NT 603 Harrel James D.

Dela Cruz (85)

Prof. Seni Finau September 05, 2017

EXEGETICAL PAPER

THE WISDOM AND POWER

OF THE CROSS
1ST COR. 1:18-31

I. EXEGETICAL IDEA

SUBJECT: The reason why the Apostle Paul is teaching the Corinthian believers about the
wisdom and power of the cross

COMPLEMENT: is because men are not saved through what the world considers to be wise
or powerful, but through the foolishness of the message preached – Christ
crucified.

II. OUTLINE
I. The reason why the word of the cross is the power of God to those who are being
saved is because it is the means by which men are saved, not worldly wisdom.
(v.18-21)

a. The reason why those who are perishing cannot know God is because the
word of the cross is foolishness to them. (v.18a)

b. The reason why the those who are being saved can know God is because the
word of the cross is the power of God to him. (v.18b)

c. The reason why God was well-pleased to save those who believe is
because the world did not come to know Him through its own wisdom, but
through the foolishness of the message preached. (v.19-21)

II. The reason why the apostles are preaching Christ crucified even though it is a
stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles is because it is the
power and wisdom of God. (v.22-25)

a. The reason why the apostles preach Christ crucified is because Jews ask for
signs and Greeks search for wisdom. (v.22-23a)

b. The reason why the apostles preach Christ crucified is because Christ is the
power and wisdom of God to those who are called. (v.23-24)

c. The reason why Christ is the power and wisdom of God to those who are

 called is because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness
of God is stronger than men. (v.25)

III. The purpose why God’s standards for choosing is contrary to the world’s
standards is so that no one may boast before the Lord but rather, those who boast
may only do so in the Lord. (v.26-31)

a. The reason why believers are to consider their calling is because not many
were wise, mighty or noble according to the world’s standards. (v.26)

b. The purpose why God chose what the world will not choose is so that no man
may boast before God. (v.27-29)
1. The purpose why God chose the foolish things of the world is to
shame the wise. (v.27a)
2. The purpose why God chose the weak things of the world is to
shame the strong. (v.27b)
3. The purpose why God chose the despised things of the world is to
nullify the things that are. (v.28)

c. The purpose why God brought believers to Christ and became to us wisdom
from God, our righteousness, sanctification and redemption, is so that those
who boast may only do so in the Lord. (v.30-31)

III. ENGLISH TRANSLATION

1:18 For the [communicated] message of the cross is non-sense to those who are on the
way of destruction, but to us who are in the way of salvation, it is the power of
God.

1:19 For it is written, "I will bring the wisdom of those who are wise to nothing, and I
will nullify the intelligence of [those who are] intelligent."

1:20 What has become of the educated people? What has become of the experts of the
law? What has become of the smart reasoners of this time? Did not God bring the
intelligence of the human race to nothing?

1:21 For since in the wisdom of God human beings did not come to know Him through
their own intellect, [it] was pleasing to God to bring those who believe to
salvation through the senselessness of what we preached.

1:22 In as much as the Jews demand for signs and Greeks desire knowledge,

1:23 we proclaim [that] Christ [was] crucified: a scandal to the Jews and non-sense to
the non-jews.

 1:24 But to those who are called [by God], both Jews and Gentiles [alike], Christ
[crucified] [is the] power of God and His wisdom,

1:25 For the senselessness of God is more sensible than [what makes sense to] men,
and the weakness of God is more powerful than the power of men.

1:26 Think [about] how you were called [by God], [dear] brethren, seeing that not
many [of you were] wise according to human standards, not many [of you had]
authority, [and] not many [of you were] born of nobility.

1:27 But the senseless [things] of the world [was] chosen [by] God in order to shame
those who are intelligent, the helpless [things] of the world [was] chosen [by] God
in order to shame the mighty,

1:28 and the lowly and neglected things [of] the [world] was chosen [by] God – that
which is regarded as amounting to nothing – in order to invalidate the things that
are regarded [to be of value],

1:29 So that no human being can [ever] brag before God.

1:30 It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from
God, the very essence of what is right, and holiness and redemption,

1:31 So that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts [not do so of himself], [but let
him do so] in the Lord.”

