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HOLY SPIRIT PREACHING
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
1 Corinthians2:4 My message and my preaching were
not with wise and persuasivewords, but with a
demonstrationof the Spirit's power,
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Spiritual Power
1 Corinthians 2:4
J.R. Thomson
Language like this sometimes refers to those special, supernatural gifts which
were bestowedupon the members and officers of the Church in the apostolic
days. But, as the apostle is speaking ofthe gospelofthe cross ofChrist and of
its moral and spiritual effects, it seems reasonable to take the very strong
expressions here employed as referring to the Divine vigour and energy
accompanying the Word of salvation.
I. CHRISTIANITYIS THE DISPENSATION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
The Jews wouldhave receivedit had it been a dispensation of miracle and
prodigy; the Greeks,had it been a dispensationof rhetoric and philosophy.
But God's Spirit has his ownmode of operation, withheld from the
apprehension of carnalnatures. The same Spirit who abode upon the Saviour
at his baptism, rested as the Spirit of truth and illumination upon the inspired
apostles, andas the Spirit of poweraccompaniedtheir word to the hearts of
men. He is from above, as the Breath, the Wind, the Fire, the Dew, the Rain,
the Dove of God.
II. HUMAN SOULS ARE THE FIELD OF THE OPERATIONSOF THE
SPIRIT OF GOD. Christianity is no mechanicalreligion; its ends are not to be
securedby any external conformity; it does not consistin buildings,
ceremonies, priesthoods, etc. He only understands the nature of Christ's
purposes who can join in the consecrationand confession -
"I give my heart to thee,
O Jesus mostdesired;
And heart for heart the gift shall be,
For thou my soul hast fired.
Thou hearts alone wouldst move;
Thou only hearts dostlove;
I would love thee as thou lov'st me,
O Jesus mostdesired!"
III. THE GOSPELIS THE IMPLEMENT AND WEAPON OF THE SPIRIT
OF GOD. God's Spirit approaches man's spirit in every true, pure, and lofty
thought, in every revelation of pity, love, and sacrifice. ButGod's mind is
made known with specialreference to man's position and needs in "the truth
as it is in Jesus."It is because the Spirit is in the Word that the Word is living
and powerful, and sharper than the two-edgedsword.
IV. FAITH AND REPENTANCE,OBEDIENCEAND HOLINESS, ARE
THE POWER AND DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Here
we have "the witness of the Spirit," telling us that the source ofsuch streams
is above. Here we have "the fruits of the Spirit," telling us whence is the life
which embodies itself in such results. Doubtless under the convictionof the
Spirit there present themselves displays of feeling, deep and signal. But the
greatand reliable proofs of the presence and actionof the Divine Spirit are to
be sought in those moral effects which canbe tracedto no inferior cause. The
weeds sow themselves;but an abundant and precious crop is witness to the
skill and the energy of the husbandman.
V. RESPONSIBILITYIS INVOLVED IN THE PRESENCEOF THE
SPIRIT OF GOD.
1. The preacher of the gospelis reminded that his reliance should be, not upon
his owngifts, but upon the Word and Spirit of God.
2. The Church of Christ is admonished neither to "quench" nor to "grieve"
the Holy Spirit.
3. The hearer of the gospelis warned that to refuse the gospelis to rejectthe
Spirit; and deliberately, persistently, and finally to do so is to sin againstthe
Holy Ghost. - T.
And I was with you in weaknessand in fear.
1 Corinthians 2:3-5
The apostle's discouragements
Canon Evans.
St. Paul was laden with a messagethat would seemhomely and jejune beside a
fine-spun rhetoric. Come from Athens, where he had partly failed, to make at
Corinth a fresh attempt to confront the grandeur of Greek philosophy with
the simplicity of the gospel, was enoughto make him timid. Of this contrasthe
was daily conscious,and the weaknesshere describedwas ethical, not
physical. He was naturally anxious, lest in poising the plain argument of the
Cross againstthe colossalfabric of a seatedphilosophy, he might fail: was a
David armed with such a pebble to prevail againsta Goliath in such a
panoply? But in his "fearand tremblingthe apostle was encouragedby a
vision of God's presence and his own duty (Acts 18:9).
(Canon Evans.)
The feelings of a faithful minister
J. Lyth, D. D.
I. THEIR CHARACTER — often —
1. Intense.
2. Painful.
II. THE OCCASION OF THEM — a sense of —
1. The importance of his work.
2. His own insufficiency.
3. His responsibility.
4. The tremendous issues.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)
And... preaching was not with enticing words,... but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power.
Enticing words
It is related of Dr. Manton that, having to preachbefore the Lord Mayor and
Aldermen of London, he chose a subject in which he had an opportunity of
displaying his learning and judgment. He was heard with admiration and
applause by the intelligent part of his audience; but as he was returning from
dinner with the Lord Mayor, a poor man, following him, pulled him by the
sleeve of his gown, and askedhim if he was the gentlemanthat preached
before the Lord Mayor. He replied he was. "Sir," saidhe, "I came with the
hopes of getting some goodto my soul, but I was greatly disappointed, for I
could not understand a greatdeal of what you said; you were quite above my
comprehension." "Friend," saidthe doctor, "if I have not given you a sermon,
you have given me one: by the grace of God, I will not play the fool in such a
manner again."
Some displeasedand one converted
The Rev. John Cotton was an eminent minister of the seventeenthcentury,
who laboured for many years at Boston, in Lincolnshire. When at the
University of Cambridge, he was remarkable for learning and eloquence;and
being called upon to preach at St. Mary's church in that town, high
expectations were raisedas to the characterofthe sermon. After many
struggles in his own mind, arising from the temptation to display his talent
and learning, and from a powerful impressionof the importance of preaching
the gospelwith all simplicity, he at length wiselydetermined on the latter
course. The vice-chancellorand students were not pleased, though a few of the
professors commendedhis style; but his sermonwas blessedto the conversion
of Dr. Preston, who became one of the most eminent ministers of his day.
Effective preaching
J. Lyth, D. D.
I. NEEDS SO DISPLAY.
1. This does not exclude the use of knowledge or talent.
2. But the ostentatious exhibition of it.
3. Which helps nothing.
4. But damages much.
II. DEPENDSON DIVINE POWER.
1. The convincing energy of the Holy Spirit.
2. The saving powerof the truth.
III. REQUIRES THE COMMUNICATION OF THE SPIRIT.
1. To the preacher.
2. To the hearer.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)
Flowerypreaching
Hall was once askedwhathe thought of a sermonwhich he had just heard
delivered, and which had appearedto produce a greatsensationamong the
congregation. His reply may suggestanimportant hint to some Christian
ministers — "Very fine, sir; but a man cannotlive upon flowers."
Force the main consideration in preaching
C. H. Spurgeon.
I had tried to drive certain long brass-headednails into a wall, but had never
succeeded, exceptin turning up their points, and rendering them useless.
When a tradesman came who understood his work, I noticed that he filed off
all the points of the nails, the very points upon whose sharpness I had relied;
and when he had quite blunted them, he drove them in as far as he pleased.
With some consciences ourfine points in preaching are worse than useless.
Our keendistinctions and nice discriminations are thrown awayon many;
they need to be encountered with sheerforce and blunt honesty. The truth
must be hammered into them by main strength, and we know from whom to
seek the needed power.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Popular and apostolicalpreaching
J. Lyth, D. D.
I. POPULAR.
1. Is distinguished by display, attractiveness, novelty.
2. Aims at pleasing and sensationaleffect.
II. APOSTOLIC.
1. Plain.
2. Unvarnished.
3. Accompaniedby the convictions of the Spirit and the saving power of God.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)
Paul's preaching and the blessing that attended it
J. H. Evans, M. A.
I. "THE SPEECHAND PREACHING" OF THE APOSTLE.
1. His greatsubject was the gospel. He was a greatpreacherof the law; for no
man preaches the gospelwho does not preachthe law, and our appreciationof
the gospelis always in direct proportion to our real perception of God's holy
law. But that which Paul delighted in was the gospel. He preached in all His
fulness a full Christ; he exhibited Him in the glory of His person, in all the
perfection of His atonement, in all the freeness ofHis free-grace salvation.
And he preached it largely, and whereverhe went. He preachedit holily too;
he set it forth in all its holy tendencies, and he exhibited it in its holy effects in
his ownlife (1 Thessalonians1:5).
2. His manner was "not with enticing words of man's wisdom." His subject
was grand, awful, sublime, wondrous; but his speechwas plain, simple,
unadorned, and homely. No glare and glitter were his, no traps for human
applause, no desire to be thought a man of great talent; the gifted apostle was
above it. How does this show to us what sortof preachers we want! We do not
mean that the apostle did not suit his speechto those to whom he spake, forhe
became all things to all men, &c.
II. THE BLESSING THAT ATTENDEDIT. "In demonstration of the Spirit
and of power."
1. Many understand by this the miraculous gifts that Paul was able to exhibit,
as proof that he was an apostle of Christ. That be wrought miracles, is quite
clear;and that they were greatseals to his ministry is also quite clear
(Romans 15:18). But the Word of God tells us that signs and wonders may be
the means of hardening those who work them. Besides, a continuous miracle
would cease to be a miracle; and the mightiest could never of itself convert
one single soul.
2. More marvellous things than those that wrought in the triumph of God
over matter are wrought when He triumphs over mind. The apostle setforth
the truth to men's understanding, but the Holy Ghost conveyedthe light into
their minds; he spake to men's consciences, but the Spirit conveyedthe
tenderness of heart, and made the word' effectual. Here is no violence, no new
faculty, no new truth; but the Holy Ghost put forth His power, and brought in
demonstration (Colossians1:5-6;1 Thessalonians1:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13).
3. The power of the gospelis demonstrated —
(1)In the conversionof the sinner.
(2)In the comfort of the mourner.
(3)In the sanctificationofthe believer.
(4)In the hour of death.
(J. H. Evans, M. A.)
Powerlesssermons
G. Pentecost.
Many a powerful sermonso calledis a powerless sermon, becauseofthe
absence from it of what is invisible. The gospelpreachedwithout poweris like
a cloud, without rain; there is a promise of rain, but there is no water of life,
and no springing up of the seedthe result. The gospelpreachedwithout power
is like a well with all its arrangements for drawing perfect — but without
water.
(G. Pentecost.)
True power lies in the gospelitself
Hipponicus, intending to dedicate a costly statue, was advisedby a friend to
employ Policletus, a famous workman, in the making of it; but he, being
anxious that his greatexpense should be the admiration of all men, said that
"he would not make use of a workmanwhose art would be more regarded
than his owncost." When, in preaching the greattruths of gospelsalvation,
the enticing words which man's wisdom teachethare so much sought out that
the art of the oratoris more regardedby the hearers than the value of the
truth spoken, it is no wonder that the Lord refuses to grant His blessing. He
will have it seenthat the excellencyof the power lies not in our speech, but in
His gospel.
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the powerof
God.
Faith
J. Lyth, D. D.
1. Upon what does your faith stand?
2. Where ought it to stand?
3. Why should it stand there?
(J. Lyth, D. D.)
True faith
J. Lyth, D. D.
I. CANNOT BE PRODUCED BYTHE WISDOM OF MAN.
1. He may convince by the force of argument or persuasion.
2. But such a faith is —
(1)Impure.
(2)Unsettled.
(3)Inoperative.
II. DEPENDSUPON THE POWER OF GOD.
1. Through the operation of the Spirit.
2. This —
(1)Heals the conscience.
(2)Converts the soul.
(3)Sanctifies the life.
III. SHOULD BE THE END OF ALL PREACHING.
1. The preacher should aim at it.
2. The people should desire it.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)
The domain of faith
H. Allon, D. D.
I. THE DOMAIN OF FAITH IS TO BE DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT OF
HUMAN WISDOM,
1. Men are ever confounding the two. Faith, they think, is simply the intellect
in its ordinary processesdealing with religious things. The man who rejects
Christianity does it on this ground. "I cannot," he says, "reasonouta
demonstrative proof of Christianity; therefore I refuse to believe it true."
Becausefaith cannot stand in the wisdom of man, it cannot, he thinks, stand at
all. Now, according to the apostle, faith stands in "the power of God." What is
the difference?
2. How do we know things?(1)By sensible proof. If I put my finger into the
fire it burns me; if I hear music it delights me. This is the proof which my
body furnishes concerning things that appealto it. I do not reasonabout
them; no spiritual or moral sympathies are calledinto exercise. I prove them
exactly as a brute does.(2)By rational proof. If a man tells me that two and
two make four, that a whole is greaterthan its part, my senses,my religious
feeling have nothing to do with the proof — it is a process ofpure reason. A
brute could not prove anything in this way. A rational man must believe on
such evidence.(3)Moralproof. When I see moral qualities in a man, I
instinctively receive impressions concerning him. I say he is a kind man, a true
man, a reverentialman. If he be a hypocrite, he may deceive me; but that does
not affectthe validity of this method of proof. Life would be impossible if we
could not trust men until we had collectedevidence about them. We are
always trusting men whom we know nothing about, because ofthe moral
judgment of them which we form.
3. Now, this distinction of different kinds of proof will carry us a long way in
understanding the domain of faith as distinguished from that of intellectual
wisdom. When God speaks religious things to me, He does not appealto my
physical senses.He does not appeal to my reason, as the multiplication table
does, as a proof in logic does; He appeals directly to my religious sense. Is not
this religiouslytrue, pure, suitable? And my religious sense responds, as the
eye responds to light, understanding to intellectual truth, the heart to love.
Men who are "of the truth" respond to moral truth when they see it.
4. Now, the strong tendency is to interchange these methods of proof. "I can
believe nothing," says the materialist, "that I cannotprove." Quite true;
neither ought you. "Aye, but I mean that I cannot prove by processesof
reason," whichis quite another thing. Suppose the brute should say, "I will
believe nothing which I cannot prove by the senses.I will not believe in your
mathematical astronomy, your subtle chemistry." And is he not as much
justified in denying your rational proof as you are in denying my spiritual
proof? Your rational proof belongs to a higher nature than his; my spiritual
proof belongs to a higher nature than mere reason. Whatcan reasondo with
moral qualities? You cannotreasonout right and wrong; you cannotby
reasonprove love, or purity, or goodness;you can only feel them. You tell me
that you have explored nature, but cannotfind God; as wellmay the surgeon
conducting a post-mortem examination tell us that he cannotfind the pure
patriot, the loving father. How can he detect moral qualities by physical tests?
5. We are always trying to get above the domain of mere matter into that of
reason. How the painter and the poet idealise nature; change actual colour
and form into glorious ideals!How the philosopher uses them for the creation
of a science!How the economistuses them for an economyof sociallife! And
so we are always trying to getabove the domain of reasoninto the domain of
faith. It is the necessityof our nature to think about goodand evil, to form
moral judgments about things. There is another tendency which is always
dragging the spiritual down to the sensual;but all men agree to call this
wrong moral feeling; Christianity calls it sin.
6. Faith, then, is that quality of our spiritual nature which, when it hears
God's truth, sees God's purity, feels God's love, simply and implicitly believes
it. It does not wait for processes ofreasonto prove it, any more than the eye
waits for processesofreasonto prove light, or the heart for processesof
reasonto prove love. But, it may be said, does not this make faith irrational?
Certainly not. It simply goes farther than reasoncango, sees things that
reasoncannotsee, feels things that reasoncannotfeel. When a truth of God is
spokento me — first, my senses are exercised;next, my reason — it judges
the meaning of the words, of the thought, then it delivers the sentiment to my
spiritual faculty. Is it religiouslytrue, suitable, and precious? Simple reason
could not pronounce upon this; but my religious heart does. I am told of the
existence ofa God; my senses cannotrecogniseHim, my reasoncannot
demonstrate Him, but my spiritual nature confessesHis existence, justas the
heart confesseslove. I am told of the Incarnation; neither sense nor reason
can prove it; but my religious consciousness testifiesthat it is preciselywhat
my condition needed. So with the atonement — the regenerationofthe Holy
Spirit, the resurrectionof Christ; and the immortal life that He gives.
II. How DID PAUL SET FORTHCHRIST? (ver. 1). Not as a rhetorician, or a
moral philosopher. Why not? There is no merit in abjuring reason, whenit is
a process ofreasoning that has to be conducted. But it was not an argument
that Paul had to conduct; it was a testimony of Godthat he had to bear. It was
not a science ofreligionthat he had to construct;it was a simple factthat he
had to declare. Menknew all about sin; he did not need to prove that they
were sinful. Men earnestlycraved to know "what they must do to be saved."
He did not need to reasonabout that. And he simply declaredthe greatfact
that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners";that was all he said,
but that was enough. Thus, receiving his testimony to the Divine fact, the faith
of these men "stoodnot in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
Christ, then, is to be preached, and His atonement setforth by bearing
testimony. It is the cry of a herald rather than a philosophicalargument. The
physician does not need to prove to the sick that they need healing; he needs
only say, "Wilt thou be made whole?" Preaching Christis simply setting Him
forth as the greatgift of the Father's love. They who hear the testimony have
only to trust in the crucified Christ for forgiveness and life. And when so
believing God's testimony we receive Christ, and have experience of His
redeeming grace, our"faith stands in the powerof God."We have the witness
in ourselves— a certainty and strength of belief which is like the consciousness
of life; argument cannot disturb it. Christ is "formed in us"; we "know whom
we have believed.(H. Allon, D. D.)
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Zechariah 4:1-6
1-9-66 10:50 a.m.
You who share our services ontelevisionand or radio are listening to the
services ofthe First BaptistChurch in Dallas. This is the pastor bringing the
messageentitled By the Spirit Of The Lord. It is a message as we enterthe
greatestand most extended and most intense effort to carry out God’s will for
His people that we have ever tried or dedicatedto Him. We have chosena
title for the whole endeavor. We callit the "TellDallas" appeal, orcampaign,
or crusade, or program. It is our proposal, with the help of the Lord, to
extend a personalinvitation to every lostman, every lost soul in this city, to
give himself personallyto the Lord Jesus. It comprises four months.
This month of January is one of commitment on our part. The month of
February is one of intensive training. It shall center largelyround a lay
institute of evangelism. The month of March is the month of witnessing and
soulwinning. We will have a young team, two brothers, here to work with us
sevenhours, sevendays out of every week forthat whole month. Then the
month of April, the fourth month, will find us in our Palace Theaterservices,
and in our Easterservices, and in our JewishWeek of Evangelism.
All of this is a progressivelyintensive dedication on our part to carry out the
assignmentGod has committed to us. It involves many details and many
programs, many organizationalefforts. There will be very much of the entire
organized directed life of this church poured into that effort. And this
messageis in keeping with that endeavor. It’s not going to be a messageas
you might think. In fact it is about the opposite of what you might expect.
But it is apropos, it is most pertinent, it is most needed.
It is a weaknessofthe human flesh to depend upon man’s might, our
ingenuity, our wisdom. What we attempt is something that man cannot do; it
is something that God must do through us. And our whole program, our
every organized endeavor, our whole and total effort must be in the power
and in the Spirit of God. As Paul avowedto the church at Corinth:
And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellencyof speechor
of wisdom, declaring unto you the oracles ofGod.
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, andin fear, and in much trembling.
And my speechand my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the powerof
God.
[1 Corinthians 2:1-5]
Howevermuch wisdommight dwell among us, and howeveringenious our
organized effort might be presented, yet finally and ultimately it must be a
work from heaven. And that’s the messagethis morning.
If you’d like to turn in your Bible to the text, you will find it in the fourth
chapter of Zechariah the prophet. Zechariah, almostto the end of the Old
Testament, and the reading is this:
And the angel that talkedwith me came again, and wakedme, as a man that is
wakenedout of his sleep,
And said unto me, What seestthou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a
lampstand all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his sevenlamps
thereon, and seven pipes to the sevenlamps, which are upon the top thereof:
And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other
upon the left side thereof.
