Reading: I Corinthians 1-4
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (I Cor. 2:1-5).
Paul was an educated man (Acts 22:3) with above-average oratory skills. He was a Pharisee (23:6) well-versed in the laws of Moses and the commandments of God. He was also a skilled tradesman, a tent-maker who capably supported himself and others as he traveled on his missions for Christ (Acts 18:3; II Cor. 11:9). While all of these things described Paul, none of them defined him. First and foremost, Paul considered himself a servant of Christ. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (Rom. 1:1). Every word he had spoken and every action he had taken since the moment Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus had been spoken and undertaken based on that defining premise.
When he first appeared in Corinth, Paul approached the people on their level as a humble servant of Christ. He didn’t try to intimidate them with his societal status or impress them with his knowledge and skills. While either of those tactics might have been successful in the short run, he knew that the only way to facilitate a lasting faith amongst these people was to allow them to experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ for themselves in the way that would most impact their lives. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me (John 12:31-32). Jesus HAD been lifted up from the earth, and it was with His words, His power, and His glory that Paul sought to gather like-minded individuals into His service here on earth. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
What do we do when we approach someone to share our love of our Savior for the first time? Do we allow Christ to lead, approaching the individual in the manner they are most accustomed to and comfortable with, or do we think it more essential to first gain control of the encounter so that we can more fully demonstrate God’s love in the way in which we feel it should best be presented? Is our focus solely on sharing the Gospel and allowing Jesus’ power to draw them to Him, or do we feel the need to showcase our own righteousness so that the person we are witnessing to can properly appreciate what they are ‘missing?’ Before we approach anyone, we must ask ourselves this: Are we acting out of a desire to glorify God, or are we seeking glory for ourselves in association with His name?
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.(II Cor. 4:5-6).
Thought for Today: Those willing to hear His Word do not need to be manipulated into hearing it, and those unwilling to hear will remain just as deaf with or without such posturing.
Cross Reference:For I Cor. 1:19: See Is. 29:14. I Cor. 1:31: See Jer. 9:24. I Cor. 2:16: See Is. 40:13. I Cor. 3:19: See Job 5:13. I Cor. 3:20: See Ps. 94:11.
Word Studies:1:21 the foolishness of preaching = foolishness to unbelievers; 2:6 perfect = spiritually mature; 3:1 carnal = worldly; 4:5 counsels = motives; 4:11 naked = poorly clothed; buffeted = treated with disrespect.
Pray for Staff:Gilbert Palafox • Country : Ireland (4,832,765) Western Europe • Major Languages: English, Irish • Religious Freedom • 84.7% Catholic; 2.7% Church of Ireland; 2.7% Other Protestant; 1.1% Muslim; 1.7% Other; 1.5% Unspecified; 5.6% None • Prayer Suggestion: Pray for national revival, for righteousness exalts a nation (Prov. 14:34).