1 Corinthians 2:1-2. And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Some say that the gospel is not inclusive. They struggle to accept the claim that there is only one way to God. In a world that values tolerance and pluralism, many prefer to believe that all religions are essentially the same—different paths leading to the same destination, all seeking salvation through good works, moral living, or spiritual effort.
Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Corinth, a city filled with competing philosophies, idol worship, and religious pluralism. The people of Corinth were accustomed to many gods and many ways of worship. Yet Paul’s message was unmistakably clear: there is only one Savior—Jesus Christ.
Paul was not an ignorant or narrow-minded man. He was one of the most educated scholars of his day, trained under the renowned teacher Gamaliel. He possessed exceptional knowledge, eloquence, and human wisdom. If anyone could have argued for a sophisticated religious system based on human achievement, it was Paul.
Yet everything changed when he encountered the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. On his way to persecute those who followed “the Way,” Paul came face to face with the One he had rejected. From that moment on, he realized that all his accomplishments, credentials, and religious zeal were worthless compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). He concluded that the only knowledge that truly mattered was the knowledge of Jesus Christ—His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
What caused such a dramatic transformation?
By the grace of God, Paul came to understand the fundamental problem of the human race. He realized that humanity’s condition was far more serious than ignorance, poverty, injustice, or lack of education. Behind every problem stood the spiritual realities of Satan (Revelation 12:9), original sin (Romans 3:23), and separation from God (Genesis 3:1-6). No amount of human effort, religion, morality, or philosophy could solve these problems.
At the same time, Paul discovered that the entire Old Testament pointed to one person—Jesus Christ. He was the offspring of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). He was the true Ark through whom humanity could escape judgment (Genesis 6:14). He was the reason God called Abraham and promised blessing to all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). He was the ultimate sacrifice foreshadowed throughout the sacrificial system (Exodus 3:18). He was Immanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14).
For Paul, the Scriptures suddenly became clear. What had once been hidden was now revealed. Every promise, prophecy, sacrifice, and covenant pointed to Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ.
He also understood why, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah disappeared while Jesus remained (Matthew 17:1-8). The Law and the Prophets had fulfilled their purpose by pointing to Christ. Only Jesus remained because only Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. Paul had finally found his True Prophet who reveals God, his True Priest who reconciles sinners to God, and his True King who defeats Satan and reigns forever.
Then Peter’s bold confession before the Sanhedrin made perfect sense: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Out of all the people, Paul could not forget Stephen. He had witnessed Stephen’s unwavering faith and had approved of his execution. Yet even as Stephen was being stoned to death, he remained confident in Christ. Looking back, Paul understood why Stephen was willing to die. Stephen had discovered something worth more than life itself—Jesus Christ (Acts 6:8-8:1).
Once Paul realized that Jesus was indeed the Christ, his life could never be the same. Everywhere he traveled, he reasoned with people from the Scriptures, “explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’ he said” (Acts 17:3).
His message never changed. Whether speaking to Jews or Gentiles, scholars or laborers, rulers or prisoners, Paul proclaimed only one message: “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
More importantly, he lived what he preached: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Having discovered the One thing that truly mattered, Paul considered everything else secondary. His personal ambitions, comfort, reputation, and even his life itself became insignificant compared to the mission God had entrusted to him. As he testified:
“I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).
This does not mean that Christians no longer need food, shelter, relationships, work, or other blessings. Rather, it means that when we have Christ, we possess the source and substance of every true blessing. As Paul wrote, Christ is “the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).
This is why Jesus gently corrected Martha when she was consumed with many concerns:
“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her‘” (Luke 10:41-42).
The Lord desires to be the only One at the center of our lives, not because He needs anything from us, but because He knows what we truly need. He alone can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. Everything else can be lost, but what Christ gives can never be taken away.
Prayer. Father, like Paul, I resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Open my eyes to see that Christ is the fulfillment of all Your promises and the answer to every fundamental problem of life. May You be the center of my thoughts, my desires, and my purpose. Let the proclamation of the gospel become the reason I live. Help me treasure Christ above all things and faithfully testify to Your grace wherever You send me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.