Devotions

significance in service

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

COMMITMENT, NOT COMPARISON

1 Corinthians 3:7-9

⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is significant, only God who is causing you to grow. ⁸ But the one planting and the one watering work together as one team; and each will receive his own wages according to his own labor. ⁹ Because we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s crop, God’s building.

significance in service

The Corinthians had begun dividing themselves into groups based on theological preferences, rhetorical styles, and philosophical leanings. Instead of seeing their differences as part of the church’s richness, they treated them as battle lines. Each group traced its identity back to one of the founding missionaries, as though Paul, Apollos, or Cephas had intended to create distinct schools of thought. In reality, the Corinthians were projecting their own competitive instincts onto their leaders. They evaluated ministers by comparing their relative importance, as if the church were a marketplace of ideas and each teacher a brand to be chosen or rejected.

Paul confronts this mindset by challenging the model they were using. Their entire framework for understanding ministry was flawed. They were thinking in terms of human significance—who is greater, who is more insightful, who is more influential. Paul redirects their attention away from the ministers and toward God’s larger purpose. Instead of viewing themselves as followers of different teachers, they should see themselves as a single field, a crop belonging to God. The church is not a collection of competing fan clubs but a unified work of divine cultivation.

In this agricultural picture, the missionaries are simply co‑laborers. One plants, another waters, but neither can claim credit for the harvest. The growth of the crop—its life, its fruitfulness, its maturity—comes from God alone. The workers are important, but their importance lies entirely in their service to the owner of the field. Their tasks differ, but their allegiance is the same. Their value is measured not by comparison with one another but by their faithfulness to the Lord who assigns their work.

By reframing ministry in this way, Paul dismantles the Corinthian tendency to elevate human leaders. No minister, however gifted, is the source of spiritual life. No teacher, however persuasive, is the foundation of the church. All are servants, laboring side by side under the authority of the same Master. The Corinthians’ divisions reveal that they have forgotten this basic truth. They have treated God’s field as though it belonged to the workers rather than to the One who gives the increase.

Paul’s correction calls the church back to humility and unity. The focus must return to the God who owns the field, directs the labor, and produces the harvest. Only then can the community see its leaders—and itself—rightly.

LORD, show us how to work together as a team, serving you as we assist in growing your crop, and evaluating our service based on commitment to you, not comparison with each other.

Posted in commitment, cooperation, leadership, ministry, partnership, servanthood, teamwork, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 3 | Leave a comment

servants of the sovereign

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

STOP WORSHIPING SERVANTS

1 Corinthians 3:4-6

⁴ Because when someone says, “I am in Paul’s group,” and another, “I am in Apollos’ group,” are you not mere humans? ⁵ What then is Apollos, and what is Paul? We are servants through whom you believed, and each one did what the Lord allowed. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the crop to grow.

servants of the sovereign

Paul describes a situation in Corinth that had grown spiritually unhealthy. After his departure, certain leaders rose within the fellowships who began gathering personal followings. Their influence did not strengthen the church’s unity but fractured it. These leaders were not merely offering instruction; they were cultivating allegiance. Their teaching created camps, loyalties, and rivalries that centered on personalities rather than on Christ.

To make matters worse, these teachers legitimized their authority by attaching themselves to the names of the original missionaries. Some claimed to represent Paul’s teaching, others Apollos, and still others Cephas. By invoking these respected figures, they gave weight to their own ideas and gathered supporters who believed they were aligning with the “true” apostolic tradition. The result was a church splintered into factions, each convinced it possessed superior insight.

Paul recognized the danger immediately. Yet he faced a delicate challenge. If he simply asserted his authority as the church’s founder, he risked strengthening the very faction that bore his name. Any appeal to his own status could be misinterpreted as an endorsement of the Pauline party. Instead of healing the divisions, such an approach might deepen them.

So Paul chose a different path. He deliberately minimized the importance of all human leaders, including himself. He reminded the Corinthians that Paul, Apollos, and every other teacher were nothing more than servants—laborers assigned different tasks by the same Master. One plants, another waters, but neither planter nor waterer has the power to make anything grow. Growth is God’s work alone. Life, transformation, and maturity come from the sovereign Lord who animates every genuine ministry.