IV. COMMENTARY

Introduction

The city of Corinth had been inactive for nearly a hundred years when Julius Caesar re-
established it; the year was 44 B.C. The city was located at a very strategic location for
doing business, and in the time of Paul, it was the largest city in Roman Greece. It was a
relatively new city in its time, but it was growing at very fast pace. Because of how
attractive a city it has become in the Roman Empire, the city of Corinth became home to
a very diverse population of people, who naturally brought with them their different
religions and beliefs (Fee, p. 325-326).

The Apostle Paul penned this letter to the Corinthian brethren between A.D. 53-55 from
Ephesus, near the end of his three-year ministry there. In actuality, Paul wrote four letters
to the church in Corinth, two of which are non-extant today. The first one is the previous
letter mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:9. It is followed by what we now know today as 1st
Corinthians. Next is the letter mentioned in 2 Corinthians 2:3-4, and finally, the Bible
book that we know to be 2nd Corinthians. Paul was writing in response to an oral report
and a letter which he received from the Corinthian church. These reports revealed that the

 brothers and sisters at Corinth are “struggling with division, immorality, idolatry, and
theological confusion” (Packer, Grudem and Fernando, loc. 273557). It can be read in 1
Corinthians 8:7 and 12:2 that the Corinthian church is “composed mostly of Gentiles”
(Fee, p. 324).

The first letter to the Corinthians is “a letter of correction.” Gordon Fee writes in his book
How to Read the Bible Book by Book that Paul “stands over against the Corinthians on
issue after issue, mostly behavioral, but which are nevertheless betrayals of the gospel of
Christ and the life in the Spirit.” In fact, he deals with eleven different issues in this letter.
Scriptural evidence shows us that Paul corrects the Corinthian brethren about that which
they already know; it is evident in how he starts his sentences with “Don’t you know,”
which can be read in various places in the letter including 3:16, 5:6 and 9:13. It is
interesting to note that Paul was also being opposed not from the people outside the
church membership, but from the Christians themselves (Fee, p. 324-326)!

According to Fee, the first letter to the Corinthian brethren emphasizes five major topics:
(1) a crucified Messiah as the central message of the gospel; (2) the cross as God’s
wisdom and power; (3) Christian behavior that conforms to the gospel; (4) the true nature
of life in the Spirit; (5) and the future bodily resurrection of the Christian dead (Fee, p.
324).

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 talks about the wisdom and power of the cross of Christ. Verses
18-21 tell the readers that the message of the cross is the power of God to those who are
being saved because it is the means by which men are saved, as opposed to worldly
wisdom. It is followed by verses 22-25 which introduces the reason why the apostles are
preaching the crucifixion of Jesus Christ even though it is a stumbling block to the Jews
and foolishness to the Gentiles: the cross of Christ is the power and wisdom of God.
Finally, in verses 26-31, readers see the purpose why God’s standards for choosing
people is contrary to the world’s standards: it is so that no one may boast before the Lord
but rather, that those who boast may only do so in the Lord.

The use of the causal conjunction gar (for) in verses 18, 19, 21, 22, 25 and 26 gives the
readers a clue that the apostle Paul was giving the reason for something. The first two
points of this outline, therefore, are answering the question ‘why.’ In verses 27, 28, 31,
the conjunctions ina (in order to/so that) and opwv (so that) show up repeatedly. The
third point still answers the question ‘why,’ but this time, it gives the purpose for
something, not the reason.

I. The reason why the word of the cross is the power of God to those who are being
saved is because it is the means by which men are saved, not worldly wisdom. (v.18-
21)

a. The reason why those who are perishing cannot know God is because the word of
the cross is foolishness to them. (v.18a)

The Greek word used for “those who are perishing” is apollumenoiv, while the Greek

 word used for “those who are being saved” is swzomenoiv. These two Substantival
Participles are connected by the Contrastive Conjunction de, showing the readers a clear
distinction between how the message of the cross is accepted or perceived by the two
groups of people.

In the above English translation (page 2), apollumenoiv is translated as “those who are
on the way of destruction.” It is in the Present tense, showing us the current state of those
who do not recognize the cross of Christ as being the power of God: they are currently on
their way to destruction. The very thing that hinders them from getting to know God is
their existing view of what the cross represents. In the context of the original audience,
the cross symbolizes negative things: being accursed by God (Deut.21:23), dying a
criminal’s death, and weakness. In the words of David Garland, the cross “dashes
cherished hopes of temporal triumph and world supremacy” (Garland, loc.1947).
Naturally, therefore, those with preconceived notions about the cross who hear the
message of the cross will almost automatically dismiss it to be foolishness.

