POWER IN WEAKNESS: THE PARADOX OF THE WORD OF THE CROSS, A STUDY ON 1Cor 1:18-25

Abstract

In 1Cor 1:18-25, Paul presents the contrast between two ways of understanding wisdom and power. The first one, according to him, is revealed in the cross of Christ. The second, according to some Corinthians, refers to the human eloquence acquired through rhetorical training, including the orator's per­formance. For Paul, the word of the cross is the main aspect of Christian identity. The discussion of such topics with the groups that made up the community is also significant, because the rhetorical situation involved connects wisdom with divisions and social status. 1Cor 1:18-25 is a discourse on Christian community origins, that is, the “word of the cross”, the message that Paul proclaimed to the Corinthians when the community was founded. In a context marked by partisan­ship, the cross is the unifying element of the Christian community, as well as its distinctive mark as an alternative system of values.