▁it ▁is ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁God .... ▁The ▁Jews ▁demand ▁signs ▁( mi ra cles ), ▁and ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁wisdom , ▁but ▁we ▁pre ach ▁Christ ▁cru c ified ▁- ▁to ▁the ▁Jews ▁a ▁st umb ling ▁block ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁Gent iles ▁fool ish ness ; ▁but ▁to ▁those ▁who ▁are ▁called , ▁both ▁Jews ▁and ▁Gree ks , ▁Christ , ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁God ▁and ▁the ▁wisdom ▁of ▁God " ▁( 1 ▁Cor inth ians ▁ 1 : 1 8 , 2 2 ). ▁ ▁The ▁Church ▁and ▁Christians ▁as ▁signs ▁of ▁contradiction ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁bib lic al ▁phrase ▁is ▁from ▁Act s ▁ 2 8 : 2 2 , ▁qu oting ▁a ▁Jew ▁in ▁Rome ▁with ▁whom ▁Paul ▁was ▁talking : ▁ ▁We ▁desire ▁to ▁hear ▁from ▁you ▁what ▁your ▁views ▁are : ▁for ▁with ▁regard ▁to ▁this ▁sect ▁we ▁know ▁that ▁everywhere ▁it ▁is ▁spoken ▁against . ▁( Ital ics ▁added ) ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Catholic ▁the olog ians ▁and ▁ecc les i olog ists ▁like ▁Charles ▁J our net ▁and ▁Kenneth ▁D . ▁White head ▁in ▁One , ▁Holy , ▁Catholic , ▁and ▁Apost ol ic : ▁The ▁Early ▁Church ▁was ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁ ▁the ▁sect ▁being ▁referred ▁to ▁here ▁by ▁the ▁Jews ▁is ▁the ▁early ▁church ▁of ▁Christians . ▁ ▁The ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁early ▁Christians , ▁according ▁to ▁these ▁Catholic ▁the olog ians , ▁are ▁one ▁with ▁Jesus ▁Christ . ▁As ▁an ▁example , ▁they ▁say ▁that ▁when ▁Paul ▁was ▁per sec