By shifting the focus away from personalities and back to God’s agency, Paul dismantled the foundations of the rival groups. No leader, however gifted, can claim credit for spiritual results. No teacher, however persuasive, can produce life in the soul. All are servants, instruments through whom God chooses to work. The miracle of salvation and growth belongs entirely to the Lord.

Paul’s corrective strikes at the heart of the problem: the Corinthians had elevated human leaders to a place they never deserved. By restoring God to the center, Paul calls the church back to humility, unity, and a shared recognition that all ministry is ultimately God’s gracious work.

LORD, thank you for bringing life to your work, and allowing us to be a part of that miracle.

Posted in dependence upon God, growth, humility, leadership, ministry, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 3 | Leave a comment

carnal people

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

JEALOUSY AND RIVALRY ARE SIGNS OF IMMATURITY

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

¹ Yet I, brothers, was not able to speak to you like you were spiritual people, but like you were carnal people, like you were infants in Christ. ² It was milk I gave you to drink, not solid food; because you were not yet able to digest it. But even now you are not yet able, ³ because you are still carnal. Because since there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not carnal, and are you not walking like a human?

carnal people

Paul’s line of thought continues with a kind of pastoral frankness. When he first arrived in Corinth, he made a deliberate choice about how to preach. He refused to impress anyone with eloquence, philosophical polish, or the kind of rhetorical flair the Corinthians admired. He preached Christ crucified in plain, uncluttered language. That simplicity was not a limitation but a strategy. The Corinthians were spiritual infants, newly rescued from paganism, still fragile in understanding. They needed the milk of the word—basic gospel truth that nourishes faith without overwhelming it. Paul gave them exactly what their condition required.

But time passed, and other teachers rose to prominence within the congregations. These leaders claimed to offer something deeper, richer, more advanced—what they called solid food for the mature. Their teaching promised a kind of spiritual sophistication that went beyond Paul’s simple message of the cross. The problem was not that they offered deeper teaching; the problem was the fruit it produced. Instead of humility, it stirred up jealousy. Instead of unity, it bred rivalry. Instead of forming Christlike character, it encouraged competition and pride.

Paul exposes the irony. These believers truly possess the mind of Christ through the Spirit. They have been given the capacity to understand God’s wisdom revealed in the gospel. Yet their behavior contradicts that gift. They are acting like mere humans—driven by ego, insecurity, and factional loyalties. Their conduct resembles the old life rather than the new creation they have become. The presence of jealousy and quarreling reveals that the so‑called solid food is not producing maturity at all. It is inflating egos and dividing the body.

Paul’s concern is pastoral rather than academic. He is not critiquing their intelligence but their spiritual posture. True maturity is measured not by the complexity of one’s theology but by the presence of Christlike love, humility, and unity. The Corinthians have been given access to the deepest wisdom of God, yet they are living as though shaped by the world’s values. The tragedy is not ignorance but forgetfulness—forgetting who they are, what they have received, and how the Spirit forms the mind of Christ within the community of faith.

The call beneath Paul’s words is clear: return to the cross, where all boasting dies and true maturity begins.

LORD, we have betrayed you by our loyalty to some, and animosity toward others. Rid us of our jealousy and rivalry, and help us to grow into mature spiritual Christians.

Posted in conflict, divisions, gospel, partiality, Uncategorized, wisdom | Tagged 1 Corinthians 3 | Leave a comment

spiritual stupidity

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

WE GET IT — THEY DON’T

1 Corinthians 2:13-16

¹³ …truths which we can also communicate, just not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities using spiritual words. ¹⁴ But a soulish person cannot receive the truths communicated by the Spirit of God; because they are stupidity to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are only subject to spiritual investigation. ¹⁵ But someone who is spiritual does investigate all these truths, yet he himself is investigated by no one. ¹⁶ Because who has known the mind of the Lord, so that he is able to advise Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

spiritual stupidity

Paul has been unfolding for the Corinthian church a reality that cannot be grasped by ordinary human perception. The message of Christ crucified is not simply information to be analyzed or a philosophy to be compared with others. It is God’s own hidden wisdom, once concealed and now revealed in the gospel. This wisdom is not discovered through brilliance, moral striving, or religious pedigree. It is disclosed by the Holy Spirit, who alone can make the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection intelligible to the human heart.