So I answeredand spake to the angelthat talkedwith me, saying, What are
these, my lord?
Then the angelthat talkedwith me answeredand said unto me, Knowestthou
not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Then he answeredand spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord
unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith
the Lord of hosts.
[Zechariah 4:1-6]
That’s the text, and that is the prophetic message forus today, no less than it
was to Zerubbabel, the political leader, and to Joshua, the spiritual leader.
"Forthese," saidthe Lord, "are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord
of the whole earth" [Zechariah 4:14].
The backgroundof that prophecy is most familiar to you. In the return of
that raggedand wretched remnant out of the Babylonian captivity to the
PromisedLand, they acceptedan assignmentfrom God to rebuild the city
destroyed, to rebuild the temple destroyed, to rebuild the nation destroyed
[Ezra 3:8-9; Nehemiah2:17-18]. And as Zerubbabel the political leader, and
as Joshua the spiritual leader, facedthat task, it seemedimpossible. Their
enemies were so fierce, and their hands were so weak, andthey were so
wretchedly poverty stricken. But God had assignedthem; they were the seed
for the blessing of the whole earth, and had the message diedin them, it would
have died from among men.
So returning from the rivers of Babylon, where they had satdown in tears and
despair [Psalm137:1], they acceptedGod’s assignmentto rebuild the nation,
to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, and to rebuild the holy temple [Ezra 3:8-9;
Nehemiah 2:17-18]. But as they facedso enormous a task, Godraised up
Haggaithe prophet and Zechariah the prophet; and the [sixth] chapter of the
Book ofEzra describes their preaching. And Ezra writes, "And we prospered
under the preaching of Haggaiand Zechariah" [Ezra 6:14]. And as
Zechariah delivered to the people the vision and messageofGod, the heart of
it is my text:
Thus saith the Lord to Zerubbabel, and to Joshua, the two anointed ones that
stand before the God of all the earth [Zechariah4:14], thus does He speak, lo
ve chayil, – lo ve chayil, lo ve chayil, lo ve chayil –
Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord [Zechariah 4:6].
What an astonishing message. Whatdoes that lo ve chayil, what does that
mean? Lo, "not," emphatic, ve, "in," chayil, what is that? Chayil, that refers
to tremendous organized might, the accumulation of wealth and riches, and
armed hosts, a whole army, tremendous might; all that man in the aggregate
and composite could do; Lo ve chayil.
It’s the kind of a thing that is told in the Book of Samuelwhen the Philistines
came like the sand of the sea and shut up Israelin their mountain home. And
there stoodin front of them their giant champion named Goliath. And he
cursed God, and he defamed the hosts of the Lord, and he challengedany man
to come out and representthe Lord of heaven, and he would crush him in the
dust of the ground [1 Samuel 17:4-10, 23].
And there came out to face him, and to face the whole vast host of Philistia, a
boy, not old enoughto shave, beautifully countenanced, ruddy-faced, dressed
like a shepherd as though he had come from following the flock from the back
side of the field [1 Samuel 17:32, 42]. And when Goliathlookedupon him, he
said, "Am I a dog that my challengeris a boy with staves in his hands?"
talking of the shepherd’s staff that he bore. "Why," said that giant Goliath,
"this very minute I will feed your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of
the field" [1 Samuel 17:43-44].
Why, just to look at him was enoughto terrify a man and to hear his voice of
thunder to bring fright to the soul. But that ruddy-faced teenage boy, who’d
lived with God shepherding the flock, answeredthe challengerof Philistia and
said, "Thoucomestto me with a sword, and a spear and a shield: but I come
to you in the name of the Lord God of the hosts whom thou hast defied!" [1
Samuel 17:45]. Lo ve chayil! Notby power, not by armed might, not by
hosts, armies, and all of the gatheredstrength of which man is capable.
Lo ve choach, ve choach, lo ve choach, I lookedup that choach;it’s on a root
verb that means "to pant, to exert." The victory will not come, says God, in
even our panting and our extreme exertion. Lo ve choach;it’s the kind of a
thing that comes from God. When the people of the Lord were pressed
againstthe sea – to one side of them the desert, to one side of them the
mountains, and back of them the hosts of Pharaoh – and the Lord opened the
sea, no man, no group of engineers, no ingenuity of which we’re capable could
do that; God does that! Lo ve choach, not by our straining and our panting.
God opens the sea [Exodus 14:21]. It’s the kind of a thing as when the walls of
Jericho fell down; God did that [Joshua 6:20]. The kind of a thing that
crownedthe armies of Gideonwith victory, God did that [Judges 7:15-23]. Lo
ve choach, not by panting and exertion. "But by My Spirit," ruach, My
breath, "saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6], for this assignmentof Zerubbabel
and Joshua was a greatassignment[Ezra 3:8-9], and it must be wrought in
the arm and strength of Jehovah Almighty God.
Could there be addressedto us today, as a people living in this tragic hour,
could there be addressedto us a more pertinent prophecy from the mouth of
the Lord? "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am
God, and there is none beside" [Isaiah45:22],"Notby might, nor by power,
but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6]; a callto place the center of
our thought, and life, and vision, and effort not in us, but in God!
Like Galileo, who with his telescopeoverthrew the Ptolemaic systemof
astronomy that had been taught in every schoolin the earth for thousands of
years;Ptolemy had taught, the greatastronomer, the Ptolemaic systemhad
taught that the earth was the center of the universe, and the sun and the stars
revolved around this earth. And Galileo said, "Notso. But the center of the
earth is that burning fiery orb in the skies, andthe earth is but a satellite
around the sun." That’s what we need in our thought and vision today; not
man the center, but God the center! And oh how desperatelydo we need it in
our worldview, and in our vision, and in our future, and in this program of
life that we are in; the road down which we are traveling.
What a bleak prospect, to leave, to read Godout of this present world! And
here we are living with atomic bombs, and hydrogen bombs, and mad
maniacs who defy God! It wouldn’t be amiss to describe our presentworld
like a racerthat is running down the highway of the universe, mad! What a
prospect. What a prospect.
The militarists say that we are preparing for the most devastating of all wars.
"Getready," that’s what he says. And the economistsays that we are facing
inevitable economic monetary pressures that will destroy ultimately all of our
values. And the historian says that we are facing the collapse ofcivilization.
And the criminologist says that our people shall rot at the core. And the
psychiatrist and the psychologists saythat the human spirit cannotstand
modern tensions.
Then the whole world is panting after a garish, materialistic paganism. And I
read where a man said, "All of the cosmeticsofthe world cannot hide the
pallor of death that wrinkles the face of this present generation." Whata
prospect! What a vision! Leaving God out! Nothing left but what these
prophets of modern day doom describe as catastrophic and abysmal despair.
We need to lift up ourselves God-ward, heavenward. We need it in our
theology. What a place to preach "Christian atheism," that they call it in the
seminaries and in the pulpits of the churches of Christ, avowing in modern
sophistry that God is dead! "He once was, but He is not anymore." Oh! How
we need it in our persuasionof confidence and trust, "Notby power, nor by
might, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6].
When Israel, when Judah, was surrounded on every side, Isaiahthe prophet
stoodup. And the people were panting after every alliance and every answer
outside of God. And Isaiah came and preached, saying, "In returning and in
rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence is your strength" [Isaiah
30:15]; looking to God, to God.
And I had you read the one hundred eighteenthPsalm [Psalm 118:1-29], you
read just a part of it. That is the psalm that the people sang when, in their
wretchedmisery and poverty, they laid the foundations for the temple, when
they returned back with Zerubbabel and Joshua from the Babylonian
captivity [Ezra 3:10]. They sang the one hundred eighteenth Psalm when they
laid the foundation [Ezra 3:11]. And it is a song and a psalm of heroic trust in
God! [Psalm 118:1-29]. "Lo ve chayil, lo ve choach, but by My Spirit, saith
the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6].
Now may we speak of us in this endeavor and in this congregation? If we
have time, I shall speak ofit as the church, as the preacherand the pulpit, and
as the conversionof the soul. First, as the church; there is one thing that you
will find in all Christian history, and it is this: in those eras and in those days
when the powerand presence and Spirit of Godhas waned among His people
and has ebbed from His churches, it is in those days that you will find the
people striving in every possible way to make up for the absence ofthe
presence and powerof God.
System, technique, program, all kinds of ingenious man-made devices;and
you will also find that they inevitably contribute even more to the dryness,
and unfruitfulness, and sterility of the churches of God. Oh, what a dearth
when we apotheosize practicalthings, and deify techniques, and depend upon
organized genius to bring life from the dead, when only God canraise the
dead!
All must be baptized in the Spirit and in the powerof the Lord [Acts 1:5, 8].
Simplicity and spirituality and prayer are ever our ultimate strength. What
wings are to the bird, what feet and legs are to the deer, what breath is to the
body, what an engine is to a car, what electricityis to the dynamo, the Spirit
and presence ofGod is to the work of His churches in the earth. And without
Him, we fall into all kinds of divisiveness, and we break apart, and we
fragmentize, and our words have no unction and no power.
Not only that but we are dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord for the warm
matrix in which life canbe born and come to the birth. God chose to form
life, not in a snow bank, not in a refrigerator, but God chose to form life in the
blood-bathed warm matrix of a human body, in tears, in travail, in suffering,
and sometimes in death; warm, blood-bathed.
How far awaythe conceptionof so many of the churches of the Lord, great
monuments in stone and an advertisementin its steeple and bulletin board,
that here is a congregationof Christ and a church of the Lord. But on the
inside, it is cold, and frigid, and sterile, and conservative, and removed, and
ritualistic, and ceremonial. And nobody is saved, and nobody is moved, and
nobody is born again. It is the Spirit of God breathing upon a congregation
that brings warmth and life to the people [Philippians 2:1].
Our greattheologianEdgarYoung Mullins, president of the seminary at
Louisville, president of the World Alliance, one time told the story of a little
monkey tied to an organ grinder. And the little fellow gotaway; the little
monkey escapedin some way and in the dead of winter, in one of those great
cities in the Northeast, the little thing was freezing to death.
Jumping upon the ledge of a window sill, the little thing saw a fire burning
inside the house, ran around the house, found a way entrance, and there stood
in front of the fire with his little paws outstretched to warm himself, but cried
continuously and piteously and froze to death in front of the fire, "For," said
Dr. Mullins, "the fire was painted on a screenin front of the hearth." And
churches are like that. We have an announcement, "This is the house of
God." We have the architecture proclaiming, "This is a church of Christ";
but inside there’s no fire, and there’s no warmth, and there’s no life, just
death.
The only difference betweenan iceberg that sent the Titanic down to the
bottom of the sea and the great bosomof the oceanthat carries the commerce
of the world is temperature, that’s all; temperature, warmth; the presence of
God, and the feeling of the nearness of the Lord visiting, walking, moving,
speaking, inviting, guiding, pleading among His people.
May I speak ofit briefly in the pulpit? "Notby might, nor by power, but by
My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6]. As you, I listen to many
preachers, and they have different effects upon me. As a youth, I made a
journey one time to New York City to listen to the greatestpreacherin the
world. And he was that, deservedly; most brilliant man I ever heard, a
glorious preacher. But the effecthe had upon me was, "Whata brilliant man,
a brilliant man."
Another pastor in another one of our greatcities, and as I listened to him, the
effecthe had upon me was, "How winsome, and how lovable, and how affable,
and how nice and fine." Another, in one of our greatcities, the impression he
made upon me was a man who is sociallyconscious. All of the problems of
capital, and labor, and race, and poverty, and need, and government, and all
the things involved in socialamelioration, he was very sensitive to them. And
I had the impression as I listened to him that this was a man who would make
a fine political leaderof a certain kind, of a certain departure. That’s the
impression he had upon me.
And others, some of them I have the impression that, "Oh, they are
scholarly," and some of them academic and intellectual, and some of them
philosophical, and just on and on and on. But out of some, I bring to mind
one who above all others I just thank God for in my own life, and when I’d
hear him, and without exception, always, that feeling was left in me.
There was in him a seeking note, a searching prayer, an invitation of love and
mercy. And when I heard him, I wishedthat I could have been saved all over
again. I wishedthat I could go down the aisle all over again. I just wished
that I could go for people who wouldn’t go. I just had that feeling of, "O God,
that everything in me might outflow to Thee." That’s the kind of a preacher
that we need in the pulpit. One that’s academic, yes;trained, yes; intellectual,
yes; scholarly, yes; able and winsome and affable, yes; but O God, mostly for
a preacherthat can bring a messageto our souls and press upon our hearts
the invitation of the Lord.
I want to illustrate that in two ways; one, in the testimony of a man in this last
century and the other in the life of the preacherthat speaks to you this
morning. I’ve done my best to find a thing that I read and filed away. But
I’ve searchedmy library in every way I know to turn, and I can’t lay my
hands upon it. Consequently, the recounting to you is somewhatin a
summary, and some of it I can’t quite fit togetherexactly. But it goes
something like this.
In this last century, there was an illustrious, and gifted, and learned, and
scholarlypastor of the Fifth Avenue PresbyterianChurch of New York City.
And upon a day, in the providence of God, he presented at the morning
worship hour to deliver God’s message a layman by the name of DwightL.
Moody. And the minister writes in this thing that I read, in his testimony, he
said, "After I presentedMr. Moody, and satdown in the pulpit, and I heard
him, and he beganto speak," he said, "my soul died within me. His grammar
was atrocious, and his sentence structure was unforgivable," and the way he
pronounced proper names was unlike anything he’d ever heard in his life.
"And as I satin the pulpit and listened to the man as he began to speak," he
said, "I thought, oh, my congregationwill be offended, and they will charge
me with bringing a man in the pulpit that ought to be out there on the curb."
But he said, "To my amazement, as the man began to speak, insteadof being
offended or disgusted, they began to listen, and men beganto sit on the front
of the pew, and they turned their whole souls and hearts on every word that
the man said. Why," he said, "it was an astonishing thing to me!" Then as he
wrote about it, he said, "And something happened in my heart as I listened to
that man speak, uneducated, unlearned, but with a message fromheaven!"
And he said, "In the after days as I analyzed it," and my best remembrance of
it, he used the word "overtone";he said, "Beyondthe grammar, and beyond
the sentence, andbeyond the structure and the homiletics, I sensedthe
overtone of the presence and the voice of God in the messenger." And he said,
"Thereafter, whenI’d listen to a man preach, I would listen for the overtone,
beyond the grammar, or the structure, or the homily, the voice of God
speaking." That’s whatI mean, not just syllable, and sentence, and
paragraph, not just the delivering of a sermon, of an address, but the
presence, and experience, and power, and moving of the Lord God! "Notby
power, not by might, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6].
May I speak ofit in my own life? A few days ago, they said, "We want you to
come out and speak to the chapelat the Dallas BaptistCollege, ournew school
here in the city." So I made my way out there to speak at the chapel service.
And as I thought, and I suppose anybody would, I had a little chapel talk that
I was going to make to the students out there at their service. When I arrived,
the president met me, and he said, "Now we are wanting you to make an
invitation today, make an appeal today." Why, I said, "I didn’t come out here
to extend any invitation or any appeal."
"Oh," he said, "We hope you will. We hope you will." Well, I just hadn’t
planned or thought of any such thing, much less prayed towardit. So when I
went in with the students to the assembly, there’s a whole line of them there.
And they shook my hand as they spoke to me, and they said, "Pastor, we have
never had an appeal. We’ve never had an invitation extended in a chapel
service, not yet. And we’ve been praying that today God would speak through
you, and that you would give an appeal and press an invitation."
It’s in a different world; to getup and to make an address at a chapelservice
or a speechat a club is one thing, but to address yourselfto the human heart,
that it might be moved toward God, is in another world! It’s something else.
And it comes not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God [Zechariah
4:6].
And that’s the effort to which we have dedicated ourselves. Why, the
assignmentthe Lord hath given us is impossible to men, for who can raise the
dead? The finest medical science, allthat human mind could know and
human hand could do, we just observe our dying, and when they are gone, we
dig a grave and lay our beloved out of our sight, for no man can raise the
dead. Thatbelongs to the power and the Spirit of the Almighty, to raise the
dead. Yet the Scriptures avow that we are dead in our trespassesand in our
sins; we are lost [Ephesians 2:1].
And for a man to be savedis to be born into the kingdom of light. He’s
regenerated. He’s remade. And that regenerationand that resurrectionno
science andno man’s hands are able to do. It is a work of God! [Ephesians
2:4-9]. Yet the Lord hath assignedus to do it. But He has told us how: "Not
by might, lo ve chayil, not by force," howevermuch we might organize and be
strong, "Notby might, nor by power, lo ve choach," howeverwe might
struggle and pant towardit, "but by My breath, by My Spirit, says the Lord"
[Zechariah 4:6].
And one whisperedword of the Holy Spirit in a man’s heart is more powerful
to the regenerationofthe soul than ten thousand sermons. My brethren, we
don’t choose betweenthis or something else. We castourselves upon the
mercies of God, or we fail [Romans 12:1]. We are shut up to God. It is a
work of His divine hands [Ephesians 2:8]. And before the humblest, smallest
little child that needs to be saved, I’m powerless, forGod only can convertthe
soul [Philippians 2:13]. So our men and our people and our leaders in the
church say, "Now, pastor, we’re going to ask our people to commit themselves
to this heavenly assignment. We’re going to ask them all to do it. But we
want you to do it like this. First, let our deacons commit themselves, and our
junior board to commit themselves. Thentomorrow night, we’ll ask the
superintendents to commit themselves;then the following Wednesdaynight
our teachers to commit themselves;then the following Sunday all of our
people in Sunday schoolto commit themselves;and then the following Lord’s
Day, every member of the church to commit himself." Casting ourselves upon
the mercy of God, "Lord, this shall we attempt to do for Thee. God bless it
and use it."
They have a little threefold thing here. "I commit myself to pray every day";
and we call can do that. Not one of us but could ask God to bless our soul-
winning appeal, carrying out the assignmentof the Lord for us. "I will pray
every day." The secondone, "I’ll commit myself to witness every day, as the
Holy Spirit might lead." Some of us may hesitate. We’re timid and hesitant,
but most of us can, and the others of us still canpray and maybe God do
something for us. "I’ll commit myself to witness daily, as the Holy Spirit
would open a door to speak a goodword for Jesus."
The third one, maybe a lot of us would hesitate, but many of us will do our
utmost, "I’ll commit myself to lead at leastone to Jesus and to be baptized
betweennow and Easter." One ofour men wrote on his card, "I don’t know
how I could do it, but I’ll try." Well, I don’t know how we’re going to do it
either, but we can try it, and leave our word of witness and testimony in the
hands of the Lord.
So in keeping with this appeal, every deaconhere this morning, and every
member of the junior board this morning, you are askedto stand up and come
down here with the pastor. And get on your knees and give yourself to God,
to pray every day, to speak a word for Jesus every day as the Spirit would
open the door, and to lead somebody to Jesus, and to baptism in the church, if
God would so honor and bless our testimony. Every deacon, everymember of
the junior board, you’re askedto come, and do it now. With the pastor, get
on your knees and let’s take it to God.
O Lord, our Lord, Thou hast given us assignments that we cannotdo. If God
should ask us to climb to heaven on a ladder, we would not be any more inept
or unable. We might climb fifteen rungs, or if we made it to a hundred, we
still would ultimately and finally fail. God hath given us assignments that
man cannot do. Who is sufficient for these things, to save the soul?