b. The reason why the those who are being saved can know God is because the word
of the cross is the power of God to them. (v.18b)

The other group of people, swzomenoiv is translated as “those who are in the way of
salvation.” Just like the Substantival Participle before it, it is also in the present tense,
showing a current state: they are walking in salvation. These are they who have chosen to
accept the seemingly paradoxical message of the power of the cross. John Stott, in his
book The Incomparable Christ, writes that the Apostle Paul developed “the theme of
‘power though weakness’ which is so much needed in our contemporary power-hungry
world.” He saw this in the message of the cross of Christ (Stott, p. 54). Clearly, the
Apostle Paul is teaching the Corinthian believers that God is able to use the lowest of the
low in this world to accomplish His purposes and manifest His power. This will cause the
people who want to put their faith in God to completely detach themselves from what
they think to be a power source, and rely only on God and what He can do.

c. The reason why God was well-pleased to save those who believe is because the
world did not come to know Him through its own wisdom, but through
the foolishness of the message preached. (v.19-21)

How comforting it is to know that God saves human beings not on the basis of who or
what the world holds them to be – or even what they hold themselves to be – but on the
course of action they take as they have the message of the cross preached to them: to
believe. In his letter to the Ephesian brethren, he says that God “made known to us the
mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ”
(Ephesians 1:9), and continues to say in the next chapter that we are “saved by
grace…through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). If the wisdom of the world is what it would take
to get to know God and to receive salvation, all of mankind would fall short and be
doomed to go to hell. One may further argue that those denied of education – whether
they are living in places of poverty or geographically alienated from centers for education
such as schools and the like – are automatically disqualified of salvation because they

 lack what the world considers to be wise in its eyes. They would not have what it takes to
know or even begin to seek God.

In addition, if the world would come to know God and be saved through its wisdom, then
salvation becomes something that one may work on, and thus become something to boast
about. This is what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 2:9, that salvation is “not by
works, so that no one can boast.” Just look at how Jesus Christ chose his disciples: four
of them were fishermen, one was a tax collector, and none of them were Law experts or
scholars of Scripture, as the Pharisees and Scribes were. But they were numbered among
the twelve disciples of Jesus. And, just as it was then, so it still is today.

II. The reason why the apostles are preaching Christ crucified even though it is a
stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles is because it is the power
and wisdom of God. (v.22-25)

The meaning of ska/ndalon in 1 Corinthians 1:23 is “stumbling block, an offense,

scandal,” with strong support from other usage by various authors from both the New
Testament and the Septuagint (LXX). It makes sense to make this assertion because, in
context, being condemned to die on a cross is to die in the worst possible way. To the
Jews, the Cross of Christ is an offense – something that would really cause them to
stumble – because the cross represents all things negative to them. All these things will
not add up to their already-built idea or notion that theirs will be a royal, political
Messiah who would liberate them from Roman oppression. However, the Messiah that
came to the world gave His life and died on the cross to liberate man from a greater
oppressor: sin and death. It is through the scandalous, repulsive symbol of the cross that
humans are given the chance to be reunited to the God who created them originally to be
bearers of His image.

a. The reason why the apostles preach Christ crucified is because Jews ask for signs
and Greeks search for wisdom. (v.22-23a)

The message that Paul preached to the Corinthian populace, diverse as it is, was a
message that is not easy to accept to their culture. However, Paul was not one to conform
the message of the gospel to the culture he is bringing it into. John Stott writes, “Paul
makes no concessions to contemporary culture, for he knows that the church is called to
be counter-culture. We are summoned not to feeble-minded conformity, but to radical
non-conformity to the world around us” (Stott, p. 55). And if the church is called to be
counter-culture, does it not follow that the message that he and the other apostles
preached must be counter-cultural as well? Even though they knew that the Jewish sign-
seekers and the Greek wisdom-seekers will have trouble accepting the message of the
cross, they still pursued it. In the succeeding pages of his book, Stott writes that Paul
assumes that gospel is a universally recognizable message (Stott, p. 58-59). This assertion
suggests that although the gospel message was not an easy message to accept or believe,
it was not impossible to understand.

