Preaching in Power

2015-12-25

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and 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 power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

In America, we observe booming churches with trained orators, with thousands of adherents. We have impressive radio programs and seminars on every Biblical subject. We have many intellectual scholars that defend the faith. We are blessed to have so much preaching of the Word of God in our country.

But we do not want to neglect the primary aspect of the preaching of the Word: it is of the Spirit and of power.

Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified

Paul’s first interaction with the Corinthians was “simply” Jesus Christ crucified. By implication, I believe this preaching also included the resurrection, because the Gospel is not complete without the risen Christ. But Paul kept the message simple: Jesus died for our sins. He rose from the dead. We have passed from death to life in Jesus Christ. “It is finished” (John 19:30). This gospel is the power of our salvation (Romans 1:16).

With You in Weakness, and in Fear

Paul was not an arrogant preacher. He did not want to sway the crowd with rhetoric. The gospel itself is the power to convert the soul from death to life. Because of that, he was cautious not to put in his ideas to the message or misrepresent the Word (1 Corinthians 2:3). Paul did not want followers of himself; he wanted people to be born again, and follow Jesus.

Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power

Because of the humility of the apostle, the Spirit preached in power through Paul. The result was a group of believers that stand in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:5). Winning his audience with human wisdom would not have produced children of God, but would have rather kept them as children of the world. The preaching of the gospel produces men of faith who are established by the power of God.

Real preaching does not intentionally manipulate emotion or the intellect, though Gospel preaching may affect both. It does not necessarily come from the trained preacher. The real power of preaching is not the preacher. The power of preaching is in the Word of God itself.