“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV
This verse in Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians is at the start of a section in which the apostle contrasts the power of the cross with the weakness of what man thinks is wisdom.
You may remember from previous Heaven On Wheels devotionals or other Bible study that this epistle was written to a church that was already starting to fall prey to the all-too-human failing of divisiveness. Some in the church stayed with what Paul had taught them during his ministry, while others began to gather followers around their own interpretations of the teachings of Jesus and the meaning of His death and resurrection.
What Paul is saying in this verse is very powerful; the Gospel sounds like nonsense to those who put more belief in the words of man than they do in the saving grace of God. Evangelical pastor John MacArthur said this about the “foolishness” Paul refers to in a commentary from Precept Austin:
It is a contrast between the foolishness of men, which they think is wisdom, and the wisdom of God, which they think is foolishness....That God would take human form, be crucified, and raised in order to provide for man’s forgiveness of sin and entrance into heaven is an idea far too simple, foolish, and humbling for the natural man to accept. That one man (even the Son of God) could die on a piece of wood on a nondescript hill in a nondescript part of the world and thereby determine the destiny of every person who has ever lived seems stupid. It allows no place for man’s merit, man’s attainment, man’s understanding, or man’s pride.1
Powerful words! MacArthur — and Paul — are pointing out that faith depends on humility. It often takes an event we have no power over — a death, an illness, loss of a career — to make us realize that we are not the masters of the universe we think we are. Whether or not we then begin to turn our minds, hearts, and lives to Jesus is a choice we need to make, one with eternal consequences.
When I was in my years of non-belief, I thought that followers of any religion were idiots. I found this section of a sermon by Pastor Jack Arnold described my attitude in those days perfectly:
"Perhaps you can now understand a little better the way your unsaved family or friends or business associates react to you when you talk about Christ to them. You appear to be a moron!" Whenever we witness to a very self-sufficient, self-made man and tell him all of his impressive record or achievement is worth nothing in the sight of God, that it does not make him one degree more acceptable in the sight of God, that it is nothing more than wasted effort, we immediately feel the sting of the offense of the Cross. He will say, “You mean to tell me all this impressive array of knowledge and wisdom that has been accumulated for centuries, with all the great achievements of mankind in the realm of relieving human misery and the technological advances of our day, that all this is worthless and that God will not take this into account in the area of salvation. Nonsense!”2
To Paul’s audience in the 1st Century, crucifixion was considered a shameful and brutal form of execution that would only happen to the worst criminals. To think that salvation would come through that horrible punishment was actually offensive to many of that time. It is core to Christianity that through Christ’s suffering, sacrifice, death, and resurrection, mankind is reconciled to God. The cross is a symbol of both the suffering of Jesus and His victory over death, and a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.
Paul uses the term “those who are perishing” to describe those who reject the gospel and are destined to an eternity separated from God. The apostle often used the differences between the “wisdom” of the world and the wisdom of God as a way of highlighting the spiritual emptiness of those who relied only on human wisdom.
At this point, the apostle turns to those in his intended audience, those “who are being saved”. Make note of Paul’s choice of words in explaining that salvation is an ongoing process: We were justified in our past by faith in Jesus, we are currently being transformed and sanctified through the work of the Holy Spirit, and we will be glorified in eternity. The gospel has this power in our lives as believers, continually conforming us to the image of Christ.
What is foolishness to “those who are perishing” is the “power of God” to believers. It is God’s ability to bring salvation to mankind through the cross. That power exists in the lives of believers, so we can overcome sin and live in righteousness.
The cross, a symbol of weakness to the world, is the ultimate example of the power and wisdom of God.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, I thank You for the message of the cross. To those who do not yet believe it may seem foolish, but for those of us who are believers, it demonstrates Your incredible power. Thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which brings eternal life to those who believe. Through His blood, we are redeemed! Give me the courage to share the gospel with others, and may I learn to rely even more on Your wisdom and strength. AMEN.
Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com
BibleHub was accessed on March 22, 2026 for commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:18
Precept Austin was accessed on March 22, 2026 for commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:18
1 Corinthians MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Volume 17), cited in Precept Austin
Jack Arnold, The Foolishness of the Cross.
Yes. It would be like glorying in the electric chair or glorying in the hangman's noose.