Verse of the Day 6/27

 

1 Corinthians 1:23  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Today's verse is another one that is probably familiar to all of us.  We've heard it before, we believe it, so it is very easy to gloss over and not think much of the application of it in our lives.  Sometimes we lose some things in the fairly simple translations that we have.

"So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense."   New Living Translation (NLT)

 

We get the meaning but we lose some of the emphasis when we go back to a closer translation or better yet to some of the Greek words from the original writings.  The word translated as "offended" in the NLT is translated  as a "stumbling block in the ESV and other translations.  The picture that comes to mind is something to trip over, that trips you up, which fits with the context.  The original word in the Greek is "skandalon" from which we get our word "scandal".

It can also be translated as  trap stick or snare.

 

Reading from The Message below, Eugene Peterson paraphrases it as the crucified Christ being treated as an "anti miracle" or just passed off, written off as absurd.

 

Right now there are many "scandals" going on in Washington.  One one side of the fence you have those who just can't get over it and others passing off the thought of any corruption or wrongdoing being absurd., and foolishness.

 

It all points to the importance of truth and the ramifications in our lives.  We believe in the crucified and risen Christ.  We believe what He has done for us, what He will do for us, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us.  Some may be offended that we believe that Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth and the life", others just write it off as being absurd or even scandalous.  The message of the cross is no different today than it was when these words were written by Paul, and we still believe that it is the "power and wisdom of God " (ESV) and that "Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one".

 

I would encourage you that as you come across some of those "familiar" verses, that you would look at them in the different translations, use some of the tools available such as the interlinear Bible to see some of the key words in Greek or Hebrew.  May His Word be "richer, fuller, deeper" and may we treasure what others will consider as folly or nonsense to those who reject it.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

The Message (MSG)

^22-25 While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness."