This is the heart of Christian theology: The Gospel is the word of the cross, and the word of the cross is the Gospel.
This epistle lesson coexists interestingly in the context of the other readings assigned for this Sunday: Micah 6, Psalm 15, and the beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. While epistles in ordinary time are not chosen because of thematic connections, it is remarkable to note at least a fortuitous relationship between the overt social justice theme of the prophetic Word in the other readings and the reversal theme of 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. If those who are blessed are the humble, those who are low, who do low things, who are lowborn, then what serendipity to hear that echoed in Paul’s study on low and high at the end of 1 Corinthians 1. Christ is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jew and Gentile, He is the power and wisdom of God (1:22-24). God’s foolishness is wiser than man’s wisdom (1:25). God’s weakness is stronger than man’s strength (1:25). God chooses the foolish to shame the wise (1:27). God chooses the weak to shame the strong (1:27). God chooses the things that are not to nullify the things that are (1:28). Indeed, the Lord chooses the low and despised in the world (1:28), like Paul’s Corinthian audience of this letter; not many wise according to worldly standards, not many powerful, not many highborn (1:26). This is worth thinking about. The first century Corinthian church is a rubber-hits-the-road, real-life example of what the prophetic voices of David, Micah, and great David’s greater Son are all proclaiming: The little and the low, the least and the lost, those most in need of His mercy and grace are God’s favorite kind of people. And the Corinthians fit that description well.
It may be worth thinking about the degree to which the gathered gaggle of the listeners you will preach to this week compares to the Corinthian congregation. Think of Paul’s audience in real time. Consider the comprehensive picture of a fractured body, a member here or there looking down their nose at the poor, a member here or there ensnared in sexual sin, a member here or there affected by or even encouraging favoritism and aggravating schisms, a member here or there believing falsely about the sacrament or the resurrection or propriety in public worship. In other words, they are a congregation in need of catechesis, a shepherd, a prophet, a Word from God they could trust. Could this be your own congregation?
I have often wondered whether the best way to preach the parables of our savior would not be simply to read them, act them out dramatically, deliver the ipsissima verba, the words themselves, rather than labor to treat them, to preach about the parable. In the same way, I think some reflection on the Apostle’s occasion for saying what he does to a certain people in a certain time and place could justify simply directing these words to your hearers who find themselves in essentially the same context: A body fractured, a body with problems that all bodies face when beset by the world, the Devil, and our own sinful flesh.
The gospel for that body of two millennia ago might well be salutary for their analogous body in the here and now, who also find themselves at God’s mercy and in God’s favor in Christ. This is because recognition of lowness is a precondition for exaltation. The devastation of the Law is precondition for salvation by the Gospel. The setup of the great reversal that Paul articulates here at the end of 1 Corinthians 1 is more than a mere doctrine lesson for the young Christian church. It is actually relevant for real hearers, for real Christians, for real Corinthians as the Apostle pens these words. And it is, therefore, no surprise that these words are still actually relevant, true, and healing words of salvation for Christians still today, including your hearers this Sunday.
The devastation of the Law is precondition for salvation by the Gospel.
But on to preaching the text with words that you craft. The best guide for that is meditating deeply on the center of the pericope, and the center of this pericope is the cross, the cross, the cross. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). The word of the cross is the power of God for those who are being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18). Notice the connection here. This is not simply a sophistic syllogism or a trick of the transitive property. This is the heart of Christian theology: The Gospel is the word of the cross, and the word of the cross is the Gospel. The good news for your hearer is the Christ who died in defiance of the world’s expectations, and in contradiction of human measurements of success. The redeeming, sacrificial death of Christ is the object of Paul’s preaching (which we will see again next week distilled in 1 Corinthians 2:2: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”). The vicarious atonement is sufficient fodder for Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthians to know God and know themselves in Him. Note this well, and keep your own preaching biblical by resolving to deliver the death of Christ to your listeners.
