Instead of human wisdom, Paul wanted to know only one thing.
Written by
2 copper mites
3 min read
“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
(1 Corinthians 2:2)
This was a very noteworthy statement of Paul, if we consider who he was addressing at that time: the Corinthian church, which comprised of gifted and knowledgeable believers (1 Cor 1:5) who lived in a society where human wisdom was highly prized (Corinth was a major city in Greece; 1 Cor 1:22).
This statement conveys Paul’s determination to know only the power of God.
Here, Paul spoke of his resolve to demonstrate and rely only on God’s power when preaching (1 Cor 2:5), instead of human wisdom and persuasiveness which Paul felt he did not have (2:1, 3-4).
How about us? Do we have such a determination – to know only the power of God and nothing else, when it comes to preaching the gospel or dealing with life’s problems? Or do we heavily lean on our own understanding, such that our trust in God is no longer wholehearted (Prov 3:5)?
This chapter of 1st Corinthians tells us that when we are determined to know only the power of God, God will reveal Himself to us.
The “rulers of this age” searched the Scriptures for eternal life (Jn 5:39-40) and tried to make themselves righteous by following the Mosaic Law (Rom 9:31-32; 10:3-4); yet, because they refused to believe in Jesus, their efforts were futile.
As for those with a humble heart, God reveals the mystery of His salvation to them through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:7-10). In addition, through the Holy Spirit, God reveals His mind to His believers (2:16) so that they can understand and imitate His perfect attributes, such as His love and righteousness. As a result of their faith in Jesus, believers of Christ who reciprocate Christ’s love can now enjoy the wonderful spiritual blessings that God has prepared for them (2:9).
Therefore, to know the fullness of God’s power, we need to humbly cast away our flawed ideas about God and His salvation. Otherwise, like the “rulers of this age” who were blinded by their unbelief (2:8), we will not be able to receive the salvation and new life that God wants to give us.
May we echo these same sentiments of Paul that were written in another epistle:
“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
(Philippians 3:8)
To see the far greater value of knowing God’s power, in comparison to human wisdom; for while human wisdom cannot save us from death, God’s power can resurrect us from the dead (Philip 3:10-11), giving us a new life and conveying us into His eternal kingdom. 🏰
