Paul quotes Isaiah: 'As it is written: 'See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall; and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.'' Jesus is a dividing point. You either stumble over him or stand on him.
I was an anthropology major studying religion. I approached Christianity intellectually, analyzing its claims, comparing it to other religions. I could critique it, deconstruct it, explain why belief seemed irrational. I was stumbling over the stone.
But Paul's point is that neutrality isn't possible. You can't just observe Jesus analytically. You either believe or you don't. Belief is a choice. And that choice determines everything. I stumbled for years. Then one night I just... stopped stumbling. I chose to believe. And the shame I'd carried—the feeling that belief was beneath my intellect—it lifted. I wasn't stupid. I was trusting. That's different.
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