Our Lord, we castourselves upon Thy grace, upon Thy remembrance, upon
Thy strong arm. Godmust help us. But our Master, we feelin our souls
calledto do this. What a travesty that we’d send out missionaries to tell the
gospelto other people, and neighbors up and down every streetin this city
never a personalinvitation to them to love Jesus, and to find the Masterand
His grace, the answerto every need in life and home, and the Savior of their
souls.
Lord, what has befallen us that we can live day after day, no intercession, no
prayer, no burden of concernfor the whole vast city filled with hundreds of
thousands who are outside of the grace and mercy of Jesus? OurLord, Thou
hast committed us. Thouhas mandated us. Thou has commissionedus. Thou
hast sent us, and God bless as we strive to be true and faithful to our Lord’s
heavenly mandate [Matthew 28:18-20].
"O king," saidone of thy servants, "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly
vision: but in Damascus, and Judea, and throughout the empire, I have
witnessedto the grace and mercy of Jesus" [Acts 26:19-20]. Lord, grant it to
us as a church and as a people to be thus committed and thus faithful. And as
we begin with these godly men, our chosenand ordained leaders, then Lord,
extend the spirit of commitment and appealto every member and leader and
family of the greatcongregation. And for every soul Thou shalt give us, for
every trophy of grace we canlay at Jesus’piercedfeet, we shall thank Thee
forever and praise Thee forever; in His grace and mercy, in His Spirit and in
His precious name, amen.
Now may we all stand up where we are, everybody. And Brother Lee Roy,
let’s sing us a hymn of appeal, and while we sing this invitation song, a family
to come into the fellowshipof the church or one somebodyyou to give himself
to Jesus, "Pastor, here I am, and here I come." Out of this greatbalcony
round, in this lowerfloor, into the aisle and down to the front, "Here I am,
pastor, and here I come. I make it today," while we sing our song of
invitation."
The Wisdom of Men and the Powerof God
John Piper's Installation
Resource by John Piper
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 Topic: Wisdom
In coming to you brothers and sisters, I come proclaiming to you the
testimony of God not according to excellence ofword or of wisdom. For I
decided not to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and this one
crucified. I come to you in weaknessandin much fear and trembling. My
word and proclamationare not in persuasive words of human wisdom but by
the demonstrationof the Spirit and power, so that your faith might not be in
the wisdomof men but in the power of God!
I would considermy life wellspent if I could preach and live and die like the
apostle Paul, who wrote these words in 1 Corinthians 2:1–5. If you would open
a Bible to this passagein the New Testament, I think we could get a glimpse of
what a preachershould aim at in his work and how he and his people canbe
sure to hit this target.
Under the Authority of the Word
W.A. Criswell, the pastor of that giant church in Dallas, was askedone time
by a man who had a business across the street: "Dr. Criswell, I thought you
were the pastorof a Baptist church. How come all your people carry prayer
books to church on Sunday?" Criswellsmiled and said, "Sir, we are Baptists
and those are Bibles not prayer books."
Baptists the world over have a reputation of urging every man and woman to
read the Bible for themselves. And I want to preserve that greattradition. If I
could choose a symbolic sound that Bethlehem Baptist Church would come to
be known for, you know what it would be? The swish of the pages of 500
Bibles turning simultaneously to the morning and evening texts.
The reasonis this: the source of my authority in this pulpit is not—as we shall
soonsee—mywisdom; nor is it a private revelationgranted to me beyond the
revelation of Scripture. My words have authority only insofar as they are the
repetition, unfolding and proper application of the words of Scripture. I have
authority only when I stand under authority. And our corporate symbol of
that truth is the sound of your Bibles opening to the text. My deep conviction
about preaching is that a pastormust show the people that what he is saying
was already saidor implied in the Bible. If it cannot be shown it has no special
authority.
My heart aches for the pastor who increaseshis own burden by trying to come
up with ideas to preachto his people. As for me, I have nothing of abiding
worth to sayto you. But God does. And of that word I hope and pray that I
never tire of speaking. The life of the church depends on it.
Dr. Criswellgives an admonition to pastors which I think is right on the
money, and I take it as a greatchallenge. He says:
When a man goes to church he often hears a preacherin the pulpit rehash
everything that he has read in the editorials, the newspapers, andthe
magazines. On the TV commentaries he hears that same stuff over again,
yawns, and goes outand plays golf on Sunday. When a man comes to church,
actually what he is saying to you is this, 'Preacher, I know what the TV
commentatorhas to say; I hear him every day. I know what the editorial
writer has to say; I read it every day. I know what the magazines have to say;
I read them every week. Preacher, whatI want to know is, does God have
anything to say? If God has anything to say, tell us what it is.'
The Aim of Paul's Ministry: Faith in the PowerofGod
So let's look at 1 Corinthians 2:1–5. Paulhad spent about 18 months in
Corinth on his first visit there. Now he writes his first letter to warn the
believers againstbasing their faith on the wisdomof men insteadof God's
power. One of the ways he does this is to remind them of what his aim was in
first coming to them and how he came. First we'll talk about the aim of Paul's
(and our) ministry.
Verse 5: his aim, his purpose was that "your faith might not be in the wisdom
of men but in the powerof God." Paul stated it againand again:"I was given
the grace ofapostleshipto bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of
his name among all the nations" (Rom. 1:5). The aim of Paul's life is the aim
of mine. And it should be the aim of every pastor, every seminary intern,
every Sunday Schoolteacher, and every believer who speaks to another
person: to begetand build faith.
But it was possible in Paul's day and I believe it is rampant in our day—in
churches and TV and radio—to try to build faith by calling attention to the
wrong things. This has a devastating effecton the mission of Christ and the
church, as I think we can see by looking more closelyat verse 5.
Why is it so crucialthat our faith not rest in the wisdom of men but in the
powerof God? Does it really matter what your faith is based on as long as
Christ is the object of your faith? For Paul it made a greatdifference what a
preacheroffers as the basis of faith. Why?
The reasoncanbe found in chapter 1. It is this: if you try to base saving faith
on the "wisdomof men" it ceases to be saving faith because the content of that
faith is regardedas foolishness by the world's wisdom. The genuineness of
faith, and with it eternal life, is at stake in the basis we offer for faith. It is
possible to offer a basis for faith which ruins faith. There is a kind of
foundation which will destroy the superstructure of faith. That's why it is so
crucial for our faith not to restin the wisdom of men but in the powerof
God—becauseif it rests in the wisdom of men it is a mirage, a bogus faith.
The Wisdom of Men
Why? What is it about the wisdom of men which makes it destructive to faith?
In verses 1 and 2 there is a contrastbetweentrying to deliver a testimony of
God with superior words of wisdom on the one hand and preaching Jesus
Christ as crucified on the other. Would it not be right, then, to say that for
Paul the "wisdomof men" is, at least, a use of the human mind which comes
up with ideas contrary to the meaning of Christ's death. Or to put it another
way, if we are following the dictates of merely human wisdom, the claim that
the King and Creatorof the world was executedlike a criminal because we
are such horrible sinners will simply be regardedas an intolerable foolishness.
Look at 1 Corinthians 1:18 for a confirmation of this. Remember, what we are
asking is: What is it about the wisdom of men that makes it so destructive
when we try to make it a basis for faith? Verse 18: "The word of the cross is
folly (or foolishness)to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved
it is the powerof God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and the cleverness ofthe cleverI will thwart. Where is the wise man? Where
is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the
wisdom of the world?" The wayGod made foolishthe "wisdomof the world"
(which is the same as the "wisdom of men" in 2:5) is by planning a way of
salvationwhich would be offensive to the wisdom of the world: namely,
salvationthrough the ignominious executionof a lowly Jewishcarpenter's son
turned preacher, who happened to be the Son of God.
The word of the cross is foolishness to the wisdomof this world. That's why
the wisdomof men is destructive to faith and why Paul was, and we should be,
very eagerthat no one turn to the wisdom of men as the basis of faith but that
all turn to the power of God.
So the wisdom of men is destructive to faith because it regards the word of the
cross as foolishness.But why does it? What is there about human wisdom
which causes it to regard Christ crucified as folly? Paul gives us the answer, I
think, in chapter 1, verses 26 and following: "Consideryour call brothers: not
many of you were wise according to the flesh (i.e., worldly standards), not
many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose whatis
foolish in the world to shame the wise." Now drop down to his purpose in
verse 29: "so that no human being might boastin the presence ofGod." God
has sethimself againstthe wisdom of the world so that no one might boast
before God. The clearimplication is that at the rootand core of what Paul
calls the "wisdomof men" is pride.
So from all these verses, then, I suggestthis definition of the "wisdom of the
world": it is the use of the human mind to achieve and maintain a ground for
boasting before God and man. Now it begins to become really clearwhy
merely human wisdom regards the cross ofChrist as foolishness. The deathof
Christ on the cross is such a radicalindictment of the hideousness ofour
sinfulness that human wisdom has to mount all its biggestguns to destroy the
cross, lestit lose its ground for boasting.
There are two possible responsesto the death of Christ for our sin: we can
regard it as foolish and so maintain our self-sufficiencyand pride, or we can
regard it as wisdom and die with Christ. There is only one way that leads to
life. Here's how Paul expressesit in Galatians 6:14: "Farbe it from me to
boastexcept in the cross ofour Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has
been crucified to me, and I to the world." If we put our trust in the crucified
Christ for salvation, we die to the world; which means we give up every
ground for boasting that the world, including our own minds, can offer. But
since the "wisdomof men" is devoted100% to maintaining its ground for
boasting, it will always rejectChrist crucified and attempt to defuse his power
by calling him foolish.
So, here is what we've seenso far: First, the goalof Paul's ministry and mine
and, I hope, yours is to win and to strengthenfaith. But, secondly, it is possible
to try to win faith by calling attention to the wrong things and giving a faulty
basis;in this case the wisdom of men rather than the powerof God. And it's
destructive to faith if we try to base it on merely human wisdom. The reason
that this is so, thirdly, is that the wisdom of the world regards the word of the
cross as foolishness andso leads men awayfrom the cross. And fourthly, the
reasonthe wisdom of men regards the cross as folly is that human wisdom is
the use of the mind to achieve and maintain pride, but faith in the crucified
Christ is death to pride and the giving up of all grounds for boasting, except
one: Let him who boasts, boastin the Lord!
The Powerof God
So is it not reasonable and is it not very urgent that in all our efforts to win
and to strengthen faith we draw people's attention not to the wisdom of men,
but to the power of God? And so now we must ask, whatis that? Chapter 1,
verse 18: "The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing but to us
who are being savedit is the powerof God." Verse 23 and following:"We
preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to
those who are called, both Jews andGreeks, Christthe powerof God and the
wisdom of God."
Therefore, the powerof God in 2:5 in which our faith should rest is the divine
powerunleashed by the death of Christ to save sinners, to justify the ungodly.
When Jesus was at his weakestin the agonyof the cross, God's powerwas at
its strongest, lifting the infinite weight of sin and condemnation off the backs
of all who would believe on him. Because Jesus died and bore the punishment
of our sin, all the powerof God, who createdthe universe, was loosedfor the
benefit of God's elect. As Paul said in Romans 8:32: "He who did not spare his
own Son but gave him up for us all, surely (by his infinite power)he will give
us all goodthings with him."
But don't make a mistake here. Just as the wisdom of Godis foolishness with
man, so the power of God is viewed by men as weakness. Godwills it that
way: chapter 1, verse 27:"God chose whatis weak in the world to shame the
strong." The divine powerin which our faith rests is not the powerof a May
Day in Red Square; it is not the power of big business or bloc voting; it is not
the powerof personalsavvy and coolself-assertion. The powerin which
saving faith rests is the power of divine grace sustaining the humble, loving
heart and radiating out through weakness.Thatis the inimitable power that
we see in Christ—meekly, humbly, lovingly mounting the cross forour sin.
The powerof God's grace sustaining the humble, loving heart of Christ and
radiating out through his weakness:this is the resting place of saving faith
and this is the demonstration of the Spirit and power(2:4).
So I commit myself as your pastorand call upon you to commit yourself as
ministers in the church to act and speak in a way that will lead people to trust
not in the wisdom of men but in the powerof God.
The Means of Paul's Ministry: Suffering and Weakness
Now let's shift the focus from the aim of Paul's work to the wayhe achievedit.
I mentioned earlierthat in our day, just as in Paul's day, there are peddlers of
the gospelwho seemto have forgotten that at the heart of our faith is "an old
rugged cross, anemblem of suffering and shame," and that to trust Christ
crucified is to be identified with him in the humiliation of his death, and that
only in the age to come will we be glorified with him, and that while this age
lasts we walk the Calvary road. Oh, to be sure, not without joy—indescribable
joy and full of the hope of glory—but always joy in weakness, insults,
hardships, persecutions, calamities.
Watch out for the slick preachers who never mention these things, for whom
the cross is a mere tokensymbol, for whom the exceeding sinfulness of all our
hearts is scarcelymentioned, who use power, wisdom, fame, and luxury to
beckonthe self-centeredmiddle-class American to considerhimself Christian
at no costto his pride and self-sufficiency.
Contrastthe apostle Paul: 1 Corinthians 2:3, "I was with you in weaknessand
in much fearand trembling." Paul would have never made it on the major
networks. You remember what his enemies said of him in 2 Corinthians 10:10,
"They say, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak
and his speechof no account.'" There is a brand of Christianity today that
would have askedof Paul, "Whatgoodcan he do for Christ? Why, he'll just
turn everybody off. What Christ needs is shiny people, people with education,
power, status, flair. Otherwise, how are we going to be able to sellJesus to the
public and get America Christianized?"
Paul's question was not so much, "What goodcan I do for Christ?" but
rather, "What goodcan Christ do for the world through unworthy me?" It
was not, "How much powercan I muster for Jesus?"but, "How much power
can Jesus show through my weakness?"Remember2 Corinthians 12:8 and
following? Paul said about some specialinfirmity that he had: "Three times I
besoughtthe Lord about this that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My
grace is sufficient for you, for my poweris made perfect in weakness. Iwill all
the more gladly boastin my weaknessesthat the powerof Christ may rest
upon me."
Paul knew that, if he was to be an agentof the crucified Christ to win people
to faith in him, then he had to follow the way of Calvary. That is, he had to
draw people's attention not to his own power, wisdom, status or flair, but to
the powerof God made perfect in weakness. He knew that if human poweror
beauty or intelligence or class gotcenterstage, whateverconversions
happened would not be conversions to the crucified Christ.
If it is the powerof God manifest in the weaknessand death of Christ that
kindles and sustains saving faith (as 2:5 says), then the way to reflect that
powerin our lives for the sake of others is to carry the death of Jesus in our
own bodies. This is how Paul describedthe power of his own ministry. He said
in 2 Corinthians 4:7–11:"We have this treasure (of the gospel)in earthen
vessels (ourweak bodies)to show that the transcendent powerbelongs to God
and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed but
not driven to despair, persecutedbut not forsaken;struck down but not
destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of
Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always
being given up to death for Jesus'sake so thatthe life of Jesus may be
manifested in our mortal flesh."
Now I hope you will understand when I say:I come to you as your pastor
today with weaknesses (whichyou will learn soonenough) and in much fear
and trembling. Not that I distrust the powerand promise of God but that I
distrust myself. Not so much that I will fail—as the world counts failure—but
that I might succeedin my own strength and wisdomand so fail as God counts
failure.
There is a kind of paradox here. We are told: Be anxious for nothing. "Fear
not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen
you; I will help you; I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Yet
Paul trembles as he undertakes to preach the gospel, I tremble at the awesome
responsibility of ministering the word to this church. Is it because Pauland I
lack faith? Partly, yes. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
But there is another reasonwhy we tremble. During this age in which the
sinfulness of the human heart remains even among God's people, and in which
the temptation to self-exaltationand self-sufficiencyis relentless, Godhas
appointed that his servants tremble with a profound sense of insufficiency so
that we will never forget that it is God's powerand not man's wisdom which
creates andsustains saving faith."
CALVIN, "4.And my preaching was not in the persuasive words. By the
persuasive words of man’s wisdom he means that exquisite oratorywhich
aims and strives rather by artifice than by truth, and also an appearance of
refinement, that allures the minds of men. It is not without goodreason, too,
that he ascribes persuasiveness( τό πιθάνον) (109)to human wisdom. For the
word of the Lord constrains us by its majesty, as if by a violent impulse, to
yield obedience to it. Human wisdom, on the other hand, has her allurements,
by which she insinuates herself (110)and her blandishments, as it were, by
which she may conciliate for herselfthe affections of her hearers. With this he
contrasts the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, which most
interpreters consideras restricted to miracles;but I take it in a more general
sense, as meaning the hand of God powerfully exercisedin every way through
the instrumentality of the Apostle. Spirit and power he seems to have made
use of by hypallage, (111)( καθ ᾿ ὑπαλλαγὴν,) to denote spiritual power, or at
leastwith the view of showing by signs and effects in what manner the
presence ofthe Spirit had shown itself in his ministry. He appropriately, too,
makes use of the term ἀποδείξεως, (demonstration;) for such is our dullness in
contemplating the works of God, that when he makes use of inferior
instruments, they serve as so many veils to hide from us his influence, so that
we do not clearly perceive it. On the other hand, as in the furtherance given to
Paul’s ministry, there was no aid furnished from the flesh or the world, and as
the hand of God was as it were made bare, (Isaiah 52:10,)his influence was
assuredlythe more apparent."
STUDYLIGHT.ORG RESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
And my speech- Ὁ λογος μου, My doctrine; the matter of my preaching.
And my preaching - Το κηρυγμα μου, My proclamation, my manner of
recommending the grand but simple truths of the Gospel.
Was not with enticing words of man's wisdom - Ενπειθοις ανθρωπινης σοφιας
λογοις, With persuasive doctrines of human wisdom: in every case I left man
out, that God might become the more evident. I used none of the means of
which great orators availthemselves in order to become popular, and thereby
to gain fame.
But in demonstration of the Spirit - Αποδειξει, In the manifestation; or, as two
ancient MSS. have it, αποκαλυψει, in the revelation of the Spirit. The doctrine
that he preachedwas revealedby the Spirit: that it was a revelationof the
Spirit, the holiness, purity, and usefulness of the doctrine rendered manifest:
and the overthrow of idolatry, and the conversionof souls, by the powerand
energy of the preaching, were the demonstration that all was Divine. The
greaterpart of the best MSS., versions, and fathers, leave out the adjective
ανθρωπινης, man's, before σοφιας, wisdom: it is possible that the word may
be a gloss, but it is necessarilyimplied in the clause. Notwith the persuasive
discourses, ordoctrines of wisdom; i.e. of human philosophy.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "The Adam Clarke
Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/1-
corinthians-2.html. 1832.
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Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
And my speech- The word “speech” here - if it is to be distinguished from
“preaching” - refers, perhaps, to his more private reasonings;his preaching to
his public discourses.
Not with enticing words - Not with the persuasive reasonings ( πειθοῖς λόγοις
peithois logois)of the wisdom of men. Not with that kind of oratory that was
adapted to captivate and charm; and which the Greeks so much esteemed.
But in demonstration - In the showing ἀποδείξει apodeixeiorin the testimony
or evidence which the Spirit produced. The meaning is, that the Spirit
furnished the evidence of the divine origin of the religionwhich he preached,
and that it did not depend for its proof on his own reasonings oreloquence.
The proof, the demonstration which the Spirit furnished was, undoubtedly,
the miracles which were performed; the gift of tongues; and the remarkable
conversions whichattended the gospel - The word “Spirit” here refers,
doubtless, to the Holy Spirit; and Paul says that this Spirit had furnished
demonstration of the divine origin and nature of the gospel. This had been by
the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 1:5-7. Compare 1 Corinthians 2:5; the
divine power and efficacywhich attended the preaching of the gospelthere.
