Identifying the Saved

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God...For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe...But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." (I Cor. 1: 18, 21, 23, 24)

How do the Hardshells deal with these verses?  They clearly say, like Romans 1: 16, that the gospel is the "power of God unto salvation" to all who "believe."  The common "apology" given by the Hardshells is to say that these verses simply say that the gospel "saves" those who are already saved, that it saves temporally those who are already saved eternally.  They further affirm that the "believer" is not a gospel believer, or believer in Christ, but a simple theist, or simply one who believes that he is a lost sinner.  The difficulties with this twisted "interpretation" are several, however.  First, it is impossible to make the "salvation" resulting from believing, in the many bible passages which state the fact, anything other than eternal salvation.  Second, it is impossible to make the "believer" of the bible into a simple theist, or applicable to pagans and polytheists. 

But, another thing that overthrows the Hardshell perversion of these words is to realize that Paul is identifying or describing those who are "saved" and "called."  Who are they?  Paul says that they are they who "believe" the gospel, who accept Christ as being the Wisdom and Power of God.  Paul says that "them who are the called," or "the saved," are they who recognize Christ as the Wisdom and Power of God, or who believe the gospel testimony.  However, this is denied by the Hardshells.  They do not believe that this is a description of the saved, or what is true of all of those who are saved, for they teach that most of those who are saved do not believe the gospel, do not accept Christ as the Wisdom and Power of God.  Paul does not say - "to some of them who are saved, Christ is the Wisdom and Power of God."  What he says about the "saved," about "believers," is true of all of them, being what is characteristic of them.  Thus, the passage destroys Hardshellism, for it says that those who are saved believe in Christ, that he is God's Wisdom and Power.  Those who are saved are those who recognize the gospel as the power of God.