Crucified Christ is God’s testimony; Lord of glory

— the true one. So he knows the crucified Christ as God, and he proclaims him to the world, persuaded that he does not err.

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come with superiority of speech or wisdom announcing to you the testimony of God. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

See how clearly, when he says he announces “the testimony of God” to the world, he added “Christ Jesus, and him crucified.” Therefore Christ Jesus, who endured the cross for us, is God. And his testimony is announced to the world through the holy apostles not in superiority of worldly speech and wisdom, but as in the Spirit’s power.

“Yet among the mature we speak wisdom — not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are being abolished — but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom that God predetermined before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew. For if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

If Christ’s mystery is God’s wisdom and is proclaimed to the world, yet — as some somehow think — he is not truly God and faith is toward him anyway, how is the mystery wise if it carries people on earth away from true knowledge of God and turns the world into worship of a human? That is not the truth. The mystery is wise because it brings the straying near to God. Therefore Christ is God, and the crucified one is rightly called Lord of glory.

“According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it.”