1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Butler's Comments

SECTION 1

Unsophisticated but Dynamic (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

2 When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or Wis. 2:1-24 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; 4and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 Plain Words: The Greek love for sophisticated philippic and techniques of argumentation colored their concept of the worth of the apostolic gospel. The heroes of the Greek culture were the philosophers who spent all their time debating philosophies (see Acts 17:16-21) and displaying their expertise in eloquent use of language. The speaking was the thing with themnot the reality of what was being said. William Barclay says:

The Greek sought wisdom. Originally the Greek word sophist meant a wise man in the good sense; but it came to mean a man with a clever mind and cunning tongue, a mental acrobat, a man who with glittering and persuasive rhetoric could make the worse appear the better reason. It meant a man who would spend endless hours discussing hair-splitting trifles, a man who had no real interest in solutions but who simply gloried in the stimulus of the mental Hike.. It is impossible to exaggerate the almost fantastic mastery that the silver-tongued rhetorician held in Greece. Plutarch says, They made their voices sweet with musical cadences and modulations of tone and echoed resonances. They thought not of what they were saying, but of how they were saying it. Their thought might be poisonous so long as it was enveloped in honeyed words. Philostratus tells us that Adrian, the sophist, had such a reputation in Rome, that when his messenger appeared with a notice that he was to lecture, the senate emptied and even the people at the games abandoned them to flock to hear him.

The Greeks were intoxicated with rhetoric and eloquence. They would look on Paul's preaching of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ in simple, direct words testifying to plain historical facts as crude and uncultured. Paul says literally, And I coming to you brethren, came not according to over-hanging (high, superior) word or sophistry. Paul might have had the background to have attempted competition with the Greek sophists. He had studied for years from the most famous rabbis of Israel. He knew Greek poetry (cf. Acts 17:28). But he was not interested in eloquence.

Paul determined to speak nothing among the Greeks but Jesus Christ and this One having been crucified. He could do nothing else and be true to the gospel. That is what the gospel isthe redemptive work of Christ. The gospel is not what man must dothe gospel is what God, in Christ, has done. We know Paul included the resurrection of Christ in his preaching to the Greeks for we have a record of his having done so (cf. Acts 17:30-31; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11). Paul preached that the fulfillment of the Old Testament was the death and resurrection of Jesus accomplishing atonement and reconciliation of man to God, available through faith and baptism into Christ. Paul had no time for irrelevancies; not even for the peripheral things of life. There was only one issue for him and he determined everywhere he went, to everyone who would give him attention, he would preach the facts of the good newsChrist crucified and risen again commanding all men everywhere to repent. Without this everything else in life is irrelevant (see 1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Without this all of life is bad news. Without this all mankind is guilty before the Absolute God and sentenced to eternal damnation. No wonder Paul had no time to talk about inane and trivial matters. Not Christianity, but Christ; not a system, but the Savior; every Christian who would be faithful to God must live by the same determination (cf. Colossians 1:27-29).

Unlike many modern theologians who want to present Christ as a great teacher, the founder of a great religion, or a great example of humanity at its apex of goodness, Paul preached Christ crucified. The Greek word Paul uses, estauromenon, is a perfect participle, meaning a thing completed with a continuing result. Christ's death on the cross is unlike all other deaths in this worldit continues to be efficacious for all who will make it theirs by faith.

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 Powerful Witness: When Paul went to Corinth, he was vividly aware of his weaknesses as a human being, (see Acts 18:9). His weaknesses would include his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), his poor personal appearance (2 Corinthians 10:10) whatever that was, and what the Corinthians thought was an inadequate speaking ability (2 Corinthians 10:10). The power of Paul's address before the philosophers in Athens would seem to refute the accusation of the Corinthians about his inability to speak. That sermon on Mar's Hill is irrefutable in its logic, clear in its simplicity, and persuasive in its appeal. If Paul had any inability in speaking it must have been some physical impairment in his voice.

