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For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.¹

Paul wrote this verse—the same Paul who was previously persecuting the church.² He was so filled with anger and hate until he had an encounter with Jesus.³ Previously, Paul exhibited zeal in his pursuit to eradicate the Christians; now after his conversion, he found purpose to serve Christ⁴ by spreading the gospel. In his letters he introduces himself as an apostle (the Greek word Apostolos means to be sent⁵)—to the Galatians, Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead . . . ;⁶ to the Ephesians, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God;⁷ to the Colossians, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God . . .⁸ Thus, like the 12 apostles chosen by Jesus, Paul was likewise directly chosen; they were the capital “A” apostles. They got direct impartation and revelation from Jesus himself. What they wrote we accept as Scripture.

We know that all Scripture is God breathe.⁹ But not all carry the same weight. There are teachings that are foundational to our belief system; e.g., “Which commandment is the most important of all?” To which Jesus answered, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’¹⁰ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.¹¹ For Paul there are two fundamental things to know: Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Apart from the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we may be deluded and believe in a gospel that isn’t a gospel at all.¹² Correct doctrine leads to right thinking and righteous living.
This is the gospel message: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.¹³ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.¹⁴

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.¹⁵

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.¹⁶