Paul draws a sharp contrast between those who are animated only by natural, soulish life and those who have been awakened by the Spirit. The natural person may be educated, sincere, or spiritually curious, yet remains disconnected from the life of God. Without the Spirit’s illumination, the gospel appears absurd. A crucified Messiah seems like weakness, not power; like failure, not victory. The world’s rulers dismissed Jesus for this very reason, and the same instinct persists wherever the Spirit has not opened eyes to see the glory hidden in the cross.

But among those who belong to Christ, something astonishing has taken place. The Spirit who searches the deep things of God has been given to them. The very thoughts and intentions of God—once inaccessible—are now made known through the Spirit’s teaching. This does not mean believers possess omniscience or divine authority. It means the Spirit enables them to perceive the true meaning of God’s saving work in Christ. What once seemed foolish now shines with divine wisdom. What once appeared weak now reveals the power of God for salvation.

Paul expresses this privilege with a breathtaking phrase: believers “have the mind of Christ.” This is not a boast but a confession of grace. The mind of Christ is the capacity, granted by the Spirit, to see the cross as God sees it—to understand its necessity, its beauty, its triumph, and its implications for life. It is the ability to discern spiritual realities that remain hidden from those who rely only on natural insight.

In Corinth, where factions and rivalries were fueled by human pride, Paul reminds the church that true understanding is a gift, not an achievement. The gospel’s wisdom is not earned; it is revealed. And those who receive it are invited to live with humility, gratitude, and a growing sensitivity to the Spirit who makes Christ known.

LORD, thank you for the amazing wisdom that is ours – the truth about Christ crucified for us.

Posted in bible study, discernment, gospel, theology, Uncategorized, wisdom | Tagged 1 Corinthians 2 | Leave a comment

God’s little secret

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

THE SECRET IS OUT

1 Corinthians 2:10-12

¹⁰ But God has uncovered it for us through the Spirit; because the Spirit probes all mysteries, even the deep ones from God. 11 Because who in humanity knows the secrets of a human except the human spirit, which is in him? In the same way, no one knows God’s secrets except the Spirit of God. 12 But we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we can know the things granted to us by God,

God’s little secret

Paul reminds the Corinthians that when he first arrived in their city, he made a deliberate choice about how he would present the gospel. Corinth was a place where persuasive speech, philosophical sophistication, and rhetorical flair were prized. A gifted communicator could easily gather a following simply by displaying intellectual brilliance. Paul certainly possessed the ability to impress such an audience, but he refused to rely on those tools. He did not want anyone’s faith to rest on admiration for his skill. Instead, he proclaimed the simple message of Christ crucified and trusted God’s power to do what human eloquence could never accomplish.

Now Paul explains that, although he avoided the appearance of secret wisdom, the Corinthians actually did receive a kind of hidden wisdom—just not the kind their culture celebrated. The wisdom they received came directly from the Holy Spirit. It was not a collection of philosophical insights or mystical secrets reserved for the elite. It was the gospel itself. What the world dismissed as foolishness was, in reality, the revelation of God’s eternal plan.

This divine wisdom had been concealed throughout the ages, woven into the Scriptures, hinted at through the prophets, and finally unveiled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The rulers of this age never understood it. If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But to those who believe, the Spirit reveals the astonishing truth: the destiny of the universe is bound up in the cross. Everything God intends to accomplish—redemption, restoration, new creation—flows from what happened when Christ died and rose again.

Paul wants the Corinthians to see that they do not need to chase after impressive teachers or esoteric knowledge. They already possess the deepest wisdom God has ever revealed. The Holy Spirit has opened their eyes to the meaning of the cross, and that revelation is richer than anything human philosophy can offer.

