1 Corinthians 2 - "Paul Was Not A Personality Preacher! He Preached Christ, and Christ Crucified!"

Click Here to Read or Listen to 1 Corinthians 2

In contrast to the personality preachers in Corinth, Paul said he came in great weakness and trembling, as he shared the Good News of Christ with church there. His only goal was to preach the gospel of Christ clearly. He preached only "Christ, and Christ crucified". I wasn't necessarily a "feel good" message.  He wasn't trying to be "showy" or "cute". He knew that if their faith rested on his showmanship that it would not be in the right place. Like John the Baptist, Paul wanted to decrease so Jesus could increase. In his own personal weakness, the strength of Jesus and the Good News shone more clearly and distinctively. 

With some highly charismatic preachers, the only problem can come when people are focused more on their charisma or charm, than the gospel itself. There is nothing wrong with charisma itself, as true charisma comes from the Holy Spirit, but all preachers need to be aware that it is not about them but about Christ! 

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

Paul then speaks of a "message of wisdom". God's wisdom is different than human wisdom, as it can only be understood through the power of the Holy Spirit. If human wisdom could be relied on than Jesus wouldn't have been so misunderstood. Paul then talks about the role and work of the Spirit.  Since the Spirit is the "Spirit of God" it knows things that God alone knows. This is why when we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us we can know God. 

As Paul said in Ephesians, "the Holy Spirit is a down payment of our future inheritance."

The world talks a lot about being "spiritual", but the Holy Spirit is different than the world's version of "spiritual". The Holy Spirit is the one who makes the reality of God knowable in our lives. The Holy Spirit takes the principles of the bible and reveals them to us so that we might know the truth of God's Word in our daily lives. 

Sometimes we wonder why people in the world seem so blind to what we believe as Christians, and specifically who Jesus was and what he did for all humankind. I can't understand why it makes so much sense to me and so little sense to others. The only conclusion is that the Holy Spirit enabled me to come to faith in Jesus as my Savior. I can't claim any wisdom on my own, but only wisdom that was given to me.

In what ways are you relying on the wisdom of the world versus the wisdom from God in the power of the Holy Spirit? How can you spend more time be aware of the Spirit's presence in your life teaching you more about God and His Word for your life?  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more