In 1962, the renowned German theologian named Karl Barth spent time touring the United States, giving lectures at seminaries and theological colleges. During one of these lectures, a student asked him what constituted the essence of Christianity.
According to the story, Barth thought for a moment and replied, “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so.” For Barth, amidst all his theological know-how and grand thoughts, his faith was about one fundamental truth: Jesus Christ and him crucified.
This is the phrase that Paul uses when describing his ministry to the Corinthian people. Paul writes that “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
Paul was exclusively focused on proclaiming the gospel to the people of Corinth. For Paul, the Christian life was about one thing: living with Jesus.
Resolving to know nothing except Christ and him crucified is a call for our Christian lives. Like Paul, our lives are to be centered on Jesus Christ alone. Jesus stands at the center of our lives.
The message of the cross is not simply a story we remember every Eastertide; it is to be our focus each day. Jesus is to affect our lives in real and tangible ways.
Resolving to know nothing except Christ crucified, therefore, transforms our lives in three primary ways.
1. We Accept an Illogical Message
The message of the cross contradicts the wisdom of the world around us. This is not a new phenomenon; it was also the case in Paul’s day. In fact, Paul contrasts the gospel message with that of the Greek philosophy prevalent in Corinth.
As an influential city in the ancient world, Corinth entertained a constant stream of professional philosophers called the Sophists. Consider these people the ancient equivalent of TV Evangelists. The Sophists had hype, flash, and popularity.
As professional orators of the day, they sought to garner a following for themselves. They longed for students to join their ranks and increase their influence and clout. They were master communicators, eloquent, refined, and glamorous.
This was not how Paul lived out his ministry amongst the Corinthians. Paul writes, “I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the mystery of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1).
Paul proclaimed a simple message centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus. This message was not based in philosophical rhetoric or emotional manipulation, and it certainly didn’t follow the wisdom of the world.
In fact, Paul writes that if the cross was based on worldly wisdom, people wouldn’t have crucified the Lord (1 Corinthians 2:8). In the eyes of the world, the message of Christ crucified is utter foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18).
As Christian people, we do not live our lives following the wisdom of the world. We are fools for Christ (1 Corinthians 4:10). After all, worldly wisdom often promotes popularity and fame as the ultimate vision of success and happiness.
In contrast, God specifically chose the weak and foolish things of the world (like the cross!) to shame the wise and strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). The way of Christ contravenes many of the ego-driven and self-focused values of the present age.
Thus, resolving to know nothing except Christ and him crucified demands that we live as strangers in the world. As Christian people, we base our life on a message that, fundamentally, makes no earthly sense.
2. We Embrace Our Weaknesses
The ancient philosophers were concerned primarily with their own greatness. The greater the following, the more influential and successful the philosopher. This garnered individual fame, popularity, and, most of all, riches.
In contrast to chasing earthly clout, Paul says, “I came to you in weakness, with fear and much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). Paul’s ministry amongst the Corinthian people wasn’t rooted in his own greatness, or in a desire to become popular.
Instead, Paul embraced his weaknesses. In fact, it was because of his weakness and the acceptance of his own frailty that he was able to be a witness to the power of God in the lives of the Corinthian people.
It can be easy to think that we must be grand, stellar, and impactful to make a difference in the world. The world around us holds up flawed and destructive images of what constitutes success, influence, and prestige.
The world posits slogans such as “only the strong survive” and “tough times don’t last; tough people do!” Such sayings reinforce the notion that personal success, based on one’s strength and mastery, is the goal of life.
Yet the way of worldly greatness is not the way of Christ. Christ emptied himself, taking the very form of a slave (Philippians 2:6-7); he knelt in humble service to wash the feet of his followers (John 13:1-17).
Resolving to know things except Christ and him crucified, therefore, involves embracing the selfless way of Christ. Rather than striving to climb the ladder of success, we radically embrace a downward trajectory. We serve others. We give selflessly.
In fact, embracing of our weaknesses is often a greater testimony to the grace of God than any skill or self-mastery. Instead of boasting about ourselves, we boast about the Lord and the grace and mercy we receive on daily basis.
Christ’s power is manifest in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). When we are weak, the grace-filled strength of Christ is on display. This ensures that the people’s faith does not rest on superior wisdom or eloquent speeches but on the demonstration of the Spirit’s power.
3. We Focus on Jesus
When Paul says that the resolved to know nothing except Christ and him crucified, he means that he proclaimed the cross as the full and final expression of God’s unyielding love. The cross occurred as the definitive place of redemption.
This was the message Paul proclaimed again and again. In the end, Paul’s heart was focused on Jesus alone. Resolving to know nothing except Christ and him crucified, therefore, is much more involved than simply understanding the gospel message. Rather, Paul embraced Jesus as the source and power of his life and ministry.
The Christian life is not about the exaltation of the self. Nor is the Christian life simply about the maximization of our religious efforts. Our hearts are to be turned to the Savior. We are to live in an interactive relationship with the Lord.
If our faith is based on anything other than the gospel, then we have effectively wandered from the center-point of Christian life. As John the Baptist reminds us, “He must increase, and we must decrease” (John 3:30).
As Christians, we reflect the presence of Christ in the world. Knowing nothing except Christ and him Crucified involves a dedicated focus on the presence of Christ. Jesus is to stand at the center of our faith and our life.
Where are we witnessing the power of God in our life? Where are we cognizant of the Spirit’s work in this world? As followers of Jesus, we are asked to join in the Spirit’s work.
Jesus calls us to “shine your light before others that they may see our good works and glorify the Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Resolving to know nothing except Jesus Christ, therefore, does not simply involve witnessing the power of God but also being a witness to the working of Christ’s redemptive power.
For further reading:
What’s it Mean to Be Crucified with Christ?
Does the Bible Tell Us Why Was Jesus Crucified?
The Crucifixion of Jesus: Bible Story and Meaning
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