“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;”
King James Version (KJV)
1:23 We go on to preach, in a plain and historical, not rhetorical or philosophical, manner, Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumblingblock - Just opposite to the signs they demand. And to the Greeks foolishness - A silly tale, just opposite to the wisdom they seek.
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified. Not merely Christ, but Christ Crucified; a Crucified Savior. Unto the Jews a stumblingblock. Because they had an entirely different conception of the Christ. Yet it was predicted that he should be "a stone of stumbling" (Mt 21:42 Isa 8:14) Unto the Greeks foolishness. It seemed to the Greeks that a being who died so ignominious a death could not be divine.