Wednesday in the Word

What does it really mean to have “the mind of Christ,” and how does the Holy Spirit actually give us wisdom today? 

In this episode on 1 Corinthians 2:6–16, Krisan Marotta unpacks Paul’s argument that true wisdom is not found in impressive rhetoric or private spiritual impressions, but in God’s once-hidden, now-revealed plan of salvation in Christ—entrusted to the apostles and received by believers through the Spirit’s work of understanding. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How Paul shifts from rejecting the Corinthians’ idea of “wisdom” to reclaiming the word as God’s wisdom revealed in Christ crucified 
• Why the rulers and elites of “this age” completely misjudged Jesus—and what their role in crucifying “the Lord of glory” shows about worldly wisdom 
• What Paul means by calling the gospel a “mystery”: not something complicated for experts, but a once-hidden plan of God now made known through Christ
• How 1 Corinthians 2:9 summarizes an Old Testament theme about truths we could never discover on our own apart from God’s revelation 
• The crucial distinction between revelation (given to apostles and prophets) and understanding (given to those who humbly receive their message)
• Why the repeated “we” in this passage points first to Paul and the apostles, and how that shapes our reading of “we have the mind of Christ” 
• The contrast between the “natural” person who finds the gospel foolish and the “spiritual” person whose eyes have been opened by the Spirit
• How this passage challenges popular Christian ideas about God giving constant private instructions, and instead calls us back to serious, Spirit-enabled engagement with Scripture 

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer grasp of how God has chosen to make his wisdom known: through Christ, through the apostles who spoke by the Spirit, and through the written Word that still speaks today. You’ll be encouraged to trust the sufficiency of Scripture, to resist chasing “secret” guidance or spiritual shortcuts, and to ask the Spirit to grow in you the humble, receptive heart of the “spiritual” person who learns to see all of life in light of the gospel. 

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the Church

What makes Christian teaching truly powerful isn’t polish or charisma, but a crucified Messiah and the power of God behind that message. 

In this episode on 1 Corinthians 2:1–5, Krisan Marotta traces Paul’s argument that he deliberately refused the rhetorical flash and philosophical prestige the Corinthians craved, so that their faith would rest not on clever words but on the reality of Christ crucified and risen. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How the divisions in Corinth expose a deeper problem: a longing for worldly “wisdom” and impressive teachers rather than the simple truth of the gospel 
• What Paul means by “superiority of speech or of wisdom,” and how Greek admiration for sophists shaped the church’s expectations of him
• Why “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” cannot mean avoiding theology or hard questions—and why context protects us from misusing verses 
• The rich, robust theology contained in “Christ crucified”: guilt, judgment, forgiveness, resurrection, and the hope of new creation
• Paul’s “weakness and fear and much trembling,” and how Acts helps us see his real dependence on God rather than on personality or stage presence
• What it means that Paul’s ministry came “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,” including the role of signs, wonders, and the integrity of his message 
• Contemporary ways we’re tempted to “pretty up” the gospel—through self-help, family values, social justice, or emotional experience—while quietly sidelining Christ crucified
• Encouragement for ordinary Christians and teachers: why a careful, accurate grasp of Scripture matters more than charisma, platforms, or crowd size

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer understanding of what Paul is and isn’t saying in 1 Corinthians 2:1–5, and how his example exposes our own attraction to style over substance. You’ll be invited to trust the sufficiency of the gospel of Christ crucified, to resist the pressure to reshape it into something more fashionable, and to find fresh courage if you feel too ordinary to teach or lead. The episode will help you see that God’s power works through faithful handling of his Word, not through human brilliance. 

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the Church

Paul urges the Corinthians—and us—to “consider your calling” and remember the kind of people God usually chooses. In this episode on 1 Corinthians 1:26–31, Krisan Marotta shows how God deliberately undercuts human pride by rescuing those the world overlooks, so that our confidence rests not in status, intellect, or achievement, but in Christ alone, who becomes our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Paul reminds the Corinthians that “not many wise, mighty, or noble” were among them when they first believed—and what that reveals about how God works
• How the unpopular truths of the gospel (our sin, helplessness, and dependence on God’s mercy) make it especially hard for the powerful and self-sufficient to embrace
• What it means that God chooses “the foolish,” “the weak,” and “the things that are not” to shame the wise and strong, so that no one may boast before Him
• How biblical “boasting” is less about bragging and more about what we rely on, display, and are proud to be known for
• How Christ Himself becomes our wisdom from God—our right standing (righteousness), our being set apart (sanctification), and our rescue from sin and death (redemption)
• Paul’s use of Jeremiah 9:23–24 to reframe what is truly worth boasting in: not our gifts or status, but knowing the Lord and understanding what He is doing in Christ
• Practical implications for church life, including the “huddle syndrome” picture and how to stop chasing the “in crowd” and instead turn toward those who seem least important

