1 Corinthians 2: 1-5 (NLT)
Paul’s Message of Wisdom
When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.[b] 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
In reading a bunch of Paul’s letters to the church I found this letter to the Corinthians about wisdom very interesting. In my opinion Paul does a good job explaining the Gospel of Jesus in a way that fits the culture of the people at the time. I can see how his illustrations and comparison would make sense to the people of that day.
In this letter he mentioned that “I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.” He decided to forget everything (what he knew – human wisdom), except Jesus Christ. He came to the people in weakness (timid and trembling) and his message and preaching was presented very plainly. He stated that his reasoning for this was rather than using clever and persuasive speech to tell the people of God’s secret plans, he would rely only on the power of the Holy Spirit. This would ensure that the people would not trust in human wisdom but in the power of God.
This reminds me of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) “ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
In the NLT it says “9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
Can I suggest to you that the power of God is experienced in its fullness when we are weak. You see experiencing God when you get a new job and a promotion is different from when you experience God when you get laid off and don’t think you can pay your bills. I believe that the power of God can still be experienced in either circumstance but there is something powerful that happens when you are weak and allow God to take over and guide you. As the NLT says “My power works best in weakness.”
Sometimes weakness isn’t just being in a dark place. Sometimes it’s choosing to submit your ways to His. Like Paul, it could be deciding to forget about everything you know or knew about a situation or circumstance and focus on Jesus Christ. If you are like me, than being weak and being in the unknown is not a place you would necessarily choose to be in but if you desire to experience God’s power in all its fullness and perfection, than maybe you can try and position yourselves to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and not our own human wisdom as paul writes it.
I want to leave you with some questions to reflect on:
- Have you ever experienced God’s power in your life?
- How can you position yourselves daily to experience the full and perfect power of the Holy Spirit?
- What areas in your life do you have to be weak in so that God can make you strong?
2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT) “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”