For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:22-24). To the Jews the message of the Gospel (the cross and the freedom delivered there) is a stumblingblock (causes one or fall or sin / an offence). To the Greeks rational thought process the message of the cross is foolishness (silly, not considered to be rational thought). The Jews wanted a sign, but did not see the sign of the cross or the fact that this happened during the Passover – the Jews (law driven/works driven) seek a sign and hide their eyes to the sign. The Greeks (rational thought) want something to reason in their minds and come up with a logical conclusion. The thought that a man could be redeemed by the death of the Son of God does not fit the self-righteous laws of works, nor does it fit the intellectual working of a mind that has chosen the knowledge of good and evil as its pattern for the thought process.

If one comes to the gospel from a law/works mind set they come through Jesus Christ whom fulfilled the law (fully filled the law), whom was and is the Word of God, and as a sign to sign seekers died to completely fulfill the requirements of the law for all of mankind. The Word of God died – the commandments (law) are every word that proceeds from the mouth of God – it was written down, but only after it was spoken. The Word of God was resurrected without the sting of death; the requirement of the law was complete. To a Jew (law/works) the message of the gospel calls one to fall away from the call to self-righteousness by strict compliance to the policies mankind derived from the law. In reality the cross frees the heart and the mind to seek God separate from the duties of the law, and free from the fear of death.

If one comes to the cross from meditating on life through rational thinking, one has to start with what one believes they know. God has written His law on our hearts, so there is something that can be known of God without researching any more than our heart. When we think about the situation mankind is in, we see that mankind does not come up with moral truths on their own, but indeed seems to devalue moral truth when left on their own (with the knowledge of good and evil). So when meditating on moral truth one is led to the fact that something outside of mankind is required to introduce moral truth. The Holy Spirit whom formed us in our mother’s womb created something of truth in us. Still it is not rational to think that someone would die in our place, and that they would then get up from the dead to be our example of God’s love towards us. Men and women go into battle everyday and die for another’s freedom or right to a political thought, but they do not rise up again.

When starting with law/works or with rational thought, one cannot resolve the cross. God set before us life and death and said, “Choose life.” In the beginning mankind was given a choice between knowledge of good and evil and life. There is some correlation between choosing the knowledge of good and evil and the absence of life. The law that one follows by the understanding granted by our own knowledge of good and evil leads to death. The rational though process that is led by our own knowledge of good and evil leads to death. At some point an understanding of grace and faith, in the works of God to grant us life, interrupts our own knowledge of good and evil, and accepts the work of the cross for redemption. There is no Jew or Greek in the body of Christ; the body is made up of those who believe in the grace bought for us at the cross of redemption. That price was delivered to the God on Resurrection morning (the wave (first-fruit) offering of Jesus Christ, the eternal Lamb).

© 2011, Tim D. Coulter Sr.