I Corinthians 2

In the early part of 1 Corinthians 2, the Apostle Paul reflects on his initial approach to preaching and teaching when he first arrived in Corinth. He begins with a simple yet profound phrase: "When I came to you" (1 Corinthians 2:1). Oh, how those words stir the heart! Paul did not wait for the people of Corinth to come to him; he went to them. This is a call to every believer—we must go to them. We must seek out unbelievers, meeting them where they are, and bring the message of Christ to them.

The name of this blog, "39 Stripes," was inspired by the very heart of this missionary spirit. The apostles of Christ, through whose hands the foundations of the Christian faith were laid, took the gospel to the ends of the earth, enduring unimaginable hardships. The Apostle Paul himself describes in 2 Corinthians how he was beaten by the Jews with thirty-nine stripes on five separate occasions, shipwrecked, stoned, and subjected to all manner of persecution (2 Corinthians 11:24-28). Why did he endure such suffering? For the sake of the gospel!

If these early apostles, frail as they were, were willing to go to such lengths to deliver Christ's message to a perishing world, what excuse do we have? We may not face physical beatings or shipwrecks, but the least we can do is use every platform within our reach to share God's truth with those around us.

Yes, Paul came to Corinth. It was not his homeland; he could have stayed in his comfort zone. But he didn't. How often do we step out of our comfort zones to preach the gospel? And it doesn’t necessarily mean traveling to distant lands. It could be as simple as sharing Christ with a coworker, a family member, or even a passing acquaintance. May God give us the courage to go to them, just as Paul did.

Paul's Approach to Preaching

When Paul arrived in Corinth, he knew that the message he bore was not to be adorned with "lofty speech" or "plausible words of wisdom" (1 Corinthians 2:1, 4). He deliberately chose not to rely on his intellectual prowess, though he had every reason to do so. Paul was a highly educated man, trained under Gamaliel, familiar with Greek poetry (even going as far as quoting Aratus, Epimenides and Menander, in his writings), and a Roman citizen acquainted with the aristocracy. Yet, he understood that human wisdom, no matter how persuasive, cannot bring about true spiritual transformation.

What Paul relied on instead was the "demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4). What is this demonstration? It is the preaching of the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The message of the incarnation and crucifixion reveals the greatest miracle of all—that through Christ's sacrificial death on the cross, the door to salvation has been opened to all who believe.

Paul's singular focus was on "Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). He did not present Christ merely as a great teacher, a moral example, or even as a prophet. These titles, though true, do not capture the fullness of who Christ is. The essence of the gospel lies in the truth that Christ is God incarnate, and that through His crucifixion, He became the atonement for our sins. This is the heart of the message we are called to proclaim: that Christ, being God, came into this world, lived a sinless life, and was offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Whoever believes in Him shall be saved!

The Wisdom of God and Spiritual Maturity

Paul acknowledges that among the mature, there is a deeper wisdom to be imparted—"not the wisdom of this age," but the "secret and hidden wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 2:6-7). This wisdom is not worldly, nor is it accessible through human intellect alone. It is revealed by the Spirit of God to those who are growing in their faith.

Paul subtly distinguishes between three types of people in this chapter: the babes in Christ, the mature believers, and the natural man. The babes are those new to the faith, not yet ready to grasp the deeper doctrines of Christianity. To them, Paul preached Christ crucified—the foundational message of the gospel. The mature believers, on the other hand, are those who are ready to delve into the "hard things" of the faith, such as the doctrines of predestination, election, and the mysteries of future events.

This distinction is crucial for our evangelistic efforts today. We must be sensitive to where people are in their spiritual journey. To the babes, we must present the simple, powerful truth of the gospel. But as they grow in their faith, we should begin to introduce them to the deeper wisdom of God, as revealed in Scripture. It is a natural progression, just as in the physical world, where we expect children to grow and mature.

Lastly, Paul speaks of the natural man—the one who does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him (1 Corinthians 2:14). The natural man is incapable of understanding spiritual truths because he does not possess the Spirit. This explains why worldly people often struggle to comprehend the things of God. Without the quickening of the Spirit, they remain spiritually deaf, unable to hear the voice of God.

***

As we meditate on these truths, let us ask God to give us boldness, like Paul, to step out of our comfort zones and take the gospel to those who need to hear it. Let us also pray for discernment, that we may know how to present the message of Christ according to the spiritual maturity of our audience. May we never shy away from proclaiming "Christ and Him crucified," the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. And may we grow in our own faith, moving from babes in Christ to mature believers, ready to receive the deeper wisdom that God has prepared for us.