of Corinth, the cross, and why worldly wisdom cannot bring people to know God.

This single-episode review frames 1 Corinthians 1 around the tension between Corinth's young church and the cultural baggage its converts bring with them.

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Why you'd press play

You want a calm Bible study on 1 Corinthians 1, where the cross exposes the limits of human wisdom and points you back to God's revelation.

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