The Gospel of the Cross

Good morning.
Paul says something astonishing: "I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
Now imagine Paul visiting our church today. Would he recognize the Cross as the centre of our message? Or would he conclude that it has become one doctrine among many—valuable, but not central?
Let's explore that together.

I'm puzzled. Didn't Paul preach much more than the Cross? He taught about the Second Coming, the resurrection, spiritual gifts, church order, and many other subjects.
So why does he say he preached only Christ crucified? Was he exaggerating?

Paul isn't saying other doctrines don't matter. He's saying something much deeper: every doctrine must be understood through the Cross.
The Cross isn't one doctrine among many. It's the lens through which every doctrine is viewed.

Without the Cross, the Sabbath becomes legalism—a test of who's more faithful. Prophecy becomes speculation—a puzzle to solve rather than a story of redemption. Health reform becomes moral superiority. Standards become measurements of worth instead of grateful responses to grace.
The Cross doesn't replace doctrine. It gives doctrine its meaning and its power.

Then why do churches sometimes spend so much time arguing over doctrines instead of talking about Jesus?

Because it is easier to defend ideas than to surrender ourselves.
Winning an argument feeds the ego. Taking up the Cross crucifies it. Paul says the Cross is "foolishness" to the world precisely because it bypasses our pride. It doesn't appeal to our intellect first—it appeals to our desperate need.

One reason I drifted away was because I felt people knew all the right answers but didn't resemble Jesus. They could explain prophecies beautifully. They could debate theology flawlessly.
But some were harsh... critical... quick to judge... slow to forgive.
Sometimes I wondered if the Cross had changed their theology more than it had changed their hearts.

That observation should make every church uncomfortable.
The greatest proof that we understand the Cross is not that we can explain the atonement. It is that pride becomes harder to find in us.
Paul doesn't merely preach forgiveness. He demonstrates humility. The Cross destroys the desire to be above others. It reminds the moral person they needed the same grace as the immoral person. It reminds the lifelong member they were saved exactly the same way as the newest believer.

Then here's another difficult question.
Paul says he avoided human wisdom. Does that mean Christians shouldn't use science, philosophy, or reason? Should faith ignore evidence?

This is one of the lesson's biggest tension points—and we must handle it carefully.
Paul is not condemning reason. After all, he reasoned from Scripture, quoted Greek poets in Athens, and argued persuasively in synagogues.
The problem isn't intelligence. It's trusting intelligence to produce conversion.
Reason can open a mind. Only the Holy Spirit can open a heart.
Evidence may convince someone that Christianity is true.
Only the Cross can convince someone they need a Saviour.

What does it actually mean for the Cross to be "the power of God"? Power to do what?

Notice Paul doesn't say the Cross is merely information—good news to believe.
He calls it power.

• Power to forgive.
• Power to humble.
• Power to reconcile enemies.
• Power to destroy pride.
• Power to give hope to guilty people.
• Power to create one family out of people who naturally divide.

If a church constantly divides, competes, and exalts personalities, Paul would probably say the Cross has not yet done its full work. Not because the Cross lacks power—but because we have resisted its work in us.

That's uncomfortable. Sometimes we defend the Cross... while resisting what it wants to do inside us.

Exactly.
The Cross is not only where Jesus died. It is where our pride dies. Our self-righteousness dies.
Our need to always be right dies.
Our desire for recognition dies.

That's why Paul calls it the power of God. It doesn't just save us from sin. It saves us from ourselves.

Perhaps the greatest evidence that we believe the message of the Cross is not that we defend it well—but that we look more and more like the One who hung upon it.
The Cross is not a doctrine to master.
It is a Saviour to love.
It is a death to die to self.
And it is a life to live in Him.