May 18
“I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God,” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
With this Epistle, the apostle Paul is reminding the Corinthians of what was accomplished when he came to Corinth. A Christian congregation was established through the testimony of the Word of God. Paul did not consider himself to be a polished speaker or a popular orator. He refers to this twice in the text above: “I . . . did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom,” and, “My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom.” He did not have a high opinion of his own speaking and preaching ability.
Paul recognized that what is preached is more important than the way it is preached. However, at the same time, what is preached can be hindered by the way it is preached. There are several temptations of which to be aware. Preachers can be tempted to try to persuade people with their eloquence and with the persuasive words of human wisdom and try to draw attention to themselves, and in the process they proclaim a lot of nice-sounding nonsense! This is also not to say that one should be careless about how one speaks and then speak slovenly using poor grammar and meaningless expressions which lull the hearers to sleep!
We return to the importance of what is preached. The message preached should be, “In demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” In his Second Epistle to Timothy, Paul summarizes it briefly when he writes, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching,” 2 Timothy 4:2. This admonition of the apostle emphasizes the importance of what is preached, and that proper attention should be given also to how it is preached. Members of a Christian congregation should insist that their pastors preach the Word and feed the flock!
In all of our teaching, preaching, and witnessing, the central message must remain for pastors and people: “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified!” There is only one way of salvation, as expressed by the Lord Jesus to His troubled disciples: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” John 14:6. The apostles taught the same truth: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” Acts 4:12.
It is the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Word that creates the saving faith in the Lord Jesus in the hearts of the hearers: “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit,” 1 Corinthians 12:3. Thank God on bended knee that He has called you to faith in your Savior, who suffered, died, and rose again to redeem you! You also have His promise that He will keep you in the faith.
“Lord, open Thou my heart to hear,
And through Thy Word to me draw near;
Let me Thy Word e’er pure retain,
Let me Thy child and heir remain.” Amen.