October 8, 2023
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
“Simple Power”
Service Overview: Persuasive words are far less important than the simple power of the gospel message being spoken and lived out in the lives of those who follow Jesus. Why? Because talk is cheap.
Memory Verse for the Week:
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)
Background Insights:
- The itinerant philosophers and teachers depended on their wisdom and eloquence to gain followers. The city of Corinth was filled with such “spellbinders.” Paul did not depend on eloquent speech or clever arguments; he simply declared God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. He was an ambassador, not a “Christian salesman.” (Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 458)
- Orators followed certain well-established conventions when they entered a city. They were expected to give flowery speeches in praise of the city and their own personal achievements. They did this is order to establish their reputation and reap financial rewards as political orators and teachers of the rich. Paul makes it clear in vs 1-2 that he rejected the entry conventions which displayed classical eloquence or wisdom as he proclaimed the testimony about God which was to Jesus Christ and him crucified. (D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary, 1165)
- [Paul] reminds them that he did not preach with dazzling rhetoric or intricate wisdom. Instead, he proclaimed “the testimony of God” (this reading is to be preferred to “the mystery of God”) in simple and blunt terms: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” The hyperbolic formulation underscores Paul’s point emphatically: the Corinthians’ own faith was elicited not by some refined discourse but by the straightforward narrative of Jesus’ death as God’s saving event (cf. Gal. 3:1). (Richard B. Hays, Interpretation Bible Commentary: First Corinthians, 35)
- With this paragraph Paul concludes his argument that the message of the cross and the Corinthians’ very existence as believers stand in contradiction to their present stance. Along with 1:26-31 it demonstrates the point of 1:18-25, this time in terms of Paul’s effective ministry among them despite his weaknesses and failure to rely on the kind of “powerful” speech with which they are enamored. (Gordon D. Fee, 1 Corinthians, 89)
- in weakness and in much fear and trembling: this probably does not refer to his general state of health; it might refer to reaction after his recent experiences in Macedonia and Athens and concern for his friends in Thessalonica, whom he had been compelled to leave so precipitately (1 Th. 3.1-5), but more to a sense of complete personal inadequacy in view of the task of evangelizing such a city as Corinth. (F. F. Bruce, 1 and 2 Corinthians, 37)
- 5 The Greek word translated “power” is dunamei in this verse; in Romans 1:16 it is dunamis. (Grant R. Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians, 37)
What is crucial for us to realize about Paul’s approach?
- How it did not rely on fancy talk or earthly wisdom.
(v. 1 | Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 3:19; Colossians 2:8; James 3:17)
Faith that depends on clever arguments and bright oratory can be undermined if another logical argument or better orator comes along. Faith grounded in the power of the Holy Spirit, however, cannot be undermined. (Grant R. Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians, 35)
If human wisdom is used to win a man, then his faith stands on human wisdom. If a man is brought to faith through the power of God, then his faith rests upon that. (J. Vernon McGee, First Corinthians, 34)
- How Paul’s message was presented humbly and simply.
(vv. 2-3 | Proverbs 11:2; Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Colossians 4:5-6; James 3:13)
“To know nothing” does not mean that he left all other knowledge aside, but rather that he had the gospel, with its crucified Messiah, as his singular focus and passion while he was among them. (Gordon D. Fee, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: 1 Corinthians, 92)
Our works don’t replace the verbal preaching of the gospel, but in them we demonstrate, tangibly, the love and grace that we proclaim with our mouths. Effective gospel preaching is explaining with our words what we demonstrate with our lives. In our service, we make visible the invisible Christ. (J.D. Greear, Gaining by Losing, 122)
Our witness – good or bad – is the overflow of our lives. (Alistair Begg, Made For His Pleasure, 171)
- How Paul’s dependence was on God’s power not his.
(vv. 4-5 | 1 Chr. 29:11; John 14:6; 15:5; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16; 11:33; Colossians 1:16)
Faith is the gift of God – not the result of the persuasion of the evangelist. (Jerry Bridges, The Gospel for Real Life, 135)
There is not a better evangelist in the world than the Holy Spirit. (D. L Moody, The New Sermons of Dwight Lyman Moody, 277)
Paul reminds his hearers that his own preaching when in their city had conformed to what he has been saying about the ‘foolishness’ of the gospel. There was nothing attractive about it. It was an unvarnished setting forth of the simple gospel. But precisely because his preaching was so simple and unpretentious its results convincingly demonstrated the power of God. (Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: 1 Corinthians, 51)
Conclusion… How should this shape our approach in faithfully sharing the good news of Jesus?
