To recap, a letter was written from the Corinthians to Paul and telling him about how divided their church was becoming. Paul answers that letter and we have it recorded as the book of 1 Corinthians. Paul offers them 11 answers to their division problem. The first answer was the cross. If the church would refocus on their purpose based upon the cross, the church would begin to come back together. The second answer was remembering that those God chose were, at one time, simple and humble people. The Corinthians needed to remember who they were. Tonight we see the 3rd answer Paul gives them it has to do with sound preaching.
The Corinthian church was deeply divided. Two of the issues dividing it were a dispute over what kind of preacher should fill their pulpit, and which former minister had contributed the most to their church. This same problem exists today. I don’t know of hardly any church that agrees 100% what type of preaching people want coming out of the pulpit.
- Some want well studied messages. Some want topical sermons. Some want entertaining messages.
- Some want a preacher who preaches from the pulpit. Some want one that runs all over the sanctuary while he preachers.
- Some want only men preachers. Some don’t mind a woman preacher.
- Some want a preacher who preaches from a controlled stance. Others want one who bangs the pulpit and screams from the top of his voice.
- Some will never be satisfied because this preacher will never be what our former preacher was.
Let’s get into the passage and see what Paul suggests.
READ v. 1. Sound preaching is not eloquence or human wisdom or philosophy. This is Paul’s testimony. He uses the words “I” and “my” eight times in the first 5 verses. He stressed that the concern of preaching is not to be eloquence or human wisdom or philosophy.
First, eloquence: Remember, Paul is speaking about words, not so much about himself. He didn’t try to sound superior when he preached. He wasn’t trying to out-do any other preacher that they may have heard. It wasn’t a competition. I can’t count the times subtle hints have been dropped of how someone loves so much the preaching of Billy Graham, the style of Joel Osteen, etc. I am not them.
Paul also stresses that sound preaching is not human wisdom or philosophy. The world is constantly seeking more and more wisdom, education, science, technology, and new and novel ideas. The problem is that man seeks these things from the framework of the world. He forgets God entirely. Everything within the world is unfulfilling within itself; it passes away, and ceases to exist.
This is why Paul didn’t preach human philosophy, or worldly wisdom. When Paul preached, he wasn’t concerned with sounding like a philosopher or some deep thinker or some preacher with a new and novel idea or position.
Sound preaching is simply declaring the testimony about God. That testimony is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Preaching should not be considered an eloquent speech. God’s preachers are to preach salvation to a lost world. The genuine preacher of God is to preach the testimony about God.
READ v. 2. The message of Paul was Jesus Christ. He saw the resurrected Jesus first hand. He had a great testimony. He concentrated on the death of Jesus Christ. The reason is seen when we look at what Scripture says about the subject of Jesus’ death.
- It is by the death of Jesus Christ that we are cleansed and reed from all sin. ( Mat. 26:28; John 1:29; Heb. 9:22, 26, 28; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 John 3:5)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are accepted and reconciled to God and have peace with God. (Eph. 1:6-7; Col. 1:20)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are justified. (Rom 5:9)
- It is by the death of Jesus Christ that we are eternally redeemed. (Rom. 3:24-25; Col. 1:14; 1 Tim 2:5-6)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are delivered from death. (2Tim. 1: 9-10)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are delivered from condemnation. (Rom. 8:34)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are delivered from the curse of the law, that is, from death and separation from God. (Gal. 3:13; Col 2: 14-15)
- It is by Jesus’ death that we are delivered from the judgment and the coming wrath. (1 Thes. 1:10, 5:9-10)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are delivered from this present evil age. (Gal. 1:4)
- It is by the death of Jesus that Satan’s power over death and the world is broken and destroyed. (Heb. 2: 14-15; Rev. 12:11)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are healed. (Isa 53:5)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are given all things. (Rom. 8:32)
- It is by His death that those without strength are saved. (1 Cor. 8:11)
- It’s by His death that the ungodly are saved. (Rom. 5:6)
- It is by the death of Jesus that sinners are saved. (Rom. 5:8)
- It is by His death that the enemies of God are saved. (Rom. 5:10)
- It is by the death of Jesus that the unrighteous are saved. (1 Pet. 3:18)
- It is by the death of Jesus that all men are drawn to Christ. (John 12:32)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we have access into the holy presence of God. (Heb. 10: 19-20)
- It is by His death that the great love of God is revealed to us. (Eph. 5:2)
- It is by His death that we are freed from a self-centered life and live for Christ. (2 Cor. 4: 10-11; Gal. 2:20; 1 Pet. 4:1)
- It is by the death of Jesus that we are enabled to live for righteousness. (1 Pet. 2:24)
- It is by His death that we are taught to love and sacrifice our lives for others. (Eph. 5:2; 1 John 3:16)
- It is by His death that our consciences are genuinely cleared so that we can serve God and bear fruit. (Titus 2:14; Heb. 9:14)
- It is by His death that we know the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18)
- It is by His death that we are enabled to get rid of the old sins. (1 Cor. 5:7)
- It is by His death that we are reconciled to Him. (Eph. 2:13-14, 16, 18)
- It is by the death of Jesus Christ that Jesus gained the right to be exalted as the Lord of the dead and the living. (Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2: 8-11)
- It is by His death that the church of God was bought. (Acts 20:28)
So what else does Paul need to preach about but Christ and Him crucified?
