The Power Of The Gospel

by HYLAND, D. T. | Category: N/a | May 2005

To the human mind it might seem improbable that Jews or Greeks of the first century AD would accept the gospel. In the goodness of God many did because divine power is unlimited and 'the gospel … is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes' (Rom.1:16). Humanly speaking, it would seem that proclaiming to sophisticated Greeks that God's wisdom and His way of salvation lay in a despised and crucified man would be doomed to failure. To Jewish hearers the idea that God's promised deliverance lay in a crucified Messiah seemed outrageous. The message was proclaimed regardless of the prejudices of the hearers, and the Spirit of God worked in the hearts of both Jews and Greeks. The natural man does not believe in the serious consequences of sin, but it is the Spirit's work to convict of sin. Those who heard the call of God and responded 'to the message of the cross' discovered that the gospel is a revelation of both 'the power of God and the wisdom of God' (1 Cor.1:24). The order of the words seems to be significant; before men and women can marvel at divine wisdom they must first experience the power of God in dealing with their sins.

Those who accepted the gospel were from various walks of life and had different racial backgrounds, but 'in one Spirit they were all baptized into one body' (1 Cor.12:13 RV). As members of the Church which is Christ's Body their racial origin and social class became insignificant. But the message of the cross which bridges many divides creates another. The cross divides human society into those 'who are perishing' and those 'who are being saved' (1 Cor.1:18). This process is still going on. It should be the desire of those who are being saved to take the gospel to those who are perishing so that they may discover that 'Christ Jesus … became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness and sanctification and redemption' (1 Cor.1:30).

HYLAND, D. T. | May 2005
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