What were the fears and tremblings Paul had? He certainly did not fear for his life. Neither did he fear that the gospel was inadequate. Paul was apparently overwhelmed, at his first glimpse of Corinth, and the enormity of the task before him, (Acts 18:9). He was afraid people, with their prejudices and superficialities, would focus on his human inadequacies and not give ear to his message in which the power resided to transform them.

Realizing this, says Paul, my word (Gr. logos) and my message (Gr. kerugma) were not in enticing (Gr. peithos, sometimes translated plausible or persuasive) words of human sophistry (Gr. sophias). Paul did not seek to entice, trick, seduce, or psych people into faith in Christ. He would not be a peddler of God's Word (2 Corinthians 2:17). He would not use disgraceful and underhanded ways, practice cunning, or tamper with God's Word (2 Corinthians 4:2). He openly stated the truth. And that truth was Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead. There were no public relations advance-men, paid exorbitant salaries to create an image for Paul. There were no huge musical ensembles, with their amplifiers, microphones, spotlighting, and staging accompanying Paul (desensitizing men's minds so they could not think about what Paul was preaching).

His message was fact, not sophistry. Paul uses a number of Greek words in this text which emphasizes the legal and scientific nature of his message. Paul's message is historical and demonstrable as opposed to the specious theories and equivocations of the philosophers and sophists. For example, the Greek word apodeixe (translated demonstration 1 Corinthians 2:4) is a word used to describe the examining of witnesses in trials testifying to eyewitnessed evidence, or to describe the testing of ore in a crucible to provide evidence of its identity. Not only was Paul's message based on eyewitnessed proofs of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:1 ff.), it was also confirmed by the powerful demonstration of the Holy Spirit in the miracles done by Paul himself (see 2 Corinthians 12:12).

God never intended that man's faith should be based on speculations and feelings. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not speculationit is history. What we believe about God and his promises, we believe on the basis of these supernatural deeds done in time and space, in this historical frame in which we exist. The Christian's faith rests on the power of Godand that is not a power about which we theorize, but a power demonstrated in history!

All God's word needs is to be preached. It will produce faith in the mind and heart of anyone who will allow it (cf. Romans 10:1 ff.). The word of God does not need the sophistries of psychology, theology, philosophy or politics to make it relevant and powerful. It has power in itself, It is a living seed and will produce of itself (see Mark 4:26-29; Isaiah 55:10-11). It simply needs to be sown.

Applebury's Comments

Paul's Preaching at Corinth (1-5)

Text

1 Corinthians 2:1-5. And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Commentary

And I.This expression requires the reader to think of what Paul had just said about the wisdom of the world. See 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30. In the closing paragraph of chapter one he calls on the Corinthians to think of their own situation as an illustration of his point about worldly wisdom in contrast to the word of the cross. As he begins chapter two, he refers to his ministry at Corinth to confirm his position that the word of the cross is the power of God to save the believer. It is most important to keep this in mind throughout the study of this chapter.

brethren.This term should have helped the Corinthians recall the happy relation they had with the apostle and, indeed, among themselves when he first preached the gospel to them. It suggested the relationship between members of the family of the heavenly Father.

when I came.As Paul was writing, he was looking back upon his whole ministry at Corinth with its problems, its successes, its discouragements, and its hopes. The history of his first ministry at Corinth is found in Acts 18:1-17. He had just concluded his work at Athens where some had believed his message about Jesus and the resurrection. Among those who believed were Dionysius the Areopagite and woman named Damaris, and others (Acts 17:34). The expression and others is significant. How many were included in it is not known. Some have suggested that Paul failed at Athens. In the light of Luke's statement about the two people of great importance whose names he gives and the others who are not named, it would seem that there is no real ground for the supposed failure.

not with excellency of speech.Paul did not depend on the devices of oratory to win support for his message. In 2 Corinthians 11:16, he says, But though I be rude in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. He may have been looked upon by the professional orator as lacking in skill, but this would not justify the supposition that he was without adequate training for his task. In Acts 22:3, he mentions his training under Gamaliel. In Galatians 1:14, he tells of his education in the Jew's religion. Besides all this, he always depended upon the message that came to him through revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12).

the testimony of God.This may mean either God's testimony or the testimony about God. Both views make good sense in the context. The message Paul preached was God's testimony; it was the word of the cross revealed by the Holy Spirit. Only God's revealed message can cope with the problem of saving the sinner.