READ v. 3. Sound preaching is proclaimed with a great sense of inadequacy. Let me explain: Why did Paul feel so inadequate?
1. His personal appearance was apparently not impressive, at least not to the Corinthians. Paul says in 2 Cor. 10:10 that he was unimpressive in person. He also states in Gal. 4:14; 6:11 that he suffered some infirmity. Should that matter? Let’s get personal. What would you think if I got into the pulpit with shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops to preach? Some might say it’s OK. Others might walk out or not come back. Do you see why God is giving us this word tonight?
2. Paul may have been a small framed man with a great ability to teach but not so much to preach.
3. When Paul came to Corinth he was sensing weakness in the ministry, a great personal inadequacy. He had face former trouble in his ministry. In Philippi he saw a promising beginning smashed by the religionists. A similar thing happened in Thessalonica and Berea. He had just come from Athens and some said that was a failure as well. Athens was very intellectual and philosophical so Paul had attempted to meet them on their own philosophic grounds. He had reduced Christianity to philosophic terms. He tried to speak to them in the wisdom of the world, using their own terms and quoting their own authorities. His philosophic approach failed in reaching people for Christ. So it seems that somewhere on the road, traveling between from Athens to Corinth, that Paul determined that forever after he would preach Christ and Christ alone, in the simplest of words.
4. Paul also senses a spiritual inadequacy and unworthiness in serving the Lord. This is seen throughout his ministry. He knew that if he attempted anything in his own strength that it would fail. He knew he had to rely on the Lord for the words. So when he approached someone to minister to them, the ministered to them in personal weakness and fear before the Lord.
So Paul says in verse 4. READ. V. 4. Sound preaching is not persuasive words. It’s a demonstration of the Spirit and power. Note the words “message” and “preaching.” He makes a distinction between sharing a message using daily speech or conversation and preaching. Paul’s daily conversations focused upon Jesus Christ just as his preaching did. He was determined not to know anything among people except “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
This tells me that we should be the same way. Our lives and conversation should focus upon Jesus Christ—every day, all day long.
Note the word “persuasive.” Paul’s preaching was not based upon the enticing, persuasive arguments of man’s wisdom and philosophy.
Paul uses the word “demonstration” meaning showing forth with evidence and proof. The idea is that the evidence is presented so strongly that the truth is clearly seen. The only way a person’s witness and preaching can be proclaimed so strongly is through the Holy Spirit and His power.
READ v. 5. Sound preaching leads to faith. The wisdom of man can’t save man. The friendship of man can’t save man. No matter how holy and right you might think a person is, the reality is that person cannot save you.
A person’s salvation cannot stand in the human knowledge and wisdom of man. So the minister of God must speak and preach under the influence and power of God’s Spirit.
Paul stresses this point of sound preaching because, apparently, the church was divided over who could preach the best—who was the most philosophical, who was the most entertaining, etc. Paul says that anything short of the preaching as influenced by the Spirit of God is unacceptable.
