Introduction

Good morning, everyone. Today, we begin our study of 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians addresses one main issue: the Corinthians have strayed from the path of God. Paul ministers from a distance through his letters. However, when this letter reached the Corinthians, they nitpicked, finding fault with Paul's truthful words. Consequently, the Corinthians grew increasingly resentful of Paul, heaping accusations and tarnishing his reputation, claiming his actions were motivated by greed and money. In reality, Paul never took a single penny from them, nor did he take advantage of them in any way. To put it plainly, he didn't take so much as a needle or thread. How did things come to this? The devil is indeed cunning, manipulating people into believing such things.

Paul then wrote two more letters, totaling three, to free the Corinthians from these lies. One of the most important points was that Jesus Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This is what he meant when he concluded the first chapter by saying that whoever boasts should boast in the Lord. Therefore, the theme of 1 Corinthians chapter 1 is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. When you first read it, you may not fully understand what the power of God and the wisdom of God mean, but I will explain it to you bit by bit.

As it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

I. The Problems of the Corinthians

You should know that the problems of the Corinthians are not much different from our own. People tend to idolize ability. Many say a teacher is very capable, but they don’t really understand what it means to be capable or incapable. They simply think that someone who can write software, handle so many tasks, and write so many books is very capable. But if I didn’t tell you, you might not even know. However, today I want to tell you how easily people idolize ability. And not just any ability, but human ability, human wisdom – these are all things of the flesh.

The Corinthians, in their actions, pushed Jesus aside because they felt the doctrine of Jesus Christ was inadequate. If you tell the Corinthians they have a Mingding Destiny, they might question whether Mingding Destiny is practical. Or if you tell them to imitate Jesus, they might argue that imitating Jesus is impossible. The Corinthians’ logical system eliminated God’s presence. This is not a good thing. The church in Corinth became like society, with all the problems of society found within the church. When the church and society become the same, can it still be called a church?

My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:11-12)

This caused many problems. Quarrels arose in the church, various factions and divisions emerged. How did this happen? We find a clue. Some people claimed to follow Paul. Paul was a great scholar, a student of Gamaliel, as impressive as a physics student following Yang Chen-Ning. Then there were those who claimed to follow Apollos, who was also quite impressive and had his own stage. And then there were those who said they followed Peter, also known as Cephas. Why follow Peter? Peter must have visited them. Some might ask, why would Peter, a Jew, go to a Gentile church? Did he not find the place unclean? Did he not act hypocritically?

After Peter went there, he gave a sermon. As the saying goes, there are many instructors, but few fathers. After speaking, he took the money and left. He was just there to make a quick buck, to extract money. If he did not create a stir, they would not give him the money, so he had to have a money-making scheme. He gave a grand speech, and many brothers and sisters were deeply impressed. They were moved to tears by seeing Peter, who had followed Jesus, and felt they would lose out if they didn’t contribute generously to Peter. This bad habit persists in churches today. After all this, someone would surely ask Peter whether Paul or Peter was right. If you were Peter, you would surely say that you were right and that Paul was not good. That Peter was Dong Wang, and Paul didn't know. If he did not do so, he would not get the money, and the church would be in chaos, eliminating God's presence. Then, if people got sick, prayers would not work. If they had problems and prayed, it would not work. The church would become a den of demons. How could it work?

We must be careful. When people idolize human ability, this is what happens. For example, Peter's sermons, like mine, would have been full of inspiring stories. The story of how he healed a lame man at the Beautiful Gate in Jerusalem would have been very moving. In one sentence, he declared he had no silver or gold but gave what he had, and the lame man immediately stood up. The audience would have erupted in applause, absolutely convinced that Peter was amazing. Although he also gave glory to Jesus, giving glory to Jesus alone does not attract money. Today, it is the same. Many people seem to travel everywhere to preach the gospel for the sake of God’s Kingdom, but the work of the church is not just giving a sermon and showing off how great you are. That is why people like me have no market because I don’t show off everything, I don’t go anywhere, I just serve alongside everyone. Don’t think that’s all I say. I only express a small part of what I do.

