Advancing Encouragement By:
Bishop James Jr. Hairston

1Co:1:27: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

In a quick background to this epistle, the people of this port city were filled with immorality hence; a great example to Corinth would be California unto this day. The sinfulness of this city was notorious. It was here ‘the social forces of the age met, and all the debauchery that had been the shame or the religion of other lands.’ Impurity was indulged as a religious service as seen in the worship of a hundred priestesses in the temple of the goddess Aphrodite. In addition to the immorality, the wisdoms of the world was paramount in this city from many master minds of knowledge based on mans wisdom and philosophies. The Christians in this major city ran after the most intellect mind and speakers that caused factions in the Church. Now you see all of these types of backgrounds of the people in this land were addressed to the Corinthians because it was a major problem in the Church. While man marvel at the wisdom of the world and the intellectuals of the day God has chosen the foolish things and the weaker things to change, empower, educate, build, construct, subdue, and reign, to take dominion and rule over the world by the cross of Jesus Christ. To confound someone or a secluded group of people is to shame down, to disgrace or (by implication) put to the blush:--confuse, and to dishonor them (from the Greek word kataischuno or kat-ahee-skhoo'-no). Most importantly God has chosen the foolish, dull or stupid (as if shut up), the heedless, (morally) blockhead, and the absurd (from the Greek word Moros) to confound the wise. Yet God is not calling anyone stupid, dumb or absurd but He is saying that the very people the world despises or rejects because of their faith in God and in the living Christ, he uses to carry out the work of the Church and to accomplish the great things of His Kingdom. Here it is in a nutshell, ‘Christ Jesus Crucified trumps any wisdom that man can ever offer to the world’, verses 17-19! Why, the power of the Cross will change, rearrange, empower, build, and give peace, joy, love, contentment, acceptance, grace, forgiveness, liberty, freedom, justice, power, success, prosperity, magnificence and greatness in ones life! No man or thing can ever bring this type of lifestyle or attributes to anyone on the face of this earth and in the entire universe. Not only that the world had called the cross a crutch the weaker things as the more feeble, impotent, and sick from the Greek word, asthenes or as-then-ace. Yet, it is the cross that liberates and brings mighty power to the people! Today, is your day to be used by God by the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ to change your life and everyone else around you to rearrange, empower, build, and give peace, joy, love, contentment, acceptance, grace, forgiveness, liberty, freedom, justice, power, success, prosperity, magnificence and greatness in ones life in Jesus Name…

James Jr. Hairston