Tuesday, August 27th, 2024

Scripture: 1 Cor. 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Teaching: Last week we examined the first half of this verse, noting what Paul meant when he said that “Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,” asserting the priority of the Gospel (because baptism without the Gospel is meaningless) and eschewing any who might feel allegiance to Paul over Christ because of his baptizing them (following his words in verses 10-16). In the second half of verse 17, Paul stresses the manner in which he was called to preach the gospel.

Paul is not saying eloquence or wisdom are a bad thing, but rather, he is drawing a distinction between sophia logos, or “words of wisdom,” and the message of the cross. Greek culture, like Western culture today, celebrated eloquence, moving speeches, and soaring rhetoric. Through sophisticated speech, people can convince others to follow them, believe what they believe, or even act against their own interest (if those words are deceiving). Paul is saying that he did not present the Gospel in any way other than simply to present the truth of the cross; that Christ lived, died, and resurrected to save them from their sins. Belief in Christ in Corinth was not the result of well-crafted arguments, smartly rebutted objections, and emotional appeals, as may be the case with political or philosophical movements. Corinth, like other places Paul preached, came to faith because the message of the cross itself holds power. This is an important verse because it shows that the Gospel does not depend upon the eloquence of its presentation, but rather, simply on the truth of the cross.

Takeaway: TED talks were very popular a few years back, bringing great speakers to stages and encouraging them to make an impact in a short speech. Politicians can draw large crowds as they speak at length about their vision for the country. Some pastors are renowned for their speaking prowess and ability to communicate in a spectacularly engaging way. For most of us, standing on a stage and delivering a speech like that is about as likely as us sprouting wings and flying. But praise the Lord that preaching the Gospel does not require this! As we will see in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Paul makes clear that the power of the Gospel is not in how it is preached or who preaches it, but in the truth of the cross itself. The message of the cross – which is the substance of the Gospel – is meant to be simple, understandable, urgent, and sometimes, offensive. If we attempt to clean up or leave out the bloody image of our Lord and Savior on the cross for our sins, we do so to the detriment of the Gospel’s saving power.