From the beginning of building the church, I have opposed idolizing ability. Those who boast as followers of Apollos, because Apollos is good at studying the Bible; or those who follow Cephas, Cephas, the great apostle, is useless in critical situations. Someone catches a cold and has a fever, or can’t defecate or urinate, or even has incontinence. Calling on Peter is useless at that time. That is, the reason the Corinthians were so easily deceived is that they idolize ability at their core. Today, there must be many like that among us, no matter how I persuade them, I may not be able to bring them back.

I have a force in my bones, knowing that I must not mess around. Messing around will eliminate God's presence. In the end, all the demons I drove out will come back, and that would be more than I could handle. I still want to please God. Everyone should know that if people don’t see through these small things in the world, they cannot serve God. That is, if you want to imitate Jesus and walk the path of dedication that Jesus walked, it is no joke. But if you still love the world in your bones and still think about gaining something, then you cannot walk the path of Jesus. So, my greatest advantage is that I have seen through life and death, I have seen through this matter of living. The difference between seeing through it and not seeing through it is too great. Those who don't see through it will go out to extract money, and after extracting money, they will continue to extract manure. If they don’t extract gold, they will extract manure, because that’s idolizing ability.

People are interesting. Why do I say that our brothers and sisters have this problem? Someone used to be quite dull, but after working until his forties, he lost his job. After I repeatedly trained him, I finally pushed him up. As soon as he got a little better, his walk changed immediately. Because he felt he had the ability and could now extract money, even the way he walked looked like wings were about to grow. Losing his job was not long ago. In today's professional terms, he became conceited, finally feeling qualified to love the world. There were also people who, not long ago, were about to jump off a building on Jinan Street, scaring me so much that I quickly ministered to them and built their confidence. Suddenly, their confidence increased, and they pushed the door open, grabbed a chair, sat down, and immediately started teaching me how to be a pastor. Just a few days ago, he was on the street wanting to die, how could he suddenly become my teacher today? People are like this, so we really need to be careful, even myself, I am afraid of becoming conceited. When I become conceited, I will squeeze God out. People need to know how much they really weigh.

Someone showed me a curve that points to people's ignorant conceit. If people are ignorant and yet full of confidence, that is a tragedy. Although they have done some things, they are not far from being finished. I want to knock down your confidence before you are finished, because that kind of confidence is false confidence. I invented a lot of stimulating language to eliminate people's ignorant conceit and false confidence. After eliminating it, they return to a normal confidence, knowing that they don't know. Someone said that I made them not know how to pastor, but they used to think they knew. I let him learn from the beginning, and then rise again with real faith, start again with his knowledge and understanding, that would be easier. Many people in this world don't know what they don't know. The one managing a trillion-dollar enterprise doesn't know how to manage at all, and eventually fools his own business into bankruptcy. Where did his previous ability go? Actually, he never had the ability, it was all fake.

The wisdom of the world will become foolishness, but the wisdom of God seems foolish but is not. Today, if you rely on the wisdom of God, and the power of God, living humbly before God all your life, God will surely save you, and you will surely live out the glory of God all your life! When you feel great, when you feel you have a lot of money, although it is little, maybe less than ten million, you will start being conceited, and you will be ruined. What I fear most is that people will be cursed after giving offerings, so I repeatedly determine whether the other party really understands the meaning of offerings. Because people easily use the wisdom and ability of the world to look at their offerings, as if offerings are a great thing. Actually, you can’t think that way. If you think that offering is helping God, giving God something, even if you have a little bit of that idea, you’re ruined.

You cannot help God build the church. God wants to build His own church. Don't think you are so great and can give God something. In fact, all you can give God is your problem, or yourself. Don’t be conceited. Some people are like bamboo baskets that cannot hold water, in other words, they cannot hold blessings, their virtue is too shallow. They get conceited at the slightest thing and don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. This was also the problem of the Corinthians. Later, they suffered losses. If they didn’t suffer losses, would they listen to Paul? After being conceited, they were still arrogant, questioning whether Paul was the only one who was right after reading Paul’s letters.

