1 Corinthians 2:2
"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."
I do believe that this statement was influenced by what happened to Paul right before he visited Corinth, so his Areopagus experience in Athens. (Acts chapter 17 and 18)
So, when Paul came to Athens Areopagus he started to debate and reason with Epicureans and Stoic philosophers and he tried to adjust his speech as much as possible to his audience (as we can read about it in Acts 17).
Why he tried so much to adapt to his audience?
It was simply because when it comes to sharing the Gospel, Paul was very inventive. He was ready to become the Jew to the Jews, the Greek to Greeks ... "all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some" (1 Cor. 9:22)
Now I do understand that Paul probably wanted to sound more philosophical so that Athenians would accept him (or his message) better, but what was interesting to me was that he had never mentioned Jesus name ... not explicitly … not once …. in his whole speech on Areopagus ...
And what was the result?
Well, some of his audience were acting confused (“What is this babbler trying to say?” verse 18 and they “sneered”) ... and only few of them believed.
But even about those who believed we can read that they became “followers of Paul” (verse 33) … which is certainly not what Paul was aiming for ... (at least I hope it wasn’t his goal)
So how did Paul react to this and what happened afterwards?
After Athens Paul went to Corinth, he waited there for Silas and Timothy and “devoted himself exclusively to preaching and testifying that Jesus is the Messiah” and although Jews didn’t accept him at first, later head of synagogue Crispus “and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized” (Acts 18)
Even Lord Jesus spoke to Paul in a vision and encouraged him to “keep on speaking, do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18, verse 10 and 11) So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half...
And we know that later the Corinthian church became quite big and also very gifted (although with some troubles as well)
I do think that when Paul wrote to Corinthians about how he “resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” that it was a result and lesson from his “debacle” in Athens. No more philosophical babbling ... only Jesus and Him crucified!
I don’t know about you, but for me there are still some verses which deeply resonates in my heart even when I am down and full of doubts and fighting for the remains of my faith. And this one is one of them.
And every time when I hear sermons where Jesus is put on pedestal and glorified it fills me with joy and satisfaction and strong consent.
"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."
I do believe that this statement was influenced by what happened to Paul right before he visited Corinth, so his Areopagus experience in Athens. (Acts chapter 17 and 18)
So, when Paul came to Athens Areopagus he started to debate and reason with Epicureans and Stoic philosophers and he tried to adjust his speech as much as possible to his audience (as we can read about it in Acts 17).
Why he tried so much to adapt to his audience?
It was simply because when it comes to sharing the Gospel, Paul was very inventive. He was ready to become the Jew to the Jews, the Greek to Greeks ... "all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some" (1 Cor. 9:22)
Now I do understand that Paul probably wanted to sound more philosophical so that Athenians would accept him (or his message) better, but what was interesting to me was that he had never mentioned Jesus name ... not explicitly … not once …. in his whole speech on Areopagus ...
And what was the result?
Well, some of his audience were acting confused (“What is this babbler trying to say?” verse 18 and they “sneered”) ... and only few of them believed.
But even about those who believed we can read that they became “followers of Paul” (verse 33) … which is certainly not what Paul was aiming for ... (at least I hope it wasn’t his goal)
So how did Paul react to this and what happened afterwards?
After Athens Paul went to Corinth, he waited there for Silas and Timothy and “devoted himself exclusively to preaching and testifying that Jesus is the Messiah” and although Jews didn’t accept him at first, later head of synagogue Crispus “and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized” (Acts 18)
Even Lord Jesus spoke to Paul in a vision and encouraged him to “keep on speaking, do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18, verse 10 and 11) So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half...
And we know that later the Corinthian church became quite big and also very gifted (although with some troubles as well)
I do think that when Paul wrote to Corinthians about how he “resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” that it was a result and lesson from his “debacle” in Athens. No more philosophical babbling ... only Jesus and Him crucified!
I don’t know about you, but for me there are still some verses which deeply resonates in my heart even when I am down and full of doubts and fighting for the remains of my faith. And this one is one of them.
And every time when I hear sermons where Jesus is put on pedestal and glorified it fills me with joy and satisfaction and strong consent.
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