If anything, knowing that there are lost people seeking signs or wisdom in order to try to

 know God or to get to Him, as opposed to seeking God Himself and choosing to believe
in what He has already given, is a good enough motivation to preach that Christ was
crucified for them to be saved.

b. The reason why the apostles preach Christ crucified is because Christ is the power
and wisdom of God to those who are called. (v.23-24)

The Apostle Paul and all the others who have worked to preach the message of the cross
did not know for sure who will accept God’s call, but the passage says that the message
of the cross is the power and wisdom of God to those who are called, regardless of
whether they were Jews or Greeks. The message that they preached was an all-inclusive
gospel that calls for people from every tongue, tribe and nation to come into the highest
privilege of knowing who God really is and coming to salvation. The message of the
cross is for everyone, but not everyone will respond. Those who respond to this call are
those who will know and experience what true power and true wisdom really is.

c. The reason why Christ is the power and wisdom of God to those who are called is
because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is
stronger than men. (v.25)

Garland quotes P. Lampe in stating that the Apostle Paul made use of rhetoric in this part
of his exhortation to the Corinthian brethren. It is more specifically known as a “schema”
– a type of speech that is not outright obvious that stimulates the audience to think deeper
in order to understand the true meaning of what is being said by the author (Garland, loc.
1728). In this light, it would make sense to understand verse 25 as a schema. Most
certainly, God is never weak, nor is He ever foolish. Why then would Paul say that God’s
foolishness is wiser than men and that the weakness of God is stronger than men? Does it
mean he has a point of weakness or foolishness? Of course not! It would be completely
wrong to take it in its plain-literal sense. However, if it is understood to be a rhetoric,
readers may understand the statement of verse 25 to have this meaning: God’s ways are
different and definitely better than the ways of man. Man may perceive God to be wrong
at some point, but he will always be disproved.

III. The purpose why God’s standards for choosing is contrary to the world’s standards is
so that no one may boast before the Lord but rather, those who boast may only do so
in the Lord. (v.26-31)

a. The reason why believers are to consider their calling is because not many were
wise, mighty or noble according to the world’s standards. (v.26)

The main blepete is a Customary Present. A verb that is identified as a Customary

Present is either a regularly occurring action or an ongoing state (Wallace, p. 521). By
putting blepete in this category, it may be understood that Paul is instructing the
Corinthian believers to regularly think about how God called them. This will help them to
ground themselves and be humble, lest they begin to exalt themselves and declare that
they have received their calling as a fruit of their physical or intellectual labors, or

 because they were simply born into a state worthy of being called. It is not. As what has
been previously mentioned, God saves human beings not on the basis of who or what the
world holds them to be, but on how they receive and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“The Corinthian factions were ultimately due to their mistaken views of both the church
and the pastoral ministry. When we have a humble view of the church, we will have a
humble view of Christian leadership” (Stott, p. 55). Pride is present intrinsic in human
beings, but it is especially apparent in people who are in authority or positions. It is not
surprising that even in churches, both then and now, problems of pride exist. Christians
may develop a form of pride in being in the way of salvation, separate from those who
are on the way of destruction. Indeed, it is a sad reality. True followers of Christ should
learn to regularly evaluate themselves to see whether there is pride in their hearts. Only
then can they begin to walk in humility and become truly Christlike.

b. The purpose why God chose what the world will not choose is so that no man
may boast before God. (v.27-29)
i. The purpose why God chose the foolish things of the world is to shame the
wise. (v.27a)
ii. The purpose why God chose the weak things of the world is to shame the
strong. (v.27b)
iii. The purpose why God chose the despised things of the world is to nullify
the things that are. (v.28)

The main verb of verses 25-27 is ecelecato, which is a Constative Aorist verb. The other
verbs in these verses (except kataisxunh) are also Constative Aorists – katarghsh and
kauxhshtai. This kind of aorist verb describes an action in summary fashion, not
focusing on its beginning or ending, or if it is currently happening. In the words of Daniel
B. Wallace, it “places stress on the fact of the occurrence, not its nature” (Wallace, p.
557). The passage can then be understood that God, from then until now, chooses what
the world will not choose in order to put down and to render useless what the world holds
to be of high value, because people have been boasting and thinking highly of themselves
ever since (we can trace this down to the book of Genesis).

c. The purpose why God brought believers to Christ and became to us wisdom from
God, our righteousness, sanctification and redemption, is so that those who boast
may only do so in the Lord. (v.30-31)

Two verbs that appear in verses 30-31 are este and egenhqh. Of the two verbs, the main
verb is este. This does not mean, however, that the second verb is of lesser value in
terms of its message. The first one is a Progressive Present/Descriptive Present, while the
second verb is a Consummative Aorist. This implies that those who have received the
message of Christ are now in God (este), all because of what Christ has done on the
cross once and for all. After that one-time sacrifice, to those who sincerely accept the
message of the cross and live for the Lord, Jesus became (egenhqh) for them true wisdom
from God, the Christian’s righteousness, holiness, and redemption. The identity of a true
Christian now has its foundation in what the Lord has done for them, not on what they

 had done for themselves.