I am reminded of a friend who once had an argument with me based on a prejudice regarding the resurrection of Christ. He had been deeply affected by an evangelical sermon and study series on the risen Christ, which aimed at modern sensibilities that downplay the starkness and bloodiness of the cross. Evangelical Christianity, of course, affirms both the blood-wrought, substitutionary atonement of our Lord as well as His glorious victory over death, the union of two natures in Christ, sacrifice offered, and salvation won. But this friend of mine had spent some time at one exponent of the church which, for that season (or geography or audience or denomination, what have you), was all but eliminating the cross in favor of the empty tomb, what smells like defeat in favor of what proclaims victory. Over the course of several morning meetings, swimming in scriptures like this very one in 1 Corinthians 1, it was encouraging to see the significance of the cross of Christ reemerge for this brother. It was not simply as the necessary “bad news” before we get on to “your best life now,” but, rather, as the centerpiece of his salvation and his God-wrought identity, even as he emerges daily to a new resurrected life.
It is just as necessary to raise the eyebrow at a preacher, church, or proclaiming Christian who fails to present the resurrection, the ascension, or any other among the comprehensive articles of the faith that deliver salvation to your hearer when the occasion demands. But hear this, the goal is not to ensure that you preach all loci every time, or somehow to keep these things in balance like a mixed-drink recipe or formula for “getting it right.” When Paul preaches that the word of the cross is the power of God at the beginning of the letter, and then nearer the end of the letter calls the comprehensive teaching of Christ’s death and resurrection “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3), this is no contradiction. The preaching of the cross is not primarily intended to be dour or depressing, the proclamation of Easter happy or clappy. Feelings are not the goal. Preaching the Christ is. And we preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23). Faithfully preaching the text which delivers that Christ means learning to not be overanxious to import your preconceived notions of getting in as many discrete elements of doctrine as you can, and certainly not to shy away from the material, corporeal, stark, and bloody cross on which your Lord made eternal satisfaction for you and your hearer.
Feelings are not the goal. Preaching the Christ is.
The best of Christian hymnody knows this. The best of Christian hymnody proclaims the cross of Christ. Any hymns that do not are merely furniture, or at best, focus and referents to get to the main event (and should be selected primarily by observing their limited capacity to do that job; to bring the cross of Christ into sharper relief and clearer delivery, and, secondarily, to adorn or beautify). There are, of course, also lots of Christian hymns that attempt the comprehensive, particularly those sixteenth century, ten verse jobs that take Jesus from cradle to second coming. But one thing the best of them never omits is the cross. However, you do not need the entire creed in every song or hymn. There are plenty of fantastic short hymns too. But the best of them teaches what needs to be taught only when they include the cross.
In the same way, as far as the text of your sermon manuscript is concerned, you need not have a scruple about getting our Lord’s burial and descent into Hell somewhere in the pages. But it should never omit the cross of Christ. Feel free to preach an ascensionless sermon. Rest easy knowing it is not your doctrine, not your belief, not your creed, not your preparation as a theologian that is ascensionless. Study, know, and trust the whole enchilada. But you do not have to include every article of the creed, just as you do not need to include every locus of doctrine. It is possible to preach a faithful and effective electionless sermon, a worksless sermon, a finer-points-of-eschatologyless sermon, a Christian behaviorless sermon, just as much as you can have a genus apotelesmaticumless sermon (should, that is; every sermon should always be a genus apotelesmaticumless sermon). And you can even have an Easterless sermon, depending on the occasion and depending on the text.
But you should never have a crossless sermon. Because the word of the cross is the power of God for those who are being saved. It is the Gospel. And that is what you are called to proclaim, to deliver to your hearer, every time. Jesus gave Himself to you, to your listener, to the world that way. Do not fail your hearer. Give them that Jesus. He may look weak. He may look foolish, definitely. But it is in His definite death that God shows His power, His wisdom, and His works salvation for the world, for your listener, and for you.
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you preaching 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
