1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
History and Context:
1
Corinthians was written by Paul while he was in Ephesus around 54 AD. In Acts 18
we see the funding of the church in Corinth. Paul spent 18 months there as he
established the church. This letter is mainly a response to a letter which Paul
recieved from the Corinthians. He says that some of what he heard about the
church made him feel 'uneasy' (1 Corinthians 1:11; 5:1) and so he wanted to
address these issues. He also answered questions which were presented in the
letter. Corinth was a trade city that was known for being very corrupt. As
people converted to following Jesus, they often did not realize that they had to
leave their corrupt ways behind. Paul is mainly addressing a group of high
status men who have become Christians but left their lives
unchanged.
The Text:
Paul is discussing the difference between 'wisdom of men' and 'the power of God'. If anyone had the ability and qualifications to preach the Word in intellectual prowess and with persuasive wisdom, it was Paul. He was a pharisee of the pharisees and could probably quote the majority of the scriptures of that day. But that was not what Paul wanted to do. He said that if he had done that then the people would've began to trust in the wisdom of men rather than in God. So instead Paul came in the power of God. He said that all he wanted to know as he was preaching to the people was 'Jesus Christ and Him crucified'. He was determined to come in his own weakness so that the strength of God would shine through.
The Challenge:
What is your faith based in? Did someone come, sound smart, and persuade you that Jesus is real, or have you truly experienced the power of Christ? Do you know about God or do you have a relationship with Him? If you have never experienced God for yourself than the challenge today is to seek Him until you do. Don't believe in God because He makes sense, believe in God because you know He is real, because you have experienced Him.
The Text:
Paul is discussing the difference between 'wisdom of men' and 'the power of God'. If anyone had the ability and qualifications to preach the Word in intellectual prowess and with persuasive wisdom, it was Paul. He was a pharisee of the pharisees and could probably quote the majority of the scriptures of that day. But that was not what Paul wanted to do. He said that if he had done that then the people would've began to trust in the wisdom of men rather than in God. So instead Paul came in the power of God. He said that all he wanted to know as he was preaching to the people was 'Jesus Christ and Him crucified'. He was determined to come in his own weakness so that the strength of God would shine through.
The Challenge:
What is your faith based in? Did someone come, sound smart, and persuade you that Jesus is real, or have you truly experienced the power of Christ? Do you know about God or do you have a relationship with Him? If you have never experienced God for yourself than the challenge today is to seek Him until you do. Don't believe in God because He makes sense, believe in God because you know He is real, because you have experienced Him.
The Prayer:
Lord, let me experience you today. I want to experience your power in my life. I want to truly know you and not just know about you. Meet me today, speak to me. In Jesus' name, Amen!
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