Effective Language Questions & 1 Corinthians 1:21

Posted by on Feb 24, 2013

What you ask will not always produce the answer that you are looking for.  We have been learning to take care of “How” we ask.  Imagine walking up to a person that you had not met from another culture and asking “who is your mom?”.  The person would give their answer and you would assume that you received the correct answer.  Unknown to you in their culture “mom” is used for aunts, grandmothers, and birth moms – bummer, you did not ask correctly.  Instead you would ask “who gave birth to you?”.

We are still in the middle of Culture & Language Acquisition and it is interesting thinkning about engaging a new culture.  With the mindset that we are going to pursue as much immersion as possible, I need to think about how I ask questions.  I am curious what we will find that is similar to western culture and what will be totally different.
It also makes me think on the great importance of words… and how even the smallest details in God’s word matter.
I was encouraged in the last two weeks working through 1 Corinthians 1 and landed on vs 21: 
“For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the [a]message preached to save those who believe.”
There are plenty of times that I have had opportunity to share the gospel with someone and did not receive praise.  The recipient of the good news of Jesus Christ did not see it as wise, but foolish and un-loving.  The good news was in direct opposition to what he believed, and he saw no need to repent of anything.  This response can easily cause doubt in the mind of a believer when they are rebuked by the world.
This verse (and the surrounding context) are an encouragement that proclaiming the gospel to the world will be received as foolish.  In God’s wisdom he determined that the world’s wisdom could never come to know God (crazy right?).  Rather, he determined that people would be saved through the foolish sounding message of the gospel.  The world is in opposition to the gospel because they are perishing. 
If you are faithfully bringing people before the truth of the gospel, confronting sin, and calling them to repent and trust in Jesus Christ, you will face opposition… But have confidence that God’s wisdom (which is truly wise) is seen most clearly in the truth of the gospel.  Just keep on proclaiming…