Conclusion

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 is a beautiful exposition about the wisdom and power of the cross
of Christ that the Apostle Paul addressed to the Corinthian believers. It can be divide into
three parts. The first part (18-21) discusses that the cross of Christ is what God used to
demonstrate His power in saving mankind. Although mankind has many good attributes
like their own strength and wisdom, these attributes cannot serve as their ticket to
knowing God. The second part (verses 22-25) discusses that the Apostle Paul and all the
other apostles went on preaching Christ crucified even though it is not an easily
acceptable message to their Jewish and Greek audiences, because it is the wisdom and
power of God. The third part (verses 26-31) breaks away from the pattern of showing
reasons, and discusses the purpose why God’s standards for choosing is contrary to the
world’s standards. It is explained that God does this so that no one may boast about
themselves – what they do or what they have become – but rather boast of what the Lord
has done for them.

APPLICATION

As an individual, I will seek to really know the Lord in a deeper and desiring more of
Him in my life. This can be achieved through a consistent prayer life, reading and
meditating on the Bible and journaling. I have come to a realization that I need to always
be reminded that I have received my calling from the Lord because of His grace, love,
and mercy, and not out of anything that I did or worked on. I need to always remember
what He has done for me on the cross.

As a student in IGSL, I will begin to treat my academics as an act of true worship to the
Lord, not something of which I will boast about. This journey of being a seminary itself
is a gift from the Lord, a privilege to get to know Him more, but if I grow prideful in the
process, all of it will be wasted.

As a steward of the gospel of Christ, I will always make it a point to lead people towards
understanding that their salvation is something that they have received out of the rich
grace of the Lord, and not of themselves. I will make sure that what God has done for
them is always in their heart and mind before I ask them to act out on their faith, so that,
as Howard Hendricks has said, the people which God entrusted to my care will become
“internally motivated” and keep on towards maturity (Howard Hendricks, p. 102).

APPENDIX A: GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS

GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS OF 1st CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

Greek Part of Parsing Function Classification
Word Speech
gar Conjunction Conjunction Connects the Explanatory
main thought of Conjunction
v.18 to the last
phrase of v.17
and explains it,
particularly
regarding the
power of the
Cross.
apollumenoiv Participle Participle, Functions as the Substantival
Present, direct object of Participle
Middle, mwria estin
Dative, Plural,
Masculine
estin Verb Verb, Present, Main verb of the Progressive Present/
Active, subject o9 logov Descriptive Present
Indicative, o9 tou staurou
Third Person,
Singular
de Conjunction Conjunction Contrasts the Contrastive
difference of the Conjunction
Cross to
apollumenoiv
and swzomenoiv
swzomenoiv Participle Participle, Functions as the Substantival
Present, direct object of Participle
Passive, dunamiv qeou
Dative, Plural, estin
Masculine
estin Verb Verb, Present, Main verb of the Progressive Present/
Active, subject Descriptive Present
Indicative,
Third Person,
Singular
gegraptai Verb Verb, Perfect, The main verb of Intensive Perfect/
Passive, the clause Resultative Perfect
Indicative,
Third Person,
Singular

 gar Conjunction Conjunction Adds further Explanatory
information to Conjunction
v.18, regarding
the message of
the Cross
concerning
apollumenoiv
apolw Verb Verb, Future, The verb of the Predictive Future
Active, implied subject
Indicative, qeou
First Person,
Singular
kai Conjunction Conjunction Adds emphasis Connective
to the first verb Conjunction
apolw
aqethsw Verb Verb, Future, The verb of the Predictive Future
Active, implied subject
Indicative, qeou
First Person,
Singular
pou Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Local Conjunction
current state
(emwranen) of
the subject
(sofov)
pou Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Local Conjunction
current state
(emwranen) of
the subject
(grammateuv)
pou Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Local Conjunction
current state
(emwranen) of
the subject
(suzhththv)
emwranen Verb Verb, Aorist, The main verb of Constative Aorist
Active, o9 qeov
Indicative,
Third Person,
Singular
epeidh Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Causal Conjunction
cause for the
succeeding
statements of the
verse