God’s “little secret”—the gospel hidden in plain sight—still carries the power to change lives. When the Spirit uncovers its meaning in a person’s heart, the message that once seemed simple becomes the very wisdom of God, shaping identity, purpose, and hope.

LORD, thank you for uncovering your amazing secret – the sacrificial death of Christ to save us from sin.

Posted in discernment, evangelism, gospel, insight, revelation, Uncategorized, wisdom | Tagged 1 Corinthians 2 | Leave a comment

concealed wisdom

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

THIS GENERATION NEEDS THE GOSPEL

1 Corinthians 2:6-9

⁶ Yet we are speaking wisdom among the mature ones; but a wisdom which is not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing; ⁷ but we are speaking God’s wisdom in a mystery, the concealed wisdom, which God predetermined before the ages to our glory; ⁸ the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has come to know; because if they had come to know it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; ⁹ but it is just like what is written, “Those things which an eye has not seen and an ear has not heard, and have not been conceived by the human heart, God has prepared them for those who love Him.”

concealed wisdom

Paul reminds the Corinthians that when he first preached the gospel to them, he intentionally avoided the kind of polished rhetoric and philosophical sophistication that would have impressed a Greek audience. He did not want anyone to mistake eloquence for spiritual power or to imagine that their faith rested on his brilliance. His goal was not to gather admirers but to proclaim Christ. So he set aside every tool that might draw attention to himself and relied instead on the simple, unadorned message of the cross and the power of God working through it.

But now Paul adds a surprising layer to that earlier claim. The gospel he preached—so plain, so unimpressive by worldly standards—is in fact a message of profound wisdom. It is not the kind of wisdom the rulers of this age recognize or value. It is not the wisdom of philosophers, political leaders, or cultural influencers. It is a hidden wisdom, embedded in the Scriptures, prepared by God before the ages, and now revealed to those who believe. What appears foolish on the surface is, in reality, the deepest truth the world has ever known.

This wisdom remains concealed from those who rely on human insight alone. The rulers of this age did not understand it; if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The cross looked like defeat to them, but it was the very means by which God accomplished salvation. Only those who dare to trust the message—those who receive it with humility rather than skepticism—begin to see its brilliance. Faith opens the eyes. The Spirit illuminates the mind. What once seemed absurd becomes the revelation of God’s eternal plan.

Paul’s point is clear: the gospel does not need human enhancement. It carries within itself a divine wisdom that the world cannot grasp on its own. The Corinthians were tempted to chase after impressive leaders and sophisticated teaching, but Paul calls them back to the message that first saved them. The cross may look foolish, but it is the wisdom of God. It may appear weak, but it is the power of God. And it is given not to the proud, but to those who believe.

LORD, give us the wisdom to reveal your special gospel message to this dying generation.

Posted in evangelism, gospel, insight, knowledge, Uncategorized, witness | Tagged 1 Corinthians 2 | Leave a comment

reverse strategy

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

PROCLAIM, LET GOD PERSUADE

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

¹ Remember when I first came to you, brothers? I did not come with a lofty word or wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God. ² Because I had decided to know nothing while among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³ And I approached with you weak and afraid and with a lot of shaking. ⁴ And my word and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not rest on human wisdom, but on the power of God.

reverse strategy

Paul understood the cultural instincts of the Corinthians. They were Greeks, shaped by a long tradition of philosophy, rhetoric, and intellectual competition. A gifted thinker could easily gather a following in a city like Corinth simply by dazzling the crowds with clever arguments and polished speech. Paul certainly possessed the intellect to do that. If he had wanted personal influence, he could have entered Corinth as a master philosopher and quickly secured a loyal band of admirers. But that would have produced disciples of Paul, not disciples of Christ.

So he deliberately chose the opposite approach. He refused to build his ministry on intellectual brilliance or rhetorical power. He resolved to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and him crucified. This was not a denial of his intelligence but a conscious decision to let the gospel—not his abilities—carry the weight of persuasion. He preached the essential elements of the message of grace: the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the offer of salvation through Christ alone. Nothing else was allowed to compete for attention.