A. While methods may change, the message must never change.
(John 3:16; 14:6; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)
The cross stands as the focal point of the Christian faith. Without the cross the Bible is an enigma, and the Gospel of salvation is an empty hope. (James Montgomery Boice, Philippians, 144)
The cross is our delight, our joy, our hope, our all. Therefore, it grieves us when the spiritually lost, the “perishing” of 1:18, do not love the cross as we do. The Bible explains, however, why this is so: They can’t make sense of it… The simple message of the cross has no attraction for them. This reality opens the door to a dangerous temptation. We start to wonder if perhaps what we need to do is adorn the cross and make the message more attractive with eloquence and stirring rhetoric. Maybe if we spruce up the presentation, people will respond. To such thinking Paul gives a resounding “No!” (Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians, 42)
B. Like Paul, we must strive to live the message and trust God’s power.
(Proverbs 3:5; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 3:12; James 3:13-18; 1 Peter 2:12)
If offense is to be taken at the gospel, let it be because of the gospel, not the one who proclaims it. (Sam Storms Message on 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, Nov. 9, 2006)
The glory of God, and, as our only means to glorifying Him, the salvation of human souls, is the real business of life. (C.S. Lewis, Christian Reflections, “Christianity and Culture” (1940), section II, para. 4, p. 26)
We do not fail in our evangelism if we faithfully tell the gospel to someone who is not subsequently converted; we fail only if we do not faithfully tell the gospel at all. (Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, 112)
Paul had determined in his soul that “he was an ambassador, not a ‘Christian salesman’” (Warren Wiersbe, Be Wise, 27)
The efficacy of the preached word depends not on superficial packaging but solely on the power of God to make the word fruitful. (Richard B. Hays, Interpretation Bible Commentary: First Corinthians, 36)
What [others] most need is to see in you a reflection of what God is like and of the transforming power of the Gospel. Your life can create hunger and thirst for God in others’ lives and can be a powerful instrument in the hand of the Holy Spirit to draw their hearts to Christ. (Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Holiness: The Heart God Purifies, 62)
Gospel Connection…
The love of Jesus is too good to keep to ourselves, and too powerful in itself to try to “enhance”.
(John 3:16; 14:6; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)
We are not to be a terminus point for the gospel, but rather a way station in its progress to the ends of the earth. God intends that everyone who has embraced the gospel become a part of the great enterprise of spreading the gospel. (Jerry Bridges, The Gospel for Real Life, 186)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- How simply can you articulate the gospel without leaving out the most important parts? As an added challenge, get with a Christian friend and practice sharing with them as if you were sharing with a stranger.
- Why might it be tempting to change key elements of the gospel when sharing it with others? What can help us avoid this temptation?
- Why is humility vital in sharing the good news of Jesus with others? How can we remain both faithful and humble when sharing the good news of Jesus with others?
- Do you have a hard time trusting God to do the “heavy lifting” when it comes to saving others? How might you develop a greater trust of him and learn when to leave things in his hands?
Quotes to note…
Compelling arguments for the faith must always be formulated, but only the convicting work of the Spirit will ever use them to bring people to Christ. In neither preaching nor apologetics is the scandal of the cross an excuse for putting unnecessary stumbling blocks, such as tactlessness or lovelessness, before people. (Craig L. Blomberg, NIV Application Commentary: 1 Corinthians, 56)
Nothing in Paul’s words should be seen as an invitation to the contemporary preacher to make his words dull and insipid. God’s message is to be presented in a creative arresting manner. The gospel must also be plain, clear, and undiluted. Paul feared greatly the dilution of the gospel by an excessive emphasis on form. So long as the content of the gospel is kept intact, the method of presenting it may be adjusted to the audience. (Curtis Vaughn, 1 Corinthians, 34)
The word of the cross creates a countercultural world for those who are called. Because God has confounded the wisdom of this world and shown it to be foolish, Christians must see the world differently and live in light of the wisdom of God. (Richard B. Hays, Interpretation Bible Commentary: First Corinthians, 38)
If a church truly loves God and the fame of His name, it is jealous for more and more people to know and praise Him. Every conversion means one more mouth is praising God, and every church planted is a chorus of mouths. Our love for the world is born out of our love for God. The greater our love for God, the greater our desire for others to display God’s glory by enjoying Him. (Jonathan Leeman, Reverberation, 193)
Paul does not deny that he tried to present his message in as compelling a form as possible, merely that by the world’s standards he was at best ordinary. (Craig L. Blomberg, NIV Application Commentary: 1 Corinthians, 54)
Paul came to Corinth not as a powerful preacher and debater ready to take on the city but, rather, in weakness—timid and trembling. His attitude was not fearful, but utterly dependent upon God for the important task of bringing the gospel into this wicked and idolatrous city. (Grant R. Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians, 36)
To know nothing but Christ, does not mean to reduce theological knowledge to its barest minimum. If that were the case, Paul should never have written the rest of this letter, let alone the Epistle to the Romans. As a thoughtful sermon could point out, to know nothing but Christ is to know everything significant. Christ is the key unlocking the depths of divine wisdom (see 2:6-16). (William Baird, 1 and 2 Corinthians, 13)
A “weak” preacher with a plain message to an audience of “lower-class” or “nonintellectual” people seemed like a recipe for disaster. But with God’s sovereignty and the Holy Spirit’s power, a body of believers grew up and stood up to the surrounding sinfulness and idolatry of Corinth. (Grant R. Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians, 36)