 gar Conjunction Conjunction Paired with Causal Conjunction
epeidh, having
the same
function
egnw Verb Verb, Aorist, The verb of o9 Constative Aorist
Active, kosmov
Indicative,
Third Person,
Singular
eudokhsen Verb Verb, Aorist, The main verb of Constative Aorist
Active, o9 qeov
Indicative,
Third Person,
Singular
swsai Infinitive Infinitive, Functions as the Independent Verbal
Aorist, Active secondary verb Participle
of the clause
pisteuontav Participle Participle, Functions as the Substantival
Present, direct object of Participle
Active, swsai
Accusative,
Plural,
Masculine
epeidh Conjunction Conjunction Gives the cause Causal Conjunction
for khrussomen
kai Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Correlative
similarities Conjunction
between the two
subjects, paired
with kai
aitousin Verb Verb, Present, The main verb of Progressive Present
Active, the clause for
Indicative, Ioudaioi
Third Person,
Plural
kai Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Correlative
similarities Conjunction
between the two
subjects, paired
with kai
zhtousin Verb Verb, Present, The main verb of Progressive Present
Active, the clause for
Indicative, E9llhnev
Third Person,
Plural

 de Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Contrastive
difference Conjunction
between the
ideas of the
Ioudaioi and
E9llhnev and the
Apostles
khrussomen Verb Verb, Present, The main verb of Progressive Present
Active, h9meiv
Indicative,
First Person,
Plural
estaurwmenon Participle Participle, Gives additional Predicate Participle
Perfect, information to
Passive, Xriston
Accusative,
Singular,
Masculine
de Conjunction Conjunction Connects what is Connective
said about the Conjunction
two direct
objects, the
Ioudaioiv and
eqnesin
de Conjunction Conjunction Sets a point of Contrastive
contrast between Conjunction
the saved and
unsaved Jews &
Greeks
te Conjunction Conjunction Connects the two Correlative
components of Conjunction
the klhtoiv,
paired with kai
kai Conjunction Conjunction Connects the two Correlative
components of Conjunction
the klhtoiv,
paired with te
kai Conjunction Conjunction Connects Connective
dunamin and Conjunction
sofian
oti Conjunction Conjunction Gives the cause Causal Conjunction
for the previous
verse (v.24)
estin Verb Verb, Present, The main verb of Progressive Present/
Active, the subjects to Descriptive Present
Indicative,

 Third Person, mwron/ asqenev
Singular tou qeou

kai Conjunction Conjunction Connects the two Connective

clauses of verse Conjunction
25 regarding the
wisdom and
power of God
blepete Verb Verb, Present, The main verb of Customary Present
Active, the clause
Indicative,
Second
Person, Plural
gar Conjunction Conjunction Gives the cause Causal Conjunction
for the the main
verb blepete
oti Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Content Conjunction
main argument
of the clause
alla Conjunction Conjunction Places a point of Contrastive
contrast between Conjunction
the previous
verse and the
current verse
ecelecato Verb Verb, Aorist, The main verb in Constative Aorist
Middle, the clause, of o9
Indicative, qeos
Third Person,
Singular
ina Conjunction Conjunction Gives the Purpose Conjunction
purpose for the
verb ecelecato
kataisxunh Verb Verb, Present, The verb of the Extending-from-Past
Active, subordinate Present
Subjunctive, clause
Third Person,
Singular
kai Conjunction Conjunction Connects the Connective
clauses that Conjunction
make use of the
verb ecelecato
and kataisxunh
ecelecato Verb Verb, Aorist, The main verb in Constative Aorist
Middle, the clause, of o9
Indicative, qeos

 Third Person,
Singular
ina Conjunction Conjunction Gives the Purpose Conjunction
purpose for the
verb ecelecato
kataisxunh Verb Verb, Present, The verb of the Extending-from-Past
Active, subordinate Present
Subjunctive, clause
Third Person,
Singular
kai Conjunction Conjunction Connects the Connective
clauses that Conjunction
make use of the
verb ecelecato
and kataisxunh
kai Conjunction Conjunction Adds Explanatory
information to Conjunction
ta asqenh tou
kosmou
ecouqenhmena Participle Participle, Functions as the Attributive Participle
Perfect, direct object of
Passive, ecelecato
Accusative,
Plural, Neuter
ecelecato Verb Verb, Aorist, The main verb in Constative Aorist
Middle, the clause, of o9
Indicative, qeos
Third Person,
Singular
onta Participle Participle, Functions as the Attributive Participle
Present, direct object of
Active, ecelecato
Accusative,
Plural, Neuter
ina Conjunction Conjunction Gives the Purpose Conjunction
purpose for the
verb ecelecato
onta Participle Participle, Functions as the Attributive Participle
Present, direct object of
Active, katarghsh
Accusative,
Plural, Neuter
katarghsh Verb Verb, Aorist, The verb of the Constative Aorist
Active, subordinate
Subjunctive, clause