This reverse strategy worked because the power behind the gospel does not come from the messenger. It comes from the Spirit of God. The Spirit takes the message of the cross—so unimpressive by worldly standards—and uses it to awaken faith, convict hearts, and draw people into new life. The birth of the Corinthian church was not the result of Paul’s skill but of God’s intervention. The Spirit honored the simplicity of the message and the humility of the messenger.

Paul’s experience reveals a pattern that still holds true. God is not looking for impressive performers or spiritual celebrities. He is looking for servants willing to embrace weakness so that his strength can be displayed. When the messenger steps back, the message steps forward. When human pride is set aside, divine power becomes visible.

The Corinthians needed to remember this, because their fascination with gifted leaders had led them into division. Paul’s example pointed them back to the heart of the gospel: Christ crucified, proclaimed in dependence on the Spirit, received by faith, and demonstrated in transformed lives.

LORD, use us to declare your gospel.

Posted in dependence upon God, evangelism, gospel, grace, Paul, Uncategorized, wisdom | Tagged 1 Corinthians 1 | Leave a comment

replacing rock stars

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

WHAT DOES LIGHT DO TO DARKNESS?

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

²⁶ You want evidence? Think about when you were called, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many powerful, not many noble; ²⁷ but God has chosen the stupid things of the world to embarrass the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to embarrass the things which are strong, ²⁸ and the insignificant things of the world and the ignored, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might replace the things that are, ²⁹ so that every human being would never be able to brag before God. ³⁰ But by His doing you Corinthians are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, ³¹ to fulfill scripture when it says, “Let him who brags, brag about the Lord.”

replacing rock stars

The Corinthian believers had slipped into a pattern that still tempts churches today: elevating certain leaders into spiritual celebrities. These “rock stars” became the rallying points for competing groups, each claiming superiority based on the teacher they admired. Paul confronts this directly. The Corinthians had misunderstood the very nature of the Christian faith. The gospel does not create celebrities; it removes them. It does not magnify human greatness; it exposes human weakness and exalts the saving work of Christ alone.

Paul insists that Christianity is not built on the brilliance, charisma, or accomplishments of its leaders. It is built on the cross. Salvation is not the result of persuasive personalities or impressive ministries. It is God’s doing—God’s initiative, God’s grace, God’s power. Human leaders may plant and water, but only God gives the growth. For that reason, if believers boast, their boasting must be directed toward the Lord, not toward the individuals who serve him.

Paul uses the imagery of light and darkness to describe what is at stake. The gospel is God’s light breaking into the world’s darkness, revealing truth, exposing sin, and offering life. When believers begin idolizing human leaders, they step back toward the shadows. They exchange the brilliance of Christ for the dim glow of human achievement. This is not a harmless mistake. It is a serious spiritual misstep that distorts the gospel and fractures the unity of the church.

The Corinthians needed to be reminded that Christ is not divided. His body cannot be carved into pieces and distributed among competing personalities. The unity of the church flows from the unity of Christ himself. When believers fix their eyes on him, the light remains clear. When they shift their attention to human figures, the darkness begins to creep back in.

Paul’s words call every generation of believers to resist the temptation to elevate leaders beyond their proper place. Faithful leadership is a gift, but it is never the center. The cross stands at the center. The Savior, not the servant, deserves the spotlight.

LORD, may we never brag about anyone but you, and what you have done for us.

Posted in dependence upon God, discernment, divisions, grace, leadership, the flesh, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 1 | Leave a comment

preaching Christ crucified

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

22 Also because Jews keep asking for supernatural signs, and Greeks keep searching for wisdom; 23 but we keep preaching Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, and stupidity to Gentiles, 24 but to those called ones, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because that stupidity of God is wiser than human wisdom, and that weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

preaching Christ crucified

The message of the cross has never aligned neatly with the desires, expectations, or tastes of the world. From the beginning, it has appeared unimpressive, even offensive. Some hear it and assume it is a cruel joke—too bloody, too primitive, too bound to suffering. Others dismiss it as dull and uninspiring, lacking the excitement or novelty they crave. The gospel does not flatter human wisdom or appeal to human pride. It confronts both. It declares that salvation comes not through achievement, enlightenment, or moral superiority, but through the shame and weakness of a crucified Messiah.

