The Paradoxical Cross
By Trevin Wax on Apr 18, 2009 in Quotes of the Week | 
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The proclamation of the cross sounds like folly to many, when in fact it is God’s wisdom.
What looks like powerlessness is God’s power.
What sounds like a tragedy is stunning victory.
The death that looks so shameful has established God’s honor.
What appears as a cause to mourn is a cause for inexpressible joy.
God has triumphed in the cross of Jesus, and we share the triumph with him.
- Michael Bird, Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message
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Amen and Amen . It’s preaching is foolish to the world, but to the Redeemed, it is the power of God.
Dr. Paul W. Foltz | Apr 18, 2009 | Reply
God has triumphed in the cross of Jesus, and we share the triumph with him.
This quote encapsulates much of what bugs me about classical evangelical thought. God’s triumph is with his resurrection of Jesus, and raising him to his right hand over all principalities, powers, etc. The claim of the triumph of the pre-resurrection cross is not just foolishness to the world, it would have been foolishness to the apostle Paul himself. . .which is why he said “if Christ is not raised, we are of all men most miserable.”
We share the death of Jesus in the cross (through baptism) but it is the new life to which we, too are raised, that is the triumph! He is risen indeed!
Dan Martin | Apr 20, 2009 | Reply
We share it through the baptism of the spirit, which makes us one with Christ. not in water baptism, which only gets one wet.
Dr. Paul W. Foltz | Apr 20, 2009 | Reply
Fair enough, Paul. I’m not advocating sacramentalism either. . .I was only quoting a different Paul I know you’ve read. . .Rom 6:4, Col. 2:12. He may have MEANT baptism in the spirit, but all he SAID was “baptism.”
Dan Martin | Apr 20, 2009 | Reply
But my point was cross-vs-resurrection as the lynchpin of the story. This is a vital difference.
Dan Martin | Apr 20, 2009 | Reply