1 Corinthians 2:1-5: a reflection

Paul reminds the Corinthians that when he first came to them, he did not rely on impressive eloquence or human wisdom, but resolved to know and proclaim only one thing: Jesus Christ and him crucified. I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified, Paul says. He came not with lofty words or persuasive human wisdom, but with the plain message of the crucified Christ, in weakness and trembling, so that their faith would rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Paul deliberately centered everything on Christ crucified, refusing to dress it up in impressive human wisdom, that the message might stand on its own and their faith rest on God. This shows the message centered on Christ crucified, not impressive human wisdom. Center everything on Christ crucified, not on impressive human wisdom. Paul resolved to know only Christ crucified. Our faith is to rest on God, not on human eloquence or wisdom. The plain message of Christ crucified is the heart of it.

Notice Paul's deliberate resolve and its reason. Paul was a learned man, capable of eloquence and argument; but when he came to Corinth, he deliberately set aside reliance on impressive speech and human wisdom, resolving to know and proclaim only Jesus Christ and him crucified. He came, he says, in weakness, fear, and trembling, not with persuasive words of human wisdom. And he gives his reason: so that their faith would rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Paul understood that if he won people by impressive eloquence and clever arguments, their faith would rest on those things, on human wisdom and persuasion; but he wanted their faith to rest on something surer, on God himself and the plain truth of the crucified Christ. This holds a lesson for us. The heart of the Christian message is not impressive human wisdom, eloquence, or cleverness, but Jesus Christ and him crucified, the plain truth of what God has done for us in Christ. We can be tempted to dress up the faith in impressive wisdom, or to rest our own faith on clever arguments and human persuasion; but the heart of it is Christ crucified, and our faith is meant to rest on God, not on human wisdom. We do well to keep Christ crucified at the center, and to rest our faith on God rather than on human eloquence or cleverness. Keep Christ crucified at the center, not impressive human wisdom. Let your faith rest on God, not on clever arguments or eloquence. The heart of the message is Christ crucified, plainly proclaimed. Do not dress up the faith in human wisdom; let it stand on God's power.

That is worth taking to heart, for the heart of the message is Jesus Christ and him crucified, not impressive human wisdom, and our faith is meant to rest on God, not on human eloquence, as Paul resolved to know only Christ crucified. We can dress up the faith in impressive wisdom, or rest our faith on clever arguments and human persuasion; but Paul deliberately set these aside, proclaiming only Christ crucified, so that faith would rest on God's power, not human wisdom. Christ crucified is the heart of it. Keep Christ crucified at the center, and rest your faith on God, not on human eloquence or cleverness. Keep Jesus Christ and him crucified at the center, resting your faith on God rather than on impressive human wisdom or eloquence, as Paul, coming to the Corinthians, did not rely on excellence of speech or human wisdom but determined to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and him crucified, coming in weakness, fear, and trembling, so that their faith would rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God; for Paul, a learned man capable of eloquence, deliberately set aside reliance on impressive speech and clever argument, resolving to proclaim only Christ crucified, and gave his reason, that if he won people by impressive eloquence their faith would rest on those things, on human wisdom and persuasion, but he wanted their faith to rest on something surer, on God himself and the plain truth of the crucified Christ, which holds a lesson for us, since the heart of the Christian message is not impressive human wisdom, eloquence, or cleverness but Jesus Christ and him crucified, the plain truth of what God has done for us, and we can be tempted to dress up the faith in impressive wisdom or to rest our own faith on clever arguments and human persuasion, but the heart of it is Christ crucified and our faith is meant to rest on God, so that we do well to keep Christ crucified at the center and rest our faith on God rather than on human eloquence or cleverness.