II. Not many of the Corinthians were wise according to worldly standards, not many were influential, and not many were of noble birth

Paul is amazing, I learned from him. His words are also quite sharp, opening his mouth and bursting the Corinthians’ small conceit like popping a balloon, deflating them.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. (1 Corinthians 1:26)

Deflate them a little, lest their ignorance continue to make them conceited. This is a fundamental logic. In the period when I first believed in the Lord, I completely denied my ability. I used to think I was great. I was a top student, I could even learn fortune-telling, learning the I Ching was not a problem. Don't think I am talking about the Corinthians, actually I am talking about ourselves. The first part talks about the Corinthians idolizing ability. The weaker one’s ability is, the more they idolize ability. Those who fail to get into university think it’s amazing for those who got into 985 universities. The more incapable they are, the more they idolize the slightest ability. When I was young, after I first believed in the Lord, I recognized that my two arms cannot overcome destiny. From now on, I will no longer rely on the ability of my hands to create my destiny, but I will rely on God's blessings. At that time, I was completely abandoned by destiny, and I have not picked it up since. I rely on God, Christ is always the power of God, the wisdom of God. This sentence impressed me too deeply.

but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:24)

I rely on God’s power and God’s wisdom to live to this day. I dare not rely on myself, I cannot rely on myself, I know what I weigh. I weigh one hundred twenty to thirty pounds, and fewer pounds of meat than others. Not to mention little wisdom, even in the flesh, there is little meat. This is a fundamental logic, from now on I can no longer rely on myself. I am here shouting to you, don't idolize ability, idolize God, and if you boast, boast in God. People cannot idolize ability, once they idolize ability, the problem is very serious. Because once they feel great, they will be hurt if someone says they are no good. The most deadly thing for some people is that once they have a high degree, they take face very seriously. If I tell him that what he writes is useless, he will be hurt. If others say that what I write is useless, then we will carefully discuss what kind of writing is useful. I am not easily injured, we can try to compete. If you can injure me, you are great.

I have a logic in my bones that I am not good. If I am good, it is Jesus Christ who is good. If I boast, I will boast in Jesus Christ. I am a dying person. I almost died back then. From my twenties to today, I have lived for many years. I dare not boast at all. My logic is that I am not good, but my God is definitely good. Relying on God's goodness, I have persisted and been jumping for so many days. Those years of building the church were hard. Someone said before leaving the church to see how long I could jump. Today I am still jumping, and I am still alive and kicking. They would be very angry to know that. I am not good, how can I be hurt? I should have stopped jumping twenty years ago. Because of God's grace, I have jumped for so many years. Many years have passed since those who were not optimistic about me said that. Some people are annoyed by my jumping all day long. Actually, I don't want to jump either, but God wants me to jump, so I will continue to jump and found Chinese Mingding Destiny. Some people are worried about who will inherit my legacy when I die in the future, but I can’t control that.

I am not good, God is good. From now on, it doesn't matter who spits on you or how they humiliate you. If I can still jump, thank God that I have lived for a while longer. A while ago, I caught COVID and almost died, but I didn't die. It's like that crosstalk saying, people want to die but can't die, tossing back and forth for several years but can't swallow that breath. The family has arranged the funeral, many people are waiting to divide the property, but they wait and wait, and he just doesn't die.

III. The Root of Strife

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church because it was rife with conflict, both overt and covert, with infighting and even elections, the purpose of which remained unclear. Today, I address the root of strife, hoping that churches plagued by discord will heed my words: the root of strife lies in the veneration of human ability and knowledge. Those who overly admire Cephas are mistaken; boasting should not be in Cephas, a mere fisherman whose prowess stems from Jesus Christ. My survival to this day is also due to Jesus Christ; otherwise, I would have departed decades ago.

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:28-29)

Therefore, self-reliance and self-righteousness are the source of all problems; the apostle Paul's strength lay in his rejection of self-righteousness. Boast in Jesus Christ, for He is the power and wisdom of God. Comparison breeds conflict; comparing Paul, Cephas, and Apollos is akin to comparing Plato, Roman emperors, and influential politicians like Socrates, Hegel, and Kant. People are prone to idolize ability. If a muscular, skilled martial artist opens a dojo, challenges are inevitable, for the world admires strength. Strife arises from self-righteousness, allowing worldly logic to infiltrate.

