And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
1 Corinthians 2: 1-5
Last week ended with a message concerning the foundations of our personal faith, but Paul continues the theme as it relates to the role of the pastor or teacher. Paul was concerned that the faith of the Corinthians is based on the power of God and not the smooth words of men.
I’ve heard this old quote before, but it may be worth repeating:
“When a man goes to church he often hears a preacher in the pulpit rehash everything that he has read in the editorials, the newspapers, and the magazines. On the TV commentaries, he hears that same stuff over again, yawns, and goes out and plays golf on Sunday. When a man comes to church, actually what he is saying to you is this, ‘Preacher, I know what the TV commentator has to say; I hear him every day. I know what the editorial writer has to say; I read it every day. I know what the magazines have to say; I read them every week. Preacher, what I want to know is, does God have anything to say? If God has anything to say, tell us what it is.'”
W.A. Criswell
Think about what you have heard recently. Give it some critical thought. A faith based on the teachings of men will be affected by public opinion and the latest trends. As Paul wrote, the wisdom of men pales in comparison to the power of God.
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