The Evangel as ‘Skandalon’

Paul wrote he had a “great heaviness and continual sorrow” in his heart, because of his Jewish brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh (Rom. 9:2,3) They had the exact same religious background as him. They served the same One God. They loved the same Hebrew Bible. They visited the same synagogues. They were orthodox, amongst whom he himself used to be a champion. However with pain in his heart Paul had to establish that they were “enemies of the Evangel” (Rom 11.28). Nowhere Paul experienced resistance and enmity so much as in particular amongst his orthodox ‘Bible-loyal’ countrymen. On the Areopagus, in the philosophically oriented Athens Paul had little success with his message. They shrugged their shoulders over him. Wat he had to report them about the resurrection of the dead, was foolishness to them (Acts. 17:32). However amongst his orthodox ‘Bibel-loyal’ countrymen he received outright hatred. You can read the book of Acts to see that this was the standard response. Paul writes about this difference (1Cor.1:23):

…But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock (Greek. Skandalon), and unto the Greeks foolishness…

From the Greek word ‘skandalon’ our word scandal is derived. In many bible translations it is translated ‘stumblingblock’ or ‘snare’. But why is it that the crucified Christ is a skandalon for the Jews? In Romans 9 Paul explains why.

³² Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; ³³ As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence (Greek. Skandalon): and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

The reason the message of the crucified Christ is a skandalon to the Jews, is because it has nothing to do with works (and therefore earning). A religious commandment (do this or that) can be worked. The Evangel however is not a command, it is a good message. And a message, one can only believe (or not). But the message is solid as a rock. The joyfull tiding is that the God in Zion raised the crucified Christ from the dead as a firstfruit and universal guarantee. Just as the one offence of Adam has guaranteed that all humans would be mortals and sinners, also the salvation of all is guaranteed in “the last Adam” (Rom. 3:22,23; 5:18; 1 Kor. 15:22) This good message is opposed to every religion. Because in religion salvation always depends on the individual. In that case the human would yet have a reason to boast. And that is excluded! If a human may believe Gods word than that is Gods achievement. Because He has convinced. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The Evangel is not according to man. There is no credit to be made, but exactly that makes the Evangel such an unsurpassed good message! GOD loves the world. GOD has given His Son. GOD raised him out of the dead. And GOD assures that His Son is “The Saviour of the World” (John. 4:42; 1 John. 4:14)! However, who believes this? Paul’s continuous heartbreak was that his orthodox, diligent and pious countrymen were hostile to his evangel. Would it be different today?  HB

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