A place that values ability invariably experiences conflict; a place that exalts Jesus Christ should have less strife, as everyone recognizes their inadequacy, leaving little to dispute. If someone creates a painting and you criticize its technique, they will likely be displeased, as it attacks their foundation. Strife manifests as division and factionalism, with some favoring Cephas, others Apollos, and still others Paul, falling prey to the devil's schemes. The devil, by instilling carnal ideals of human ability, watches the ensuing chaos without cost. Demons revel in church infighting, which some euphemistically call love-hate, but is, in reality, mutual hatred. This is often linked to money, a trap to avoid by abandoning the veneration of ability.

Learn to trust in God; even if you are unremarkable, great faith in God makes you formidable. For instance, God has been incredibly kind to me throughout my life. As a young soldier in my twenties, I was dedicated to my work, studying diligently, improving daily, and undertaking all menial tasks. I thanked God even when given difficult assignments. Eventually, my immediate superior left, a move orchestrated by God. Consequently, my superior placed me in that leadership role, and I tackled the new challenges with zeal, continuing to learn and grow, all by grace. Soon after, the manager above me departed, and I took his position, with my salary increasing rapidly, thanks to God. As my skills grew, I applied for a higher position at another university and was selected against the odds, a testament to God's power.

IV. Jews Demand Signs, Greeks Seek Wisdom

Many praise my abilities, but it is all by God's grace; how else would I love God so deeply? God has favored me more than most. Had I pursued self-righteousness, venerated ability and men, and coveted such things, I would have lost God, who controls opportunities. Jews seek signs, like the powerful miracles performed by Peter, such as healing the cripple, whose subsequent actions remain unknown. If you constantly seek signs apart from Jesus Christ, you become like the Jews. Many Christians seek miracles; if you are one, try performing one. My many miracles come not from seeking but from trusting in Jesus, who is God's power and wisdom.

Jews demand signs, and Greeks seek wisdom in all aspects of life, venerating Socrates and Plato, only to find much that is shameful. The Corinthians fell into this trap as well. The Jewish members of the Corinthian church sought signs; the Gentiles and Greeks sought wisdom, discussing Socrates as if he were comparable to Jesus Christ. The Jews debated about miracles, and the entire church devolved into this state, following human logic. Today, we see that many powerful individuals end up humiliated, particularly under the iron fist of socialism. Wherever you are, if you believe that every cent you earn is solely your own doing, you are in trouble.

Jews seeking signs and Greeks seeking wisdom led the Corinthians into these pitfalls, as their foundations were built on such things. This veneration corrupts, leading to the loss of both signs and wisdom, and making people foolish. Can Christians become foolish? If they venerate ability, their core remains unchanged, revealing a deep-seated admiration for strength. A brief conversation can reveal your underlying foundation: a veneration of strength. Esau lived by the sword, following Cain's logic system. Cain built a city named Enoch; these individuals were formidable, the ancestors of all kinds of metalworkers, surpassing you in skill. But this culture of strength ultimately fails, as seen in the historical figure of Xiang Yu, who committed suicide at Wujiang. No matter how powerful, God was waiting for him to end his life. These stories show that Jews seeking signs and Greeks seeking wisdom should be ashamed.

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:21-25)

Why do people suffer from depression? Because they rely on themselves. Cain and Lamech suffered from anxiety, a form of mental illness, due to their self-reliance. Human self-reliance is futile; God can send a small cancer cell to bring you to death's door, or send minor demonic spirits of depression to disrupt your life. This world is a spiritual realm, and your human contrivances lead to mental illness, neurotic disorders, cancer, or other ailments. A small COVID-19 virus can leave you in a state between life and death. Of what use is human wisdom? How much better to be healed through prayer, without side effects.

V. We Preach Christ Crucified

Why do we preach Christ crucified? Because the crucified Christ is effective. Try it and see: by Jesus’ wounds we are healed, by His blood we are redeemed. How many have been healed, how many owe a debt to Jesus Christ? These words pertain to the spiritual realm, and earthly matters are merely shadows of the spiritual world. A profound discovery of Chinese Mingding Destiny is that a lackluster life on earth is simply due to a deficient spiritual life. By operating solely on worldly logic, you remain stuck in a cycle of pre-liberation and post-liberation struggles. Eventually, you will return not to pre-liberation, but to a state of utter emptiness and chaos, as before creation.