Compare 1 Thessalonians1:5 - The effect of the gospelis the evidence to
which the apostle appeals for its truth. That effectwas seen:
(1) In the conversionof sinners to God of all classes,ages, andconditions,
when all human means of reforming them was vain.
(2) in its giving them peace, joy, and happiness;and in its transforming their
lives.
(3) in making them different people - in making the drunkard sober; the thief
honest; the licentious pure; the profane reverent; the indolent industrious; the
harsh and unkind, gentle and kind; and the wretched happy.
(4) in its diffusing a mild and pure influence over the laws and customs of
society;and in promoting human happiness everywhere - And in regardto
this evidence to which the apostle appeals, we may observe:
(1) That is a kind of evidence which anyone may examine, and which no one
can deny. It does not need labored, abstruse argumentation, but it is
everywhere in society. Every man has witnessedthe effects of the gospelin
reforming the vicious, and no one can deny that it has this power.
(2) it is a mighty display of the powerof God. There is no more striking
exhibition of his power over mind than in a revival of religion. There is no
where more manifest demonstration of his presence than when, in such a
revival, the proud are humbled, the profane are awed, the blasphemer is
silenced, and the profligate, the abandoned, and the moral are convertedunto
God, and are led as lostsinners to the same cross, and find the same peace.
(3) the gospelhas thus evidenced from age to age that it is from God. Every
convertedsinner furnishes such a demonstration; and every instance where it
produces peace, hope, joy, shows that it is from heaven.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Barnes, Albert. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Barnes'Notesonthe
New Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/1-
corinthians-2.html. 1870.
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Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
And my speechand my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
Macknight's paraphrase ofthis is:
Paul's discourses were neither composednor pronounced according to the
rules of Greek rhetoric, yet they were accompaniedwith the powerful
demonstration of the Spirit, who enabledhim to prove the things he preached
by miracles.[14]
Of course, there was a reasonfor Paul's renunciation of the methods of the
rabble-rousers;and that reasonhe at once emphatically stated.
ENDNOTE:
[14] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 32.
Copyright Statement
James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.
Bibliography
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Coffman
Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/1-corinthians-2.html.
Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
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John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
And my speech, and my preaching,.... As he determined, so he acted. As the
subject matter of his ministry was not any of the liberal arts and sciences, or
the philosophy and dry morality of the Gentiles, but salvationby a crucified
Christ; so his style, his diction, his language usedin preaching,
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom; with technical words, words of
art, contrived by human wisdom to captivate the affections;and with bare
probable arguments only, a show of reasonto persuade the mind to an assent,
when nothing solid and substantial is advanced, only a run of words artfully
put together, without any strength of argument in them; a method used by the
false teachers, andwhich the apostle here strikes at, and tacitly condemns:
but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power;partly by making use of solid
proofs out of the writings of the Old Testament, indited by the Spirit of God,
and which amounted to a demonstration of the truths he delivered; and partly
by signs, and wonders, and miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, those
extraordinary instances ofdivine power, which greatly confirmed the
doctrines he preached:and besides all these, the Spirit of God wonderfully
assistedhim in his work, both as to words and matter; directing him, what to
say, and in what form, in words, not which human wisdom taught, but which
the Holy Ghosttaught; and accompanying his ministry with his power, to the
conversion, comfort, edification, and salvationof many.
Copyright Statement
The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted
for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved,
Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard
Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography
Gill, John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "The New John Gill
Exposition of the Entire Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/1-corinthians-2.html.
1999.
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Geneva Study Bible
And my speechand my preaching [was]not with enticing words of man's
wisdom, 2 but in d demonstrationof the Spirit and of power:
(2) He turns now to the commendation of his ministry, which he had granted
to his adversaries:for his strength and power, which they knew well enough,
was so much the more excellentbecause it had no worldly help behind it.
(d) By "demonstration" he means such a proof as is made by reasons both
certain and necessary.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Beza, Theodore. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". "The 1599 Geneva
Study Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/gsb/1-
corinthians-2.html. 1599-1645.
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
my speech— in private.
preaching — in public [Bengel]. Alford explains it, My discourse on doctrines,
and my preaching or announcement of facts.
enticing — rather, “persuasive.”
man‘s wisdom — man‘s is omitted in the oldestauthorities. Still “wisdom”
does refer to “man‘s” wisdom.
in demonstration of … Spirit, etc. — Persuasionis man‘s means of moving his
fellow man. God‘s means is demonstration, leaving no doubt, and inspiring
implicit faith, by the powerful working of the Spirit (then exhibited both
outwardly by miracles, and inwardly by working on the heart, now in the
latter and the more important way only, Matthew 7:29; Acts 6:10; Hebrews
4:12; compare also Romans 15:19). The same simple poweraccompanies
divine truth now, producing certainpersuasionand conversion, when the
Spirit demonstrates by it.
Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text
scannedby Woodside Bible Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-BrownCommentary is in the
public domain and may be freely used and distributed.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on 1
Corinthians 2:4". "Commentary Criticaland Explanatory on the Whole
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfb/1-corinthians-
2.html. 1871-8.
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Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
Not in persuasive words of wisdom (ουκ εν πιτοις σοπιας λογοις — ouk en
pithois sophias logois). This looks like a false disclaimeror mock modesty, for
surely the preacherdesires to be persuasive. This adjective πιτος — pithos
(MSS. πειτος — peithos) has not yet been found elsewhere.It seems to be
formed directly from πειτω — peithō to persuade, as πειδος — pheidos (πιδος
— phidos) is from πειδομαι — pheidomai to spare. The old Greek form
πιτανος — pithanos is common enough and is used by Josephus (Ant. VIII. 9.
1) of “the plausible words of the lying prophet” in 1 Kings 13. The kindred
word πιτανολογια — pithanologia occurs in Colossians 2:4 for the specious
and plausible Gnostic philosophers. And gullible people are easymarks for
these plausible pulpiteers. Corinth put a premium on the veneerof false
rhetoric and thin thinking.
But in demonstration (αλλ εν αποδειχει — all' en apodeixei). In contrastwith
the plausibility just mentioned. This word, though an old one from
αποδεικνυμι — apodeiknumi to show forth, occurs nowhere else in the New
Testament.
Spirit (πνευμα — pneuma) here can be the Holy Spirit or inward spirit as
opposedto superficial expressionand power (δυναμις — dunamis) is moral
powerrather than intellectual acuteness (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18).
Copyright Statement
The Robertson's WordPictures of the New Testament. Copyright �
Broadman Press 1932,33,Renewal1960. All rights reserved. Used by
permission of Broadman Press (Southern BaptistSunday SchoolBoard)
Bibliography
Robertson, A.T. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Robertson's Word
Pictures of the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/rwp/1-corinthians-2.html.
Broadman Press 1932,33.Renewal1960.
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Vincent's Word Studies
In demonstration ( ἐν ἀποδείξει )
Only here in the New Testament. Lit., a showing forth.
Copyright Statement
The text of this work is public domain.
Bibliography
Vincent, Marvin R. DD. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Vincent's
Word Studies in the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/vnt/1-corinthians-2.html.
Charles Schribner's Sons. New York, USA. 1887.
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Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes
And my speechand my preaching was not with enticing words of man's
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
And my speechin private, as well as my public preaching, was not with the
persuasive words of human wisdom, such as the wise men of the world use;
but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power - With that powerful
kind of demonstration, which flows from the Holy Spirit; which works on the
consciencewith the most convincing light, and the most persuasive evidence.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website.
Bibliography
Wesley, John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "John Wesley's
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/1-corinthians-2.html.
1765.
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Abbott's Illustrated New Testament
In demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; that is, with power and energy
imparted by the influences of the Holy Spirit.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Abbott, John S. C. & Abbott, Jacob. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4".
"Abbott's Illustrated New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ain/1-corinthians-2.html.
1878.
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Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
4.And my preaching was not in the persuasive words. By the persuasive words
of man’s wisdom he means that exquisite oratory which aims and strives
rather by artifice than by truth, and also an appearance ofrefinement, that
allures the minds of men. It is not without goodreason, too, that he ascribes
persuasiveness( τό πιθάνον) (109)to human wisdom. For the word of the
Lord constrains us by its majesty, as if by a violent impulse, to yield obedience
to it. Human wisdom, on the other hand, has her allurements, by which she
insinuates herself(110)and her blandishments, as it were, by which she may
conciliate for herselfthe affections of her hearers. With this he contrasts the
demonstration of the Spirit and of power, which most interpreters consideras
restrictedto miracles;but I take it in a more generalsense, as meaning the
hand of God powerfully exercisedin every way through the instrumentality of
the Apostle. Spirit and power he seems to have made use of by hypallage,
(111)( καθ ᾿ ὑπαλλαγὴν,)to denote spiritual power, or at leastwith the view of
showing by signs and effects in what manner the presence ofthe Spirit had
shown itself in his ministry. He appropriately, too, makes use of the term
ἀποδείξεως, (demonstration;) for such is our dullness in contemplating the
works of God, that when he makes use of inferior instruments, they serve as
so many veils to hide from us his influence, so that we do not clearly perceive
it. On the other hand, as in the furtherance given to Paul’s ministry, there was
no aid furnished from the flesh or the world, and as the hand of God was as it
were made bare, (Isaiah 52:10,)his influence was assuredlythe more
apparent.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Calvin, John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Calvin's Commentary
on the Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/1-
corinthians-2.html. 1840-57.
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John Trapp Complete Commentary
4 And my speechand my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
Ver. 4. With enticing words] Religionis not a matter of parts, words, or wit.
The devil cares not for the sons of Sceva’s adjurations. Abana and Pharphar
may cleanse, but Jordan only cancure. God’s holy things must be handled,
Sancte magis quam scite, with fear and reverence, rather than with wit and
dalliance. Let ministers setout the work of God as skilfully and adornedly as
they can, but still aim at the winning of souls. Let not the window be so
painted as to keepout the light. (The Saint’s Everlast. Rest.)Some frothy
discourses are like children’s babies, that when you have takenawaythe
dressing, you have takenawayall; or like beautiful pictures, which have much
costbestowedon them to make them comely and desirable to the eye; but life,
heat, and motion there is none. O pulchrum caput! sed sensus non inest, Oh
beautiful head but no feeling there, said the ape in the fable. Prudentibus viris
non placent phalerata, sedfortia, said Bishop Jewel, who everloved a manlike
eloquence, but not that which is effeminate. No more did Reverend Mr
Samuel Crook, but ever shunned those more gay and lighter flourishes of a
luxuriant wit, wherewiththe emptiest cells affectto be most fraught, as they
who for lack of wares in their shops set up painted blocks to fill up vacant
shelves. (Clark’s Lives; Life of MasterCrook, by W. G.)
In demonstration of the spirit] With demonstrations fetchedout of the very
marrow of the Scriptures. It must be an elaborate speechthat shall work upon
the conscience.A man must enlighten with his own other men’s
understandings, and heat by his own other men’s affections. Sivis me flere,
&c. (Horat.) Bonaventure’s words in preaching were non inflantia sed
inflammantia, not high-swelling, but inflaming his hearers. (Mr Clark’s Life
of Bonav.)
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Trapp, John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". John Trapp Complete
Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/1-
corinthians-2.html. 1865-1868.
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
1 Corinthians 2:4. But in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power— There
were two sorts of arguments wherewiththe Apostle confirmed the Gospel;the
one was, the revelations made concerning our Saviour by types and figures,
and prophesies of him under the law;the other, the miracles and miraculous
gifts accompanying the first preachers of the Gospel, in the publishing and
propagating of it. The latter of these St. Paul here calls power, the former he
terms the Spirit; and so 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 2:14. The things of
the Spirit of God, and spiritual things, are things which are revealedby the
Spirit of God, and not discoverable by our natural faculties. Locke. The
Archbishop of Cambray, instead of enticing words of man's wisdom, renders
the Greek Persuasive discourses ofhuman wisdom.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Coke, Thomas. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". Thomas Coke
Commentary on the Holy Bible.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tcc/1-corinthians-2.html.
1801-1803.
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Expository Notes with PracticalObservations onthe New Testament
Here our apostle goes on, declaring after what manner he did, and did not,
preach the gospelof Christ to the Corinthians.
Note, 1. How he did not preach unto them: he tells us, that his preaching was
not with enticing words of man's wisdom; that is, his preaching was not
garnished with human eloquence, did not consistin rhetoricaltropes, was not
accompaniedwith the witty insinuations of artificial learning, which pleases
the ear, but affects not the heart: therefore the apostles did not, like
rhetoricians and orators, polish their discourses withan affectedcuriosity and
exactness oflanguage:but although they came in plainness, yet not in
rudeness of speech;our apostle's preaching at Corinth was greatand serious,
pious and ardent, plain and profitable. With what brevity, without darkness;
with what gravity, without affectation;with what natural eloquence, without
meretricious ornament, were St. Paul's discourses!A minister's words ought
not to be instantia, but inflammantia; not high-swelling, but heart-in-flaming
words.
Note, 2. How the apostle did preach unto the Corinthians; namely, in the
demonstration of the Spirit, and of power;that is, the doctrine he preached
was accompaniedwith, and confirmed by, the miraculous gifts of the Holy
Ghost, to convince them that Jesus was risenfrom the dead, and was made
Lord of all, whom therefore they ought to believe and obey; he did not go
about to bewitchmen with eloquence, nor to entangle their minds by subtle
reasonings, but he offered to men a sensible proof and demonstration of the
truth of what he delivered, in those strange and miraculous operations to
which he was enabledby the Holy Ghost.
This demonstration of the Spirit accompanying the preaching of the word, we
are not now to expect; but the ministry of the word is still attended with a
divine power of the Spirit, enlightening the understanding, and persuading
the conscience;which may be calleda demonstration of the Spirit, because the
evidence of truth is no longer disputed or contradicted, but the ministry of the
word is still attended with a divine powerof the Spirit, enlightening the
understanding, and persuading the conscience;which may be called a
demonstration of the Spirit, because the evidence of truth is no longer
desputed or contradicted, but the understanding assents to the word as true,
and the will embraces it as good.
Note, 3. The reasonassignedby the apostle why he preachedthe gospelin and
after this plain and in artificial manner, namely, That their faith should not
stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God; that is, that your faith
or belief of the gospelshould not seemto be obtained by human wisdom and
eloquence, but be ascribedto a divine power, influencing such weak means as
my plain preaching was amongstyou; it is the praise of omnipotency to work
by improbabilities: God delights to do greatthings by weak and unlikely
means, knowing that the weaknessofthe instrument redounds to the greater
honour of himself, the principal agent.
Human faith is an assentto any thing credible, as credible upon the infallible
testimony of God, and is grounded on, and resolvedinto, the evidence of
divine revelation. Upon this footstood the Corinthians' faith, not in the
wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Burkitt, William. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". Expository Notes with
PracticalObservations onthe New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wbc/1-corinthians-2.html.
1700-1703.
return to 'Jump List'
Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary
4.] And (not adversative, as Olsh., but following naturally on the weakness,
&c., just mentioned—‘as corresponding to it’) my discourse and my
preaching ( λόγος of the course of argument and inculcation of doctrine,
κήρυγμα ofthe announcement of facts. This (De W.) is better than with Olsh.
to understand λ. as his private, κ. his public discourse:see Luke 4:32, and ὁ
λόγος τ. σταυροῦ, ch. 1 Corinthians 1:18) was not in (did not consistof, was
not setforth in, see ref.) persuasive ( πειθός = πιθανός, πειστήριος, πειστικός
in Greek. The var. readings have been endeavours to avoid the unusual word,
which howeveris analogicallyformed from πειθώ, as φειδός from φείδομαι,
as Meyer) words of wisdom ( ἀνθρωπίνης, a gloss, but a correctone.
“Corinthia verba, pro exquisitis et magnopere elaboratis, etad ostentationem
nitidis,” Wetst.), but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: i.e. either,
taking the genitives as objective, demonstrationhaving for its object,
demonstrating, the presence or working of the Spirit and PowerofGod (so
Estius, Billroth, al., and the gloss ἀποκαλύψει):—or, taking them subjectively,
demonstration (of the truth) springing from the Spirit and Powerof God (so
most Commentators. I prefer the latter. It canhardly be understood of the
miracles done by the Spirit through him, which accompaniedhis preaching
(Chrys, al., Olsh.), for he is here simply speaking ofthe preaching itself.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Alford, Henry. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". Greek Testament
Critical ExegeticalCommentary.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hac/1-corinthians-2.html.
1863-1878.
return to 'Jump List'
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
1 Corinthians 2:4. λόγος, speech)in private.— κήρυγμα, preaching)in
public.— πειθοῖς)enticing, a very appropriate term, to which the antithesis is
in demonstration. Didymus quotes this passage,Lib. 2 de Spir. S. Jerome
translates πειθοῖς λόγοις, with persuasions,(18)so that there should be an
apposition, πειθοῖς λόγοις [ πειθοῖς being regarded as a noun]. It comes in this
view from πειθὼ, to which πειθή is a kindred form. Hesychius has πειθή,
πεισμονὴ, πίστις.— σοφίας, of wisdom) He explains in the following verses,
what the wisdom is, of which the speechesandarguments are to be set aside.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Bengel, JohannAlbrecht. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". Johann
Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jab/1-corinthians-2.html.
1897.
return to 'Jump List'
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
Either here Paul’s speechand preaching signify the same thing, (expressedby
two words), or else speechreferreth to his more private conferences and
discourses with them, and preaching signifieth the more public acts of his
ministry; neither of them was
with the persuasive or enticing words of man’s wisdom. What these
persuasive words of man’s wisdom are, will quickly appearto any that
considers there are but two human arts that pretend to any thing of
persuading; rhetoric, and logic, or the art of reasoning. Rhetoric persuadeth
more weakly, working more upon the affections than upon the understanding
and judgment. Logic, or the art of reasoning, more strongly, working upon
the understanding and judgment, and teaching men to conclude from connate
natural principles. Now, saith Paul, my preaching was neither of these ways, I
neither studied neatand fine words and phrases, nor did I make it my work to
demonstrate gospelpropositions to you from principles of natural reason.
Object. Ought not then ministers now to use such words?
Answer. A learned popish writer saith, that "at that time it was the will of
God that his ministers should use plain speech;but it is otherwise now;the
using of words studiously composedand ordered, being now the ordinary way
to persuade others." But:
1. After this rate any thing of the will of God may be evaded; it is but saying,
that it was the will of God indeed then, but not now.
2. The thing is false. It was then, as much as now, the ordinary way of
persuading to use rhetoricalphrases and rational demonstrations.
3. Although now this be the ordinary method of persuading men of learning
and capacities,yetfor the generalityof people it is not so.
4. The apostle’s reasonholds now as much as ever. It is the wayto make
Christians’ faith stand in the wisdom of men, not in the power of God.
Object. Ought then ministers to use no study, but talk whatevercomes at their
tongue’s end, and to use no reasonto prove what they say?
Answer. By no means.
1. It is one thing to study matter, anotherthing to study words.
2. Nay, it is one thing to study a decencyin words, another to study a gaudery
of phrase. It is an old and true saying, Verba sequuntur res:Words will follow
matter, if the preacherbe but of ordinary parts. In the study of words we have
but two things to attend:
(1) That we speak intelligibly, so as all the people may understand.
(2) That we speak gravelyand decently. All other study of words and phrases
in a divine is but folly and vanity.
3. We ought to use our reasonin our preaching;but reasonworks two ways:
(1) Either making conclusions from natural and philosophical principles;
(2) Or, from Scriptural principles. We ought to study to conclude as strongly
as we canwhat we say from principles of revelation, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual, but not from all natural and philosophicalprinciples; for
so we shall conclude, there is no Trinity in the Unity of the Divine Being,
because, according to natural principles, three cannot be one, nor one three;
and againstthe resurrection, because there can be no regress from a privation
to a habit, &c.
