Nothing But Christ and Him Crucified

I started studying Paul's first letter to the Corinthians a few weeks ago. It is so rich! Everything has new meaning to me now. It has opened my eyes to so much truth, and it has been blessing me in the way I perceive life in general. Here's a snippet:

"I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Paul gives the secret to the power that was manifested through His preaching. It wasn't eloquence and wisdom. It wasn't preaching experience or convincing arguments, not even boldness and charisma (he says he even had stage fright). The secret was the complete confidence he had in knowing NOTHING BUT Christ and Him crucified IN the people he addressed his speech to. And he continues to state that THAT is the reason why the result was divine intervention through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I have always thought that this verse meant that when we preach the cross or the story of Calvary or talk about salvation through the blood of Jesus, we will witness the Holy Spirit intervene. Although that is true to some extent. But the true meaning of this verse is much deeper.

In the first chapter, Paul talks about how the testimony of Christ was established in us and how now we lack NOTHING! Now in the second chapter, He wants to explain how that very testimony that was established in us (Christ in us) is also the very same thing he relies on in ministry. In other words, He doesn't draw His power from any human effort, not his, not even the audience's. It's not even the audience's response that he is after. He has COMPLETE confidence in what Christ has ALREADY accomplished in them and established in them through His Crucifixion. In another place, Paul says that if one died, then all died. And then he also says I died with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. He trusted in what Christ did on the Cross and that is exactly why he witnessed God. BECAUSE he only relied on what God had done FOR, AS, and IN them, the very power of God was manifested for all to see and enjoy. To put it differently, what Paul is saying is that the way he personally knows Christ who is in him and the Christ he knows to be crucified in him, he also recognizes in the same manner in other people. Furthermore, he REFUSES to recognize any person according to any other criteria, because he KNOWS that the glory of Christ in us exceeds all other things on earth and in heaven. And it is THAT recognition that completes the circuit, that unites us... ALL OF US! together with Him... not only in Heaven but also on earth.

What this means is that we need to change our thinking, to be COMPLETELY focused on what God did, when we approach relationships, family, ministry, business, in order to enjoy our full inheritance in Him. For starters, we need to start seeing Christ and Him crucified in everyone around us, and then start relating to people accordingly. Blessings!