Posted by 1 Corinthians on Wednesday, 14 November 2012
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
(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.
2:1-5. On this note, Paul made his transition to a third point in his illustration of the futility of human wisdom, compared with the power and wisdom of God. That was seen also in the manner of his ministry which he described as characterized by weakness and fear and with much trembling (v. 3). Some see in this a Paul chastened by his encounter with the Athenian philosophers and therefore temporarily shaken and unsure. But that was probably not so. The phrases simply describe a spirit of dependence and subjection to God’s authority (cf. Eph. 6:5; Phil. 2:12), which marked his ministry. It was also true that his manner of preaching was unimpressive from a human point of view (2 Cor. 10:10). Paul readily admitted this and even used it as a point in his argument. His preaching was not marked by eloquence or persuasive words such as characterized the sophists, the traveling teachers of that day, but was instead the unembellished message of a crucified Christ as the only means of salvation. Faith, then, was induced by a demonstration of the Spirit’s power and was not a product of human ingenuity or rhetorical flourish. Paul wanted to be sure their faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Excerpt from:
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985).
The Bible knowledge commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures.
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
