1 Corinthians With Mark Dever: When Church HurtsSample

Nothing except…

Read 1 Corinthians 2

Paul practised what he preached… or rather, he preached what he wrote.

When I came

In Paul’s time, secular orators would come to Corinth, praise the city, tell of their achievements, and impress with their eloquence.

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A message of wisdom

Paul has already said that the message at the heart of Christianity seems “foolishness” (1:18). Yet, at the same time, it is “a message of wisdom” (2:6)!

God’s wisdom is a gift. And the ability to understand it is, too. People, including us, are by nature blind to the beauty of God’s truth (verse 14)—and so we need it to be revealed to us. Remembering this keeps us humble; and it reminds us that to the watching world, Christians will always seem odd.

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Pray

Thank God for revealing the message of His Son crucified to you, through the work of His Spirit.

Pray that you would be able to judge everything in line with the Spirit’s guidance; and that you would not be too concerned with the judgment of the world (verse 16).