Yet this is precisely why the gospel carries divine power. God has chosen what the world calls foolish to reveal his wisdom. God has chosen what the world calls weak to display his strength. The cross stands as the great reversal of human expectations. It unmasks the emptiness of self‑reliance and exposes the limits of human wisdom. It announces that life comes through death, victory through sacrifice, and hope through the blood of Christ.

This is why the message must continue to be preached. It is the means by which God draws people to himself. When a person hears the gospel, turns from sin, and entrusts himself to Christ, the Holy Spirit begins a work of renewal that transforms the mind and reshapes the heart. What once seemed foolish becomes beautiful. What once seemed weak becomes powerful. The cross, once an offense, becomes the very center of wisdom and life.

There is no need for a new gospel, no need to reinvent the message to make it more appealing or more acceptable. The gospel that saved the Corinthians is the gospel that still saves. The same crucified and risen Christ continues to rescue, restore, and renew. The world may call it foolish, but God has chosen this very message as the instrument of salvation.

The church’s task is not to improve the gospel but to proclaim it faithfully. Its power does not depend on cultural relevance or rhetorical polish. Its effectiveness does not rise or fall with human approval. The gospel works because God works through it. And for that reason, it remains enough—more than enough—for every generation.

LORD, we are not ashamed of the gospel, because it is your power to deliver everyone who believes.

Posted in evangelism, gospel, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ | Tagged 1 Corinthians 1 | Leave a comment

saved by stupidity

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

THE GOSPEL WORKS — EVEN IF IT SOUNDS STUPID

1 Corinthians 1:18-21

¹⁸Because the word of the cross to those who are perishing is stupidity, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ Since it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” ²⁰ Where is a wise person? Where is a scribe? Where is a debater of this age? Has not God made stupid the wisdom of the world? ²¹ Because since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not acknowledge God, God decided, through the stupidity of the proclamation to save the believers.

saved by stupidity

Paul’s concern in this passage grows out of the painful realization that the Corinthian believers had begun dividing themselves into competing camps. Reports had reached him that some were claiming to belong to Apollos, others to Cephas, others to Christ, and—most troubling to him—some were claiming to be “of Paul.” Far from flattering him, this distressed him deeply. It implied that his ministry had somehow encouraged personal loyalty rather than devotion to Christ. It suggested that people believed he had persuaded them through rhetorical skill or philosophical brilliance. Paul rejects that idea outright.

He reminds the Corinthians of how he first came to them. He had not arrived with polished arguments or impressive oratory. He had not attempted to win them with intellectual sophistication. Instead, he had proclaimed a message that the world regarded as foolishness: a crucified Messiah. Everything about that message seemed absurd to the surrounding culture. Salvation through a dying Savior made no sense to the philosophers of Corinth. Yet that very message—so unimpressive by worldly standards—had brought life to those who believed. Its power did not rest in Paul’s delivery but in God’s action.

By pointing this out, Paul exposes the emptiness of the rivalries forming in the church. If the gospel came through a message the world calls foolish, then no human messenger deserves credit. No preacher, teacher, or leader can claim to be the foundation of anyone’s faith. The cross eliminates boasting. It strips away the illusion that spiritual life comes through human brilliance. The Corinthians were dividing themselves over personalities when the only name that mattered was the name of the One who died for them.

Paul’s argument presses toward a single conclusion: the gospel is not about human leaders but about Christ crucified and risen. His death breaks the power of sin. His resurrection declares that death no longer has the final word. Through his blood, forgiveness and new life are offered freely. This is the message that saved the Corinthians, and it is the message that continues to save.

The invitation remains the same: believe this word that seems foolish to the world, and discover in it the wisdom and power of God.

LORD, draw people to yourself through the proclamation of this gospel.

Posted in divisions, evangelism, gospel, Uncategorized, wisdom | Tagged 1 Corinthians 1 | Leave a comment