^“I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Cor 2:4-5).

Such a great verse.

1) “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words” (1 Cor 2:4).

Paul says this in 1 Corinthians, but in the book of Acts we read this:

^“Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4)

What is this?  It’s not hard if you read the context.

Paul was always trying to persuade people to follow Christ.  He was open about this and it was one of the main accusations lodged against him.

What he was saying here, which is clearly contextual from v. 1, is that the words he used were not eloquence and super-wisdom words and words that were to impress.  He wanted to persuade them, but he wasn’t going to rely on human wisdom that says to use lofty words to try to get the job done.  It’s a temptation of many a preacher.

Instead he was relying on the clear message of the cross.  Forget relying upon words that impress.  None of that circular discussion endemic among the Pharisees.  Rather just simple straight forward truth:  Jesus Christ and him crucified.

2) “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power”

What did Paul mean here by a demonstration of power?  Is it miracles as the charismatics would say?  Because Paul did miracles:

• Blindness of Elymas the Sorcerer — Acts 13:8–12

• Healing of the crippled man in Lystra — Acts 14:8–10

• Casting out the spirit of divination from the slave girl — Acts 16:16–18

• Earthquake and release from prison (with Silas) — Acts 16:25–26

• Extraordinary healings through handkerchiefs and aprons — Acts 19:11–12

• Raising Eutychus from the dead — Acts 20:9–12

• Surviving the deadly viper bite on Malta — Acts 28:3–6

• Healing Publius’ father — Acts 28:7–8

• Healing many sick people on Malta — Acts 28:9

• General “signs, wonders, and mighty deeds” of an apostle — 2 Corinthians 12:12

It says this in Hebews –

“This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ⁴ God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Heb 2:3-4).

Or was it the preaching of the cross?

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:17-18).

The cross is the power of God.  It was what Paul preached.  He used the Old Testament Scriptures to demonstrate that Jesus was meant to be crucified and raised on the third day.

Could it have also been the power of God to call someone to himself and transform them?

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:9-11).

Context would lend us to believe that “the demonstration of power” was about the message of the cross.  This is the unapologetic theme here.  The word “demonstration” may lead some into thinking it was about the miraculous as well.  It’s possible.  Or perhaps it was both and more.

3) “your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Cor 2:4)

What Paul is saying here is important.  Where does our faith rest?  If it rests on human wisdom and eloquence and following a super-preacher, it will fail when hard times come.  Instead, faith should rest on God’s power.  And what is that power?

Contextually again it seems he is speaking here of the cross.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16).

Our faith rests on the cross of Jesus Christ.  It is foolishness to Greeks and a stumbling block to Jews.  Today it is mystery to the unbeliever that God could come in the flesh.

The cross of Jesus Christ is still widely contested.  People want to find a way to reject it.  Muslims will say that Jesus did not die on the cross, that it was only made to appear that he did.  Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and others say that he did die, but he died just as a normal man, a great teacher, yet one who suffered.  That he was not God in the flesh.

Regardless, Jesus is God who took on flesh, died for our sins, and was raised to life.  He is the sacrifice for our sins.  It is the power of God, the wisdom of God, the love of God, and the justice of God all in one horrific act that leads to great glory.

Put your trust in the cross.

Preach the cross.

Embrace the cross.