Why is the "Message Of The Cross" foolishness to those who are perishing...
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You have this exactly backwards. You are the one preaching "another Jesus" because you insist on preaching the idol of "the Cross" instead of the Person of Jesus Christ.
Nobody on CC (that I have encountered) preaches Jesus Christ without His death and resurrection, but you say 99% believe this.
BRING ON THE EVIDENCE. Quote them. All 99%. Quote even ONE. You can't, because you are wrong.
Nobody on CC (that I have encountered) preaches Jesus Christ without His death and resurrection, but you say 99% believe this.
BRING ON THE EVIDENCE. Quote them. All 99%. Quote even ONE. You can't, because you are wrong.
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The cross would be meaningless without Christ. And the cross is a metaphor for the intense sufferings and perfect sacrifice of CHRIST, including the shedding of His blood for our redemption. So faith in the cross is not the point. Faith in THE CRUCIFIED ONE is what it is all about.
Why is this sacrifice and its impact on humanity foolishness to the natural man? Because, in the rationality of the natural man:
1. How could Jesus be both fully God and fully sinless Man at the same time?
2. How could one Man pay for the sins of the whole world?
3. How could the shed blood of one Man become the payment for our sins?
4. Why would any man be foolish enough to be crucified for others?
5. How could faith in Christ and His finished work of redemption make a man righteous before God?
6. How could eternal life be a free gift to vile sinners who repent and believe?
I'm sure Christians could add many more such questions to this list.
Why is this sacrifice and its impact on humanity foolishness to the natural man? Because, in the rationality of the natural man:
1. How could Jesus be both fully God and fully sinless Man at the same time?
2. How could one Man pay for the sins of the whole world?
3. How could the shed blood of one Man become the payment for our sins?
4. Why would any man be foolish enough to be crucified for others?
5. How could faith in Christ and His finished work of redemption make a man righteous before God?
6. How could eternal life be a free gift to vile sinners who repent and believe?
I'm sure Christians could add many more such questions to this list.
The church never did believe that. Our faith in in Jesus Christ, not a piece of wood. Repent of your idol.
John 6 KJV
“53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you (instead of softening or modifying this seemingly harsh Doctrine, He instead intensified it by declaring it indispensable to Salvation), Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, you have no life in you (this terminology addresses the Cross; Christ would give Himself on the Cross for the Salvation of mankind; to fully believe in Him and what He did for us is what He means here; however, this Verse tells us the degree of believing that is required; it refers to the Cross being the total Object of one’s belief; failing that, there is no Life in you).
54 Whoso eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood, has Eternal Life (once again, Christ reiterates the fact that if the Cross is the total Object of one’s Faith, such a person has “Eternal Life”); and I will raise him up at the last day (constitutes the fourth time this is spoken by Christ; consequently, the Believer has a fourfold assurance of the Resurrection).
“55 For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed (the idea is that one must continue eating and drinking even on a daily basis, which speaks of bearing the Cross daily [Lk. 9:23]).
56 He who eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood, dwells in Me, and I in him (the only way that one can dwell in Christ and Christ in him, which guarantees a victorious, overcoming life, is for the Cross to ever be the Object of Faith and, as stated, on a daily basis).
57 As the Living Father has sent Me (“Life-giving Father”), and I live by the Father (speaks of the Incarnation): so he who eats Me, even he shall Live by Me (proclaims the Truth that as Jesus did not live an independent life apart from the Father, so the Believer does not, and in fact cannot, live an independent life apart from Christ; we obtain and maintain this “Life” by ever looking to the Cross; the Believer never departs from the Cross; to do so is to invite spiritual wreckage [Gal. 2:20]).
