In 1 Corinthians 1:18, the apostle Paul begins to unfold his philosophy of ministry, explaining how and why he does the ministry that Christ has called him to perform. This verse is so rich because it contains many elements that are foundational to what we do together as the body of Christ. 

The truths that Paul lays out here shape our view of the gospel. How we view the cross will impact the body of Christ and our role in it. How we consider the cross will impact whether we approach ministry and life together as the body of Christ with humility or with pride. How we treat the cross will impact our relationships with others so that we either become those who seek unity or who create conflict in the body of Christ. How we regard the cross will impact our motivation for ministry, resulting in building with precious stones and receiving the reward, or constructing with objects that will be burned up.

These matters are of massive importance, and so we must take time to ensure we look closely at everything Paul says in verse 18.

We have already seen that Paul begins by sharing the content of the preaching, which is the Word of the cross, or the message about Christ and His atoning death on the cross. Everything in Scripture is either leading up to the cross, proclaiming the cross itself, or flowing from the cross. 

A cross-centered message is surprising, to say the least, because of how unbelievers think of such a message, which leads Paul to describe the condition of the perishing. The unbeliever rejects the message of the cross because he finds it to be folly, stupid, and moronic. Those who are perishing reject the gospel, not because of what Christians have done or because of something that has happened externally to them, but because of their spiritual condition as blind and dead, enslaved to sin and Satan, and children of wrath who are naturally unable to please the God they hate.

These two points bring us to the third point, then, as Paul highlights the confidence of the persevering. While those who are perishing regard the gospel as nothing but foolishness, Christians have utmost, unshakable confidence in the gospel of Jesus Christ because we see that it is the power of God.

What is the message of the cross and what about it inspires unshakable confidence in our hearts? The answer can be found in in three parts.

In the first part, we see what the Word is like.

When Christians look through Scripture and read how God describes His word, we find many comparisons to show us its value and power. This knowledge is vital because, while we all recognize Scripture’s inerrancy and infallibility, it is easy for those terms to become too familiar to us. We can take the power of the word of the cross for granted, and we can even begin to lose confidence in the power of the word, especially when those around us reject the word or find their confidence in something else. We might also be tempted to supplement the word when doing ministry or evangelizing someone. However, we must always resist the temptation to supplement or abandon the Word, reminding ourselves of God’s incredible power that is in Scripture.

To this end, there are four things that God says His Word is like.

The first is a sword, which we see in Hebrews 4:12. God’s Word is a powerful sword that accomplishes whatever He purposes. It judges motives of the heart, exposes our sin, lays our motives bare, and pierces through to our very thoughts and holds them up against the standard of truth and righteousness.

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