Our weekly saunter through the first few chapters of Paul's voluminous words to the followers of Jesus in ancient Corinth continues this week with a reading from 2:1-16. "When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom." This, following Paul's earlier rebuke of all the self-important "wisdom" and philosophical posturing of every age, in light of the 'embarrassing' way God has come to us in a helpless child.
The Apostle Paul rejecting the value of lofty words is like Miss Universe downplaying the importance if outward beauty. Paul was a smart man, an educated man, a public figure accustomed to public speech. For him to come to a place in his life where lofty words have lost their luster is a sign, not only of some newfound humility, but of a major movement of God in his life. It is not hyperbole to say that the death of Jesus, and the life lived by his first followers, changed everything for Paul. And so he can say to the Corinthians Christians, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified." The weakness of the cross is, for New Paul, the key to everything.
Paul has learned what we all must learn before God: The end of our ability to manage this life on our own is the beginning of God's way forward in and for us. Our weaknesses, when we admit them, have the nice side benefit of accentuating God's strength. Paul: I tried not to dress the faith up in too much finery. They way you know your faith has been built on manifestations of God's presence as a savior, not on my cleverness as a communicator. Only Jesus saves; never his people.
