The Boasting of the Cross vs. Human Pride
They attempt to give, yet they ask in bad faith; the word is cast out entirely as one attacking the glory of the cross. But we preach Christ crucified and the following. It is evident that he says Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God according to the logic of the cross, as being superior; for the word of the cross is foolishness to those being destroyed, but to us being saved it is the power of God.
He demonstrates this more clearly after saying: to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, he brought Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God; because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Who would dare say the Word God is the weakness of God, and the foolishness of God regarding the crucified Christ? God the Word is powerful as the Father, not a power as a part fulfilling the essence of the Father, and likewise wise; since that which the visible creation, or angels, or archangels, or patriarchs, or prophets, or the law through Moses, or the voices from the midst of the fire brought to the people—which could not forgive the choice of the ungrateful—this, the foolishness of the cross, prevailed.
Therefore, Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God, more incomparable to all the economy and more reliable than all creation. And this is the power of the one who dispensed and perfected, having saved men through nothing and having brought them into faith in him.
Since the Jews test the Spirit of God, but it is to be granted to the believers, it is also necessary to answer the Greeks who think they can order piety by rationality; then he teaches how the preaching seems to be foolishness. For they seek signs and wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, the power of God and the wisdom of God, and we promise salvation from the crucified one to those who believe.
It is not right to say the Word God is the weakness of God, but rather the cross of Christ; for the Word is powerful as the Father, not a power as a part fulfilling the essence of the Father. So also the Son is wise as the Father.
Not by angels, nor by law, nor by prophets, but because God forgives according to the choice of the ignorant, this thing which seems to be the foolishness of the cross has power. The crucified Christ is proclaimed as the power and wisdom of God, having been seen as stronger and more enduring, having saved those who believe. 1 Cor 1:26 The fleshly element was added, opposing the spirit, and the following things similarly give out according to the common. 1 Cor 1:29 So that no flesh may boast before Him; that is, so that the achievement of the preaching is not written upon the advantages of those at home. But he said 'flesh' and not 'soul', belittling human boastings. And why 'before Him' and not 'before men'? Because the boasting upon our own advantages was set in opposition to the boasting upon God. For what was necessary to write upon God, they were writing upon men. Therefore he said 'before Him'; for boasting occurring before Him, He who sees all, was impious. And that he said 'before Him' and not 'in the presence' is shown by this whole hypothesis; for those boast in words and in baptizing, and make the word about other things. 1 Cor 1:30
But of Him you are. All similarly say now that it has been said according to the being saved, not according to the logic of creation, as it is said elsewhere: those who were not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh, but of God. If therefore it is of Him, how shall we boast in our own advantages? But it is in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom and sanctification and redemption; not the wisdom of men saved—for it was wandering—but He Himself has become wisdom for us unto the knowledge of God; not the understanding of men snatched away, but Jesus having been crucified. Not men redeemed, so that the boasting may be from the Savior, not from the saved. 1 Cor 2:3–4 I was always afraid lest you be puffed up by outward training, since I did not use the persuasive wisdom. And in weakness, he says, the weakness from persecutions—for this is his custom to say everywhere—in weakness and in fear and in trembling, the weakness of those from whom I was persecuted. I demonstrated the fear and the trembling concerning you, I was all humble, so that you might be taught by this and not be puffed up. Since he said: 'my word, so that the opposite might not glory'.
Greek
πειράζουσι διδόναι ἀλλὰ πιστῶς αἰτοῦσιν–, ὁ μέντοι λόγος ἐκβέβληται πάντη ὡς ἐπιβουλεύων τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ σταυροῦ. Ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. δηλονότι Χριστὸν θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θεοῦ σοφίαν κατὰ τὸν τοῦ σταυροῦ λόγον φησίν, ὡς ἀνωτέρω· ὁ λόγος γὰρ ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῖς μὲν ἀπολλυμένοις μωρία ἐστίν, τοῖς δὲ σωζομένοις ἡμῖν δύναμις θεοῦ ἐστιν. καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δείκνυσι τοῦτο τρανότερον· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ φάναι· αὐτοῖς δὲ τοῖς κλητοῖς,Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶἝλλησιν, Χριστὸν θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θεοῦ σοφίαν, ἐπήγαγεν· διότι τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφώτερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν, καὶ τὸ 230 ἀσθενὲς τοῦ θεοῦ ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν. τίς δ' ἂν εἴποι τὸν θεὸν λόγον τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ θεοῦ εἰρῆσθαι, καὶ μωρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ ἐσταυρωμένου Χριστοῦ τὸ λεγόμενον; θεὸς λόγος δυνατὸς ὡς ὁ πατήρ, οὐ δύναμις μέρος συμπληρωματικὸν τῆς οὐσίας τῆς πατρικῆς, ὁμοίως καὶ σοφός, ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὅπερ οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἡ ὁρωμένη κτίσις ἢ ἄγγελοι ἢ ἀρχάγγελοι κατιόντες οὐρανόθεν, πατριάρχαι καὶ προφῆται, νόμος ὁ διὰ Μωϋσέως, φωναὶ αἱ ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυρὸς ἐνεχθεῖσαι πρὸς τὸν λαὸν διὰ τὸ μὴ συγχωρεῖν τὴν τῶν ἀγνωμονούντων προαίρεσιν, τοῦτο τοῦ σταυροῦ ἡ μωρία ἴσχυσεν. διὰ τοῦτο θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία Χριστὸς ἐσταυρωμένος, πάσης τῆς οἰκονομίας ἀνυτικώτερος καὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως ἀξιοπιστότερος. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ δύναμις τοῦ οἰκονομήσαντος καὶ κατορθώσαντος, ἐν τῷ μηδενὶ σώσαντος τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ εἰς τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν πίστιν ἀγαγόντος. 229,ξολ2ἘπειδὴἸουδαῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα πειράζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν χαρίζεσθαι, οὔτε μὴνἝλλησι τῇ λογιότητι κατακοσμεῖν οἰομένοις τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀποκρίνασθαι δεῖ, εἶτα διδάσκει πῶς δοκεῖ εἶναι μωρία τὸ κήρυγμα· ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ σημεῖα καὶ σοφίαν ζητοῦσιν, ἡμεῖς κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ σοφίαν, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ ἐσταυρωμένου σωτηρίαν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐπαγγελλόμεθα. 230,ξολ2 Οὐ χρὴ τὸν θεὸν λόγον τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ θεοῦ εἰρῆσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ὁ γὰρ λόγος δυνατὸς ὡς ὁ πατήρ, οὐ δύναμις ὡς μέρος συμπληρωτικὸν τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρός. οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς σοφὸς ὡς ὁ πατήρ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὃ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν ποιῆσαι ἄγγελοι, οὐ νόμος, οὐ προφῆται, διὰ τὸ συγχωρεῖν τὸν θεὸν τῇ τῶν ἀγνωμόνων προαιρέσει, τοῦτο ἡ δοκοῦσα τοῦ σταυροῦ μωρία ἴσχυσεν, θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ σοφία Χριστὸς ἐσταυρωμένος κηρύσσεται, ὡς ἰσχυρότερος καὶ ἀνυστικώτερος ὠφθεὶς καὶ τοὺς πιστεύοντας σώσας. 1 Kor 1,26 Τὸ κατὰ σάρκα προσέθηκεν ἀντιδιαστέλλων τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ὁμοίως κατὰ κοινοῦ ἀποδιδούς. 1 Kor 1,29 Ὅπως μὴ καυχήσηται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἵνα μὴ τοῖς οἰκείοις πλεονεκτήμασιν ἐπιγράψωσι τὸ κατόρθωμα τοῦ κηρύγματος. σὰρξ δὲ εἶπεν καὶ οὐ ψυχή, ἐξευτελίζων τὰ ἀνθρώπινα καυχήματα. διὰ τί δὲ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων; ὅτι τῇ ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ καυχήσει ἀντετάττετο ἡ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμετέροις πλεονεκτήμασι καύχησις· ἃ γὰρ ἐχρῆν ἐπιγράφειν θεῷ, 231 ἐπέγραφον ἀνθρώποις. διὰ τοῦτο τὸ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ εἴρηκεν· καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἀσεβὴς ἡ καύχησις ἐνώπιον τοῦ πάντα ὁρῶντος γινομένη. ὅτι δὲ τὸ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ εἴρηκεν, αὕτη ἡ ὅλη ὑπόθεσις δείκνυσιν· δεῖ γὰρ τοῖς ἐπὶ λόγοις καυχωμένοις καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ βαπτίζειν καυχᾶσθαι, καὶ ἐφ' ἑτέροις τισὶν ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον. 1 Kor 1,30 Ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστε. πάντες ὁμοίως κατὰ τὸ σεσῶσθαί φασιν εἰρῆσθαι νῦν, οὐ κατὰ τὸν τῆς δημιουργίας λόγον, ὥς φησιν ἀλλαχοῦ· οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς ἀλλ' ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν. εἰ τοίνυν ἐξ αὐτοῦ, πῶς καυχησώμεθα ἐν ἰδίοις πλεονεκτήμασιν; τὸ δὲ ἐν ΧριστῷἸησοῦ, ὃς ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν σοφία καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις· οὐκ ἀνθρώπων σοφία ἔσωσεν–ἐπλανᾶτο γάρ–ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἡμῖν σοφία γέγονεν εἰς θεογνωσίαν· οὐκ ἀνθρώπων σύνεσις ἥρπασεν, ἀλλὰἸησοῦς σταυρωθείς. οὐκ ἄνθρωποι ἀπελυτρώσαντο, ὥστε τὸ καύχημα ἀπὸ τοῦ σώσαντος γενέσθω, μὴ ἀπὸ τῶν σωθέντων. 1 Kor 2,3–4Ἐφοβούμην ἀεί, μὴ τῇ ἔξωθεν παιδεύσει ἐπαρθῆτε, αὐτίκα οὐκ ἐχρησάμην τῇ πειθούσῃ σοφίᾳ. ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ δέ, λέγει, τῇ ἀπὸ τῶν διωγμῶν–τοῦτο γὰρ πανταχοῦ ἔθος αὐτῷ λέγειν–ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ καὶ ἐν φόβῳ καὶ ἐν τρόμῳ τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐξ ὧν ἐδιωκόμην. ἐπεδεικνύμην τὸν φόβον καὶ τὸν τρόμον τὸν περὶ ὑμῶν, πάντα ἤμην ταπεινός, ἵνα ὑμεῖς τούτῳ διδαχθῆτε καὶ μὴ ἐπαίρησθε.Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν· ὁ λόγος μου, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ τὸ ἐναντίον
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A passionate defense of Christian unity and identity in a divided church, exploring the meaning of being called by Christ.
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- Copy-text PG 65 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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