Jews ask for Signs and Greeks Search for Wisdom

[Sono_gioiosa]

It’s funny, sometimes, the things people come up with. Take this statement, for example, from 1 Corinthians 1:22 “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom…”

I have heard this verse used by many people in the Messianic movement (Jewish believers in Christ, that is) saying that we should be asking God to perform signs, wonders, and miracles through the Church so that Jews would believe in Jesus.

It would also stand to reason that we should ask God for wisdom to debate and reason with Greeks then. (In the context of the New Testament “Greek” stood for the rest of the non-Jewish world as the Greek language was the predominant language used in most of the nations of the world.)

However, however, however…

Before we go asking God for signs and wonders… let’s read the next verse (context, context, context…)

1 Corinthians 1:23 “…but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness…”

In other words, Paul is saying that Jews don’t get a sign, and Gentiles (synonymous with Greeks) don’t get philosophical reasons to persuade them to believe in Jesus. Instead, Jews would see Christ (Who was supposed to be their Conquering Champion) as a weakling who died a shameful death on a cross. Whereas, educated Greeks would find this whole concept of Jesus the Christ pure bibble-babble. A concept, if you will, that was nonsense. To be direct—each party got the exact opposite of what they wanted.

Jesus, Himself, said this about the Jews seeking a sign in Matthew 16:4 “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus said practically the same thing In Matthew 12:39 “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet…” When Jesus spoke about the “sign of Jonah” He was referring to His death, burial, and resurrection.

Paul goes on to state in 1 Corinthians that through the Gospel of Christ (that is, the way of salvation and the events of Jesus’ crucifixion and atoning work) the Jews actually did get a sign as they were shown the Power of God in Christ’s Work on the cross. The Greeks also were shown the depths of God’s wisdom in His amazing plan of salvation for both Jews and Greeks.

Why don’t you read the first couple of chapters in 1 Corinthians? It will only take a few minutes. And I think you will agree with me that there is no way this verse is telling us to ask God for signs to get Jews to believe. In fact, it is the opposite. Paul is stating that if Jews don’t believe the Gospel of Christ, no sign can persuade them to believe. He also states that no amount of reasoning or debating will get an educated Greek to believe, either. You either are called by God, and believe, or you aren’t, and think it’s crazy.

I don’t write these things merely to correct the looniness of the false teaching on this verse, but also to show how dangerous it is for us to not know the context of the Bible… the context of each book of the Bible… the context of each verse of each book…

If we don’t show ourselves approved workmen, if we don’t know His Word through diligent study, if we don’t take the time to read it for ourselves, but instead let others tell us what it means, or read books “about” the Bible, and listen to what our pastors, radios, and TVs tell us… we will find ourselves in dire straights, believing things that God never said—believing what man has said, instead…

Perhaps you have heard the line from the Bible “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. God is not talking about knowledge of reading, writing, arithmetic, world or local history, chemistry, practices of other nations or religions… No… He is talking about knowledge of the Word and Law of God…

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

This bone-chilling promise is not an idle threat. Though this was spoken to the nation of Israel (before the New Covenant was inaugurated) it still holds true today for the professing church. Jesus said that we are to keep His commandments… if we don’t… we are not His people… and we will be cast out… for we were never His…

John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

John 15:5-8 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

How can we keep His commandments if we don’t know them? How can we abide in His Words if we don’t listen to them? Aren’t we rejecting knowledge then? And if we are, will we not be cast out and destroyed?

How can we give Him Glory if we don’t know His Word?

…And so prove to be His disciples.

This, i read written by Caleb Jensen