1Cr 2:1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or
of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
1Cr 2:2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
1Cr 2:3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
1Cr 2:4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
1Cr 2:5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
I : humility : the method of the gospel
1Cr 2:1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech
or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
a : the cross is a gospel of humility
he avoided seeking sophism (worldly wisdom, 1:18-25) and status (1:26-31)
1. paul maintained the humility (and purity) of the gospel.
the corinthians wanted the elements of pride and status; paul
was careful to guard the truth though status and 'wisdom' would seem
to make it easier to relate his message.
biblical examples ?
a. christ not fulfiling messianic expectation
a suffering servant instead of a conquering king
b. judiazers
a great example where paul was unwilling to change the
gospel even a little bit for the sake of easing it's
'uptake'.
c. the temptation of satan
Mat 4:8 Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain
and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;
Mat 4:9 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You,
if You fall down and worship me."
Mat 4:10 Then Jesus *said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written,
'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.' "
a. seeker sensitive?
if it means ignoring, 'softening', or changing
the gospel. (i don't mean to say that all 'seeker sensitive' churches
have invalidated the gospel; but ensuring that the gospel is not changed
should be a constant concern.)
b. ecumenicalism?
a great idea, but not if it requires any change to truth.
note :
the gospel itself is a difficult message that requires humility
an acceptance of the gospel requires the listener to acknowledge that
they are the problem (as opposed with providing a method with
handling a problem).
b : personal humility in presenting the gospel
1.
"in weakness and in fear and in much trembling"
a.
weakness, fear, and trembling = before god
weakness
in contrast to the 'wisdom' and status of the corinthians...
paul may have also had a physical ailment (2 cor 12:7-9)
fear and trembling
this may be in reference to god not man (fear and trembling before god
due to the call entrusted him)
2.
the responsiblity of the gospel
- consider the obligation (romans 1:14) and the call (1 cor 1:1),
paul is conscious of the duty and responsibility of the gospel -
his attitude isn't pride - it's obligation.
Luk 17:7 "Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will
say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and
sit down to eat'?
Luk 17:8 "But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to
eat, and {properly} clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink;
and afterward you may eat and drink'?
Luk 17:9 "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which
were commanded, does he?
Luk 17:10 "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded
you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done {only} that which we
ought to have done.' "
II : jesus christ : the focus of the gospel
this i hope will be the most easily understood point...
1Cr 2:2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
understanding
- refers to concern/focus
- not a statement of avoiding life and it's responsibilities; remember that paul
in corinth worked as a tent maker to support himself.
- it should be noted that even 'normal' life is (for the christian) done to
christ...
a. the focus of paul's gospel is christ alone
1.
the gospel revolves around christ
- his nature/being (deity)
- his wrath
- his love
2.
and the cross
- our sin
- his sacrifice
- the resulting justification, redemption, propitiation
basic statement that everyone should know, but that we should
acknowledge that we don't do.
c. compare this section with colossians 2
paul is here combating more jewish than greek problems; but his statement is
the same - avoid 'worldly' wisdom, embrace christ.
col 2:8-14
Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty
deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary
principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Col 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
Col 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over
all rule and authority;
Col 2:11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without
hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
Col 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised
up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Col 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of
your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our
transgressions,
Col 2:14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees
against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having
nailed it to the cross.
III : the spirit : the power of the gospel
1Cr 2:3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
1Cr 2:4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but
in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
1Cr 2:5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
a. the spirit revealed in supernatural gifts
1.
apostolic signs?
none are mentioned in corinth, though that doesn't mean
there weren't any.
there were signs in philippi (acts 16), but none mentioned in thess., athens, or
corinth
however, paul discusses his signs, wonders, and miracles in 2 cor 12:12...this
seems to indicate that some signs were shown...
2Cr 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all
perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.
2.
the extent of signs
1. we tend to dream of signs as that which would remove all doubt
2. in one way, that is correct - without supernatural events, we
would have no resurrection or christ
3. in another, it is important to remember that satan as well works signs
consider :
exodus 7:9-11
Exd 7:9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Work a miracle,'
then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw {it}
down before Pharaoh, {that} it may become a serpent.' "
Exd 7:10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did
just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down
before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.
Exd 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called for {the} wise men and {the}
sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same
with their secret arts.
Exd 7:12 For each one threw down his staff and they turned into
serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.
rev 13:11-15
Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and
he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his
presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship
the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come
down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
Rev 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the
signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast,
telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast
who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
Rev 13:15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the
beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as
many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
1.
biblical injunctions
unity/love as a sign to the world
mat 5:13-16
Mat 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless,
how can it be made salty {again?} It is no longer good for anything, except
to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
Mat 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
Mat 5:15 nor does {anyone} light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the
lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Mat 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
jhn 13:34,35
Jhn 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Jhn 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have
love for one another."
a lack of unity/love as a sign of not having received salvation
1 jo 4:19-21
1Jo 4:19 We love, because He first loved us.
1Jo 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a
liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot
love God whom he has not seen.
1Jo 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves
God should love his brother also.
2.
contrast with the divisions in corinth
1Cr 1:10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you
be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1Cr 1:11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's
{people,} that there are quarrels among you.