 Third Person,
Singular
opwv Conjunction Conjunction Gives the result Result Conjunction
of the successive
clauses having
the verbs
ecelecato,
kataisxunh and
katarghsh
kauxhshtai Verb Verb, Aorist, The main verb of Constative Aorist
Middle, the subject pasa
Subjunctive, sarc
Third Person,
Singular
de Conjunction Conjunction Points to the Contrastive
difference Conjunction
between those
who are in Christ
and those who
are not
este Verb Verb, Present, The main verb of Progressive Present/
Active, the subject u9meis Descriptive Present
Indicative,
Second
Person, Plural
egenhqh Verb Verb, Aorist, The main verb of Consummative
Passive, the clause for Aorist
Indicative, Xristw Ihsou
Third Person,
Singular
te Conjunction Conjunction Emphasizes the Correlative
connection Conjunction
between
dikaiosunh,
a9giasmov, and
apolutrwsiv,
paired with kai
kai Conjunction Conjunction Emphasizes the Correlative
connection Conjunction
between
dikaiosunh,
a9giasmov, and
apolutrwsiv,
paired with te
kai Conjunction Conjunction Continues the Connective
connection Conjunction

 between
dikaiosunh,
a9giasmov, and
apolutrwsiv
ina Conjunction Conjunction Gives the result Result Conjunction
of what Jesus has
become for us
(v.30)
kaqwv Conjunction Conjunction Draws a Comparative
comparison Conjunction
between what
was written in
the OT and what
is happening in
the present
(v.31)
gegraptai Verb Verb, Perfect, The main verb of Intensive Perfect/
Passive, the clause Resultative Perfect
Indicative,
Third Person,
Singular
kauxwmenov Participle Participle, Functions as the Substantival
Present, subject Participle
Middle,
Nominative,
Singular,
Masculine
kauxasqw Verb Verb, Present, The verb of Iterative Present
Middle, kauxwmenov
Imperative,
Third Person,
Singular

APPENDIX B: WORD STUDY ON SKANDALON IN 1 COR. 1:23

A FULL WORD STUDY OF SKA/NDALON

IN 1 COR. 1:23
I. ETYMOLOGY

ska/ndalon (4625) is probably from a derivative of kampto (2578) which means

“scandal.” It can also mean “a snare (figuratively, cause of displeasure or sin).”

II. HISTORICAL USAGE

A. Diachronic

1. Classical Greek Usage (900 B.C.-330 B.C.)

“cause to stumble, give offence or scandal to any one, to be made to stumble, take
offence:” Aristophanes, V/IV B.C.; Cratinus, V B.C.

2. Septuagint (LXX) (250 B.C.)

a. “stumbling block:” Lev. 19:14; Josh. 23:1; Judg. 8:27; 1 Ki. 18:21; Ps. 68:22;
Ps. 118:165; Ps. 139:5; Ps. 140:9; Wi. 14:11; Si. 7:6; Hos. 4:17

b. “offence:” Judg. 2:3; 1 Ki. 25:31; Ju. 12:2; Ps. 48:13; Ps. 105:36; 1 Macc. 5:4

c. “impediments:” Ju. 5:1;

d. “ruin:” Ju. 5:20

e. “scandalize:” Ps. 49:20

f. “slander:” Si. 27:23

g. Comparison of LXX Usage to Classical Usage: The first definition “stumbling

block” is the most frequently used meaning by various authors of the LXX. It
is followed by the second definition, “offence.” These two words are logically
semantic. The three meanings used in Classical Greek continues in the LXX,
but three new meanings appear: “impediments” and “ruin” which are used in
separate chapters of Judith, and “slander,” used in Sirach.