When have you trusted in God, trusted in the crucified Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is effective because He possesses power. Test the power of Jesus Christ in the spiritual realm; the name of Jesus Christ is formidable. If we are clothed in Jesus Christ, the devil will mistake us for Jesus from afar. As we advance, the lesser demons will flee, some even crushed under our feet like ants. The Jesus Christ we preach is powerful, possessing all authority in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

People stumble because they believe that emulating Jesus Christ means being crucified. Jesus Christ triumphed by utterly despising death. If you emulate Jesus Christ by despising both life and death, you too will triumph. The key is the system: if you follow my logic, Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and was buried, resurrected on the third day, overcoming the power of Hades, and receiving all authority in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. If you emulate Him and follow this path, God will grant you and me all authority in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, allowing us to instantly defeat all demons. There is nothing to fear. No more trembling during prayer; surely our Jesus can handle such matters.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27)

A carnal person considers this foolish, but a spiritual person, chosen by God, will shame the wise and make the strong ashamed, for they cannot prevail. I have personally witnessed this. A martial arts expert sought healing and deliverance and suddenly began performing martial arts in front of me, which was intimidating. His size and skill were such that he could have sat on me and crushed me to death. As he approached, about to strike me, he suddenly fell to the ground. I feared he had injured himself. From that moment on, I realized how powerful my God is, and my courage grew, allowing me to cast out even greater demons.

We preach Jesus Christ crucified, and from now on, I will emulate Him, offering my life and taking a light view of life and death. Using God's authority in the spiritual realm allows us to trample on the enemy, the devil. We strike them down one by one, making them our defeated foes. This spiritual authority is effective, truly extraordinary.

VI. The Power of God, The Wisdom of God

Believing in Jesus is not because you are powerful; God's power is manifested when you believe in Jesus. It is not because you are good enough, but because God's wisdom is boundless. Once you believe in Jesus, demons become illegal residents in your life. The blood of Jesus Christ washes away your sins, drives out demons, and grants you release and freedom. You then have the right to love both God and the world. Many, after being freed, return to loving the world, inviting the demons back in.

This power comes from the spiritual world, the power of God. Know today that the Jesus Christ we believe in possesses all authority in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; what then do you fear? If you live each day as it comes, unconcerned about death, you are formidable because the power of God protects you. God’s wisdom and power far exceed human comprehension, but you receive them through faith. Many Christians fear death; a few instances of fear may be harmless, but eventually, it will catch up with you.

Can the power and wisdom of God be magnified in us? Today, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. If you emulate Jesus Christ, you can trample on the enemy, the devil, in the spiritual world. If your heart is filled with fear and panic, you are being tormented by demons. Sometimes, I lament that people do not know how to walk the path of faith, because their hearts are filled with the Corinthian logic system, which is both harmful and detestable. From now on, boast not in money or human ability, but solely in the Lord Jesus Christ, for all things must be united in Jesus Christ.

Today, let us abandon the Corinthian ways and embrace the way of Jesus Christ. As Jesus walked, so shall we walk. Jesus said that worldly money is unrighteous wealth, and so it is. Do not think you are using unrighteous wealth to help God, for you will be cursed. Many of our problems stem from the root of our logic system. If you know that Jesus Christ is the power and wisdom of God and emulate Him, you become the power and wisdom of God, and you are formidable. You will not count banknotes, but live by the power and wisdom of God; you will count God's grace and live by His grace. God gives you many opportunities, but you must turn to Him through these opportunities and grace, re-establishing the logic system of Jesus Christ. A person who relies on themself is weak and cannot withstand anything; a minor cold can incapacitate you, let alone more serious ailments.

From now on, boast in the Lord Jesus, and we can bear shame to gain joy. Know that the path of Jesus Christ is the path of life, filled with power and joy, and that shame is a part of Jesus Christ's path. I will stop here. I do not know if I have explained clearly that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, but I have spoken with excitement. May the power and wisdom of God become our power and wisdom, may our inner logic system be completely transformed, and may we become like Jesus. If you see the small matters of this world as insignificant, you are formidable. May God bless you all!