4. Again, it is one thing to use our natural reason, ex abundanti, as an
auxiliary help to illustrate and confirm what is first confirmed by Divine
revelation; another thing to use it as a foundation upon which we build a
spiritual conclusion, or as the main proof of it. Paul’s preaching was in words
intelligible to his hearers, and decentenough, and with reasonenough, but not
concluding upon natural principles, nor making any proofs of that nature the
foundation upon which he built his gospelconclusions.
But in demonstration of the Spirit; by which Grotius and some others
understand miracles, by which the doctrine of the gospelwas atfirst
confirmed; but Vorstius and many others better understand by it the Holy
Ghost’s powerful and inward persuasionof men’s minds, of the truth of what
was preachedby Paul. All ministers’ preaching makes propositions of gospel
truth appear no more than probable; the Spirit only demonstrates them,
working in souls such a persuasionand confirmation of the truth of them, as
the soulcan no longer deny or dispute, or withstand the conviction of them.
And of power: by this term also some understand the power of working
miracles;but it is much better by others interpreted of that authority, which
the word of God preachedby Paul had, and preachedby faithful ministers
still hath, upon the souls and consciencesofthose that hear it. As it is said,
Matthew 7:29, Christ taught them as one having authority. And it is said of
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Holy spirit preaching

  • 1. HOLY SPIRIT PREACHING EDITED BY GLENN PEASE 1 Corinthians2:4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasivewords, but with a demonstrationof the Spirit's power, BIBLEHUB RESOURCES Spiritual Power 1 Corinthians 2:4 J.R. Thomson Language like this sometimes refers to those special, supernatural gifts which were bestowedupon the members and officers of the Church in the apostolic days. But, as the apostle is speaking ofthe gospelofthe cross ofChrist and of its moral and spiritual effects, it seems reasonable to take the very strong expressions here employed as referring to the Divine vigour and energy accompanying the Word of salvation. I. CHRISTIANITYIS THE DISPENSATION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. The Jews wouldhave receivedit had it been a dispensation of miracle and prodigy; the Greeks,had it been a dispensationof rhetoric and philosophy. But God's Spirit has his ownmode of operation, withheld from the apprehension of carnalnatures. The same Spirit who abode upon the Saviour at his baptism, rested as the Spirit of truth and illumination upon the inspired
  • 2. apostles, andas the Spirit of poweraccompaniedtheir word to the hearts of men. He is from above, as the Breath, the Wind, the Fire, the Dew, the Rain, the Dove of God. II. HUMAN SOULS ARE THE FIELD OF THE OPERATIONSOF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Christianity is no mechanicalreligion; its ends are not to be securedby any external conformity; it does not consistin buildings, ceremonies, priesthoods, etc. He only understands the nature of Christ's purposes who can join in the consecrationand confession - "I give my heart to thee, O Jesus mostdesired; And heart for heart the gift shall be, For thou my soul hast fired. Thou hearts alone wouldst move; Thou only hearts dostlove; I would love thee as thou lov'st me, O Jesus mostdesired!" III. THE GOSPELIS THE IMPLEMENT AND WEAPON OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. God's Spirit approaches man's spirit in every true, pure, and lofty thought, in every revelation of pity, love, and sacrifice. ButGod's mind is made known with specialreference to man's position and needs in "the truth as it is in Jesus."It is because the Spirit is in the Word that the Word is living and powerful, and sharper than the two-edgedsword. IV. FAITH AND REPENTANCE,OBEDIENCEAND HOLINESS, ARE THE POWER AND DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Here we have "the witness of the Spirit," telling us that the source ofsuch streams is above. Here we have "the fruits of the Spirit," telling us whence is the life which embodies itself in such results. Doubtless under the convictionof the Spirit there present themselves displays of feeling, deep and signal. But the greatand reliable proofs of the presence and actionof the Divine Spirit are to
  • 3. be sought in those moral effects which canbe tracedto no inferior cause. The weeds sow themselves;but an abundant and precious crop is witness to the skill and the energy of the husbandman. V. RESPONSIBILITYIS INVOLVED IN THE PRESENCEOF THE SPIRIT OF GOD. 1. The preacher of the gospelis reminded that his reliance should be, not upon his owngifts, but upon the Word and Spirit of God. 2. The Church of Christ is admonished neither to "quench" nor to "grieve" the Holy Spirit. 3. The hearer of the gospelis warned that to refuse the gospelis to rejectthe Spirit; and deliberately, persistently, and finally to do so is to sin againstthe Holy Ghost. - T. And I was with you in weaknessand in fear. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 The apostle's discouragements Canon Evans. St. Paul was laden with a messagethat would seemhomely and jejune beside a fine-spun rhetoric. Come from Athens, where he had partly failed, to make at Corinth a fresh attempt to confront the grandeur of Greek philosophy with the simplicity of the gospel, was enoughto make him timid. Of this contrasthe was daily conscious,and the weaknesshere describedwas ethical, not physical. He was naturally anxious, lest in poising the plain argument of the Cross againstthe colossalfabric of a seatedphilosophy, he might fail: was a David armed with such a pebble to prevail againsta Goliath in such a panoply? But in his "fearand tremblingthe apostle was encouragedby a vision of God's presence and his own duty (Acts 18:9).
  • 4. (Canon Evans.) The feelings of a faithful minister J. Lyth, D. D. I. THEIR CHARACTER — often — 1. Intense. 2. Painful. II. THE OCCASION OF THEM — a sense of — 1. The importance of his work. 2. His own insufficiency. 3. His responsibility. 4. The tremendous issues. (J. Lyth, D. D.) And... preaching was not with enticing words,... but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Enticing words It is related of Dr. Manton that, having to preachbefore the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London, he chose a subject in which he had an opportunity of displaying his learning and judgment. He was heard with admiration and applause by the intelligent part of his audience; but as he was returning from dinner with the Lord Mayor, a poor man, following him, pulled him by the sleeve of his gown, and askedhim if he was the gentlemanthat preached before the Lord Mayor. He replied he was. "Sir," saidhe, "I came with the hopes of getting some goodto my soul, but I was greatly disappointed, for I could not understand a greatdeal of what you said; you were quite above my
  • 5. comprehension." "Friend," saidthe doctor, "if I have not given you a sermon, you have given me one: by the grace of God, I will not play the fool in such a manner again." Some displeasedand one converted The Rev. John Cotton was an eminent minister of the seventeenthcentury, who laboured for many years at Boston, in Lincolnshire. When at the University of Cambridge, he was remarkable for learning and eloquence;and being called upon to preach at St. Mary's church in that town, high expectations were raisedas to the characterofthe sermon. After many struggles in his own mind, arising from the temptation to display his talent and learning, and from a powerful impressionof the importance of preaching the gospelwith all simplicity, he at length wiselydetermined on the latter course. The vice-chancellorand students were not pleased, though a few of the professors commendedhis style; but his sermonwas blessedto the conversion of Dr. Preston, who became one of the most eminent ministers of his day. Effective preaching J. Lyth, D. D. I. NEEDS SO DISPLAY. 1. This does not exclude the use of knowledge or talent. 2. But the ostentatious exhibition of it. 3. Which helps nothing. 4. But damages much. II. DEPENDSON DIVINE POWER. 1. The convincing energy of the Holy Spirit. 2. The saving powerof the truth.
  • 6. III. REQUIRES THE COMMUNICATION OF THE SPIRIT. 1. To the preacher. 2. To the hearer. (J. Lyth, D. D.) Flowerypreaching Hall was once askedwhathe thought of a sermonwhich he had just heard delivered, and which had appearedto produce a greatsensationamong the congregation. His reply may suggestanimportant hint to some Christian ministers — "Very fine, sir; but a man cannotlive upon flowers." Force the main consideration in preaching C. H. Spurgeon. I had tried to drive certain long brass-headednails into a wall, but had never succeeded, exceptin turning up their points, and rendering them useless. When a tradesman came who understood his work, I noticed that he filed off all the points of the nails, the very points upon whose sharpness I had relied; and when he had quite blunted them, he drove them in as far as he pleased. With some consciences ourfine points in preaching are worse than useless. Our keendistinctions and nice discriminations are thrown awayon many; they need to be encountered with sheerforce and blunt honesty. The truth must be hammered into them by main strength, and we know from whom to seek the needed power. (C. H. Spurgeon.) Popular and apostolicalpreaching J. Lyth, D. D.
  • 7. I. POPULAR. 1. Is distinguished by display, attractiveness, novelty. 2. Aims at pleasing and sensationaleffect. II. APOSTOLIC. 1. Plain. 2. Unvarnished. 3. Accompaniedby the convictions of the Spirit and the saving power of God. (J. Lyth, D. D.) Paul's preaching and the blessing that attended it J. H. Evans, M. A. I. "THE SPEECHAND PREACHING" OF THE APOSTLE. 1. His greatsubject was the gospel. He was a greatpreacherof the law; for no man preaches the gospelwho does not preachthe law, and our appreciationof the gospelis always in direct proportion to our real perception of God's holy law. But that which Paul delighted in was the gospel. He preached in all His fulness a full Christ; he exhibited Him in the glory of His person, in all the perfection of His atonement, in all the freeness ofHis free-grace salvation. And he preached it largely, and whereverhe went. He preachedit holily too; he set it forth in all its holy tendencies, and he exhibited it in its holy effects in his ownlife (1 Thessalonians1:5). 2. His manner was "not with enticing words of man's wisdom." His subject was grand, awful, sublime, wondrous; but his speechwas plain, simple, unadorned, and homely. No glare and glitter were his, no traps for human applause, no desire to be thought a man of great talent; the gifted apostle was above it. How does this show to us what sortof preachers we want! We do not mean that the apostle did not suit his speechto those to whom he spake, forhe became all things to all men, &c.
  • 8. II. THE BLESSING THAT ATTENDEDIT. "In demonstration of the Spirit and of power." 1. Many understand by this the miraculous gifts that Paul was able to exhibit, as proof that he was an apostle of Christ. That be wrought miracles, is quite clear;and that they were greatseals to his ministry is also quite clear (Romans 15:18). But the Word of God tells us that signs and wonders may be the means of hardening those who work them. Besides, a continuous miracle would cease to be a miracle; and the mightiest could never of itself convert one single soul. 2. More marvellous things than those that wrought in the triumph of God over matter are wrought when He triumphs over mind. The apostle setforth the truth to men's understanding, but the Holy Ghost conveyedthe light into their minds; he spake to men's consciences, but the Spirit conveyedthe tenderness of heart, and made the word' effectual. Here is no violence, no new faculty, no new truth; but the Holy Ghost put forth His power, and brought in demonstration (Colossians1:5-6;1 Thessalonians1:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). 3. The power of the gospelis demonstrated — (1)In the conversionof the sinner. (2)In the comfort of the mourner. (3)In the sanctificationofthe believer. (4)In the hour of death. (J. H. Evans, M. A.) Powerlesssermons G. Pentecost. Many a powerful sermonso calledis a powerless sermon, becauseofthe absence from it of what is invisible. The gospelpreachedwithout poweris like a cloud, without rain; there is a promise of rain, but there is no water of life,
  • 9. and no springing up of the seedthe result. The gospelpreachedwithout power is like a well with all its arrangements for drawing perfect — but without water. (G. Pentecost.) True power lies in the gospelitself Hipponicus, intending to dedicate a costly statue, was advisedby a friend to employ Policletus, a famous workman, in the making of it; but he, being anxious that his greatexpense should be the admiration of all men, said that "he would not make use of a workmanwhose art would be more regarded than his owncost." When, in preaching the greattruths of gospelsalvation, the enticing words which man's wisdom teachethare so much sought out that the art of the oratoris more regardedby the hearers than the value of the truth spoken, it is no wonder that the Lord refuses to grant His blessing. He will have it seenthat the excellencyof the power lies not in our speech, but in His gospel. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the powerof God. Faith J. Lyth, D. D. 1. Upon what does your faith stand? 2. Where ought it to stand? 3. Why should it stand there? (J. Lyth, D. D.) True faith
  • 10. J. Lyth, D. D. I. CANNOT BE PRODUCED BYTHE WISDOM OF MAN. 1. He may convince by the force of argument or persuasion. 2. But such a faith is — (1)Impure. (2)Unsettled. (3)Inoperative. II. DEPENDSUPON THE POWER OF GOD. 1. Through the operation of the Spirit. 2. This — (1)Heals the conscience. (2)Converts the soul. (3)Sanctifies the life. III. SHOULD BE THE END OF ALL PREACHING. 1. The preacher should aim at it. 2. The people should desire it. (J. Lyth, D. D.) The domain of faith H. Allon, D. D. I. THE DOMAIN OF FAITH IS TO BE DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT OF HUMAN WISDOM,
  • 11. 1. Men are ever confounding the two. Faith, they think, is simply the intellect in its ordinary processesdealing with religious things. The man who rejects Christianity does it on this ground. "I cannot," he says, "reasonouta demonstrative proof of Christianity; therefore I refuse to believe it true." Becausefaith cannot stand in the wisdom of man, it cannot, he thinks, stand at all. Now, according to the apostle, faith stands in "the power of God." What is the difference? 2. How do we know things?(1)By sensible proof. If I put my finger into the fire it burns me; if I hear music it delights me. This is the proof which my body furnishes concerning things that appealto it. I do not reasonabout them; no spiritual or moral sympathies are calledinto exercise. I prove them exactly as a brute does.(2)By rational proof. If a man tells me that two and two make four, that a whole is greaterthan its part, my senses,my religious feeling have nothing to do with the proof — it is a process ofpure reason. A brute could not prove anything in this way. A rational man must believe on such evidence.(3)Moralproof. When I see moral qualities in a man, I instinctively receive impressions concerning him. I say he is a kind man, a true man, a reverentialman. If he be a hypocrite, he may deceive me; but that does not affectthe validity of this method of proof. Life would be impossible if we could not trust men until we had collectedevidence about them. We are always trusting men whom we know nothing about, because ofthe moral judgment of them which we form. 3. Now, this distinction of different kinds of proof will carry us a long way in understanding the domain of faith as distinguished from that of intellectual wisdom. When God speaks religious things to me, He does not appealto my physical senses.He does not appeal to my reason, as the multiplication table does, as a proof in logic does; He appeals directly to my religious sense. Is not this religiouslytrue, pure, suitable? And my religious sense responds, as the eye responds to light, understanding to intellectual truth, the heart to love. Men who are "of the truth" respond to moral truth when they see it. 4. Now, the strong tendency is to interchange these methods of proof. "I can believe nothing," says the materialist, "that I cannotprove." Quite true; neither ought you. "Aye, but I mean that I cannot prove by processesof
  • 12. reason," whichis quite another thing. Suppose the brute should say, "I will believe nothing which I cannot prove by the senses.I will not believe in your mathematical astronomy, your subtle chemistry." And is he not as much justified in denying your rational proof as you are in denying my spiritual proof? Your rational proof belongs to a higher nature than his; my spiritual proof belongs to a higher nature than mere reason. Whatcan reasondo with moral qualities? You cannotreasonout right and wrong; you cannotby reasonprove love, or purity, or goodness;you can only feel them. You tell me that you have explored nature, but cannotfind God; as wellmay the surgeon conducting a post-mortem examination tell us that he cannotfind the pure patriot, the loving father. How can he detect moral qualities by physical tests? 5. We are always trying to get above the domain of mere matter into that of reason. How the painter and the poet idealise nature; change actual colour and form into glorious ideals!How the philosopher uses them for the creation of a science!How the economistuses them for an economyof sociallife! And so we are always trying to getabove the domain of reasoninto the domain of faith. It is the necessityof our nature to think about goodand evil, to form moral judgments about things. There is another tendency which is always dragging the spiritual down to the sensual;but all men agree to call this wrong moral feeling; Christianity calls it sin. 6. Faith, then, is that quality of our spiritual nature which, when it hears God's truth, sees God's purity, feels God's love, simply and implicitly believes it. It does not wait for processes ofreasonto prove it, any more than the eye waits for processesofreasonto prove light, or the heart for processesof reasonto prove love. But, it may be said, does not this make faith irrational? Certainly not. It simply goes farther than reasoncango, sees things that reasoncannotsee, feels things that reasoncannotfeel. When a truth of God is spokento me — first, my senses are exercised;next, my reason — it judges the meaning of the words, of the thought, then it delivers the sentiment to my spiritual faculty. Is it religiouslytrue, suitable, and precious? Simple reason could not pronounce upon this; but my religious heart does. I am told of the existence ofa God; my senses cannotrecogniseHim, my reasoncannot demonstrate Him, but my spiritual nature confessesHis existence, justas the heart confesseslove. I am told of the Incarnation; neither sense nor reason
  • 13. can prove it; but my religious consciousness testifiesthat it is preciselywhat my condition needed. So with the atonement — the regenerationofthe Holy Spirit, the resurrectionof Christ; and the immortal life that He gives. II. How DID PAUL SET FORTHCHRIST? (ver. 1). Not as a rhetorician, or a moral philosopher. Why not? There is no merit in abjuring reason, whenit is a process ofreasoning that has to be conducted. But it was not an argument that Paul had to conduct; it was a testimony of Godthat he had to bear. It was not a science ofreligionthat he had to construct;it was a simple factthat he had to declare. Menknew all about sin; he did not need to prove that they were sinful. Men earnestlycraved to know "what they must do to be saved." He did not need to reasonabout that. And he simply declaredthe greatfact that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners";that was all he said, but that was enough. Thus, receiving his testimony to the Divine fact, the faith of these men "stoodnot in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Christ, then, is to be preached, and His atonement setforth by bearing testimony. It is the cry of a herald rather than a philosophicalargument. The physician does not need to prove to the sick that they need healing; he needs only say, "Wilt thou be made whole?" Preaching Christis simply setting Him forth as the greatgift of the Father's love. They who hear the testimony have only to trust in the crucified Christ for forgiveness and life. And when so believing God's testimony we receive Christ, and have experience of His redeeming grace, our"faith stands in the powerof God."We have the witness in ourselves— a certainty and strength of belief which is like the consciousness of life; argument cannot disturb it. Christ is "formed in us"; we "know whom we have believed.(H. Allon, D. D.) PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
  • 14. BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD Dr. W. A. Criswell Zechariah 4:1-6 1-9-66 10:50 a.m. You who share our services ontelevisionand or radio are listening to the services ofthe First BaptistChurch in Dallas. This is the pastor bringing the messageentitled By the Spirit Of The Lord. It is a message as we enterthe greatestand most extended and most intense effort to carry out God’s will for His people that we have ever tried or dedicatedto Him. We have chosena title for the whole endeavor. We callit the "TellDallas" appeal, orcampaign, or crusade, or program. It is our proposal, with the help of the Lord, to extend a personalinvitation to every lostman, every lost soul in this city, to give himself personallyto the Lord Jesus. It comprises four months. This month of January is one of commitment on our part. The month of February is one of intensive training. It shall center largelyround a lay institute of evangelism. The month of March is the month of witnessing and soulwinning. We will have a young team, two brothers, here to work with us sevenhours, sevendays out of every week forthat whole month. Then the month of April, the fourth month, will find us in our Palace Theaterservices, and in our Easterservices, and in our JewishWeek of Evangelism. All of this is a progressivelyintensive dedication on our part to carry out the assignmentGod has committed to us. It involves many details and many programs, many organizationalefforts. There will be very much of the entire organized directed life of this church poured into that effort. And this messageis in keeping with that endeavor. It’s not going to be a messageas you might think. In fact it is about the opposite of what you might expect. But it is apropos, it is most pertinent, it is most needed. It is a weaknessofthe human flesh to depend upon man’s might, our ingenuity, our wisdom. What we attempt is something that man cannot do; it
  • 15. is something that God must do through us. And our whole program, our every organized endeavor, our whole and total effort must be in the power and in the Spirit of God. As Paul avowedto the church at Corinth: And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellencyof speechor of wisdom, declaring unto you the oracles ofGod. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, andin fear, and in much trembling. And my speechand my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the powerof God. [1 Corinthians 2:1-5] Howevermuch wisdommight dwell among us, and howeveringenious our organized effort might be presented, yet finally and ultimately it must be a work from heaven. And that’s the messagethis morning. If you’d like to turn in your Bible to the text, you will find it in the fourth chapter of Zechariah the prophet. Zechariah, almostto the end of the Old Testament, and the reading is this: And the angel that talkedwith me came again, and wakedme, as a man that is wakenedout of his sleep, And said unto me, What seestthou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his sevenlamps thereon, and seven pipes to the sevenlamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
