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使徒保罗写信给在希腊著名城市哥林多的基督徒朋友。伟大的思想家在公共场合争论他们的观点；那些崇拜者会为他们鼓掌喝彩。希腊人（外邦人）喜欢哲学。当他们听说耶稣为拯救我们而被钉死在十字架上时，他们认为相信并宣扬耶稣是近乎癫狂的事。

另一方面，许多犹太人认为他们的弥赛亚应该是一位伟大的军事统帅，能将他们从罗马的暴政中解放出来。所以，对他们来说，这个人若是被钉在十字架上处决，是很不光彩的事。

保罗并没有被这些偏见和极端的反应吓倒。他继续传讲十字架的信息。他说，并没有别的福音可以传，只有基督的福音，基督为所有信祂的人被钉在十字架上。

除了基督的信息，再没有别的好消息给罪人。只有藉着耶稣的死和复活，我们才有生命。藉着祂的宝血，我们蒙了赦免和救赎。神喜悦藉着这被视为愚拙的信息拯救罪人。神的愚拙比世人所谓的智慧更有智慧。基督的十字架可能会被不信的人所弃绝，但对我们信的人来说，它是“神的大能与智慧”。

The apostle Paul was writing to his Christian friends in Corinth, a prominent Greek city. Great thinkers disputed their ideas in the public square. Their admirers applauded them. The Greeks (Gentiles) were fond of philosophy. When they heard about Jesus, who was crucified for our salvation, they thought it was madness to believe in and preach about him.

Many Jews, on the other hand, thought their Messiah should be a great warrior-king who would free them from the tyranny of Rome. So, to them, it was scandalous to think of this person nailed to a cross.

Paul was not intimidated by these prejudiced and extreme reactions. He continued to preach the message of the cross. There is no other gospel to be preached, he said, but the message of Christ, who was crucified for all who believe in him.

There is no good news for the sinner apart from the message of Christ. Only by the death and resurrection of Jesus do we have life. It is by his blood that we receive forgiveness and redemption. It has pleased God to save sinners by the foolishness of this preaching. The foolishness of God is wiser than the so-called wisdom of the world. The cross of Christ may be rejected by unbelievers, but to us who believe, it is "the power of God and the wisdom of God."