“58 This is that Bread which came down from Heaven (once again points to Himself, and extols the outsized superiority over the Law, etc.): not as your fathers did eat Manna, and are dead (makes the comparison between that bread, a mere symbol of the True Bread which was to come, and the True Bread which now has come): he who eats of this Bread shall live for ever (He Alone, as the True Bread of Life, could give Eternal Life, but one had to “eat of this Bread” in order to have this Life, which means to accept Him as for Who He is and What He would do, which speaks of Calvary).
59 These things said He in the Synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of His Disciples, when they had heard this (spoke of those other than the Twelve), said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? (They were unwilling to accept the bloody death of their Messiah, or to entrust themselves to a Divine Personality Whose most distinctive act would be His Sacrifice of Himself. This was the gross and terrible offence which made the Cross a stumblingblock to the “to the Jews [Mat. 16:21; I Cor. 1:23; Gal. 5:11].)
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His Disciples murmured at it (registered unbelief), He said unto them, Does this offend you? (In fact, the Cross is an offence to the entirety of the world, and regrettably even most of the Church [Gal. 5:11].)
62 What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? (Jesus points out that if His Death were a stumblingblock to them, how much more would be His Resurrection? But would not that prove the reality and value of His Death, and the depth of their unbelief?)
“63 It is the Spirit Who quickens (the Holy Spirit); the flesh profits nothing (in effect, says, “If you could literally eat My Flesh, and drink My Blood, it would not save your souls”; the word “flesh” as it is used here speaks of man’s efforts, whatever they might be, apart from Christ and the Cross): the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are Life (of the Holy Spirit, Who gives Life by and through the Finished Work of Christ).
64 But there are some of you who believe not (they did not believe what He said about Himself, which referred to the Cross; millions presently in the Church fall into the same category). For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who believed not (not the individuals per se, but rather that which would occasion their unbelief), and who should betray Him (it is speaking here of Judas Iscariot and the occasion of his betrayal, which was the Cross).”
“65 And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father (the invitation is to “whosoever will”; however, if the person rejects the Cross, the Father Commands the Holy Spirit to bar all entrance [Eph. 2:18]).
66 From that time many of His Disciples went back, and walked no more with Him (the claims of Christ were so profoundly different from what they anticipated that they now refused to accept Him at all!).”
JSM
“53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you (instead of softening or modifying this seemingly harsh Doctrine, He instead intensified it by declaring it indispensable to Salvation), Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, you have no life in you (this terminology addresses the Cross; Christ would give Himself on the Cross for the Salvation of mankind; to fully believe in Him and what He did for us is what He means here; however, this Verse tells us the degree of believing that is required; it refers to the Cross being the total Object of one’s belief; failing that, there is no Life in you).
54 Whoso eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood, has Eternal Life (once again, Christ reiterates the fact that if the Cross is the total Object of one’s Faith, such a person has “Eternal Life”); and I will raise him up at the last day (constitutes the fourth time this is spoken by Christ; consequently, the Believer has a fourfold assurance of the Resurrection).
“55 For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed (the idea is that one must continue eating and drinking even on a daily basis, which speaks of bearing the Cross daily [Lk. 9:23]).
56 He who eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood, dwells in Me, and I in him (the only way that one can dwell in Christ and Christ in him, which guarantees a victorious, overcoming life, is for the Cross to ever be the Object of Faith and, as stated, on a daily basis).
57 As the Living Father has sent Me (“Life-giving Father”), and I live by the Father (speaks of the Incarnation): so he who eats Me, even he shall Live by Me (proclaims the Truth that as Jesus did not live an independent life apart from the Father, so the Believer does not, and in fact cannot, live an independent life apart from Christ; we obtain and maintain this “Life” by ever looking to the Cross; the Believer never departs from the Cross; to do so is to invite spiritual wreckage [Gal. 2:20]).
“58 This is that Bread which came down from Heaven (once again points to Himself, and extols the outsized superiority over the Law, etc.): not as your fathers did eat Manna, and are dead (makes the comparison between that bread, a mere symbol of the True Bread which was to come, and the True Bread which now has come): he who eats of this Bread shall live for ever (He Alone, as the True Bread of Life, could give Eternal Life, but one had to “eat of this Bread” in order to have this Life, which means to accept Him as for Who He is and What He would do, which speaks of Calvary).
