“When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NLT
Paul continues into chapter two with thoughts about wisdom, “impressive wisdom” at that. And there was no doubt that Paul had plenty of that. Here was the man who planted churches everywhere he went and provided for us much of the theology on which our faith is based through his letters to these churches. He never forgot his friends in the churches he had established. 2 Corinthians 11:27-28, “I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches“. But we mustn’t forget that Paul was an educated man and was able to debate with the best of the people he met. In Thessalonica we read, “As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people” (Acts 17:2). Paul’s wisdom and knowledge of the Scriptures (which would mostly have been the Hebrew Bible in those days) was sufficient to convince many and we read, “Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women” (Acts 17:4).
But in the case of the Corinthians, Paul reminded them that he “didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell [them] God’s secret plan”. All he preached to them was about Jesus and His crucifixion. The Message of the Cross is a powerful message and is the only gateway to eternal life. Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). But Paul also mentioned “God’s secret plan”. This plan of course was a secret for many years before Jesus came to this world. Apart from a few hints from the old prophets, the Jews had no idea when or how their Messiah would arrive, and their expectation of His mission was related to the political situation in which they lived. They hated being under the rule of the Roman occupying forces and longed for the day when the Messiah would come and throw them out, allowing Israel to be an independent nation in its own right once again. But there was that day when Jesus was crucified for the sins of man, and God’s plan was revealed to everyone who believed in Him.
“God’s secret plan” was in the making right from the beginning. Ephesians 1:4, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes”. But God’s plan is still a secret to most people today because they don’t have the key. Imagine a door into a locked room. We pilgrims long ago would have had no idea what was behind the door, even if we knew that it existed, but we didn’t really care anyway, being lost in our sins, unbelievers through and through. But one day someone gave us the key, when we became believers in Jesus, helping us to finally realise that we had indeed been chosen by God. And imagine our tentative steps as we open the door, exposing “God’s secret plan” right before us. A veritable treasure trove of goodies awaiting us, but, amazingly, the treasure was different for each one of us. And as we venture further and further into the space behind the door we find out more and more about “God’s secret plan”, tailor made just for you and me. Jesus said, “ … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6); the only way the door can be unlocked is through Jesus. Unbelievers don’t have the key, and because of that they have no idea of what “God’s secret plan” was all about.
God has provided for us an inventory of the treasure located behind the door, and we call it the Bible. This Book, God’s only written work, is packed full of precious nuggets, spiritual treasure designed to equip us for a life to be spent with Him in Heaven. Earthly treasure, precious stones and metals such as diamonds and gold, is just that, contained on earth. But we know that one day it will all be burnt up, so we won’t find anything of human value behind the door. In Heaven, there will be what seems to be like earthly treasure, as we can read in Revelation 4:3, “The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow“, but this was John trying to describe a sight so wonderful that he could only explain it in a form that could be understood. Spiritual treasure, such as we will find in Heaven, is very different, and of infinitely more value, because it is all about God. The wonderful thing about the treasure we will find there is that it is available for us today. God in His grace and love has provided for us the Heavenly things of spiritual value for us to access in our lives today.
So we pick up this Book and open its pages. We find not just printed words on a paper page, but a sparkling treasure trove that describes “God’s secret plan”. And as we read and read, His words leap out of the page right into our very souls. These words may be difficult to understand at first, but God is patient, and to His persevering saints, fellow pilgrims like us, with open hearts and minds, His grace flows into our lives, making us more like Jesus, “to be holy and without fault in his eyes”. What an amazing God we serve; He gives and gives and keeps on giving because He loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him. And in deep gratitude we embrace all that He has for us, as we plod on in our journey to Glory.
Dear Father God, thank You for the treasure trove containing the details of Your secret plan that is Your Word. Please help us to understand as we mine the nuggets contained within in our daily lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 