Proclaiming Christ and Him Crucified

by Mike Ratliff

 2 οὐ γὰρ ἔκρινά τι εἰδέναι ἐν ὑμῖν εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν καὶ τοῦτον ἐσταυρωμένον. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NA28)

2 I decided to not know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (translated from the NA28 Greek text to English)

When I started this writing ministry I had completely different goals (i.e. motives) than what I have now. I was doing this as a career move. I approached it from that perspective, but it did not take very long at all for God to force the issue and take away all of that as most in what we know of as the ‘visible church’ would consider what we do here as borderline reprehensible. However, I find it interesting that many of these same people do not hesitate to come to us for prayer and counsel when they hit rock bottom and God leaves them without an escape from the fiery trial that has come upon them. Since God reoriented me and this ministry I pray that most of you have also become aware that I have attempted to model it after what the Apostle Paul shares in 1 Corinthians 2 especially v2 when it comes to interrelations with each other. Let’s start with vv1-5.

1 Κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, ἦλθον οὐ καθʼ ὑπεροχὴν λόγου ἢ σοφίας καταγγέλλων ὑμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ. 2 οὐ γὰρ ἔκρινά τι εἰδέναι ἐν ὑμῖν εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν καὶ τοῦτον ἐσταυρωμένον. 3 κἀγὼ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ καὶ ἐν φόβῳ καὶ ἐν τρόμῳ πολλῷ ἐγενόμην πρὸς ὑμᾶς, 4 καὶ ὁ λόγος μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμά μου οὐκ ἐν πειθοῖ[ς] σοφίας [λόγοις] ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀποδείξει πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως, 5 ἵνα ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν μὴ ᾖ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων ἀλλʼ ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NA28)

1 And I having come to you brothers, I came not according to excellence of speech or wisdom announcing to you the mystery of God. 2 I decided to not know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 And I in weakness and in fear and in much trembling was with you. 4 And my speech and my proclamation was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power 5 that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (translated from the NA28 Greek text to English)

Compare that with many of the “ministries” in our time my brethren. I compare it to my original goals and am ashamed. I set out to do the very opposite even though I was ignorant that that was what I was doing. I was seeking to gain a following for myself instead of doing as Paul did here, which is to humble self and make sure that it is Christ and Him crucified is all the message that the hearers hear and through that, God moves and the Church is planted and grows, et cetera. Christ Himself builds it, not according to the efforts of men or according to the wisdom of this world.

This knowing nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified is not just talking about presenting the gospel to the lost. It is also talking about how Christians relate to one another. When we are flippant with each other at all then we are not doing this. When we are mean or hateful or selfish or demanding, or any other thing that is centered in the flesh in our relationships with each other then we are not relating to each other within the bounds of knowing nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. No, instead, we are acting like the world, our flesh is in control, and that is not Christlike.

6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature, a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are being abolished. 7 But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God predestined before the ages to our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But just as it is written,
“THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”
10 But to us God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the depths of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the depths graciously given to us by God, 13 of which depths we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual depths with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually examined. 15 But he who is spiritual examines all things, yet he himself is examined by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL DIRECT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (LSB) 

There you have it my brethren. Paul’s standard for how he conducted his ministry and it is also the very thing God has impressed upon me to conduct this one. I know that I did not start out this way, but God accomplished this by taking away a great deal of my hopes and dreams and plans, but in their place He has given me faith that cannot be moved and love for Him and His Church that is far deeper than I can describe. Yes, I know that there is what we call the “visible church,” much of which is as apostate as can be. Our job is to continue to proclaim, “Come out of her before it is too late.” In the mean time my brethren, we do have the mind of Christ and we must continue to grow deeper in our faith as we ask God for Wisdom and Discernment each day that we may serve Him as He wills. Let us always treat each other, knowing nothing among ourselves but Christ and Him crucified.

Soli Deo Gloria!