Session 10, Steven Lawson — 2012 National Conference
from Keith Mathison Mar 17, 2012 Category: Ministry News

The tenth main message of the 2012 Ligonier Ministries National Conference was from Dr. Steven Lawson and titled, “Foolishness to the Greeks.”
Dr. Lawson reminded us that anti-intellectualism is not the only danger Christians face. Those who seek to reclaim the Christian mind face the opposite danger — allowing a desire to please God to mutate into pride and a vain desire for worldly respect. In this message, Dr. Steven Lawson explained how we must walk a fine line and never accommodate the gospel in an attempt to please the cultured despisers of Christianity.
Dr. Lawson opened today’s lecture with a reading of 1 Corinthians 1:18–25.
Dr. Lawson began by reminding us that from the dawn of history, man has tried to discover what life is all about – the ultimate questions.
- The Greeks addressed these questions and sought to answer them through philosophy. They offered man’s answers to man’s problems, and there were as many philosophies as there philosophers.
- When Paul arrived on the scene, he preached the Gospel in the marketplace of ideas, and it was in direct conflict with the philosophies of the day.
- Paul taught that all the answers to these questions are found in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- The Gospel is absolute foolishness to the unbeliever. In our efforts to avoid anti-intellectualism, the heart of our message is absolute insanity to the world.
- The day our message stops being foolish is the day that our message has lost its purity
Dr. Lawson explained the threefold foolishness to the Greeks.
- We have a foolish message in the eyes of the world – the word of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-25).
- We are not only dogmatic about the word of the cross, we are “bull-dogmatic” about the word of the cross.
- The Jews want miracles, and the Greeks want worldly wisdom, but Paul doesn’t give them what they want. He gives them the truth – Christ crucified.
- We are never to attempt making the foolish message appear wise to the Greeks.
- In the eyes of the world, we have foolish messengers (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
- Generally, God calls those whom the world considers foolish.
- He has intentionally reached to the bottom of the barrel.
- God does this so that no man may boast before God.
- Finally we have what the world sees as a foolish method – simple expository preaching (1 Corinthians 2:1–5).
- Paul did not come with superiority of speech.
- Paul was determined to know nothing among the Corinthians except Christ and Him crucified.
Dr. Steven Lawson is a pastor, seminary board member, Ligonier Ministries Teaching Fellow, and the author of such books as The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon and Pillars of Grace.