1 Corinthians 1: Not Prestige, ☧'s Humble Cross Cures Disunity

Rev. Rolf Preus, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sidney & St. John Lutheran Church in Fairview, Montana, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 1 Corinthians 1. “Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” Paul shows pastoral care and brilliant rhetoric from the very first words of 1 Corinthians. He names the overarching problem of disunity among the Christians in Corinth, but Paul slyly signals some sub-themes like gifts, wisdom, and power. The antidote for division is humility, and true humility is the gift of Christ’s cross. The cross reveals God’s infinite mercy and demolishes the power & wisdom that we rally behind as partisans. Hebrews want their signs and Greeks want their prestige, but we hold to a king held in contempt.