1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

And I – while coming to you all, brothers – came not with high sounding words or wisdom while proclaiming to you all the mystery of God.  For I did not decide to know anything in you all except Jesus Christ and Him having been crucified.  And I came to you all in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.  And my word and my proclamation were not in persuasive words of wisdom but in a demonstration of the Spirit and power in order that your faith should not be in the wisdom of mankind but in the power of God.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I love the opening sentence of this chapter.  Paul has a bit of reputation among Bible scholars for his writing style.  He isn’t the easiest to understand in the Greek.  However, the reason for this isn’t because his vocabulary or imagery is incomprehensible.  The reason is because he explains thoughts deeply with many examples and multiple clauses in each sentence.  To his credit, though, we need to remember that capital letters, punctuation, and even spaces weren’t invented when Paul wrote his letters.  But what he says is true.  He doesn’t talk over people.  He is usually able to be understood.  The good preacher isn’t the one who can come in and dazzle people with his words.  The good preacher is the one who through simplicity of speech can draw people in.  This goes back to what we have spoken about the last few years.  We do not need to be great and mighty in our ability to make a difference.  We simply have to be willing.  In fact, in many cases the more normal we are the better it comes across as God’s work through us!

Do you think you can talk about why God is important to you in common terms?  Why is this important?  Why is it easy for us to think that only people who can talk with fancy language about God make the best preachers and teachers and disciple-makers?

Second Thought:

Have you ever heard anyone say that the Apostle Paul is the greatest evangelist to live since the ascension of Jesus Christ?  I say that quite a bit.  I do truly think he was an incredible man.  But look at his own confession here.  “I came in weakness and fear and much trembling.”  Are you kidding me?  Does not Paul know who he was?  I know.  That’s a silly question.  It’s easy to look back in history and see his greatness.  But he himself did not recognize the greatness of what God was doing through him in the moment.  He was afraid.  He trembled.  He felt weak.  Take that lesson to heart.  This is the greatest evangelist in the world since Christ.  He was weak, afraid, and he trembled.  So the next time you feel the same way consider that you are in good company and get up and do what God is calling you to do anyways.

Is your fear, weakness, or trembling ever an excuse?  What does Paul’s confession help you understand?  How can your own confession of the same feelings help others?

Third Thought:

Paul tells us that he did not come in his own greatness in order that the faith of his disciples should be rooted in God’s power.  This is such a powerful truth here.  How many churches are built on the charisma of the pastor or the worship leader?  How many youth groups are built on the charisma of the youth leader?  How many Bible Studies are built on the charisma or wisdom of the leader?  No, all of these are wrong.  If you want strong disciples, you need to build upon the power of God, not the power of a person.  This is why Paul says that when he came to them he didn’t know anything among them except Christ crucified.  Our power is nothing.  God’s power is everything.  God’s power is the solid rock upon which we should be in the habit of building faith.

Why is it easy to build upon the charisma of the leader?  Why is that wrong?  What can you do to prevent building faith upon the charisma or wisdom of your spiritual leader and instead make sure that faith is built upon God alone?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Corinthians 2:6-11