the gospel of Christ

God put it on my heart to share a verse I’ve been meditating on:

1 Corinthians 1:17 —

“For 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.”

At first, this verse didn’t make much sense to me. Why would preaching the gospel with words of eloquent wisdom empty the cross of its power?

After some looking into, I understand it far better:

Paul was not sent by Christ to baptize, because water baptism is not what saves…the gospel is (Romans 1:16).

Paul doesn’t want to use words of eloquent wisdom because the power of the gospel doesn’t lie with human wisdom or ability. Its beauty is found in the message itself, not the messenger. Thats the point Paul is making.

When the messenger becomes the priority, they become the main focus. But glory belongs to God and God alone.

The gospel doesn’t need words of eloquent wisdom to be understood, shared, and put above all else in one’s life. Remember, Truth lies in the message of the gospel, not the messenger of the gospel.

And the gospel is this:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

My friend, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to give your life to Jesus. It’s the best thing you could ever do.

To the glory of the Father, in the name of the Son, by the breath of the Spirit.

God bless you,

Trevor