NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

22 Also because Jews keep asking for supernatural signs, and Greeks keep searching for wisdom; 23 but we keep preaching Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, and stupidity to Gentiles, 24 but to those called ones, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because that stupidity of God is wiser than human wisdom, and that weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

preaching Christ crucified

The message of the cross has never aligned neatly with the desires, expectations, or tastes of the world. From the beginning, it has appeared unimpressive, even offensive. Some hear it and assume it is a cruel joke—too bloody, too primitive, too bound to suffering. Others dismiss it as dull and uninspiring, lacking the excitement or novelty they crave. The gospel does not flatter human wisdom or appeal to human pride. It confronts both. It declares that salvation comes not through achievement, enlightenment, or moral superiority, but through the shame and weakness of a crucified Messiah.

Yet this is precisely why the gospel carries divine power. God has chosen what the world calls foolish to reveal his wisdom. God has chosen what the world calls weak to display his strength. The cross stands as the great reversal of human expectations. It unmasks the emptiness of self‑reliance and exposes the limits of human wisdom. It announces that life comes through death, victory through sacrifice, and hope through the blood of Christ.

This is why the message must continue to be preached. It is the means by which God draws people to himself. When a person hears the gospel, turns from sin, and entrusts himself to Christ, the Holy Spirit begins a work of renewal that transforms the mind and reshapes the heart. What once seemed foolish becomes beautiful. What once seemed weak becomes powerful. The cross, once an offense, becomes the very center of wisdom and life.

There is no need for a new gospel, no need to reinvent the message to make it more appealing or more acceptable. The gospel that saved the Corinthians is the gospel that still saves. The same crucified and risen Christ continues to rescue, restore, and renew. The world may call it foolish, but God has chosen this very message as the instrument of salvation.

The church’s task is not to improve the gospel but to proclaim it faithfully. Its power does not depend on cultural relevance or rhetorical polish. Its effectiveness does not rise or fall with human approval. The gospel works because God works through it. And for that reason, it remains enough—more than enough—for every generation.

LORD, we are not ashamed of the gospel, because it is your power to deliver everyone who believes.