59 These things said He in the Synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of His Disciples, when they had heard this (spoke of those other than the Twelve), said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? (They were unwilling to accept the bloody death of their Messiah, or to entrust themselves to a Divine Personality Whose most distinctive act would be His Sacrifice of Himself. This was the gross and terrible offence which made the Cross a stumblingblock to the “to the Jews [Mat. 16:21; I Cor. 1:23; Gal. 5:11].)
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His Disciples murmured at it (registered unbelief), He said unto them, Does this offend you? (In fact, the Cross is an offence to the entirety of the world, and regrettably even most of the Church [Gal. 5:11].)
62 What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before? (Jesus points out that if His Death were a stumblingblock to them, how much more would be His Resurrection? But would not that prove the reality and value of His Death, and the depth of their unbelief?)
“63 It is the Spirit Who quickens (the Holy Spirit); the flesh profits nothing (in effect, says, “If you could literally eat My Flesh, and drink My Blood, it would not save your souls”; the word “flesh” as it is used here speaks of man’s efforts, whatever they might be, apart from Christ and the Cross): the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are Life (of the Holy Spirit, Who gives Life by and through the Finished Work of Christ).
64 But there are some of you who believe not (they did not believe what He said about Himself, which referred to the Cross; millions presently in the Church fall into the same category). For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who believed not (not the individuals per se, but rather that which would occasion their unbelief), and who should betray Him (it is speaking here of Judas Iscariot and the occasion of his betrayal, which was the Cross).”
“65 And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father (the invitation is to “whosoever will”; however, if the person rejects the Cross, the Father Commands the Holy Spirit to bar all entrance [Eph. 2:18]).
66 From that time many of His Disciples went back, and walked no more with Him (the claims of Christ were so profoundly different from what they anticipated that they now refused to accept Him at all!).”
JSM
The Cross of Christ is as necessary for sanctification as it is for salvation (1 Cor. 1:18).
John 6:53 - "Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood (i.e., the Cross, i.e., The Finished Work), you have no life in you," (presents the demand that caused "many of His Disciples to go back, and walk no more with Him" [John 6:66]. It does the same presently! This Verse tells us the degree of believing that is required; it refers to the Cross being the total Object of one's belief; failing that, there is no Life in you.)
John 6:66 - From that time many of His Disciples went back, and walk no more with Him.
Sanctifying peace allows the Holy Spirit to deliver the Believer into the death of Christ so Christ life is manifested through the Believer (2 Cor. 4:11, Gal. 2:20-21, Romans 8:2,13, John 14:21). I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me (Who Jesus Is), and gave himself for me (What Jesus Has Done on the Cross for us where the victory was won). Gal. 2:20
If The Believer doesn't enter into the LORD's rest, they die in the wilderness...only a few enter into His rest!
JSM
John 6:53 - "Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood (i.e., the Cross, i.e., The Finished Work), you have no life in you," (presents the demand that caused "many of His Disciples to go back, and walk no more with Him" [John 6:66]. It does the same presently! This Verse tells us the degree of believing that is required; it refers to the Cross being the total Object of one's belief; failing that, there is no Life in you.)
John 6:66 - From that time many of His Disciples went back, and walk no more with Him.
Sanctifying peace allows the Holy Spirit to deliver the Believer into the death of Christ so Christ life is manifested through the Believer (2 Cor. 4:11, Gal. 2:20-21, Romans 8:2,13, John 14:21). I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me (Who Jesus Is), and gave himself for me (What Jesus Has Done on the Cross for us where the victory was won). Gal. 2:20
If The Believer doesn't enter into the LORD's rest, they die in the wilderness...only a few enter into His rest!
JSM
The Book of Isaiah chapter 55
8.“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai.