  • 16. So I answeredand spake to the angelthat talkedwith me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the angelthat talkedwith me answeredand said unto me, Knowestthou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answeredand spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. [Zechariah 4:1-6] That’s the text, and that is the prophetic message forus today, no less than it was to Zerubbabel, the political leader, and to Joshua, the spiritual leader. "Forthese," saidthe Lord, "are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth" [Zechariah 4:14]. The backgroundof that prophecy is most familiar to you. In the return of that raggedand wretched remnant out of the Babylonian captivity to the PromisedLand, they acceptedan assignmentfrom God to rebuild the city destroyed, to rebuild the temple destroyed, to rebuild the nation destroyed [Ezra 3:8-9; Nehemiah2:17-18]. And as Zerubbabel the political leader, and as Joshua the spiritual leader, facedthat task, it seemedimpossible. Their enemies were so fierce, and their hands were so weak, andthey were so wretchedly poverty stricken. But God had assignedthem; they were the seed for the blessing of the whole earth, and had the message diedin them, it would have died from among men. So returning from the rivers of Babylon, where they had satdown in tears and despair [Psalm137:1], they acceptedGod’s assignmentto rebuild the nation, to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, and to rebuild the holy temple [Ezra 3:8-9; Nehemiah 2:17-18]. But as they facedso enormous a task, Godraised up Haggaithe prophet and Zechariah the prophet; and the [sixth] chapter of the Book ofEzra describes their preaching. And Ezra writes, "And we prospered under the preaching of Haggaiand Zechariah" [Ezra 6:14]. And as
  • 17. Zechariah delivered to the people the vision and messageofGod, the heart of it is my text: Thus saith the Lord to Zerubbabel, and to Joshua, the two anointed ones that stand before the God of all the earth [Zechariah4:14], thus does He speak, lo ve chayil, – lo ve chayil, lo ve chayil, lo ve chayil – Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord [Zechariah 4:6]. What an astonishing message. Whatdoes that lo ve chayil, what does that mean? Lo, "not," emphatic, ve, "in," chayil, what is that? Chayil, that refers to tremendous organized might, the accumulation of wealth and riches, and armed hosts, a whole army, tremendous might; all that man in the aggregate and composite could do; Lo ve chayil. It’s the kind of a thing that is told in the Book of Samuelwhen the Philistines came like the sand of the sea and shut up Israelin their mountain home. And there stoodin front of them their giant champion named Goliath. And he cursed God, and he defamed the hosts of the Lord, and he challengedany man to come out and representthe Lord of heaven, and he would crush him in the dust of the ground [1 Samuel 17:4-10, 23]. And there came out to face him, and to face the whole vast host of Philistia, a boy, not old enoughto shave, beautifully countenanced, ruddy-faced, dressed like a shepherd as though he had come from following the flock from the back side of the field [1 Samuel 17:32, 42]. And when Goliathlookedupon him, he said, "Am I a dog that my challengeris a boy with staves in his hands?" talking of the shepherd’s staff that he bore. "Why," said that giant Goliath, "this very minute I will feed your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field" [1 Samuel 17:43-44]. Why, just to look at him was enoughto terrify a man and to hear his voice of thunder to bring fright to the soul. But that ruddy-faced teenage boy, who’d lived with God shepherding the flock, answeredthe challengerof Philistia and said, "Thoucomestto me with a sword, and a spear and a shield: but I come to you in the name of the Lord God of the hosts whom thou hast defied!" [1
  • 18. Samuel 17:45]. Lo ve chayil! Notby power, not by armed might, not by hosts, armies, and all of the gatheredstrength of which man is capable. Lo ve choach, ve choach, lo ve choach, I lookedup that choach;it’s on a root verb that means "to pant, to exert." The victory will not come, says God, in even our panting and our extreme exertion. Lo ve choach;it’s the kind of a thing that comes from God. When the people of the Lord were pressed againstthe sea – to one side of them the desert, to one side of them the mountains, and back of them the hosts of Pharaoh – and the Lord opened the sea, no man, no group of engineers, no ingenuity of which we’re capable could do that; God does that! Lo ve choach, not by our straining and our panting. God opens the sea [Exodus 14:21]. It’s the kind of a thing as when the walls of Jericho fell down; God did that [Joshua 6:20]. The kind of a thing that crownedthe armies of Gideonwith victory, God did that [Judges 7:15-23]. Lo ve choach, not by panting and exertion. "But by My Spirit," ruach, My breath, "saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6], for this assignmentof Zerubbabel and Joshua was a greatassignment[Ezra 3:8-9], and it must be wrought in the arm and strength of Jehovah Almighty God. Could there be addressedto us today, as a people living in this tragic hour, could there be addressedto us a more pertinent prophecy from the mouth of the Lord? "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none beside" [Isaiah45:22],"Notby might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6]; a callto place the center of our thought, and life, and vision, and effort not in us, but in God! Like Galileo, who with his telescopeoverthrew the Ptolemaic systemof astronomy that had been taught in every schoolin the earth for thousands of years;Ptolemy had taught, the greatastronomer, the Ptolemaic systemhad taught that the earth was the center of the universe, and the sun and the stars revolved around this earth. And Galileo said, "Notso. But the center of the earth is that burning fiery orb in the skies, andthe earth is but a satellite around the sun." That’s what we need in our thought and vision today; not man the center, but God the center! And oh how desperatelydo we need it in our worldview, and in our vision, and in our future, and in this program of life that we are in; the road down which we are traveling.
  • 19. What a bleak prospect, to leave, to read Godout of this present world! And here we are living with atomic bombs, and hydrogen bombs, and mad maniacs who defy God! It wouldn’t be amiss to describe our presentworld like a racerthat is running down the highway of the universe, mad! What a prospect. What a prospect. The militarists say that we are preparing for the most devastating of all wars. "Getready," that’s what he says. And the economistsays that we are facing inevitable economic monetary pressures that will destroy ultimately all of our values. And the historian says that we are facing the collapse ofcivilization. And the criminologist says that our people shall rot at the core. And the psychiatrist and the psychologists saythat the human spirit cannotstand modern tensions. Then the whole world is panting after a garish, materialistic paganism. And I read where a man said, "All of the cosmeticsofthe world cannot hide the pallor of death that wrinkles the face of this present generation." Whata prospect! What a vision! Leaving God out! Nothing left but what these prophets of modern day doom describe as catastrophic and abysmal despair. We need to lift up ourselves God-ward, heavenward. We need it in our theology. What a place to preach "Christian atheism," that they call it in the seminaries and in the pulpits of the churches of Christ, avowing in modern sophistry that God is dead! "He once was, but He is not anymore." Oh! How we need it in our persuasionof confidence and trust, "Notby power, nor by might, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6]. When Israel, when Judah, was surrounded on every side, Isaiahthe prophet stoodup. And the people were panting after every alliance and every answer outside of God. And Isaiah came and preached, saying, "In returning and in rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence is your strength" [Isaiah 30:15]; looking to God, to God. And I had you read the one hundred eighteenthPsalm [Psalm 118:1-29], you read just a part of it. That is the psalm that the people sang when, in their wretchedmisery and poverty, they laid the foundations for the temple, when they returned back with Zerubbabel and Joshua from the Babylonian
  • 20. captivity [Ezra 3:10]. They sang the one hundred eighteenth Psalm when they laid the foundation [Ezra 3:11]. And it is a song and a psalm of heroic trust in God! [Psalm 118:1-29]. "Lo ve chayil, lo ve choach, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6]. Now may we speak of us in this endeavor and in this congregation? If we have time, I shall speak ofit as the church, as the preacherand the pulpit, and as the conversionof the soul. First, as the church; there is one thing that you will find in all Christian history, and it is this: in those eras and in those days when the powerand presence and Spirit of Godhas waned among His people and has ebbed from His churches, it is in those days that you will find the people striving in every possible way to make up for the absence ofthe presence and powerof God. System, technique, program, all kinds of ingenious man-made devices;and you will also find that they inevitably contribute even more to the dryness, and unfruitfulness, and sterility of the churches of God. Oh, what a dearth when we apotheosize practicalthings, and deify techniques, and depend upon organized genius to bring life from the dead, when only God canraise the dead! All must be baptized in the Spirit and in the powerof the Lord [Acts 1:5, 8]. Simplicity and spirituality and prayer are ever our ultimate strength. What wings are to the bird, what feet and legs are to the deer, what breath is to the body, what an engine is to a car, what electricityis to the dynamo, the Spirit and presence ofGod is to the work of His churches in the earth. And without Him, we fall into all kinds of divisiveness, and we break apart, and we fragmentize, and our words have no unction and no power. Not only that but we are dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord for the warm matrix in which life canbe born and come to the birth. God chose to form life, not in a snow bank, not in a refrigerator, but God chose to form life in the blood-bathed warm matrix of a human body, in tears, in travail, in suffering, and sometimes in death; warm, blood-bathed. How far awaythe conceptionof so many of the churches of the Lord, great monuments in stone and an advertisementin its steeple and bulletin board,
  • 21. that here is a congregationof Christ and a church of the Lord. But on the inside, it is cold, and frigid, and sterile, and conservative, and removed, and ritualistic, and ceremonial. And nobody is saved, and nobody is moved, and nobody is born again. It is the Spirit of God breathing upon a congregation that brings warmth and life to the people [Philippians 2:1]. Our greattheologianEdgarYoung Mullins, president of the seminary at Louisville, president of the World Alliance, one time told the story of a little monkey tied to an organ grinder. And the little fellow gotaway; the little monkey escapedin some way and in the dead of winter, in one of those great cities in the Northeast, the little thing was freezing to death. Jumping upon the ledge of a window sill, the little thing saw a fire burning inside the house, ran around the house, found a way entrance, and there stood in front of the fire with his little paws outstretched to warm himself, but cried continuously and piteously and froze to death in front of the fire, "For," said Dr. Mullins, "the fire was painted on a screenin front of the hearth." And churches are like that. We have an announcement, "This is the house of God." We have the architecture proclaiming, "This is a church of Christ"; but inside there’s no fire, and there’s no warmth, and there’s no life, just death. The only difference betweenan iceberg that sent the Titanic down to the bottom of the sea and the great bosomof the oceanthat carries the commerce of the world is temperature, that’s all; temperature, warmth; the presence of God, and the feeling of the nearness of the Lord visiting, walking, moving, speaking, inviting, guiding, pleading among His people. May I speak ofit briefly in the pulpit? "Notby might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6]. As you, I listen to many preachers, and they have different effects upon me. As a youth, I made a journey one time to New York City to listen to the greatestpreacherin the world. And he was that, deservedly; most brilliant man I ever heard, a glorious preacher. But the effecthe had upon me was, "Whata brilliant man, a brilliant man."
  • 22. Another pastor in another one of our greatcities, and as I listened to him, the effecthe had upon me was, "How winsome, and how lovable, and how affable, and how nice and fine." Another, in one of our greatcities, the impression he made upon me was a man who is sociallyconscious. All of the problems of capital, and labor, and race, and poverty, and need, and government, and all the things involved in socialamelioration, he was very sensitive to them. And I had the impression as I listened to him that this was a man who would make a fine political leaderof a certain kind, of a certain departure. That’s the impression he had upon me. And others, some of them I have the impression that, "Oh, they are scholarly," and some of them academic and intellectual, and some of them philosophical, and just on and on and on. But out of some, I bring to mind one who above all others I just thank God for in my own life, and when I’d hear him, and without exception, always, that feeling was left in me. There was in him a seeking note, a searching prayer, an invitation of love and mercy. And when I heard him, I wishedthat I could have been saved all over again. I wishedthat I could go down the aisle all over again. I just wished that I could go for people who wouldn’t go. I just had that feeling of, "O God, that everything in me might outflow to Thee." That’s the kind of a preacher that we need in the pulpit. One that’s academic, yes;trained, yes; intellectual, yes; scholarly, yes; able and winsome and affable, yes; but O God, mostly for a preacherthat can bring a messageto our souls and press upon our hearts the invitation of the Lord. I want to illustrate that in two ways; one, in the testimony of a man in this last century and the other in the life of the preacherthat speaks to you this morning. I’ve done my best to find a thing that I read and filed away. But I’ve searchedmy library in every way I know to turn, and I can’t lay my hands upon it. Consequently, the recounting to you is somewhatin a summary, and some of it I can’t quite fit togetherexactly. But it goes something like this. In this last century, there was an illustrious, and gifted, and learned, and scholarlypastor of the Fifth Avenue PresbyterianChurch of New York City.
  • 23. And upon a day, in the providence of God, he presented at the morning worship hour to deliver God’s message a layman by the name of DwightL. Moody. And the minister writes in this thing that I read, in his testimony, he said, "After I presentedMr. Moody, and satdown in the pulpit, and I heard him, and he beganto speak," he said, "my soul died within me. His grammar was atrocious, and his sentence structure was unforgivable," and the way he pronounced proper names was unlike anything he’d ever heard in his life. "And as I satin the pulpit and listened to the man as he began to speak," he said, "I thought, oh, my congregationwill be offended, and they will charge me with bringing a man in the pulpit that ought to be out there on the curb." But he said, "To my amazement, as the man began to speak, insteadof being offended or disgusted, they began to listen, and men beganto sit on the front of the pew, and they turned their whole souls and hearts on every word that the man said. Why," he said, "it was an astonishing thing to me!" Then as he wrote about it, he said, "And something happened in my heart as I listened to that man speak, uneducated, unlearned, but with a message fromheaven!" And he said, "In the after days as I analyzed it," and my best remembrance of it, he used the word "overtone";he said, "Beyondthe grammar, and beyond the sentence, andbeyond the structure and the homiletics, I sensedthe overtone of the presence and the voice of God in the messenger." And he said, "Thereafter, whenI’d listen to a man preach, I would listen for the overtone, beyond the grammar, or the structure, or the homily, the voice of God speaking." That’s whatI mean, not just syllable, and sentence, and paragraph, not just the delivering of a sermon, of an address, but the presence, and experience, and power, and moving of the Lord God! "Notby power, not by might, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6]. May I speak ofit in my own life? A few days ago, they said, "We want you to come out and speak to the chapelat the Dallas BaptistCollege, ournew school here in the city." So I made my way out there to speak at the chapel service. And as I thought, and I suppose anybody would, I had a little chapel talk that I was going to make to the students out there at their service. When I arrived, the president met me, and he said, "Now we are wanting you to make an
  • 24. invitation today, make an appeal today." Why, I said, "I didn’t come out here to extend any invitation or any appeal." "Oh," he said, "We hope you will. We hope you will." Well, I just hadn’t planned or thought of any such thing, much less prayed towardit. So when I went in with the students to the assembly, there’s a whole line of them there. And they shook my hand as they spoke to me, and they said, "Pastor, we have never had an appeal. We’ve never had an invitation extended in a chapel service, not yet. And we’ve been praying that today God would speak through you, and that you would give an appeal and press an invitation." It’s in a different world; to getup and to make an address at a chapelservice or a speechat a club is one thing, but to address yourselfto the human heart, that it might be moved toward God, is in another world! It’s something else. And it comes not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God [Zechariah 4:6]. And that’s the effort to which we have dedicated ourselves. Why, the assignmentthe Lord hath given us is impossible to men, for who can raise the dead? The finest medical science, allthat human mind could know and human hand could do, we just observe our dying, and when they are gone, we dig a grave and lay our beloved out of our sight, for no man can raise the dead. Thatbelongs to the power and the Spirit of the Almighty, to raise the dead. Yet the Scriptures avow that we are dead in our trespassesand in our sins; we are lost [Ephesians 2:1]. And for a man to be savedis to be born into the kingdom of light. He’s regenerated. He’s remade. And that regenerationand that resurrectionno science andno man’s hands are able to do. It is a work of God! [Ephesians 2:4-9]. Yet the Lord hath assignedus to do it. But He has told us how: "Not by might, lo ve chayil, not by force," howevermuch we might organize and be strong, "Notby might, nor by power, lo ve choach," howeverwe might struggle and pant towardit, "but by My breath, by My Spirit, says the Lord" [Zechariah 4:6]. And one whisperedword of the Holy Spirit in a man’s heart is more powerful to the regenerationofthe soul than ten thousand sermons. My brethren, we
  • 25. don’t choose betweenthis or something else. We castourselves upon the mercies of God, or we fail [Romans 12:1]. We are shut up to God. It is a work of His divine hands [Ephesians 2:8]. And before the humblest, smallest little child that needs to be saved, I’m powerless, forGod only can convertthe soul [Philippians 2:13]. So our men and our people and our leaders in the church say, "Now, pastor, we’re going to ask our people to commit themselves to this heavenly assignment. We’re going to ask them all to do it. But we want you to do it like this. First, let our deacons commit themselves, and our junior board to commit themselves. Thentomorrow night, we’ll ask the superintendents to commit themselves;then the following Wednesdaynight our teachers to commit themselves;then the following Sunday all of our people in Sunday schoolto commit themselves;and then the following Lord’s Day, every member of the church to commit himself." Casting ourselves upon the mercy of God, "Lord, this shall we attempt to do for Thee. God bless it and use it." They have a little threefold thing here. "I commit myself to pray every day"; and we call can do that. Not one of us but could ask God to bless our soul- winning appeal, carrying out the assignmentof the Lord for us. "I will pray every day." The secondone, "I’ll commit myself to witness every day, as the Holy Spirit might lead." Some of us may hesitate. We’re timid and hesitant, but most of us can, and the others of us still canpray and maybe God do something for us. "I’ll commit myself to witness daily, as the Holy Spirit would open a door to speak a goodword for Jesus." The third one, maybe a lot of us would hesitate, but many of us will do our utmost, "I’ll commit myself to lead at leastone to Jesus and to be baptized betweennow and Easter." One ofour men wrote on his card, "I don’t know how I could do it, but I’ll try." Well, I don’t know how we’re going to do it either, but we can try it, and leave our word of witness and testimony in the hands of the Lord. So in keeping with this appeal, every deaconhere this morning, and every member of the junior board this morning, you are askedto stand up and come down here with the pastor. And get on your knees and give yourself to God, to pray every day, to speak a word for Jesus every day as the Spirit would
  • 26. open the door, and to lead somebody to Jesus, and to baptism in the church, if God would so honor and bless our testimony. Every deacon, everymember of the junior board, you’re askedto come, and do it now. With the pastor, get on your knees and let’s take it to God. O Lord, our Lord, Thou hast given us assignments that we cannotdo. If God should ask us to climb to heaven on a ladder, we would not be any more inept or unable. We might climb fifteen rungs, or if we made it to a hundred, we still would ultimately and finally fail. God hath given us assignments that man cannot do. Who is sufficient for these things, to save the soul? Our Lord, we castourselves upon Thy grace, upon Thy remembrance, upon Thy strong arm. Godmust help us. But our Master, we feelin our souls calledto do this. What a travesty that we’d send out missionaries to tell the gospelto other people, and neighbors up and down every streetin this city never a personalinvitation to them to love Jesus, and to find the Masterand His grace, the answerto every need in life and home, and the Savior of their souls. Lord, what has befallen us that we can live day after day, no intercession, no prayer, no burden of concernfor the whole vast city filled with hundreds of thousands who are outside of the grace and mercy of Jesus? OurLord, Thou hast committed us. Thouhas mandated us. Thou has commissionedus. Thou hast sent us, and God bless as we strive to be true and faithful to our Lord’s heavenly mandate [Matthew 28:18-20]. "O king," saidone of thy servants, "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: but in Damascus, and Judea, and throughout the empire, I have witnessedto the grace and mercy of Jesus" [Acts 26:19-20]. Lord, grant it to us as a church and as a people to be thus committed and thus faithful. And as we begin with these godly men, our chosenand ordained leaders, then Lord, extend the spirit of commitment and appealto every member and leader and family of the greatcongregation. And for every soul Thou shalt give us, for every trophy of grace we canlay at Jesus’piercedfeet, we shall thank Thee forever and praise Thee forever; in His grace and mercy, in His Spirit and in His precious name, amen.
