Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 2:1-5; Col. 2:2, 9; Eph. 1:9-10
In this message we come to 2:1-5. According to these verses, Christ crucified was the focus of Paul’s ministry. Furthermore, in these verses we see the way of the apostle’s ministry.
In verse 1 Paul says, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, came not with excellence of speech or wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God.” Literally, the Greek words rendered “with excellence” mean according to elevation or superiority. Paul did not come to Corinth to display excellent speech or philosophical wisdom in the testimony of God.
The Greeks delighted in excellent expressions of philosophical thoughts. Paul, however, did not come to Corinth with excellence of speech or wisdom. This indicates that Paul did not preach the gospel to the Greeks according to their way of wisdom. On the contrary, he avoided such a practice.
Paul’s way of preaching the gospel was different from that common among ministers and pastors today. In Bible institutes and seminaries people are taught to preach using the psychology and philosophy of the people to whom their message is addressed. For example, those who go to Germany to preach the gospel are encouraged to learn German psychology and philosophy and to use these things in their preaching. However, when Paul went to Greece, he did not preach in this way. Paul was concerned that the cross of Christ should not be made void through the wisdom of speech.
In China I heard certain missionaries preach in the way of using Chinese ethical philosophy. Although these ministers used the name of Christ and mentioned the Bible, their speaking did not impress others either with Christ or with the Word of God. Instead, they gave the impression to the learned Chinese that the gospel actually confirmed their native philosophy.
In speaking to others concerning Christ and the gospel, we must be certain that the way we speak does not cause the listeners to miss the crucial point. It is better that our speaking be considered awkward than that we should cause others to miss the basic matters of Christ and the cross. It is not our aim to impress people with our knowledge or speech. Instead, our burden is to impress them with Christ. We must minister Christ to them and not make a display of our language or knowledge.
A second important point in verse 1 concerns the testimony of God. What is the testimony of God to which Paul refers in verse 1? Some of the best ancient authorities have mystery instead of testimony. What the apostle announced as the testimony of God was the mystery of God, which is Christ as the embodiment of God and the church as the expression of Christ (Rom. 16:25-26; Col. 1:26-27; 2:2; 4:3; Eph. 3:4-6, 9). Actually, the testimony of God and the mystery of God are one. The mystery of God is the testimony of God. This testimony, this mystery, includes Christ as the embodiment of God and the church as the expression of Christ.
Today many preach about Christ and testify of Him. But most of those who preach Christ do not care for the church. However, the full testimony of God includes both Christ and the church. Recently, in the Life-study of Exodus we saw that the ark of the testimony, a type of Christ, has measurements which are half units. These dimensions indicate that a second half is needed. If we preach Christ without preaching the church, we give only half the message, only half of God’s testimony. The majority of today’s Christians at most have only one half of the testimony. Actually, many do not even have a complete half, for they do not have a complete Christ. In the New Testament the full testimony of God is Christ and the church. Christ is the Head, and the church is the Body. Christ is the mystery of God, and the church is the mystery of Christ.
When Paul came to Corinth, he announced both halves of God’s testimony; that is, he preached concerning Christ and the church. This can be proved by the contents of 1 Corinthians. In this Epistle we see both the Head and the Body. In fact, the greater portion of this book is related to the church, not directly to Christ. In the first two chapters Christ is revealed, but all the remaining chapters concentrate on the church. Most of the problems among the believers at Corinth involved the church. Therefore, Paul presents to them the complete testimony of God: Christ the Head and the church, the Body. Furthermore, he announces this testimony in simple words, not in excellence of speech with philosophical speculations.
In verse 2 Paul continues, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified.” The crucified Christ was the unique subject, the center, the content, and the substance of the apostle’s ministry. For this he determined not to know anything but the all-inclusive Christ when he was about to minister the word of the testimony of God to the excellent-speech-exalting and wisdom-worshipping Greeks. What a determination! It should be a pattern to us all.
The expression “this One crucified” indicates Christ’s humiliation and abasement. His resurrection in glory (Luke 24:26) and ascension in exaltation (Acts 2:33, 36) are not referred to here because Paul’s purpose is to overturn the pride of the Greeks in their elevated wisdom.
According to verse 2, Paul determined not to know anything among the Corinthians except Christ and Him crucified. Some may appeal to this verse as a basis for arguing that Paul did not preach about the church, but only testified concerning Christ. We know from the context of the entire book of 1 Corinthians that, beginning with chapter three, where Paul says that the believers are God’s farm and God’s building, Paul has much to say about the church. In this Epistle he actually speaks more about the church than about Christ. Paul’s meaning in verse 2 is that he determined not to know philosophy, culture, doctrine, religion, or any kind of practice. He cared only for Christ. But when Paul spoke of Christ, he included the church, for Christ is the Head of the church, which is His Body. In 12:12 Paul even indicates that the church, the Body, is part of Christ. Therefore, it is not correct to say that Paul excluded the church when he declared that he determined not to know anything other than Christ.
In verse 2 Paul seems to be saying, “Dear brothers in Corinth, you are still very philosophical, and you live a life according to your wisdom. But when I came to you ministering God’s mystery and announcing God’s testimony, I did not rely on wisdom or philosophy. I certainly did not emphasize religion or culture. I spoke to you of a living Person, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. I determined not to know anything among you except this wonderful Person. I deliberately stayed away from philosophy, wisdom, and excellence of speech.”
