1 Corinthians 1:22-24 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

For the Jews, &c.— Whereas the Jews require signs, and the Gentiles seek after wisdom; 1 Corinthians 1:23. We, nevertheless, preach Christ crucified,—and unto the Gentiles foolishness: 1 Corinthians 1:24. But unto them that are called, both Jews and Gentiles, &c. When we consider how many miracles were continually wrought by and upon the first preachers and converts of Christianity, it may seem an astonishing demand which the Jews are said here to make. From a memorable passage in Josephus,—in which he speaks of an impostor promising his followers to shew them a sign of their being set at liberty from the Roman yoke,—compared with their requiring from Christ, amid the full torrent of his miracles, a sign from heaven, it seems probable that the meaning here is, "The Jews demand a sign from heaven to introduce a Messiah victorious over all their enemies." See Matthew 16:1Mat 16:1. The Apostle, 1 Corinthians 1:23 says, that Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness. Now, I. The Jews were offended at Christ, because he was not received and followed by those of the most learning and authority among them. They were offended at him because he was not a temporal prince, and a conqueror. They were all persuaded that the Messiah would be a great king, under whom they should rule over the Gentiles, and live in wealth and pleasure. When, therefore, they found Christ was poor and despised, and died an ignominious death, and his kingdom was a spiritual kingdom, the cross of Christ proved a stumbling-block to them, and they were displeased with a doctrine that suited neither with their prejudices nor with their inclinations. It is well known that nothing exposed Christianity more to the contempt of the Jews than the doctrine of the cross; they therefore called Christ in derision Tolvi,—the man that was hanged, that is, on the cross; and Christians Abde Tolvi, "the disciples of the crucified malefactor;" and by a malignant distortion of the Greek word 'Ευαγγελιον, they called it Aven Gelon, or "a revelation of vanity." Yet it is easy to shew that these objections against the person of our Saviour were not sufficient to excuse their unbelief. For though the law promised temporal blessings to the good, yet the Jews knew by long experience, that those promises had not been fulfilled at all times, nor to all persons. Extraordinary interpositions in behalf of the righteous were grown less frequent. They therefore had no reason to judge of the characters of men by their station and circumstances in this life, or to imagine that fortunate and virtuous were synonimous terms, which implied the same thing. They might have found examples of good men, who had undergone much trouble, and had received here below no recompence of their faith and obedience. They might have learned from the prophets, that the Messiah, to whom so much power, prosperity, and splendour was promised, was also to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; that his soul was to be an offering for sin; and they might have seen, in the sufferings of Christ, and his resurrection, the accomplishment of those otherwise irreconcileable predictions. II. The causes of the unbelief of the Greeks and Gentiles were some of them the same as those which occasioned the unbelief of the Jews;—a great corruption of manners, the purity of the precepts of the Gospel, the temporal inconveniences which attended the profession of Christianity, and advantages which might be secured by rejecting or opposing it; the poor appearance which Christ had made in the world, and his ignominious death. But yet they ought not to have slighted and rejected the Gospel upon account of the low estate and sufferings of Christ and his apostles. The little light they had, yea, and some of their most approved authors, might have taught them not to value persons according to their greatness and riches; nor to measure the favour of God by temporal happiness, but to love and honour oppressed innocence. They might have remembered, that the best man and the wisest philosopher mentioned in their histories lived all his days in poverty, was exposed to slander and calumny, and at last was accused by false witnesses, and condemned to die by unjust judges. They knew that virtue seldom obtains the respect which it deserves. They knew that virtue, though it be so amiable in itself, has a lustre offensive to the vicious, who will join to obscure and misrepresent it, and to make it contemptible. They knew that he best deserved the name of a wise man, who lived up to the rules of morality which he had prescribed to others; and they ought to have admired the man, who, at the same time that he recommended humility to his followers, was a perfect example of all that he taught. The Gentiles could not conceive how one who seemed forsaken of God, should restore men to the favour of God; and how his sufferings should be serviceable to that end. It is reasonable that the divine mercy should constantly display itself in cases within the reach of compassion, consistently with his moral attributes. Such was the case of mankind: who, though sinful, are weak; though offenders, are within the reach of his almighty grace. It is also reasonable that God should also be displeased at rebellion and transgression, and that he should so grant his pardon, as at the same time to vindicate the honour of his laws. Now this he has accomplished in a most illustrious manner in the death of his Son, shewing thereby his hatred to sin and sinners, in refusing to hear them in their own name, and in bestowinghis favours only through the mediation of one who suffered for our offences. The paternal and tutelary deities worshipped by the Gentiles were dead heroes and kings; they were consequently loth to deify one who appeared in the low circumstances of a carpenter's son, and was at last executed like the meanest slave. Yet they should have recollected that the inventors of arts, however low, were worshipped by them as gods; and that the husbandman, the gardener, the vintner, and the lowest mechanic, were enrolled among their deities. The Gentiles thought it strange to ascribe such power and authority to a crucified man. But the greatest power that any one can shew, consists in performing such things as no one else can do, unless God assist him. To destroy the peace of mankind, and carry ruin and desolation through populous countries, is no more than what human strength and policy can affect. Many have done this, who have not possessed one commendable quality. To be honoured, admired, reverenced, are advantages which may be attained without any supernatural aid; but no man by his riches, or the eminence of his station, can deliver his brother from death. Therefore he who can heal all sicknesses by speaking a word; who can restore the dead to life; who can confer the same power on others; who can deliver himself from the grave; is as much superior to the rulers and heroes of this world, as the heavens are above the earth. And such was our Saviour, though he was crucified; who was the author of salvation to those who believed his doctrine with the heart unto righteousness, though the Greeks foolishly imaginedthat the doctrine itself was nothing but foolishness. See Jortin's Discourses, p. 9, &c. Leigh's Critica Sacra, and Archbishop Tillotson's Works, vol. 2.