  • 27. Now may we all stand up where we are, everybody. And Brother Lee Roy, let’s sing us a hymn of appeal, and while we sing this invitation song, a family to come into the fellowshipof the church or one somebodyyou to give himself to Jesus, "Pastor, here I am, and here I come." Out of this greatbalcony round, in this lowerfloor, into the aisle and down to the front, "Here I am, pastor, and here I come. I make it today," while we sing our song of invitation." The Wisdom of Men and the Powerof God John Piper's Installation Resource by John Piper Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 Topic: Wisdom In coming to you brothers and sisters, I come proclaiming to you the testimony of God not according to excellence ofword or of wisdom. For I decided not to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and this one crucified. I come to you in weaknessandin much fear and trembling. My word and proclamationare not in persuasive words of human wisdom but by the demonstrationof the Spirit and power, so that your faith might not be in the wisdomof men but in the power of God! I would considermy life wellspent if I could preach and live and die like the apostle Paul, who wrote these words in 1 Corinthians 2:1–5. If you would open a Bible to this passagein the New Testament, I think we could get a glimpse of what a preachershould aim at in his work and how he and his people canbe sure to hit this target. Under the Authority of the Word
  • 28. W.A. Criswell, the pastor of that giant church in Dallas, was askedone time by a man who had a business across the street: "Dr. Criswell, I thought you were the pastorof a Baptist church. How come all your people carry prayer books to church on Sunday?" Criswellsmiled and said, "Sir, we are Baptists and those are Bibles not prayer books." Baptists the world over have a reputation of urging every man and woman to read the Bible for themselves. And I want to preserve that greattradition. If I could choose a symbolic sound that Bethlehem Baptist Church would come to be known for, you know what it would be? The swish of the pages of 500 Bibles turning simultaneously to the morning and evening texts. The reasonis this: the source of my authority in this pulpit is not—as we shall soonsee—mywisdom; nor is it a private revelationgranted to me beyond the revelation of Scripture. My words have authority only insofar as they are the repetition, unfolding and proper application of the words of Scripture. I have authority only when I stand under authority. And our corporate symbol of that truth is the sound of your Bibles opening to the text. My deep conviction about preaching is that a pastormust show the people that what he is saying was already saidor implied in the Bible. If it cannot be shown it has no special authority. My heart aches for the pastor who increaseshis own burden by trying to come up with ideas to preachto his people. As for me, I have nothing of abiding worth to sayto you. But God does. And of that word I hope and pray that I never tire of speaking. The life of the church depends on it. Dr. Criswellgives an admonition to pastors which I think is right on the money, and I take it as a greatchallenge. He says: When a man goes to church he often hears a preacherin the pulpit rehash everything that he has read in the editorials, the newspapers, andthe magazines. On the TV commentaries he hears that same stuff over again, yawns, and goes outand plays golf on Sunday. When a man comes to church, actually what he is saying to you is this, 'Preacher, I know what the TV
  • 29. commentatorhas to say; I hear him every day. I know what the editorial writer has to say; I read it every day. I know what the magazines have to say; I read them every week. Preacher, whatI want to know is, does God have anything to say? If God has anything to say, tell us what it is.' The Aim of Paul's Ministry: Faith in the PowerofGod So let's look at 1 Corinthians 2:1–5. Paulhad spent about 18 months in Corinth on his first visit there. Now he writes his first letter to warn the believers againstbasing their faith on the wisdomof men insteadof God's power. One of the ways he does this is to remind them of what his aim was in first coming to them and how he came. First we'll talk about the aim of Paul's (and our) ministry. Verse 5: his aim, his purpose was that "your faith might not be in the wisdom of men but in the powerof God." Paul stated it againand again:"I was given the grace ofapostleshipto bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations" (Rom. 1:5). The aim of Paul's life is the aim of mine. And it should be the aim of every pastor, every seminary intern, every Sunday Schoolteacher, and every believer who speaks to another person: to begetand build faith. But it was possible in Paul's day and I believe it is rampant in our day—in churches and TV and radio—to try to build faith by calling attention to the wrong things. This has a devastating effecton the mission of Christ and the church, as I think we can see by looking more closelyat verse 5. Why is it so crucialthat our faith not rest in the wisdom of men but in the powerof God? Does it really matter what your faith is based on as long as Christ is the object of your faith? For Paul it made a greatdifference what a preacheroffers as the basis of faith. Why? The reasoncanbe found in chapter 1. It is this: if you try to base saving faith on the "wisdomof men" it ceases to be saving faith because the content of that faith is regardedas foolishness by the world's wisdom. The genuineness of faith, and with it eternal life, is at stake in the basis we offer for faith. It is
  • 30. possible to offer a basis for faith which ruins faith. There is a kind of foundation which will destroy the superstructure of faith. That's why it is so crucial for our faith not to restin the wisdom of men but in the powerof God—becauseif it rests in the wisdom of men it is a mirage, a bogus faith. The Wisdom of Men Why? What is it about the wisdom of men which makes it destructive to faith? In verses 1 and 2 there is a contrastbetweentrying to deliver a testimony of God with superior words of wisdom on the one hand and preaching Jesus Christ as crucified on the other. Would it not be right, then, to say that for Paul the "wisdomof men" is, at least, a use of the human mind which comes up with ideas contrary to the meaning of Christ's death. Or to put it another way, if we are following the dictates of merely human wisdom, the claim that the King and Creatorof the world was executedlike a criminal because we are such horrible sinners will simply be regardedas an intolerable foolishness. Look at 1 Corinthians 1:18 for a confirmation of this. Remember, what we are asking is: What is it about the wisdom of men that makes it so destructive when we try to make it a basis for faith? Verse 18: "The word of the cross is folly (or foolishness)to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the powerof God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness ofthe cleverI will thwart. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" The wayGod made foolishthe "wisdomof the world" (which is the same as the "wisdom of men" in 2:5) is by planning a way of salvationwhich would be offensive to the wisdom of the world: namely, salvationthrough the ignominious executionof a lowly Jewishcarpenter's son turned preacher, who happened to be the Son of God. The word of the cross is foolishness to the wisdomof this world. That's why the wisdomof men is destructive to faith and why Paul was, and we should be, very eagerthat no one turn to the wisdom of men as the basis of faith but that all turn to the power of God.
  • 31. So the wisdom of men is destructive to faith because it regards the word of the cross as foolishness.But why does it? What is there about human wisdom which causes it to regard Christ crucified as folly? Paul gives us the answer, I think, in chapter 1, verses 26 and following: "Consideryour call brothers: not many of you were wise according to the flesh (i.e., worldly standards), not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose whatis foolish in the world to shame the wise." Now drop down to his purpose in verse 29: "so that no human being might boastin the presence ofGod." God has sethimself againstthe wisdom of the world so that no one might boast before God. The clearimplication is that at the rootand core of what Paul calls the "wisdomof men" is pride. So from all these verses, then, I suggestthis definition of the "wisdom of the world": it is the use of the human mind to achieve and maintain a ground for boasting before God and man. Now it begins to become really clearwhy merely human wisdom regards the cross ofChrist as foolishness. The deathof Christ on the cross is such a radicalindictment of the hideousness ofour sinfulness that human wisdom has to mount all its biggestguns to destroy the cross, lestit lose its ground for boasting. There are two possible responsesto the death of Christ for our sin: we can regard it as foolish and so maintain our self-sufficiencyand pride, or we can regard it as wisdom and die with Christ. There is only one way that leads to life. Here's how Paul expressesit in Galatians 6:14: "Farbe it from me to boastexcept in the cross ofour Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." If we put our trust in the crucified Christ for salvation, we die to the world; which means we give up every ground for boasting that the world, including our own minds, can offer. But since the "wisdomof men" is devoted100% to maintaining its ground for boasting, it will always rejectChrist crucified and attempt to defuse his power by calling him foolish. So, here is what we've seenso far: First, the goalof Paul's ministry and mine and, I hope, yours is to win and to strengthenfaith. But, secondly, it is possible to try to win faith by calling attention to the wrong things and giving a faulty basis;in this case the wisdom of men rather than the powerof God. And it's
  • 32. destructive to faith if we try to base it on merely human wisdom. The reason that this is so, thirdly, is that the wisdom of the world regards the word of the cross as foolishness andso leads men awayfrom the cross. And fourthly, the reasonthe wisdom of men regards the cross as folly is that human wisdom is the use of the mind to achieve and maintain pride, but faith in the crucified Christ is death to pride and the giving up of all grounds for boasting, except one: Let him who boasts, boastin the Lord! The Powerof God So is it not reasonable and is it not very urgent that in all our efforts to win and to strengthen faith we draw people's attention not to the wisdom of men, but to the power of God? And so now we must ask, whatis that? Chapter 1, verse 18: "The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing but to us who are being savedit is the powerof God." Verse 23 and following:"We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews andGreeks, Christthe powerof God and the wisdom of God." Therefore, the powerof God in 2:5 in which our faith should rest is the divine powerunleashed by the death of Christ to save sinners, to justify the ungodly. When Jesus was at his weakestin the agonyof the cross, God's powerwas at its strongest, lifting the infinite weight of sin and condemnation off the backs of all who would believe on him. Because Jesus died and bore the punishment of our sin, all the powerof God, who createdthe universe, was loosedfor the benefit of God's elect. As Paul said in Romans 8:32: "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, surely (by his infinite power)he will give us all goodthings with him." But don't make a mistake here. Just as the wisdom of Godis foolishness with man, so the power of God is viewed by men as weakness. Godwills it that way: chapter 1, verse 27:"God chose whatis weak in the world to shame the strong." The divine powerin which our faith rests is not the powerof a May Day in Red Square; it is not the power of big business or bloc voting; it is not the powerof personalsavvy and coolself-assertion. The powerin which
  • 33. saving faith rests is the power of divine grace sustaining the humble, loving heart and radiating out through weakness.Thatis the inimitable power that we see in Christ—meekly, humbly, lovingly mounting the cross forour sin. The powerof God's grace sustaining the humble, loving heart of Christ and radiating out through his weakness:this is the resting place of saving faith and this is the demonstration of the Spirit and power(2:4). So I commit myself as your pastorand call upon you to commit yourself as ministers in the church to act and speak in a way that will lead people to trust not in the wisdom of men but in the powerof God. The Means of Paul's Ministry: Suffering and Weakness Now let's shift the focus from the aim of Paul's work to the wayhe achievedit. I mentioned earlierthat in our day, just as in Paul's day, there are peddlers of the gospelwho seemto have forgotten that at the heart of our faith is "an old rugged cross, anemblem of suffering and shame," and that to trust Christ crucified is to be identified with him in the humiliation of his death, and that only in the age to come will we be glorified with him, and that while this age lasts we walk the Calvary road. Oh, to be sure, not without joy—indescribable joy and full of the hope of glory—but always joy in weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, calamities. Watch out for the slick preachers who never mention these things, for whom the cross is a mere tokensymbol, for whom the exceeding sinfulness of all our hearts is scarcelymentioned, who use power, wisdom, fame, and luxury to beckonthe self-centeredmiddle-class American to considerhimself Christian at no costto his pride and self-sufficiency. Contrastthe apostle Paul: 1 Corinthians 2:3, "I was with you in weaknessand in much fearand trembling." Paul would have never made it on the major networks. You remember what his enemies said of him in 2 Corinthians 10:10, "They say, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speechof no account.'" There is a brand of Christianity today that would have askedof Paul, "Whatgoodcan he do for Christ? Why, he'll just
  • 34. turn everybody off. What Christ needs is shiny people, people with education, power, status, flair. Otherwise, how are we going to be able to sellJesus to the public and get America Christianized?" Paul's question was not so much, "What goodcan I do for Christ?" but rather, "What goodcan Christ do for the world through unworthy me?" It was not, "How much powercan I muster for Jesus?"but, "How much power can Jesus show through my weakness?"Remember2 Corinthians 12:8 and following? Paul said about some specialinfirmity that he had: "Three times I besoughtthe Lord about this that it should leave me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my poweris made perfect in weakness. Iwill all the more gladly boastin my weaknessesthat the powerof Christ may rest upon me." Paul knew that, if he was to be an agentof the crucified Christ to win people to faith in him, then he had to follow the way of Calvary. That is, he had to draw people's attention not to his own power, wisdom, status or flair, but to the powerof God made perfect in weakness. He knew that if human poweror beauty or intelligence or class gotcenterstage, whateverconversions happened would not be conversions to the crucified Christ. If it is the powerof God manifest in the weaknessand death of Christ that kindles and sustains saving faith (as 2:5 says), then the way to reflect that powerin our lives for the sake of others is to carry the death of Jesus in our own bodies. This is how Paul describedthe power of his own ministry. He said in 2 Corinthians 4:7–11:"We have this treasure (of the gospel)in earthen vessels (ourweak bodies)to show that the transcendent powerbelongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecutedbut not forsaken;struck down but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus'sake so thatthe life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh." Now I hope you will understand when I say:I come to you as your pastor today with weaknesses (whichyou will learn soonenough) and in much fear
  • 35. and trembling. Not that I distrust the powerand promise of God but that I distrust myself. Not so much that I will fail—as the world counts failure—but that I might succeedin my own strength and wisdomand so fail as God counts failure. There is a kind of paradox here. We are told: Be anxious for nothing. "Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Yet Paul trembles as he undertakes to preach the gospel, I tremble at the awesome responsibility of ministering the word to this church. Is it because Pauland I lack faith? Partly, yes. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. But there is another reasonwhy we tremble. During this age in which the sinfulness of the human heart remains even among God's people, and in which the temptation to self-exaltationand self-sufficiencyis relentless, Godhas appointed that his servants tremble with a profound sense of insufficiency so that we will never forget that it is God's powerand not man's wisdom which creates andsustains saving faith." CALVIN, "4.And my preaching was not in the persuasive words. By the persuasive words of man’s wisdom he means that exquisite oratorywhich aims and strives rather by artifice than by truth, and also an appearance of refinement, that allures the minds of men. It is not without goodreason, too, that he ascribes persuasiveness( τό πιθάνον) (109)to human wisdom. For the word of the Lord constrains us by its majesty, as if by a violent impulse, to yield obedience to it. Human wisdom, on the other hand, has her allurements, by which she insinuates herself (110)and her blandishments, as it were, by which she may conciliate for herselfthe affections of her hearers. With this he contrasts the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, which most interpreters consideras restricted to miracles;but I take it in a more general sense, as meaning the hand of God powerfully exercisedin every way through the instrumentality of the Apostle. Spirit and power he seems to have made use of by hypallage, (111)( καθ ᾿ ὑπαλλαγὴν,) to denote spiritual power, or at
  • 36. leastwith the view of showing by signs and effects in what manner the presence ofthe Spirit had shown itself in his ministry. He appropriately, too, makes use of the term ἀποδείξεως, (demonstration;) for such is our dullness in contemplating the works of God, that when he makes use of inferior instruments, they serve as so many veils to hide from us his influence, so that we do not clearly perceive it. On the other hand, as in the furtherance given to Paul’s ministry, there was no aid furnished from the flesh or the world, and as the hand of God was as it were made bare, (Isaiah 52:10,)his influence was assuredlythe more apparent." STUDYLIGHT.ORG RESOURCES Adam Clarke Commentary And my speech- Ὁ λογος μου, My doctrine; the matter of my preaching. And my preaching - Το κηρυγμα μου, My proclamation, my manner of recommending the grand but simple truths of the Gospel. Was not with enticing words of man's wisdom - Ενπειθοις ανθρωπινης σοφιας λογοις, With persuasive doctrines of human wisdom: in every case I left man out, that God might become the more evident. I used none of the means of which great orators availthemselves in order to become popular, and thereby to gain fame. But in demonstration of the Spirit - Αποδειξει, In the manifestation; or, as two ancient MSS. have it, αποκαλυψει, in the revelation of the Spirit. The doctrine that he preachedwas revealedby the Spirit: that it was a revelationof the Spirit, the holiness, purity, and usefulness of the doctrine rendered manifest: and the overthrow of idolatry, and the conversionof souls, by the powerand energy of the preaching, were the demonstration that all was Divine. The greaterpart of the best MSS., versions, and fathers, leave out the adjective ανθρωπινης, man's, before σοφιας, wisdom: it is possible that the word may
  • 37. be a gloss, but it is necessarilyimplied in the clause. Notwith the persuasive discourses, ordoctrines of wisdom; i.e. of human philosophy. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "The Adam Clarke Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/1- corinthians-2.html. 1832. return to 'Jump List' Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible And my speech- The word “speech” here - if it is to be distinguished from “preaching” - refers, perhaps, to his more private reasonings;his preaching to his public discourses. Not with enticing words - Not with the persuasive reasonings ( πειθοῖς λόγοις peithois logois)of the wisdom of men. Not with that kind of oratory that was adapted to captivate and charm; and which the Greeks so much esteemed. But in demonstration - In the showing ἀποδείξει apodeixeiorin the testimony or evidence which the Spirit produced. The meaning is, that the Spirit furnished the evidence of the divine origin of the religionwhich he preached, and that it did not depend for its proof on his own reasonings oreloquence. The proof, the demonstration which the Spirit furnished was, undoubtedly, the miracles which were performed; the gift of tongues; and the remarkable conversions whichattended the gospel - The word “Spirit” here refers, doubtless, to the Holy Spirit; and Paul says that this Spirit had furnished demonstration of the divine origin and nature of the gospel. This had been by the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 1:5-7. Compare 1 Corinthians 2:5; the divine power and efficacywhich attended the preaching of the gospelthere.
  • 38. Compare 1 Thessalonians1:5 - The effect of the gospelis the evidence to which the apostle appeals for its truth. That effectwas seen: (1) In the conversionof sinners to God of all classes,ages, andconditions, when all human means of reforming them was vain. (2) in its giving them peace, joy, and happiness;and in its transforming their lives. (3) in making them different people - in making the drunkard sober; the thief honest; the licentious pure; the profane reverent; the indolent industrious; the harsh and unkind, gentle and kind; and the wretched happy. (4) in its diffusing a mild and pure influence over the laws and customs of society;and in promoting human happiness everywhere - And in regardto this evidence to which the apostle appeals, we may observe: (1) That is a kind of evidence which anyone may examine, and which no one can deny. It does not need labored, abstruse argumentation, but it is everywhere in society. Every man has witnessedthe effects of the gospelin reforming the vicious, and no one can deny that it has this power. (2) it is a mighty display of the powerof God. There is no more striking exhibition of his power over mind than in a revival of religion. There is no where more manifest demonstration of his presence than when, in such a revival, the proud are humbled, the profane are awed, the blasphemer is silenced, and the profligate, the abandoned, and the moral are convertedunto God, and are led as lostsinners to the same cross, and find the same peace. (3) the gospelhas thus evidenced from age to age that it is from God. Every convertedsinner furnishes such a demonstration; and every instance where it produces peace, hope, joy, shows that it is from heaven. Copyright Statement These files are public domain.
