Only Jesus

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)

PAUL’S VISIT TO CORINTH came right after his sermon at the Areopagus in Athens, where he touched on Greek religion and philosophy to introduce his message of hope (Acts 17:22-31). Though he had preached about Jesus earlier in Athens (Acts 17:16-18), he didn’t mention Jesus’ name in this sermon. When Paul mentioned the resurrection of the dead, those listening laughed at him and cut him short, and ultimately Paul left Athens with few converts. He arrived in Corinth with a different approach: to focus entirely on Christ crucified.

Nothing in Paul’s message in Athens was misguided, and God used it to win some hearts to the truth. But in Corinth, Paul spurned lofty words and came back to the simplicity of the gospel: that the crucifixion of Jesus was a necessary sacrifice for our redemption and our cleansing from sin. He felt no need to impress his listeners (1 Corinthians 2:1); he embraced weakness and humility (verse 3); and he relied only on the Holy Spirit to change minds and hearts. He recognized that eloquence, regardless of how helpful it might be at times, is not the key to the gospel. Supernatural intervention is.

That’s important for us to remember too. Presenting the gospel with eloquent words, clear evidence, logical reasoning, winsome attitudes, and everything else we put into it can be helpful and effective, but the real power of the message comes from God and centers on the simplicity of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In a culture that emphasizes what-if scenarios, to-each-his-own relativity, and sorting out intricate explanations and ramifications, all of which can be important at times, the message of a Savior who died for sins and was raised to life is still powerful. Always come back to that—in your own devotional life and in your spiritual conversations with others. Fill your life with humility, prayer, and dependence on God, and give him room to work. Ultimately, your message is not dependent on you. Its fruitfulness is fully in his hands.

{Lord, you know how to inspire powerful rhetoric, brilliant reasoning, and effective conversations, yet you have put the power of the gospel in its simplicity. Draw many to the message of Jesus—crucified, risen, and alive in every believer today. Amen.