For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18


Today is the second Sunday of Easter; and with the historical events of Christ’s death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Sunday, it is perhaps appropriate for us to take stock of where we are today, and on what do we stand.

In the verse above, Paul says, “the preaching of the cross” is “foolishness” to “them that perish”, but it is “the power of God” to those who are saved.

In making this argument, the apostle Paul is reminding the church that while its gospel does not measure up to the world’s standards (that is why it is “foolishness”), it is nonetheless the only word of salvation to those who believe.

The church in every century has had to resist, sometimes not too successfully, the temptation to try to augment the gospel. For the first-century Jew, dying on a cross signified that one was under God’s curse. The Old Testament idea was that God showed His happiness with an individual by pouring out material blessings and His unhappiness by sending judgment in the form of illness, loss, or trouble. The ultimate form of loss was death, and only criminals of the worst sort were crucified. Then Paul came along and proclaimed that the Cross was not a curse but God’s special revelation of His love and grace. Quite naturally the Jews stumbled over this.

What is meant by “the preaching of the cross...is the power of God”?

Adam Clarke, the classic Bible commentator, says that where the preaching of the gospel is concerned, there are tow classes of people: first, the unbelievers and gainsayers (those who speak against or dispute the gospel); and second, the obedient believers, those “who are in a state of salvation.”

Therefore, the “preaching of the cross” must mean two things: (1) That Christ died as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of people; and, (2) That people can be reconciled to God, pardoned, and saved only by the merits and influence of this atoning sacrifice.

The expression “the power of God” means that it is the way in which God exerts his power in the salvation of people. It is the power which goes forth to save, and by which all the obstacles of man’s redemption are taken away.

After the first resurrection Sunday, all believers are equipped with this power to preach the cross.

In Him,
Rev Robert Chew