1 Corinthians 2:2, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." The world is full of distractions, and even within the church, countless voices clamor for attention. But Paul, that faithful minister of the gospel, had one great theme that eclipsed all others: Jesus Christ and Him crucified! This was not a passing interest or occasional emphasis--it was his constant, unwavering focus. If Paul had a "hobby-horse," it was Christ crucified. He rode it in every letter, proclaimed it in every sermon, and treasured it at all times. Paul had deep theological knowledge, an unmatched intellect, and a rich grasp of Old Testament Scriptures. Yet when he came to Corinth--a city dazzled by eloquence and puffed up with human wisdom--he deliberately laid aside every other topic. He determined, he resolved, to make the cross of Christ his singular subject. Why? Because the cross reveals both the vileness of human sin, and the marvelous grace of God in salvation. The cross . . . manifests the sinfulness of man, exalts the glory of God, and unveils the only way of redemption. To preach "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" is to proclaim the eternal plan of God, the willing sacrifice of the Son, and the effectual power of the Spirit in saving those for whom Jesus died. It is to declare that totally depraved and spiritually dead sinners, can be reconciled to the holy and righteous God, only through the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus. No philosophy or moral reform can accomplish this. Only the blood of the Lamb can cleanse and justify ungodly sinners. In a world of theological fads and spiritual shallowness, we need more men like Paul