1 Corinthians 2:1

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Why Paul came to Corinth weak and trembling, preaching only a message the world calls foolish—and why we must do the same.

Paul's Arrival in Corinth

In Acts 18, when Paul entered Corinth, he was leaving Athens, where he was not well received. Although given an audience at Mars Hill, the gathering place of the philosophers, he was largely dismissed and mocked once he began to speak of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. So Paul departed, doing what Jesus had instructed His disciples in Matthew 10: if one city does not receive you, shake the dust from yourself and go on to the next. Paul then traveled some fifty-five miles west to Corinth.

Here in 1 Corinthians 2:1 we are told that when he came, he did not come with excellency of speech or of wisdom. His entrance was not one of great power. There were no theatrics, no sensational stunts, no well-rehearsed rhetoric, no scripted sermon. Don't misunderstand—Paul could have done those things. The letters he wrote make clear he was a very intelligent man. But when he came to Corinth, he determined that his message would simply be Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

A Message Considered Foolish or Offensive

This was always Paul's pattern. Yes, he would seek to contextualize the gospel and speak it in a culturally relevant way. At Mars Hill in Acts 17, he spoke in language his hearers—who had no understanding of Judaism or the one true God—could grasp. But he always brought it back to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, a message considered either foolishness or offensive.

Those two groups still exist today. The message of the cross is offensive to the religious because it makes foolish their pursuit of righteousness by works. Every religion in this world is built around man's effort to reach God or even to become God. But the gospel is wholly different: it shows that you can do nothing to earn His favor. To the intellectual, the gospel simply seems illogical and trivial. You are telling me that a man dying naked on a cross 2,000 years ago, mocked and shamed, can give me the gift of salvation? That, says the world filled with man's wisdom, is foolishness.

Not the Methods of Man

When we contemplate evangelism, we often picture a stadium with a stage and lights, a concert-like atmosphere, someone passionately pleading, "Come just as you are." You can draw a good crowd that way, and it is done constantly in our culture. But Paul's method was different. You never see Paul in a stadium unless he is being tried as a criminal—accused of sedition against Rome or of destroying the industry of Ephesus. Otherwise, he came into these cities largely anonymous to preach the gospel.

You might say he simply lacked access to such things—no stages, lights, or worship bands existed 2,000 years ago. True. But I doubt he would have used them even if he could. Look at verse 5: "that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Paul made a decision, perhaps in Athens or on the road, to focus singularly on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He would use the Old Testament to lay the foundation for the Messiah, but he always came down to the proclamation of Jesus, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. People did not flock to that message—it was foolishness or it was offense.

Why We Keep Preaching It

Why, then, do we continue to rely on this apparently foolish and offensive message? First, because we were given this message to preach. We did not make it up. Paul told the Galatians, "I did not make this up. I received it by revelation of Christ." This is not our message; it is the message of the cross. And though apparently foolish and no doubt offensive, it is still the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

Men found it foolish 2,000 years ago, and they do in 2010. The message has not changed, the reaction of man has not changed, and the power of God to save through it has not changed. Therefore we must preach it—and not only from a pulpit. On a Sunday morning here, most who gather already expect to hear about Jesus Christ. That means the overwhelming majority of people who need the gospel are not here. So our purpose, as Paul says in Ephesians 4, is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. We want you equipped to take the gospel into your workplace, your family, your school—into the highways and byways—because it is the power of God unto salvation.

Don't Strip the Gospel of Its Power

Some say, "Why can't we dress it up, make it more palatable, less offensive?" Many have tried. In our day people say we should not talk about sin, death, wrath, judgment, or repentance, because man does not like those things. People do not like to be told they are sinners. "I'm a pretty good person," they say. You may be a good person—better than Dahmer or whomever—but that is neither here nor there before God, "for all we like sheep have gone astray." We do not say this self-righteously; we are sinners too, in the same sinking boat, and for all his effort man cannot save himself.

The gospel always begins with the reality of man's fallen condition. Consider that two-thirds of the Bible reveals man's lostness before we ever reach the gospel—thousands of years of history exposing his absolute lostness before Jesus appears. Remove sin, death, wrath, repentance, and judgment, and you denude the gospel of its power. It might make man feel better, but it will not save his soul.