After listening, you’ll be better able to see your life—and your church—through God’s eyes rather than the world’s. You’ll be invited to loosen your grip on status, success, and human approval, to recognize that everything you have is a gift, and to rest your confidence in this one unshakable boast: that the Lord, in sheer mercy, has made you His in Christ.

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the Church

Paul insists that the cross of Christ is not a marketing problem to fix but the very center of God’s wisdom and power. 

In this episode on 1 Corinthians 1:18–25, Krisan Marotta contrasts the “wisdom of the world” with the message of Christ crucified, showing why Paul refuses to dress up the gospel to impress Corinth’s elites—and why any attempt to make Christianity more acceptable by softening sin and the cross turns it into something else entirely. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How the quarrels in Corinth expose a deeper issue: a craving for stylish teachers and worldly success rather than trust in the message of the cross 
• What Paul means when he rejects “cleverness of speech,” and why he will not adopt the rhetorical polish the Corinthians demand
• Why the word of the cross looks like foolishness to those who are perishing, yet is experienced as the power of God by those who are being saved
• How Isaiah 29 helps Paul explain that God intends to expose and overturn human “wisdom” through the gospel
• The roles of the “wise man,” the “scribe,” and the “debater of this age,” and why none of them can stand before God apart from Christ 
• Why Jews stumble over a crucified Messiah and Greeks dismiss Him as intellectually ridiculous—and how both responses still show up today
• How God uses a message that looks weak and foolish to the world to save those He calls, revealing a wisdom our achievements and intellects could never reach
• What this passage means for how we present the gospel today, especially the pressure to downplay sin, judgment, and the cross to gain approval

After listening, you’ll better understand why the cross must remain at the heart of any true Christian message—and why attempts to make Christianity more comfortable by removing its offense actually strip it of its saving power. You’ll be encouraged to resist the pull of cultural approval, to evaluate “wise” and popular teaching by its faithfulness to the message of Christ crucified, and to find confidence in a gospel that may look foolish to the world but is, in reality, the wisdom and power of God for salvation. 

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the Church

Paul’s question, “Has Christ been divided?” opens up a searching conversation about baptism, discipleship, and what truly unites or divides the people of God. 

In this episode on 1 Corinthians 1:13–17, Krisan Marotta explores why Paul is glad he baptized so few in Corinth, what it means (and doesn’t mean) to be baptized “in someone’s name,” and why the cross of Christ—not any ritual, leader, or style—is at the center of genuine Christian faith. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How the Corinthians’ factionalism grew out of misplaced loyalties to gifted teachers rather than to Christ Himself
• What it meant in the first century to be “baptized in the name of” someone, and why that language is tied to being someone’s disciple
• How the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus clarify the relationship between making disciples and performing baptisms
• Why Jesus’ command to baptize “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” guards against gathering followers for ourselves instead of for Him
• Three major ways Christians understand baptism today—sacrament, ordinance, or symbol—and how this passage helps us evaluate those views
• Why Paul can say Christ did not send him “to baptize, but to preach the gospel,” and what that reveals about what is essential for salvation
• How “cleverness of speech” can empty the cross of its power, and the modern temptation to make the gospel more attractive by downplaying sin and the cross
• What 1 Corinthians 1 suggests about denominations, unity, and why theology sometimes must divide us—and when it should not
• How to distinguish between essentials of the gospel and non-essential practices, while resisting the urge to judge fellow believers over preferences and traditions

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer understanding of where baptism fits in God’s purposes: a meaningful sign that points to faith, but not the source of salvation itself. You’ll be better equipped to evaluate teaching by its faithfulness to the gospel rather than its style, to think more wisely about church divisions and denominations, and to pursue a kind of unity that grows out of shared allegiance to Christ and His cross—not to any particular leader, ritual, or worship style.

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the Church