that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5 WEB
With these words, Paul finishes an explanation of his preaching from his previous meeting with the church in Corinth. Paul writes that he came to them in weakness with fear and trembling saying he only wanted to know Christ and him crucified. He states in his letter that he hadn’t used wise or persuasive words so that the faith of the listener would be in the power of God rather than the eloquence and wisdom of Paul as the messenger.
The gospel message is not about the entertainment value of the presenter. It is about the love of God and Christ’s desire to call sinners to repentance. When the preacher becomes more important than the message, confusion sets in. The danger to the church is that listeners become followers of the speaker rather than followers of Christ. This signifies concern with worldly status rather than spiritual development in the truth of Christ.
We are all familiar with the worldly trait of name dropping and status seeking. Paul addresses this issue in the next chapter of his letter. Some members of the church claim to follow Paul and others claim to follow Apollos. But Paul refrains from entertainment, eloquence, and self-promotion in his preaching style to avoid distracting from the power of God. He intends to dissuade the church from idolizing mere men.
Servants of Christ
Addressing the confusion of bragging about who persuaded them to believe, Paul asks the new believers in 1 Corinthians 3:5, “Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed; and each as the Lord gave to him? WEB” With this question, Paul humbles himself, reminding the still worldly church members that he and Apollos are servants of Christ under the power of God and not the superstars of salvation that some brag about following.
Even today, with so much competition and entertainment in religious presentations, there is danger in elevating religious figures beyond the message of salvation and service. It doesn’t matter who gave the message or what church we attend as long as the truth of the gospel is presented. What matters is that the power of God’s love, mercy, and grace is revealed through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
Prayer: “Father God: thank you for the clarity of your word. Thank you for the simple message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Help me to focus on the message in your holy word. Guide me to serve your purpose without concern for worldly advancement. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: Always Be Ready