But it could be the testimony about God, for Paul preached Christ and Him crucified. The inspired apostles were equipped to speak this message. See Matthew 10:19-20; Luke 21:14-15; John 16:13-14. Paul, of course, had all the rights and powers of an apostle (1 Corinthians 9:1-2).

I determined not to know.The supposed failure at Athens and the statement that Paul was constrained by the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 18:5) have led some to believe that Paul changed his usual approach when he came to Corinth. But according to Acts 17:8 he did not deviate from his usual approach at Athens for there he preached Jesus and the resurrection. The sermon about the --Unknown God led to the conclusion that God will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead (Acts 17:31). The fact that he quoted some of their own poets does not mean that he was assuming the role of a Greek teacher by presenting his own system or way of life. As an educated man being used by the Holy Spirit, he made use of this opportunity to gain a favorable hearing for his message. But to mention their poets was enough. He proceeded to proclaim his message about the man God had ordained to judge the world. The message he preached at Corinth was exactly the same as the message he preached everywhere.

Jesus Christ and him crucified.Despite the fact as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 that Greeks looked at the cross as foolishness and Jews found it to be a stumbling block, Paul determined to preach nothing but the message of the cross. His determination was based on the conviction that this message was the power of God to save the lost sinner; he was convinced that it had divine approval; he knew he had been called to proclaim that message. Immediately upon his conversion in Damascus, he began to proclaim Jesus that he is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). There is no evidence that he ever deviated from this course. Paul was content to present the Way (Acts 24:14).

Let Greeks strive for excellence and skill in presenting their schemes to succeed in life, but Paul persisted in the proclamation of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. He did not need to enter into endless discussions with a view to discovering the truth as the Greeks did, for he spoke the wisdom which God revealed to him through the Holy Spirit. This message of the cross is adequate to equip man for life here and hereafter. Paul was determined to remain true to the trust that had been committed to him. See 1 Timothy 1:12-17; 2 Timothy 1:12-14. As an inspired apostle, he was a steward of the mysteries of God, and that required him to be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).

I was with you in weakness.Paul often admitted his weakness and his dependence on God (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). His whole ministry was in accord with his remark in 1 Corinthians 1:31, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

fear and trembling.He was not afraid for his own safety. See 2 Corinthians 11:24-32 which tells of the things he had suffered. For the Lord's assurance to him in the face of danger, see Acts 18:9-10. In 2 Timothy 1:12, he tells of his own confidence in face of suffering. It is quite possible that he uses the term fear and trembling in the sense in which it is used in Ephesians 6:5 which speaks of the proper attitude of respect and obedience a servant should have toward his master. Paul certainly held this attitude toward his Lord, for, as he preached the word of the cross, his concern was not for the approval of men, but for the approval of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 2:4).

faith stand in the power of God.The faith of those who were being saved rested on the solid foundation of God's revealed wisdom. It could not rest on the sandy foundation of the wisdom of men, no the miracles wrought through the apostle, demonstrated the mesmatter how cleverly they might present it. God's power, exhibited in sage to be true. For the miracles wrought through Paul, see 2 Corinthians 12:12; Acts 19:11-12.

By no stretch of the imagination could man have devised the scheme of redemption presented in the Bible. By the time the gospel was being preached in the first century, the world had been given ample time to try all of its schemes to save itself: pagan religion; animal and even human sacrifice; philosophies of some of the greatest thinkers the world had produced; and military force. All had failed. Surely the world was ready for the message of divine wisdom. Only God's power channeled into the lives of men through the gospel could save a world dead in trespasses and sin. (Ephesians 2:1).

By this careful approach in verses 1-5, Paul has prepared his readers for the next thought of the chapter: Wisdom spoken through the inspired apostles.