Posted by from Fr. Steven Kostoff (dcalvert) on 7/25/2007, 11:22 pm
Dear Fathers, Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,
We encounter, in the opening chapter of St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, one of the most expressive and profound presentations of the Gospel found in the entire New Testament:
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debator of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God,
the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what
we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek
wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of
God is stronger than men. (I COR. 1:20-25)
Until the end of time, the preaching of "Christ crucified" will remain both a "stumbling block" or "folly to those who are perishing." (I COR. 1:18) It could not possibly be otherwise the world being what it is. Human wisdom in its foolishness (and arrogance?) would not be able to grasp the foolishness of God as true wisdom. Human wisdom could not have thought up, let alone devised, such a means of salvation - the "Lord of glory" crucified upon the Cross, thus nailing our sins to the Cross and thereby destroying the power of death. When St. Paul entered Corinth in order to proclaim the Gospel - "not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power" (I COR. 2:4) - he was not naive to the fact that the Cross was a scandal to Jewish nationalism and madness to Greek intellectualism. This was the struggle that would engage him until the end of his life. The gift of perseverance alone working within him must have been truly amazing. Yet the chosen Apostle remained confident that through the preaching of the Cross the grace and power of God are made manifest, and that there would be those who believe. As St. John Chrysostom commented:
The gospel produces the exact opposite of what people want and expect, but it is that
very fact which persuades them to accept it in the end. The apostles won their case
not simply without a sign, but by something which appeared to go against all the known
signs. The cross seems to be a cause of offense, but far from simply offending, it
attracts and calls believers to itself. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL TO THE
CORINTHIANS 4.5.
It human terms, it was not possible for fishers to get the better of philosophers, but that
is what happened by the power of God's grace. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL
TO THE CORINTHIANS 5.5.
These "believers" became the core groups that emerged as "churches" throughout the Graeco-Roman world of the Apostle's time. These churches, and the believers who comprised them, were most probably not that impressive to the eyes of worldly wisdom, but the Apostle consoled these scattered faithful with the "transvaluation of values" found in the foolish wisdom of God:
For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,
not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the
world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God
chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing
things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (I COR.1:26-29)
Essentially, the Apostle Paul was preaching that the center of divine revelation is the crucified Jew, Jesus of Nazareth! Besides its initial incoherence, this must have severely offended the pride of a world relatively united in a religious, philosophical and cultural heritage that was already many centuries in the making. The ancient world was being asked to humble itself before the "Nazarene." In other words, all of you (worldly) lovers of wisdom: abandon your allegiance to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle for "Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption!" (I COR. 1:30)
To believe in the one who was crucified and buried and to be fully convinced that he rose
again, does not need more reasoning but faith alone. The apostles themselves were
converted not by wisdom but by faith. Once they had that, they surpassed the heathen
wise men in both wisdom and intellectual depth.... Plato was cast out not by another
philosopher of more skill but by unlearned fishers. HOMILIES ON THE EPISTLES OF
PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS 4.4.
We need to appreciate this aspect of the Apostle Paul's efforts and results.
(To be continued - hopefully tomorrow!)
Fr. Steven C. Kostoff
Christ the Savior/Holy Spirit Orthodox Church
http://www.christthesavioroca.org
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