9 “As high as the sky is above the earth
are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For just as rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return there, but water the earth,
causing it to bud and produce,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth —
it will not return to me unfulfilled;
but it will accomplish what I intend,
and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”
The Book of 1st Timothy chapter 4
6 If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now: 7 but refuse profane and old wives’ fables. And exercise thyself unto godliness: 8 for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. 9 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, *specially of them that believe.
*specially is in the ASV
In the Mounce Greek the word is, "particularly" in the Greek that is, "malista".
(malista) STRONGS NT 3122: μάλιστα
μάλιστα (superlative of the adverb μάλα) (from Homer down), adverb, especially, chiefly, most of all, above all: Acts 20:38; Acts 25:26; Galatians 6:10; Philippians 4:22; 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Timothy 5:8, 17; 2 Timothy 4:13; Titus 1:10; Philemon 1:16; 2 Peter 2:10; μάλιστα γνώστης, especially expert, thoroughly well-informed, Acts 26:3.
Believe=Pistos
pistos: faithful, reliable
Original Word: πιστός, ή, όν
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: pistos
Phonetic Spelling: (pis-tos')
Definition: faithful, reliable
Usage: trustworthy, faithful, believing.
Fear not, our God is an awesome God. From our beloved Creator were all things made and unto our beloved Creator all shall return.
The Book of Colossians chapter 1
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and long suffering with joy; 12 giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; 14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; 17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
The Book of Luke chapter 3
4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
And every mountain and hill shall be brought low;
And the crooked shall become straight,
And the rough ways smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
sarx: flesh
Original Word: σάρξ, σαρκός, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: sarx
Phonetic Spelling: (sarx)
Definition: flesh
Usage: flesh, body, human nature, materiality; kindred.
The Epistle to the Romans chapter 5:16 And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses unto [l]justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and [m]of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life.
The Epistle to the Romans chapter 11:32 For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.
543. apeitheia= disobedience
8.“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai.
9 “As high as the sky is above the earth
are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For just as rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return there, but water the earth,
causing it to bud and produce,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth —
it will not return to me unfulfilled;
but it will accomplish what I intend,
and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”
The Book of 1st Timothy chapter 4
6 If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now: 7 but refuse profane and old wives’ fables. And exercise thyself unto godliness: 8 for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. 9 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, *specially of them that believe.
*specially is in the ASV
In the Mounce Greek the word is, "particularly" in the Greek that is, "malista".
(malista) STRONGS NT 3122: μάλιστα
μάλιστα (superlative of the adverb μάλα) (from Homer down), adverb, especially, chiefly, most of all, above all: Acts 20:38; Acts 25:26; Galatians 6:10; Philippians 4:22; 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Timothy 5:8, 17; 2 Timothy 4:13; Titus 1:10; Philemon 1:16; 2 Peter 2:10; μάλιστα γνώστης, especially expert, thoroughly well-informed, Acts 26:3.
Believe=Pistos
pistos: faithful, reliable
Original Word: πιστός, ή, όν
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: pistos
Phonetic Spelling: (pis-tos')
Definition: faithful, reliable
Usage: trustworthy, faithful, believing.
Fear not, our God is an awesome God. From our beloved Creator were all things made and unto our beloved Creator all shall return.
The Book of Colossians chapter 1
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and long suffering with joy; 12 giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; 14 in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; 17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
The Book of Luke chapter 3
4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
And every mountain and hill shall be brought low;
And the crooked shall become straight,
And the rough ways smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
sarx: flesh
Original Word: σάρξ, σαρκός, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: sarx
Phonetic Spelling: (sarx)
Definition: flesh
Usage: flesh, body, human nature, materiality; kindred.
The Epistle to the Romans chapter 5:16 And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses unto [l]justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and [m]of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life.
The Epistle to the Romans chapter 11:32 For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.
543. apeitheia= disobedience