There is a counterfeit gospel that promises health, wealth, and wisdom—come to Jesus and you will have only love, joy, and peace. But Jesus said anyone who follows Him must take up his cross. Those who receive that false gospel and then meet trials and persecution often walk away, and when you later share the true gospel with them they say, "Oh, I tried that already." They have been inoculated against the true gospel by a false one. It is dangerous.

The Demonstration of the Spirit and Power

Because the true message is offensive and foolish to sinful man, it must be empowered by the Spirit of God if it is to be effective. Notice the end of verse 4: "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." If the gospel is to penetrate deep into the heart of man, getting around his intellect that calls it foolish and his pride that says, "I'm good enough," it will only do so by the power of God. We must preach it, but God must carry that word to the heart.

The heart is prepared by the Holy Spirit, who, as Jesus says in John 16, convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment—of my sin, God's righteousness, and the judgment coming upon my sin. When we preach boldly and clearly, even though it seems an impossible task, we give the Holy Spirit opportunity to work powerfully.

Elijah on Mount Carmel

This week I was reminded of 1 Kings 18. Israel had fallen headlong into idolatry, worshiping Baal and Asherah, whose prophets were many. Because of their sin, God sent a three-and-a-half-year drought, which Elijah had foretold. When King Ahab finally meets Elijah, he says, "Are you he that troubles Israel?" Elijah answers, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord." He calls all Israel, the 450 prophets of Baal, and the 400 prophets of Asherah to Mount Carmel.

There Elijah stands alone before the multitude and asks, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him; if Baal, follow him." He proposes a test: two bulls, two altars, and the God who answers by fire is God. From nine in the morning until three in the afternoon the prophets of Baal cried out, leaping and cutting themselves—the first emo kids in the Bible—while Elijah mocked them: "Maybe your god is on vacation." No fire came.

The Foolish Act That Made Room for God

Then Elijah repaired the broken altar of the Lord with twelve stones according to the tribes of Israel. He dug a trench around it, laid the wood and the bull, and commanded the people to pour four barrels of water over the sacrifice—again, and a third time—until the water filled the trench. To the watching crowd this seemed utterly foolish, especially after three and a half years of drought. But it gave every opportunity for God to show up in power.

At the time of the evening sacrifice Elijah prayed, "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel... Hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God." Do you think Elijah's heart was not pounding? Just like Paul, who came to Corinth "in weakness and in fear and in much trembling." We experience the same when we proclaim what the world calls foolish—our hearts racing, scared to death. The prophets were not exempt; in the very next chapter Elijah flees for his life. Even Billy Graham is fearful. It is easy to speak before friends who believe as you do; it is hard to stand before one person on the street. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and even the water, and the people fell on their faces crying, "The Lord, He is God!"

Faith Resting in God's Power, Not Man's

Paul wanted the Corinthians to see the demonstration of the Spirit and power of God, "that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Are we tempted, even in the church, to put our faith in the wisdom of men? I would say yes. When we package and sell a program for church growth—when we say, "Implement these methods and you will build your church"—are we not placing our stock in man's wisdom rather than the gospel? Paul says, "I want your faith to stand in the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of men."

His speech was not with enticing words. The historical accounts suggest Paul was rather monotone, short, balding, bow-legged, with a big nose. He had no powerful presence. People received his mighty letters and then saw him and were unimpressed. Some grew tired: "All he ever talks about is Jesus and the cross. Can't he perform a miracle?" But he didn't. When Paul arrived in Corinth he was a sight—beaten in Philippi, imprisoned, run out of Thessalonica and Berea, dismissed at Athens—weak, fearful, trembling, and alone. Yet he came to preach Christ crucified.

God's Choosing and the Church's Lost Power

Remember, God has chosen the foolish, weak, base, and despised things of this world to confound the wise. We fit the bill. When Jesus chose His twelve, He did not choose as man would—celebrities, athletes, Ivy League graduates—but tax collectors, fishermen, and zealots. God's ways are completely different from ours; Isaiah 55 says they are beyond our finding out.

When we choose according to man's wisdom, we see a lack of power in the church. And there is a lack of power today. We have more resources, wealth, and opportunity than ever, able to reach more people in less time than at any point in history—yet the church lacks power. Why? Because we rely on our resources, talent, and ability rather than on the power of God. Romans 1:16: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation." And 1 Corinthians 1:18: "the preaching of the cross... unto us which are saved is the power of God."

