1 Corinthians 2 - Introduction

FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER TWO

OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY-MARK DUNAGAN

I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER TWO:

I. Paul's Approach To Preaching: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

II. The Gospel Is God's Wisdom: 1 Corinthians 2:6-9

III. The Necessity of Revelation: 1 Corinthians 2:10-13

IV. The Natural Man And God's Wisdom: 1 Corinthians 2:14-16

II. INTRODUCTION:

'It appears that Paul was not an especially good speaker (2 Corinthians 11:6; 2 Corinthians 10:10). At least, not in comparison with the rhetoricians whose one goal in life seemed to be to able to talk beautifully. And in an area where polished and eloquent talking was. big thing, Paul stood out as rude in speech. But that didn't bother him. The orators spoke and people oohed and aahed, Paul spoke of Christ and lives were transformed.' [Note:. McGuiggan p. 41]

'If the church at Corinth was rent by. spirit of schism and faction--if some were saying, "I am of Paul"; others, "I am of Apollos" or "I am of Cephas" or "I am of Christ"--Paul insists that the fault was not his own...Here he declares that even in his mode of preaching he had given no occasion for any persons to boast of Paul as their leader...Paul had been careful so to preach that by no display of human wisdom he should obscure the divine character and source of his message. He had displayed among the Corinthians no tricks of oratory, no flights of eloquence, no pretensions of philosophy, in giving them his testimony of the saving grace of God in Christ Jesus.' [Note:. Erdman p. 36]

'In every possible way Paul has tried to show them the folly of their present fascination with wisdom, which was inherent within it the folly of self-sufficiency and self-congratulation. Even the preacher whom God used to bring them to faith had to reject self-reliance.' [Note:. Fee p. 90]

III. COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER TWO: