SHORT THOUGHTS


The wisdom of God

059 the wisdom of GodThere is a salient verse in the New Testament in which the apostle Paul speaks of the cross of Christ as a foolishness to the Greeks and an offense to the Jews (1 Cor 1,23), It's easy to understand why he makes that statement. After all, in the view of the Greeks, sophistication, philosophy and education were a sublime aspiration. How could a crucified person convey knowledge at all?

For the Jewish mind it was a cry and a desire to be free. In their history, they were attacked by numerous powers and often humiliated by occupying powers. Whether it was the Assyrians, the Babylonians or the Romans, Jerusalem had been repeatedly plundered and its inhabitants made homeless. What would a Hebrew wish for more than someone who would take care of it and strike back at the enemy? How could a Messiah who was crucified be any help at all?

For the Greeks, the cross was folly. For the Jew, it was a nuisance, a stumbling block. In relation to the cross of Christ, what is there that so resolutely opposed all that was in power? The crucifixion was humiliating, shameful. It was so humiliating that the Romans, so specialized in the art of torture, guaranteed their own citizens that a Roman would never be crucified. ...

Read more ➜

To be too good to be true

236 you get nothing for freeMost Christians do not believe the gospel - they think that salvation can only be achieved if one earns it by faith and morally impeccable life. "You do not get anything in life." "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is not true either." These well-known facts of life are inundated by each and every one of us through personal experiences. But the Christian message is against it. The gospel is truly more than beautiful. It offers a gift.

The late Trinitarian theologian Thomas Torrence put it this way: "Jesus Christ died for you precisely because you are sinful and utterly unworthy of Him and thereby made you your own, even before and independently of your faith in Him. He has so bound you through his love that he will never let go of you. Even if you reject him and send yourself to hell, his love will never cease ". (The Mediation of Christ, Colorado Springs, CO: Helmers & Howard, 1992, 94).

Indeed, that sounds too good to be true! Maybe that's why most Christians don't really believe it. Perhaps that is why most Christians think that salvation is only available to those who are able to do so through faith and a ...

Read more ➜