Unashamed in an Offended World

We have been seduced into commoditizing the gospel, trying to package it attractively. Packaging sells—that is why companies like Apple thrive. We tell ourselves we must make the gospel palatable so everyone will like it, and deep down we simply don't want to be considered fools. We want to be liked. When we tell friends or family that we are saved by grace through faith because of Christ's work on the cross, we fear they will say, "Come on, seriously?" But they need to hear the truth. If we would see God's power, we must rely on Him in preaching this offensive and foolish message unashamedly, wherever we go.

I was convicted recently at lunch with a friend who serves on Pastor's Perspective. When the waitress came, he said, "In a couple of minutes we're going to pray for our meal. Can we pray for you?" I had never thought to do that. After her startled look passed, she said, "Yes—my little brother is going through a lot. Would you pray for him?" It takes a step of faith, but it is powerful, and this world does not know that kind of power.

God's Wisdom Versus the World's

In verse 6 Paul speaks wisdom among the mature—not the wisdom of this world, but the hidden wisdom of God, which the rulers of this age did not know, "for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." In our world the foolishness of man is called wisdom, and the wisdom of God is called foolish. Only those born again perceive true wisdom. Solomon said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "the beginning of knowledge."

Man has departed from God, dethroned and defamed Him, and become deluded. The psalmist says twice, "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God." Atheism is an indication of foolishness—they even have a holiday, April 1st. Psalm 14 continues, "They are corrupt, they have done abominable works." Look at the world: corruption, abomination, wickedness—the very outcome of atheism. The world's wisdom says you evolved by random chance with no purpose; God's wisdom says He formed you in the womb for a purpose. The world says do whatever you desire with no consequences; God says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows, that shall he reap." Christopher Hitchens called covetousness a good thing that drives progress; God says, "Thou shalt not covet." The world says man is inherently good—go serve in children's ministry and see how long you believe that—but God says the heart of man is desperately wicked.

The Mystery Now Revealed

God's wisdom is contrary to the world's, which is why the world calls it foolishness. Before Christ this wisdom was a mystery, and it remains mysterious to those not enlightened by the Spirit. Yet it is not an enigma that cannot be known; God desires that we know Him and rewards those who diligently seek Him.

What is this wisdom? That sinful man can be made right with a holy God by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ the righteous—and that this was no third attempt by a God scrambling to fix His mistakes. Revelation 13:8 calls Jesus "the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world." The plan of redemption was established before God said, "Let there be light." The mystery revealed is that holy God desires a relationship with man, unhindered by location or by barrier—not confined to one building or accessible only through a priestly system. As Colossians 1:27 says, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." God desires to tabernacle in man; you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and this was made possible through the crucifixion.

We Have the Mind of Christ

This wisdom was unknown to anyone apart from God's revelation. Had the rulers recognized the Lord of glory standing before them, they would never have crucified Him. As Isaiah foretold and Paul quotes in verse 9: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard... the things which God has prepared for those that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit."

We, the body of Christ, know what the world does not, and it is our privileged obligation to proclaim it. We have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God. Romans 8:15 says we now cry, "Abba, Father"—literally, Daddy. That is the relationship the gospel brings, not a relationship with a cosmic killjoy bent on destroying all joy.

The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit, for they are foolishness to him and spiritually discerned. How many of you tried to read the Bible before you were saved and it went right over your head? Then you received the Spirit, and from one second to the next something changed and it began to make sense. Verse 15 does not mean the Christian is above criticism—this whole letter is a criticism of the Corinthians—but that the natural man is ill-equipped to judge spiritual things. "For who has known the mind of the Lord?" No one did in the Old Testament, for it was a mystery. But verse 16 declares, "We have the mind of Christ."

Our Privileged Obligation

God has opened to us an understanding of His ways and desires to reveal Himself through us as we share the gospel with those we meet. We have an awesome privilege as ambassadors of Christ. Know for certain you may be thought a fool, and you will certainly offend some people. I receive emails regularly from people offended by the Word of God, more so lately. But God's Word is an offense; we cannot make it more palatable. You will not get people to thank you for calling them sinners. Preach it boldly. Preach it clearly. It is the power of God unto salvation.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for giving us this treasure in earthen vessels. As we go from here, Lord, help us not to be able to contain it, but to spill it out. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.