Bible Reading

1 Corinthians Chapter 2 - Paul’s ‘Info Diet’

Instead of human wisdom, Paul wanted to know only one thing.

Written by

2 copper mites

22 Jun 2025

3 min read

“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

(1 Corinthians 2:2)

This was a very noteworthy statement of Paul, if we consider who he was addressing at that time: the Corinthian church, which comprised of gifted and knowledgeable believers (1 Cor 1:5) who lived in a society where human wisdom was highly prized (Corinth was a major city in Greece; 1 Cor 1:22).

This statement conveys Paul’s determination to know only the power of God.

Here, Paul spoke of his resolve to demonstrate and rely only on God’s power when preaching (1 Cor 2:5), instead of human wisdom and persuasiveness which Paul felt he did not have (2:1, 3-4).

How about us? Do we have such a determination – to know only the power of God and nothing else, when it comes to preaching the gospel or dealing with life’s problems? Or do we heavily lean on our own understanding, such that our trust in God is no longer wholehearted (Prov 3:5)?

This chapter of 1^st Corinthians tells us that when we are determined to know only the power of God, God will reveal Himself to us.

The “rulers of this age” searched the Scriptures for eternal life (Jn 5:39-40) and tried to make themselves righteous by following the Mosaic Law (Rom 9:31-32; 10:3-4); yet, because they refused to believe in Jesus, their efforts were futile.

As for those with a humble heart, God reveals the mystery of His salvation to them through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:7-10). In addition, through the Holy Spirit, God reveals His mind to His believers (2:16) so that they can understand and imitate His perfect attributes, such as His love and righteousness. As a result of their faith in Jesus, believers of Christ who reciprocate Christ’s love can now enjoy the wonderful spiritual blessings that God has prepared for them (2:9).

Therefore, to know the fullness of God’s power, we need to humbly cast away our flawed ideas about God and His salvation. Otherwise, like the “rulers of this age” who were blinded by their unbelief (2:8), we will not be able to receive the salvation and new life that God wants to give us.

May we echo these same sentiments of Paul that were written in another epistle:

“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

(Philippians 3:8)

To see the far greater value of knowing God’s power, in comparison to human wisdom; for while human wisdom cannot save us from death, God’s power can resurrect us from the dead (Philip 3:10-11), giving us a new life and conveying us into His eternal kingdom. 🏰

Reflection on 1 Corinthians Chapter 1

At the beginning of Paul’s epistle to the church in Corinth, he begins his greeting by emphasising his calling by the Lord Jesus Christ as an apostle, urging the believers to recognise that we all share this calling. He seeks to remind us that our faith is not centred on the self but rather collective, rooted in Jesus Christ. He swiftly addresses the fact that the Corinthians were rife with division and pride. They boasted allegiance to various leaders, such as Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Christ. Paul questions them: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?” Their strife and division reflect man’s tendency to prioritise personal differences and grievances over the unifying truth of the gospel. Therefore, Paul’s rejection of sectarianism reminds them, and us, to rise above rivalries and centre our faith on Jesus Christ alone. Paul goes on to speak about the power and wisdom of God. He says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1: 18). The world and its wisdom may dismiss the idea that salvation is attained through Jesus’ dying on the cross. Although it is perceived as a weakness, Paul argues that this perceived weakness, in light of man’s wisdom, is God’s power. This paradox shows us that God’s wisdom often contradicts our human logic, and it challenges us to reflect on how much we trust the Lord. How much do we trust in Jesus Christ when His will and plan for us seem to go against our plans or what we envision them to be? The cross truly dismantles this pride for “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1st Cor 1: 25). Lastly, Paul speaks about God using the foolish and weak to shame the wise and strong. Very often in our lives, God uses what seems small and insignificant to accomplish His purpose. In John 6:9, a young boy offers his small lunch, which seems insignificant and impossible, yet the Lord Jesus uses it to feed over 5000. God’s strength and wisdom shine through what man considers foolish and weak. In a world that exalts pride and division, Paul urges us to be united and humble and to rely on the Lord Jesus. May all glory be given to the Lord.

Romans Chapter 10 - Where will you preach?

At the point that he wrote Romans 10, Paul likely had a lot of people on his mind. Some studies estimate that Paul was on his third missionary journey when he wrote Romans, addressing Christians who lived in Rome, where he hoped to visit eventually. Being on one’s third missionary journey naturally means having gone for a first and second. Indeed, he had. Unlike some of our church’s missionary journeys today that are limited to one country, Paul’s journeys were peppered across the region of Asia Minor. There were hence many different cities he visited, hundreds or possibly even thousands of believers whom he edified. Not only was Paul’s heart sincere towards these Christians whom he met, Paul also took significant actions for them. Paul wrote of how he affectionately longed for the members in Philippi (Philippians 1:8-9). To the church in Thessalonica he wrote, “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives . For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil…” (1 Thessalonians 2:8-9). Additionally, he explicitly shared that he prays for the churches in Corinth, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica (2 Corinthians 13:7; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11). Paul knew that God had called him to be “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13), and he set an exemplary example for us of how to be a good shepherd for Christ. But this was not all. Still, his heart’s desire was for even more people to know our God. In Romans 10:1, Paul writes: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” This is fascinating, especially since Paul had tried to preach the gospel to the Jews previously but was redirected to the Gentiles by God’s hand. He had done above and beyond what many of us may not even consider attempting with regards to preaching the gospel. And yet zeal to see the Jews saved still compelled him. This makes me think about our congregation’s heart for evangelism. How often do we channel God’s love for humanity into the action of sharing His word? How much do we burn with desire to see souls saved? Or do we feel languid about our own salvation in the first place? For those of us who yearn to preach but feel helpless that others don’t respond well, we can have our faith renewed with Paul’s perspective. He saw the might and personal efforts of the Lord. ‘But Isaiah is very bold and says: But to Israel he says: Whether to Jew or Gentile, God makes Himself known to them. (See also Romans 1:20; Acts 17:26-27). In God’s salvation plan, He wants to save all mankind (John 3:16). Paul saw this unity regardless of race and ethnicity that comes through belief in the one true God, Jesus Christ. Moreover, he saw and was motivated by the blessings that would come to one who followed Christ and submitted to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). Do our cultural prejudices seep into our evangelical work, such that we only share the gospel with people of certain races, ethnic groups, tribal identities, or nationalities? Have we forgotten the goodness of God, the hope of His calling, the power of God to salvation in His gospel? In Christ, there is no distinction between the Chinese, Singaporean, Indian, Burmese, Iraqi, Austrian, Finnish, the Algonquin people, the Māori, Ghanaian… This year, where will your work of evangelism begin?

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