When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest in men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
I Corinthians 2:1-5
Webster’s dictionary defines reason as “a sufficient ground of explanation or logical defense.” Acts 17:2-3 indicates that Paul reasoned from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ and had risen from the dead. Paul had been a Pharisee and had studied under a renowned teacher, Gamaliel.
He was powerful, polished in speech, and had a presence of influence. Yet he did not rely on any of these things to present the gospel. He knew that the gospel’s message was powerful enough. He did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom; his only resolve was to know Christ and to make Him known.
For years, I was fearful that if I could not adequately quote and defend the Scripture, my attempts at sharing the message of Christ would be hopeless. As I observe Paul’s strategy of winning people to Christ, I am astounded at how he simply shared the facts and logically explained the gospel. He even said that it was not by his wise or persuasive words that people would accept the gospel. He knew that it was by God’s demonstration of power that those to whom he presented the gospel would be convinced.
(I Corinthians 2:1-5) It has been so freeing for me to realize that I do not have to convince, and in fact, cannot use persuasion or human wisdom to convince people that Jesus is the Messiah. All I have to do is share my story of what Christ has done for me and leave the results to God.
Heavenly Father, I pray that others will see the power of God in me as I live my life and share my faith. Forgive me where I have depended on my words of wisdom rather than on the demonstration of the Spirit’s power. In Jesus’ name, Amen