  • 39. Bibliography Barnes, Albert. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Barnes'Notesonthe New Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/1- corinthians-2.html. 1870. return to 'Jump List' Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible And my speechand my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Macknight's paraphrase ofthis is: Paul's discourses were neither composednor pronounced according to the rules of Greek rhetoric, yet they were accompaniedwith the powerful demonstration of the Spirit, who enabledhim to prove the things he preached by miracles.[14] Of course, there was a reasonfor Paul's renunciation of the methods of the rabble-rousers;and that reasonhe at once emphatically stated. ENDNOTE: [14] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 32. Copyright Statement James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved. Bibliography Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
  • 40. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/1-corinthians-2.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999. return to 'Jump List' John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible And my speech, and my preaching,.... As he determined, so he acted. As the subject matter of his ministry was not any of the liberal arts and sciences, or the philosophy and dry morality of the Gentiles, but salvationby a crucified Christ; so his style, his diction, his language usedin preaching, was not with enticing words of man's wisdom; with technical words, words of art, contrived by human wisdom to captivate the affections;and with bare probable arguments only, a show of reasonto persuade the mind to an assent, when nothing solid and substantial is advanced, only a run of words artfully put together, without any strength of argument in them; a method used by the false teachers, andwhich the apostle here strikes at, and tacitly condemns: but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power;partly by making use of solid proofs out of the writings of the Old Testament, indited by the Spirit of God, and which amounted to a demonstration of the truths he delivered; and partly by signs, and wonders, and miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, those extraordinary instances ofdivine power, which greatly confirmed the doctrines he preached:and besides all these, the Spirit of God wonderfully assistedhim in his work, both as to words and matter; directing him, what to say, and in what form, in words, not which human wisdom taught, but which the Holy Ghosttaught; and accompanying his ministry with his power, to the conversion, comfort, edification, and salvationof many. Copyright Statement The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved, Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
  • 41. A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855 Bibliography Gill, John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/1-corinthians-2.html. 1999. return to 'Jump List' Geneva Study Bible And my speechand my preaching [was]not with enticing words of man's wisdom, 2 but in d demonstrationof the Spirit and of power: (2) He turns now to the commendation of his ministry, which he had granted to his adversaries:for his strength and power, which they knew well enough, was so much the more excellentbecause it had no worldly help behind it. (d) By "demonstration" he means such a proof as is made by reasons both certain and necessary. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bibliography Beza, Theodore. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". "The 1599 Geneva Study Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/gsb/1- corinthians-2.html. 1599-1645.
  • 42. return to 'Jump List' Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible my speech— in private. preaching — in public [Bengel]. Alford explains it, My discourse on doctrines, and my preaching or announcement of facts. enticing — rather, “persuasive.” man‘s wisdom — man‘s is omitted in the oldestauthorities. Still “wisdom” does refer to “man‘s” wisdom. in demonstration of … Spirit, etc. — Persuasionis man‘s means of moving his fellow man. God‘s means is demonstration, leaving no doubt, and inspiring implicit faith, by the powerful working of the Spirit (then exhibited both outwardly by miracles, and inwardly by working on the heart, now in the latter and the more important way only, Matthew 7:29; Acts 6:10; Hebrews 4:12; compare also Romans 15:19). The same simple poweraccompanies divine truth now, producing certainpersuasionand conversion, when the Spirit demonstrates by it. Copyright Statement These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text scannedby Woodside Bible Fellowship. This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-BrownCommentary is in the public domain and may be freely used and distributed. Bibliography Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Commentary Criticaland Explanatory on the Whole Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfb/1-corinthians- 2.html. 1871-8.
  • 43. return to 'Jump List' Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament Not in persuasive words of wisdom (ουκ εν πιτοις σοπιας λογοις — ouk en pithois sophias logois). This looks like a false disclaimeror mock modesty, for surely the preacherdesires to be persuasive. This adjective πιτος — pithos (MSS. πειτος — peithos) has not yet been found elsewhere.It seems to be formed directly from πειτω — peithō to persuade, as πειδος — pheidos (πιδος — phidos) is from πειδομαι — pheidomai to spare. The old Greek form πιτανος — pithanos is common enough and is used by Josephus (Ant. VIII. 9. 1) of “the plausible words of the lying prophet” in 1 Kings 13. The kindred word πιτανολογια — pithanologia occurs in Colossians 2:4 for the specious and plausible Gnostic philosophers. And gullible people are easymarks for these plausible pulpiteers. Corinth put a premium on the veneerof false rhetoric and thin thinking. But in demonstration (αλλ εν αποδειχει — all' en apodeixei). In contrastwith the plausibility just mentioned. This word, though an old one from αποδεικνυμι — apodeiknumi to show forth, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Spirit (πνευμα — pneuma) here can be the Holy Spirit or inward spirit as opposedto superficial expressionand power (δυναμις — dunamis) is moral powerrather than intellectual acuteness (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18). Copyright Statement The Robertson's WordPictures of the New Testament. Copyright � Broadman Press 1932,33,Renewal1960. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman Press (Southern BaptistSunday SchoolBoard) Bibliography
  • 44. Robertson, A.T. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/rwp/1-corinthians-2.html. Broadman Press 1932,33.Renewal1960. return to 'Jump List' Vincent's Word Studies In demonstration ( ἐν ἀποδείξει ) Only here in the New Testament. Lit., a showing forth. Copyright Statement The text of this work is public domain. Bibliography Vincent, Marvin R. DD. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/vnt/1-corinthians-2.html. Charles Schribner's Sons. New York, USA. 1887. return to 'Jump List' Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes And my speechand my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: And my speechin private, as well as my public preaching, was not with the persuasive words of human wisdom, such as the wise men of the world use; but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power - With that powerful kind of demonstration, which flows from the Holy Spirit; which works on the consciencewith the most convincing light, and the most persuasive evidence. Copyright Statement
  • 45. These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website. Bibliography Wesley, John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/1-corinthians-2.html. 1765. return to 'Jump List' Abbott's Illustrated New Testament In demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; that is, with power and energy imparted by the influences of the Holy Spirit. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Abbott, John S. C. & Abbott, Jacob. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Abbott's Illustrated New Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ain/1-corinthians-2.html. 1878. return to 'Jump List' Calvin's Commentary on the Bible 4.And my preaching was not in the persuasive words. By the persuasive words of man’s wisdom he means that exquisite oratory which aims and strives rather by artifice than by truth, and also an appearance ofrefinement, that allures the minds of men. It is not without goodreason, too, that he ascribes persuasiveness( τό πιθάνον) (109)to human wisdom. For the word of the
  • 46. Lord constrains us by its majesty, as if by a violent impulse, to yield obedience to it. Human wisdom, on the other hand, has her allurements, by which she insinuates herself(110)and her blandishments, as it were, by which she may conciliate for herselfthe affections of her hearers. With this he contrasts the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, which most interpreters consideras restrictedto miracles;but I take it in a more generalsense, as meaning the hand of God powerfully exercisedin every way through the instrumentality of the Apostle. Spirit and power he seems to have made use of by hypallage, (111)( καθ ᾿ ὑπαλλαγὴν,)to denote spiritual power, or at leastwith the view of showing by signs and effects in what manner the presence ofthe Spirit had shown itself in his ministry. He appropriately, too, makes use of the term ἀποδείξεως, (demonstration;) for such is our dullness in contemplating the works of God, that when he makes use of inferior instruments, they serve as so many veils to hide from us his influence, so that we do not clearly perceive it. On the other hand, as in the furtherance given to Paul’s ministry, there was no aid furnished from the flesh or the world, and as the hand of God was as it were made bare, (Isaiah 52:10,)his influence was assuredlythe more apparent. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Calvin, John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". "Calvin's Commentary on the Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/1- corinthians-2.html. 1840-57. return to 'Jump List' John Trapp Complete Commentary
  • 47. 4 And my speechand my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: Ver. 4. With enticing words] Religionis not a matter of parts, words, or wit. The devil cares not for the sons of Sceva’s adjurations. Abana and Pharphar may cleanse, but Jordan only cancure. God’s holy things must be handled, Sancte magis quam scite, with fear and reverence, rather than with wit and dalliance. Let ministers setout the work of God as skilfully and adornedly as they can, but still aim at the winning of souls. Let not the window be so painted as to keepout the light. (The Saint’s Everlast. Rest.)Some frothy discourses are like children’s babies, that when you have takenawaythe dressing, you have takenawayall; or like beautiful pictures, which have much costbestowedon them to make them comely and desirable to the eye; but life, heat, and motion there is none. O pulchrum caput! sed sensus non inest, Oh beautiful head but no feeling there, said the ape in the fable. Prudentibus viris non placent phalerata, sedfortia, said Bishop Jewel, who everloved a manlike eloquence, but not that which is effeminate. No more did Reverend Mr Samuel Crook, but ever shunned those more gay and lighter flourishes of a luxuriant wit, wherewiththe emptiest cells affectto be most fraught, as they who for lack of wares in their shops set up painted blocks to fill up vacant shelves. (Clark’s Lives; Life of MasterCrook, by W. G.) In demonstration of the spirit] With demonstrations fetchedout of the very marrow of the Scriptures. It must be an elaborate speechthat shall work upon the conscience.A man must enlighten with his own other men’s understandings, and heat by his own other men’s affections. Sivis me flere, &c. (Horat.) Bonaventure’s words in preaching were non inflantia sed inflammantia, not high-swelling, but inflaming his hearers. (Mr Clark’s Life of Bonav.)
  • 48. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bibliography Trapp, John. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". John Trapp Complete Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/1- corinthians-2.html. 1865-1868. return to 'Jump List' Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible 1 Corinthians 2:4. But in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power— There were two sorts of arguments wherewiththe Apostle confirmed the Gospel;the one was, the revelations made concerning our Saviour by types and figures, and prophesies of him under the law;the other, the miracles and miraculous gifts accompanying the first preachers of the Gospel, in the publishing and propagating of it. The latter of these St. Paul here calls power, the former he terms the Spirit; and so 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 2:14. The things of the Spirit of God, and spiritual things, are things which are revealedby the Spirit of God, and not discoverable by our natural faculties. Locke. The Archbishop of Cambray, instead of enticing words of man's wisdom, renders the Greek Persuasive discourses ofhuman wisdom. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bibliography Coke, Thomas. "Commentaryon 1 Corinthians 2:4". Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible.
  • 49. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tcc/1-corinthians-2.html. 1801-1803. return to 'Jump List' Expository Notes with PracticalObservations onthe New Testament Here our apostle goes on, declaring after what manner he did, and did not, preach the gospelof Christ to the Corinthians. Note, 1. How he did not preach unto them: he tells us, that his preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom; that is, his preaching was not garnished with human eloquence, did not consistin rhetoricaltropes, was not accompaniedwith the witty insinuations of artificial learning, which pleases the ear, but affects not the heart: therefore the apostles did not, like rhetoricians and orators, polish their discourses withan affectedcuriosity and exactness oflanguage:but although they came in plainness, yet not in rudeness of speech;our apostle's preaching at Corinth was greatand serious, pious and ardent, plain and profitable. With what brevity, without darkness; with what gravity, without affectation;with what natural eloquence, without meretricious ornament, were St. Paul's discourses!A minister's words ought not to be instantia, but inflammantia; not high-swelling, but heart-in-flaming words. Note, 2. How the apostle did preach unto the Corinthians; namely, in the demonstration of the Spirit, and of power;that is, the doctrine he preached was accompaniedwith, and confirmed by, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost, to convince them that Jesus was risenfrom the dead, and was made Lord of all, whom therefore they ought to believe and obey; he did not go about to bewitchmen with eloquence, nor to entangle their minds by subtle reasonings, but he offered to men a sensible proof and demonstration of the truth of what he delivered, in those strange and miraculous operations to which he was enabledby the Holy Ghost. This demonstration of the Spirit accompanying the preaching of the word, we are not now to expect; but the ministry of the word is still attended with a divine power of the Spirit, enlightening the understanding, and persuading
  • 50. the conscience;which may be calleda demonstration of the Spirit, because the evidence of truth is no longer disputed or contradicted, but the ministry of the word is still attended with a divine powerof the Spirit, enlightening the understanding, and persuading the conscience;which may be called a demonstration of the Spirit, because the evidence of truth is no longer desputed or contradicted, but the understanding assents to the word as true, and the will embraces it as good. Note, 3. The reasonassignedby the apostle why he preachedthe gospelin and after this plain and in artificial manner, namely, That their faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God; that is, that your faith or belief of the gospelshould not seemto be obtained by human wisdom and eloquence, but be ascribedto a divine power, influencing such weak means as my plain preaching was amongstyou; it is the praise of omnipotency to work by improbabilities: God delights to do greatthings by weak and unlikely means, knowing that the weaknessofthe instrument redounds to the greater honour of himself, the principal agent. Human faith is an assentto any thing credible, as credible upon the infallible testimony of God, and is grounded on, and resolvedinto, the evidence of divine revelation. Upon this footstood the Corinthians' faith, not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bibliography Burkitt, William. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". Expository Notes with PracticalObservations onthe New Testament. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wbc/1-corinthians-2.html. 1700-1703. return to 'Jump List'
  • 51. Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary 4.] And (not adversative, as Olsh., but following naturally on the weakness, &c., just mentioned—‘as corresponding to it’) my discourse and my preaching ( λόγος of the course of argument and inculcation of doctrine, κήρυγμα ofthe announcement of facts. This (De W.) is better than with Olsh. to understand λ. as his private, κ. his public discourse:see Luke 4:32, and ὁ λόγος τ. σταυροῦ, ch. 1 Corinthians 1:18) was not in (did not consistof, was not setforth in, see ref.) persuasive ( πειθός = πιθανός, πειστήριος, πειστικός in Greek. The var. readings have been endeavours to avoid the unusual word, which howeveris analogicallyformed from πειθώ, as φειδός from φείδομαι, as Meyer) words of wisdom ( ἀνθρωπίνης, a gloss, but a correctone. “Corinthia verba, pro exquisitis et magnopere elaboratis, etad ostentationem nitidis,” Wetst.), but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: i.e. either, taking the genitives as objective, demonstrationhaving for its object, demonstrating, the presence or working of the Spirit and PowerofGod (so Estius, Billroth, al., and the gloss ἀποκαλύψει):—or, taking them subjectively, demonstration (of the truth) springing from the Spirit and Powerof God (so most Commentators. I prefer the latter. It canhardly be understood of the miracles done by the Spirit through him, which accompaniedhis preaching (Chrys, al., Olsh.), for he is here simply speaking ofthe preaching itself. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bibliography Alford, Henry. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". Greek Testament Critical ExegeticalCommentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hac/1-corinthians-2.html. 1863-1878. return to 'Jump List'
  • 52. Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament 1 Corinthians 2:4. λόγος, speech)in private.— κήρυγμα, preaching)in public.— πειθοῖς)enticing, a very appropriate term, to which the antithesis is in demonstration. Didymus quotes this passage,Lib. 2 de Spir. S. Jerome translates πειθοῖς λόγοις, with persuasions,(18)so that there should be an apposition, πειθοῖς λόγοις [ πειθοῖς being regarded as a noun]. It comes in this view from πειθὼ, to which πειθή is a kindred form. Hesychius has πειθή, πεισμονὴ, πίστις.— σοφίας, of wisdom) He explains in the following verses, what the wisdom is, of which the speechesandarguments are to be set aside. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bibliography Bengel, JohannAlbrecht. "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 2:4". Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jab/1-corinthians-2.html. 1897. return to 'Jump List' Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible Either here Paul’s speechand preaching signify the same thing, (expressedby two words), or else speechreferreth to his more private conferences and discourses with them, and preaching signifieth the more public acts of his ministry; neither of them was with the persuasive or enticing words of man’s wisdom. What these persuasive words of man’s wisdom are, will quickly appearto any that considers there are but two human arts that pretend to any thing of persuading; rhetoric, and logic, or the art of reasoning. Rhetoric persuadeth more weakly, working more upon the affections than upon the understanding
  • 53. and judgment. Logic, or the art of reasoning, more strongly, working upon the understanding and judgment, and teaching men to conclude from connate natural principles. Now, saith Paul, my preaching was neither of these ways, I neither studied neatand fine words and phrases, nor did I make it my work to demonstrate gospelpropositions to you from principles of natural reason. Object. Ought not then ministers now to use such words? Answer. A learned popish writer saith, that "at that time it was the will of God that his ministers should use plain speech;but it is otherwise now;the using of words studiously composedand ordered, being now the ordinary way to persuade others." But: 1. After this rate any thing of the will of God may be evaded; it is but saying, that it was the will of God indeed then, but not now. 2. The thing is false. It was then, as much as now, the ordinary way of persuading to use rhetoricalphrases and rational demonstrations. 3. Although now this be the ordinary method of persuading men of learning and capacities,yetfor the generalityof people it is not so. 4. The apostle’s reasonholds now as much as ever. It is the wayto make Christians’ faith stand in the wisdom of men, not in the power of God. Object. Ought then ministers to use no study, but talk whatevercomes at their tongue’s end, and to use no reasonto prove what they say? Answer. By no means. 1. It is one thing to study matter, anotherthing to study words. 2. Nay, it is one thing to study a decencyin words, another to study a gaudery of phrase. It is an old and true saying, Verba sequuntur res:Words will follow matter, if the preacherbe but of ordinary parts. In the study of words we have but two things to attend: (1) That we speak intelligibly, so as all the people may understand.
  • 54. (2) That we speak gravelyand decently. All other study of words and phrases in a divine is but folly and vanity. 3. We ought to use our reasonin our preaching;but reasonworks two ways: (1) Either making conclusions from natural and philosophical principles; (2) Or, from Scriptural principles. We ought to study to conclude as strongly as we canwhat we say from principles of revelation, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, but not from all natural and philosophicalprinciples; for so we shall conclude, there is no Trinity in the Unity of the Divine Being, because, according to natural principles, three cannot be one, nor one three; and againstthe resurrection, because there can be no regress from a privation to a habit, &c. 4. Again, it is one thing to use our natural reason, ex abundanti, as an auxiliary help to illustrate and confirm what is first confirmed by Divine revelation; another thing to use it as a foundation upon which we build a spiritual conclusion, or as the main proof of it. Paul’s preaching was in words intelligible to his hearers, and decentenough, and with reasonenough, but not concluding upon natural principles, nor making any proofs of that nature the foundation upon which he built his gospelconclusions. But in demonstration of the Spirit; by which Grotius and some others understand miracles, by which the doctrine of the gospelwas atfirst confirmed; but Vorstius and many others better understand by it the Holy Ghost’s powerful and inward persuasionof men’s minds, of the truth of what was preachedby Paul. All ministers’ preaching makes propositions of gospel truth appear no more than probable; the Spirit only demonstrates them, working in souls such a persuasionand confirmation of the truth of them, as the soulcan no longer deny or dispute, or withstand the conviction of them. And of power: by this term also some understand the power of working miracles;but it is much better by others interpreted of that authority, which the word of God preachedby Paul had, and preachedby faithful ministers still hath, upon the souls and consciencesofthose that hear it. As it is said, Matthew 7:29, Christ taught them as one having authority. And it is said of