Paul also reminded the Corinthians that the Christ he preached was One who had been crucified. On the one hand, Paul did not use excellence of speech or wisdom; on the other hand, he proclaimed not an honored, exalted, glorified Christ, but a Christ who had been despised, rejected, defeated, and even crucified. Here Paul seems to be saying, “You have believed in Christ and received Him with the initial gifts. But after receiving Christ, you made the mistake of not living a crucified life. On the contrary, you have lived a self-glorying and self-exalting life. But the One I preached to you and the One received by you was a rejected, despised, and crucified Christ. No longer should you live in a way to exalt yourselves. Rather, you should live a crucified life, even live the crucified Christ. You should not boast in your knowledge. Instead, you should be willing to give the impression that you do not know anything other than the crucified Christ. All of you are saying that you are of Paul, of Cephas, of Apollos, or of a limited Christ. This is according to man’s way, not according to the crucified Christ. You should live this One who was crucified.”
There will always be trouble in a local church when the saints seek to know things other than Christ. Knowing too many doctrines often produces debates and even causes divisions. It is always profitable to know nothing but Christ and Christ crucified; this is the only safe way.
If all the saints in the local churches determine to know nothing except Christ Jesus, there will be no problems in the church life. The most wonderful local church is a church composed of saints who do not know anything other than Christ. Whenever they are asked a question, they reply that they only know Christ, calling on the name of the Lord, praying, and enjoying the Lord Jesus. They are willing to appear foolish by not knowing anything except Christ and this One crucified.
If the best local church is a church where the saints do not know anything except Christ, the church with the most problems is one where the saints know too many things other than Christ. More than forty years ago, I spent a long period of time trying to help this kind of church. My efforts were in vain, because everyone knew too much.
It is very important for us to determine not to know things and to learn to say, “I don’t know.” Learn to determine not to know anything except Jesus Christ. Oh, we all must have such a spirit, attitude, and practice. If we determine not to know anything except Christ, there will not be any problems or divisions among us.
Sometimes when we visit a church in another locality, the saints there have questions about certain doctrines and practices. To answer their questions would be a big mistake and would waste much time and energy. Furthermore, we may waste the opportunity to minister Christ to the saints. We should be those who know only Christ and the Word of God. Then we shall have more opportunity to minister Christ to others.
The problem at Corinth was that the believers had too much knowledge. Furthermore, they treasured knowledge, even to the point of worshipping it and making it an idol. Therefore, it is not surprising that Paul’s intention was to belittle their knowledge and point them to the crucified Christ.
In verse 3 Paul goes on to say, “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.” Weakness here refers to the apostle’s physical weakness due perhaps to his physical sufferings in the persecutions he endured for the gospel. Paul did not display himself as a physically strong man among the Greeks, who sought to be strong not only psychologically in their philosophies, but also physically in their gymnastics.
Paul reminds the Corinthians that he was with them in fear and in much trembling. Fear is the inward feeling; trembling is the outward appearance. The apostle was in fear of missing Christ in his ministry to the wisdom-seeking Greeks and in trembling lest he be influenced by their prevailing aspiration. By such fear and trembling he stood faithfully and steadfastly in his God-appointed ministry according to the heavenly vision and avoided any deviation. The religious Jews were proud of their traditional religion, and the philosophical Greeks were haughty in their worldly wisdom. In ministering Christ to both, the apostle was in fear and in much trembling. What a contrast between him and them!
Paul realized that it is difficult to preach Christ to philosophical people. It is easy to be snared by philosophy or tempted to try to subdue the other person. When we speak to others about Christ, it is best to forget what kind of people they are and simply proclaim the testimony concerning Christ. Like Paul, we should be in fear and trembling lest we miss Christ as we talk to philosophical people.
Verse 4 says, “And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power.” Persuasive words of wisdom issue from the human mind; demonstration of the Spirit comes from our spirit. The apostle’s speech and preaching were not from his mind with words of speculation, but from his spirit with the release and exhibition of the Spirit, hence of power.
In verse 5 Paul says, “That your faith may not be in men’s wisdom, but in God’s power.” Men’s wisdom is the elementary philosophy; God’s power is the all-inclusive Christ (1:24).
In verses 4 and 5 Paul repeats what he has said previously. His words are different, but his concept is the same. Paul did not exercise persuasive words of wisdom, but the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. The power demonstrated by Paul was Christ crucified. The result of such a demonstration was that the believers’ faith would not be the result of Paul’s wisdom overcoming their wisdom, but would be in God’s power, the crucified Christ.
In centuries past both the Nestorians and the Jesuits attempted to convert the learned Chinese to Christianity. Some Chinese did embrace the Christian religion because of their efforts; however, they did so without actually receiving Christ. Mainly they were influenced in certain aspects of culture and learning. By this we see that it is a mistake to come down to someone’s level when we preach Christ to him and try to use his language and philosophy. In preaching Christ we need to maintain our level, and this level is Christ Himself. Let those who are willing come up to this level and receive Christ. Then they will become genuine believers in Christ. The efforts of both the Nestorians and the Jesuits ended in failure simply because they came down to the level of local ethics and philosophy. Many Christians today are making a similar mistake, a mistake we must learn to avoid.
We in the Lord’s recovery must have a clear vision of God’s economy. Then we need to be governed, controlled, and directed by this vision. Because I have seen this vision and am directed by it, I have never changed my tone throughout the years. I know what I have seen, I know what I am teaching, and I know what I am ministering to the Lord’s people. If we have the vision of God’s economy, we shall automatically have only one choice, preference, taste, and ministry. We shall care only for the all-inclusive and all-extensive Christ and for the genuine and proper church life. Today we in the Lord’s recovery must be strong and unshakable in the vision of God’s economy, God’s eternal will. Because Paul had seen this vision and was faithful to it, he could be very strong. We all need to be strong and steadfast in this way.
