Ministry of Grace Church

but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

Truth to Learn

The world does not understand the simple gospel message.

Behind the Words

“Preach” is translated from the verb kērussō, which means “to proclaim, to herald, or to preach.” It is expressed in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood. This portrays present ongoing action.

The word “crucified” is from stauroō, which means “to be nailed to a pole or a cross.” It is probably the most painful and certainly the most degrading form of execution performed by the Romans.

Skandalon (from which we get our English word “scandal”) is the word translated “stumbling block.” It literally refers to the trigger of a trap on which the bait is laid. In general usage, it indicates an enticement to self-destructive action.

“Foolishness,” as we have seen previously, is from moros, from which we get our English word moron. It denotes foolishness or absurdity.

Paul uses a grammatical device in this verse to compare the foolishness of “religious” Jews and “wise” Greeks with Christians. He does so with the two Greek particles men and de. Men roughly means “indeed” and de means “and” or “but.” In English, we might say, “on the one hand … but on the other hand …”

Meaning Explained

Continuing on with his comparison of the foolishness of worldly wisdom and the wisdom of the “foolish” gospel, Paul now states clearly what the Greeks and the Jews think of the Gospel message. The Jews have their minds so blinded regarding the truth of their Messiah that the “good news” becomes a snare, a trap for them. They believed that their Messiah was coming as a conquering king (which He will someday), not as a meek and mild-mannered man who was executed on a cross. They are so blinded by their own belief regarding their Messiah that they reject Him completely. This reference to a “stumbling block” may be referring to Psalms 11, which Jesus also quoted in Matthew 21:42,

The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalms 118:22-23)

The Greeks, on the other hand, had no such beliefs about the Messiah. In fact, most of the Roman Empire believed that Caesar was the “son of god” and their conquering hero. To them, the idea of Jesus being the Son of God was absurd. After all, this supposed Messiah did not fight any battles and He certainly didn’t conquer anyone. Likewise, the Greeks, who revered men of education and accomplishment, saw this executed Jewish criminal as a cast-off of society, certainly not worthy of any respect, let alone worship.

Application

Neither religious activity nor great mental accomplishment can bring you closer to God. They can’t even provide lasting personal satisfaction. Only faith in the good news of God’s Son and His work on the cross can produce these things.