Because of the Cross

Paul compresses the entire gospel message into a single verse, and the Corinthians would feel its power. Jesus, the one who lived without a single sin, becomes sin itself on the cross. He absorbs the full penalty of human rebellion so that the people who deserve condemnation can receive righteousness instead. This is the great exchange. The sinless one takes the place of the guilty. The guilty receive the standing of the sinless. Nothing in the Greco-Roman world offers a parallel. No god stoops this low. No sacrifice costs this much. The only possible explanation is God’s perfect, sacrificial love.