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Daily Devotions

Ephesians

Ephesians 
Day 
Day 102

"And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."

Text: Ephesians 2:16

THE DOCTRINE OF THE CROSS

In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul only briefly mentioned “the cross”. In his letter to the Corinthian Church, Paul highlighted the significance of the message of “the cross”. It would be worthwhile to devote some time to this doctrine. Let us consider the following texts.

1. The full title – “The cross of Christ”

Paul used an abbreviated form when he wrote “the cross” in the text above. In his epistle to the Corinthians he gave it its full name- “the cross of Christ” (Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:17).

2. The Message of the Cross

The cross held great symbolic significance. It contained a powerful message.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved
it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-19

a) There were those who rejected the message of the cross
i) These considered the message of Christ dying on the cross for our salvation as “foolish”.
ii) They depended on their human wisdom to come up with a solution to resolve the sin problem.
b) Paul classified these people who reject “the cross of Christ” as “people who are perishing”.
c) He proposed that those who are truly saved by God would understand the significance of the cross of Christ

BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES HAD PROBLEMS WITH “THE CROSS”

Paul knew that the message of the cross of Christ did not go down easily or well with both the Jewish and the Gentile quarters.

“For Jews request a sign,
and Greeks (Gentiles) seek after wisdom…”
1 CORINTHIANS 1:22

God refused to yield to the demands of both groups. His answer was to point to the cross of Christ. Paul was true to the message God gave to him to proclaim.

“But we preach Christ crucified,
to the Jews a stumbling block
and to the Greeks foolishness.”
1 CORINTHIANS 1:23

If any reconciliation is to be made, it would be through the death of the Christ on the Cross.