Breaking the Rules of Marketing

Before we get started with the next mini-series of articles, let’s think about a hypothetical situation. Let’s say that I was going to try to convince you of something, today. (Don’t worry, like usual, I have no intention of selling you anything in today’s article.)

Imagine, though, that we had a situation like one of the following:

Maybe I wanted to persuade you to think a certain way about a particular topic, like how to resolve a problem in society, or how we should embrace a particular behavior.
Maybe I wanted to get you to root for my sports team. (That would be challenging, though, because the teams I follow rarely seem to win.)
Maybe I wanted to sell you a particular product or service (presumably one that I make money from).
Maybe I wanted to get you to like a particular actor or musician that I follow.
Maybe – like so many annoying ads these days – I wanted to get you to vote for a certain political candidate. (Trust me, that is not my intention today, so there’s no need to change the channel or tune me out!)

Here’s the key question in our little thought experiment: If I were to try to convince you of something, what sorts of things would I say about the concept, candidate, or commercial goods that I was promoting? That is, how do people persuade others to agree with them these days?

I would probably tell you all of the good things about them (while making sure to steer the conversation away from any downsides, of course).
I might cite experts (whether real or fictional) who agree with me. Similarly, I could get other people – whether famous people or other “influencers” – to say good things about what I’m trying to promote.
Maybe I would even have a flashy advertisement, trying to make you associate my idea with all kinds of other things that you already like, or tying ideas like money, fame, or power to what I want you to agree with.
Or, I could spend time bashing the alternatives.

The reason that we pause to talk about this is because Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:7 (which is the foundation for the next few articles), contrasted how the world promotes things with the truth of the gospel and God’s wisdom.

Some good news: The lesson today does not include any political ads, nor am I selling you anything. You’re mature enough to make your own decisions about what kind of coffee you want to drink, and what sort of shoes you want to wear. However, the way that God chose to reach out to humankind looked a lot different from modern marketing, just as it looked a lot different from what the first-century people in the Mediterranean region thought was the best way to solve the world’s problems.

One more thing before we jump into today’s text: I’d like to consider the terms, “knowledge” and “wisdom”.

To me, knowledge is facts and data, while wisdom is knowing what to do in a particular situation.
Knowledge can inform wisdom, but knowledge without wisdom can lead to some very bad choices.

We’ll mostly be talking about wisdom over the next few articles, but you may find me slipping into talking about knowledge, too. Just remember, we should be more interested in knowing the right thing to do, rather than merely accumulating a bunch of academic knowledge without the proper context.

To peek into the message for the next several articles, let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 1:18.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV

https://1corinthians.bible/1-corinthians-1-18

As a commentator wrote, “[God’s] wisdom does not have to do with ‘getting smart’, nor with status or rhetoric. God’s wisdom – the real thing – has to do with salvation through Christ Jesus.” [Oster, p.70, quoting Fee; emphasis added] Let’s ponder that, and maybe read through all of 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:7 to be ready for the next few conversations.

From Sunday School lesson prepared for April 7, 2024

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