B. Synchronic

1. Koine Greek Usage (330 B.C.-100 A.D.)

 a. “enticement or temptation:” No specified date or source identified (MM, 576).
Reference may be made to Rev. A Carr’s Horae Biblicae (1903, p.58 ff.) and
Archdeacon Allen in his St. Mark (1915, p.199 ff.)

b. “snare:” No specified date or source identified (MM, 576). Archdeacon Allen

lays the emphasis of this meaning, following a hint given by Dr. J.H. Moulton
in The Expository Times (xxvi. p.33I f.)

c. Koine Usage Compared to Classical and LXX Usage: The usage of

ska/ndalon in Koine Greek introduces two definitions that do not directly
continue any of the definitions given in the Classical Greek and the Septuagint
(LXX). However, in terms of semantics, the two definitions follow the idea of
being something that causes a trap to sin, which somehow conveys the same
thought of the definition given in the Classical Greek usage. The last four
definitions in the LXX disappeared in the Koine Greek.

2. New Testament Usage

a. “causes sin:” Matt. 13:41; Matt. 18:7; Lk. 17:1;

b. “stumbling block:” Matt. 16:23; Rom. 11:9; 1 Cor. 1:23;

c. “makes … fall:” Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8

d. “obstacle:” Rom. 14:13; Rom. 16:17

e. “offense:” Gal. 5:11

f. “makes … stumble:” 1 Jn. 2:10

g. “entice … to sin:” Rev. 2:14

h. Comparison with Classical, LXX, and Koine Usage: Most of the definitions of
the word ska/ndalon continues the usage from different points of history. The
definitions “to be made to stumble,” “makes fall,” “makes stumble” and
“offense” continues from Classical Greek and LXX. “Stumbling block” and
“offense” continue from the LXX, while “entice … to sin” continues from
Koine Greek. New definitions that appeared in the NT usage are “causes sin”
and “obstacle.” The other definitions in the LXX are absent in the NT – just as
in the Koine.

i. Comparison with BDAG: BDAG states that ska/ndalon in the New

Testament has three meanings: it can be “a device for catching,” “an
action/circumstance that leads one to act contrary to a proper course of action
or set of beliefs, temptation to sin, enticement,” or it can be “that which causes
offense or revulsion and results in opposition, disapproval, or hostility, fault,

 stain” (926). According to BDAG, the use of ska/ndalon in 1 Cor. 1:23
makes use of the third meaning, in that as the cross of Christ is preached, it
“arouses opposition” from the Jews (926). This is in agreement with two
meanings – “stumbling block” and “offense” – which were both used many
times in the LXX and in the NT.

III. CONCLUSION

The meaning of ska/ndalon in 1 Cor. 1:23 is “stumbling block, an offense, scandal,” with strong
support from its NT and LXX usage by various authors. It makes sense to make this assertion
because, in context, being condemned to die on a cross is to die in the worst possible way. In the
words of David Garland, the cross “dashes cherished hopes of temporal triumph and world
supremacy” (Garland, loc.1947). To the Jews, the Cross of Christ is an offense – something that
would really cause them to stumble – because the cross represents all things negative to them:
accursed by God (Deut.21:23), dying a criminal’s death, and weakness. All these things will not
add up to their already-built idea or notion that theirs will be a royal, political Messiah who
would liberate them from Roman oppression. However, the Messiah that came to the world gave
His life and died on the cross to liberate man from a greater oppressor: sin and death. It is
through the scandalous, repulsive symbol of the cross that humans are given the chance to be
reunited to the God who created them originally to be bearers of His image.

APPENDIX C: DIAGRAM OF 1ST THESS. 5:16-28

DIAGRAM OF 1st CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20

Verse 21

Verse 22-23

Verse 24-25

Verse 26

Verse 27-29

Verse 30-31

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Fee, Gordon D. and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book. Zondervan, 2010.

Hatch, Edwin and Henry A. Redpath, A Concordance to the Septuagint. Graz-Austria:

Acadmische Druck-U-Verlagsanstalt, 1975.

Hendricks, Howard, Teaching to Change Lives. Multnomah Books, 1987.

Kohlenberger, Goodrick and Swanson, The Greek-English Concordance to the New Testament.
Zondervan Publishing, 1995.

Liddell, Henry and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990

Moulton, James Hope and George Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament.
WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980.

Packer, J.I., Wayne Grudem and Ajith Fernando, The ESV Global Study Bible. Crossway, 2012.

Stott, John R.W., The Incomparable Christ. InterVarsity Press, 2012.

Wallace, Daniel B., Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New
Testament. Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.