💥 Podcast: It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believed (I Cor. 1 21)

 

 

 

(This podcast was previously published on, October 12, 2021)

 

After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus gave ministers to the New Testament church.

We read about this in Ephesians 4.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore HE saith, When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

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From heaven Jesus called Paul to put him into the ministry.  

Jesus called Paul by name saying, "Saul Saul."

There were other men who saw the great light come down from heaven and they heard a voice from heaven but saw no man, but it was Paul who was called by Jesus to be HIS minister.

Acts 9

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? 

And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? 

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

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In Acts 26, the apostle Paul tells this story in greater depth to king Agrippa.

9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? 

And HE said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.

19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

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Jesus set up the New Testament church from heaven after the resurrection.

God made a new covenant whereby HE put in the hearts HIS laws for those who were of HIMSELF.

Hebrews 8   God says:

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put MY laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to ME a people:

11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know ME, from the least to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

13 In that HE saith, A new covenant, HE hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

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I Corinthians 1

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

(After I was born again, my cousin, Church of Christ, listened to me speak and then she said, "Well ... I believe you are a Christian ... I just don't see 'how' you can be.")

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in HIS presence.

30 But of HIM (God) are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

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💥 Scriptures:

 

Ephesians 6:5-8  Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

 

6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

 

7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

 

8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

 

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Philippians 3:13-14  Paul says...Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

 

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

 

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Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.

 

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Ephesians 6:11-18  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

 

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

 

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

 

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

 

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

 

 

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💥 Mark 4 (Reading through the Bible)

 

And HE began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto Him a great multitude, so that HE entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

² And HE taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine,

³ Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

⁴ And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

⁵ And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: ⁶ But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

⁸ And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

⁹ And HE said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁰ And when HE was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable.

¹¹ And HE said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: ¹² That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

¹³ And HE said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

¹⁴ The sower soweth the word.

¹⁵ And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

¹⁶ And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; ¹⁷ And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

¹⁸ And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, ¹⁹ And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

²⁰ And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

²¹ And HE said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

²² For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

²³ If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

²⁴ And HE said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. ²⁵ For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

²⁶ And HE said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; ²⁷ And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
²⁸ For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. ²⁹ But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

³⁰ And HE said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

³¹ It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: ³² But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

³³ And with many such parables spake HE the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

³⁴ But without a parable spake HE not unto them: and when they were alone, HE expounded all things to His disciples.

³⁵ And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

³⁶ And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships.  ³⁷ And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

³⁸ And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

³⁹ And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

⁴⁰ And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?

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