In Galatians 6:14, the apostle Paul declared, “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” The resurrection is the power behind the Christian’s faith, for it was by the resurrection that Jesus overcame sin and death; and through our faith in Jesus Christ, we too overcome sin and death by the power of the resurrection. But we must never forget His sacrifice made on the cross. Paul said it was the cross in which he actually boasted.
The cross is where Jesus made atonement for our sins. “Atonement” means He satisfied the debt that we owe. According to Romans 3:23, each and every person in the world is a sinner; and Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death,” referring to eternal separation from God. But Jesus paid our debt, so that we can have spiritual life. He died on the cross for each of us for “our” sins. In Colossians 2:14 we read that “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us . . . He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
When we preach the cross we remind people of the consequences of their sin and how they need a Savior. So, the cross should be central to our preaching; or rather, to our witnessing efforts. In our passage today, Paul speaks about “preaching” the cross; but I want to remind you that when the New Testament talks about preaching, it is simply a word that refers to “witnessing” and “evangelism.” Therefore, Paul’s references to preaching are not just directed at pastors; but to each and every believer who has made a commitment to pick up the gauntlet of the Great Commission.
In our sermon this morning we are going to learn some things from Paul about how to better testify and share the message of the cross. Let us stand in honor of God’s Word as we read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:
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.
The first thing Paul said is “when I came to you” (v. 1). Paul’s arrival in Corinth is described in Acts chapter 18. He came there and met a Christian couple named Aquila and Priscilla who were tentmakers and joined in their work. Paul ministered in Corinth for more than a year and a half, supporting himself by tentmaking, or by holding down a regular job. Tentmaking was something that Paul “chose” to do in the hopes of eliminating any excuse this pagan group of people might have in refusing to listen to his message – and money is often a huge stumbling block. Now, many of you here today hold down regular jobs; and so, Paul’s words may be of some help to you.
Paul began describing how he did evangelism. He said, “I did not come with excellence of speech” (v. 1). He did not come to people as a philosopher or a salesman; he came as a “witness” declaring to the Corinthians the testimony of God. Paul was certainly a man who could reason and debate persuasively, being a Pharisee and basically a seminary-educated man, but he didn’t use that approach in sharing the message of the cross. You see, Paul was an ambassador, not a salesman.
In verse 2, he said, “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” When he said “I determined” (v. 2), this meant that he made a conscious decision to put the emphasis on Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. In taking this approach, Paul understood that he was not catering to what his audience “wanted.” In the workplace, the marketplace, or even in the pulpit, I’m sure people would much rather become engaged in a philosophical or political debate, rather than hear about Jesus; but Paul gave people the message of the cross anyhow.
Commentator William Barclay says that “Corinth put a premium on the veneer of false rhetoric and thin thinking.” Paul already knew the Jews requested a sign and the Greeks sought after wisdom, according to what he stated in 1 Corinthians 1:22, but he did not let that sway him. He would still preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This application also applies to those sharing from the pulpit.
One time a shorter man came as a guest speaker at a church, and because of his small stature a little girl could finally see the cross hanging on the wall behind him. The little girl then leaned over to her father and asked, “Where’s the man who usually stands there so we can’t see Jesus?” If a preacher is not careful (whether a pastor or witness), he will get in the way of the gospel instead of being a servant of the gospel. If we’re not careful we can actually obscure Jesus by our message.
When Paul said, “I determined not to know anything” (v. 2), this did not mean he left all other knowledge aside; but rather, the gospel, with its crucified Messiah, was his singular focus and passion while he was among the Corinthians.
He also said, “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling” (v. 3). Paul was not brimming with self-confidence. Some commentaries will say that Paul’s weakness, fear, and trembling could have been the result of an illness that he suffered while in Corinth, or maybe it was because of the threat of persecution.
But Paul’s feelings likely grew out of the gravity of situation. Knowing the need – and his own limitations – made him weak and afraid. Yet, it kept him from the poison of self-reliance and let God’s strength flow through him. So great was his sense of weakness and fear, and so profound his lack of trust in himself that he quaked and trembled. It is said that those are the secrets of strength in all preaching.
Paul testifies in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Keep in mind that when we’re feeling weak or inadequate, the Lord can use us in great power; so let’s go ahead and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Paul went on to say, “My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words” (v. 4). Paul was not rejecting preaching or even persuasive speaking. In fact, his message before Agrippa in Acts chapter 26 is an amazing example of persuasion. Paul was rejecting a “sole reliance” on the evangelists’ ability to persuade with human wisdom. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon said that to speak words that entertain or please people “in the hope of making converts is to do evil so that good may come; and this is never to be thought of for an instant.”
Paul said in verse 5 that “your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Back in verse 4, he said that his preaching was done “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Paul knew that it was the evangelists’ job to “preach.” It is the Holy Spirit’s job to “demonstrate.” Paul’s preaching may not have been impressive or persuasive on a human level, but on a spiritual level it had power to convince, convict and lead to real heart-change.
David Guzik tells us, “Preaching or witnessing strategies that center around the wisdom of men – around emotion, entertainment and human personality – these may yield ‘response,’ but not ‘results’ for the kingdom of God. Many people use slick, entertaining, or even deceptive means to lure people into the kingdom, and to justify it by saying, ‘we’re drawing them in and then winning them to Jesus.’ But the principle stands: What you draw them ‘with’ is what you draw them ‘to.’”
Guzik also says, “If someone’s faith is founded in the wisdom of men and not the power of God; if someone can be ‘persuaded into’ the kingdom by human wisdom, they can be ‘persuaded out of’ the kingdom by human wisdom also.” So, let’s make sure that what we preach or witness is not based on human wisdom, but on the power of God – and this power comes from the gospel. Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”
Time of Reflection
Paul declared, “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). In 2 Corinthians 1:12, Paul elaborated more on what he boasted in. He said, “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.” Paul boasted in the basic message of the cross, which left him having a clear conscience. Had he tried to persuade people with crafty language or through the wisdom and methods of men, he would have been guilty of standing in the way of the work of the Spirit. But his conscience was clear, because he had shared with them in sincerity and simplicity.
There are a couple of things we should take away from this passage. First, pastor and author John Piper says, “Without the cross, there could be no valid preaching, because there could be no hope for sinners. God’s righteousness could not be upheld in forgiving sinners without the cross.”(1) The cross is a springboard into sharing about the resurrection. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.” All preaching and all faith are empty apart from the resurrection, but the same can be said of the cross. In 1 Corinthians 1:18, Paul said, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Our message must contain the cross if it is to unleash the full power of God!
The second thing we should take away from this passage is encouragement. We should be encouraged to know that we do not have to memorize huge chunks of Scripture, or be able to debate science and philosophy, or have all the answers to people’s questions. Paul said, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Our sole responsibility is to share the basic gospel message; “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). That’s it! But that’s everything! For in that one statement is contained the solution to the longing of our heart and the salvation of our souls!
The outline for this message and numerous notes were taken from a devotional by David Guzik (2001) on the website Blue Letter Bible.
NOTES
(1) John Piper, “The Ground of Preaching: The Cross of Christ,” https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-ground-of-preaching.
