I Corinthians 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

The apostle Paul was not a great orator. God did not choose him because of his ability to impress people. God chose him because he needed to be saved. After he was saved, God told him he would be the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul spent three years in the desert of Arabia being trained by Jesus Christ before he began his public ministry. No one is fit to serve God full-time until they have been properly trained. All of the apostles needed to have seen the Lord Jesus Christ and they needed to have been trained by Him. There are no apostles today.
Paul was not a lazy man. He was not a careless man. However, he was directed by God to remind the readers that he was not an impressive speaker. However, he had an impressive message. He was trained to declare the testimony of God. That is what the saints in Corinth needed to hear. That is what all the readers of this epistle need to hear.
In verse 2 we see that Paul was convinced by God not to know anything among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That was the important fact. That message was certainly not designed to put people to sleep. It was not a pleasant bed-time story. It was a very serious and very sober message and also a very important message. Apart from Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross there would be no salvation for anyone. The apostle Paul, formerly Saul, would never have been saved without that sacrifice. He would not have anything worth telling the people if not for that fact.
In verse 3 we read of the human frailty of the apostle Paul. We often see him as a very bold preacher and teacher. However he wrote here that he came to the Corinthians in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. He was chosen by God to bring an important message to the saints in Corinth. It was not a pleasant message to bring. He needed to rebuke them for their carnality. Those whose heart is not right with God would not appreciate such a message. He needed to make that message known because it was God’s Word. His strength came from the same God that saved him. The godly preacher needs to draw his strength from the Lord. If he relies on his own abilities he may become popular, but he will not be approved of by God.
In verse 4 we are reminded again that Paul’s words were not enticing words of man’s wisdom. He was not a philosopher. He was not trying to scratch their itching ears. His words were not soothing words. They were true words. They were necessary words. They would make the hearers sit up and take note, but not because they were enticing words. If was the Holy Spirit that would impress upon the hearers the importance of the message.
His words were inspired of God. They were a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Paul was given the words for the letter directly from the Holy Spirit. God revealed to Paul what the problems were in Corinth. He also told him what the answer to the problem was. The answer was for him to preach the importance of the cross of Christ and the saints in Corinth needed to grow in their faith in that important truth.
Due to the fact that the Holy Spirit directed Paul, his words were powerful. All of God’s Word is powerful. It will touch the heart of the hearers. It is important that the preacher not put stumbling blocks in the way that would interfere with the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearer’s ears and hearts.
The goal of this letter was that the faith of the saints in Corinth be grounded in the power of God. The preacher needs to be sure to show his listeners that the things that he is declaring are facts from God. God’s Word can be ignored for a time; however, God’s Word is able to speak to the heart of the hearer long after they were spoken. God has a way of drilling His Word right into the heart of the hearer. Many people choose to avoid the truth because if offends them. They need that exposure. It is for their benefit to hear the truth. The faithful preaching of God’s Word is a mark of God’s love for man.
We had a marathon run in our town yesterday. Many people participated in that marathon. They chose to be involved in that rather than attend a good church. The municipality chose to have this event on a Sunday morning. They will be accountable for that very poor choice. There are 6 other days in which it could have been run. If the run was so important, the runners and volunteers could have given up time at work for the run. Of course that is out of the question. They do not mind ignoring the most important thing in life, but they will not give up on the material gods. Those who chose to run in that event or volunteer for that event, rather than attend a good church will regret that choice one day. Life is far too short to waste precious time on such unworthy activities.
The apostle Paul was being directed to prepare the Corinthians to receive a very important message. If they would have accepted distractions from the world, they would have missed out on this important message. Avoiding the truth, does not change the truth. All it does is condemn those who choose to ignore the truth. The wise person prepares to receive the truth and heed what is said.
Pastor Bartel