Christ Alone…

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Cor 2:1-4)

It seems that Paul wasn’t much of a public speaker, and was much more powerful when he was writing, and he certainly knew that if there was any wisdom that came from him it wasn’t because of his strength but it was the Holy Spirit working in and through him.

I’m sure that in his day, like in ours, there were preachers and religious leaders who had a following because they sounded good. People like to follow a good public speaker, or those that would tell people what they wanted to hear. Paul, however knew that he was anointed to do one thing – tell it like it is, and not to put any spin on the truth of the gospel. He would be harsh when he knew his listeners/readers needed it. But you never doubted his love for people, and that his goal was to have God’s interests at heart.

It wasn’t because Paul was uneducated. Quite the contrary – in Acts it’s listed how well he was trained. But Paul chose to speak plainly and not resort to speaking tricks and concentrate on the very truth of what God had revealed to him, which was Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection.

This verse was a reminder to me of where all knowledge and wisdom flows. It isn’t anything you and I come up with – it’s all from God through the Holy Spirit.

May our speech and actions, especially in this Christmas season, be filled with His power, not ours.