Verse 22 says, “Since Jews indeed ask for signs and Greeks seek wisdom.” A sign is a miraculous token (Matt. 12:38-39) to substantiate what is preached. Religion needs signs, and the Jews kept requiring them. Wisdom pertains to philosophy and was constantly sought by the Greeks.
In verse 22 Paul refers to two kinds of people—to religious Jews and philosophical Greeks. The religious ones desire signs, miracles, and the philosophical ones pursue wisdom. But in preaching Christ crucified, Paul cared for neither wisdom nor signs.
When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, the Jews mocked Him and said, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” (Matt. 27:40). The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders said, “He saved others; himself he cannot save! He is king of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe on him” (v. 42). They challenged the Lord to prove that He was the Christ, the Son of God, by delivering Himself from the cross. However, the Lord remained silent; He did not do anything to save Himself. Instead of a miracle and wisdom, there were weakness and foolishness. According to man’s wisdom, it would be utterly foolish to be crucified.
In saying, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Cephas,” the Corinthians were exercising their wisdom. They were following their philosophy, not following Christ. But Paul preached to them Christ crucified, an offense to miracle-seeking Jews and wisdom-pursuing Greeks. But to those who are called, this Christ is God’s wisdom and God’s power.
It is significant that Paul did not tell the Corinthians, “We preach Christ resurrected.” The focus of the preaching in Acts is on the resurrection of Christ. According to the book of Acts, this preaching is a testimony that Jesus Christ, the One who was crucified, has been resurrected. But in this Epistle Paul does not emphasize Christ’s resurrection. Rather, he emphasizes the preaching of Christ crucified. No doubt, both the Jews and the Greeks would have preferred to hear of a resurrected Christ. For Jews, this would have been a great miracle. How miraculous for someone to rise out of the tomb and ascend into the heavens! The Greeks may have regarded a word about resurrection as very philosophical. In their quest for wisdom they may have been interested to learn how a dead person could become alive again. Nevertheless, Paul preached a crucified Christ, a Christ who did not do anything to save Himself. Paul followed this crucified Christ and preached Him to the Corinthians. Therefore, verse 23 declares, “But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews an offense, and to the nations foolishness.” It was offensive to Jews and foolishness to Greeks that Paul followed a crucified Christ.
In verse 24 Paul goes on to say, “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom.” Those who are called are the believers who were chosen by God in eternity (Eph. 1:4) and who believed in Christ in time (Acts 13:48). To these called ones, the crucified Christ preached by the apostles is God’s power and God’s wisdom. Wisdom is for planning, for purposing; power is for carrying out, for accomplishing, what is planned and purposed. In God’s economy Christ is both. Praise the Lord that for us today the crucified Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God!
In verse 25 Paul concludes, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” Even God’s foolishness is wiser than our wisdom, and His weakness stronger than our strength.