Wisdom From the Holy Spirit

I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

As Paul described his founding visit among the Corinthians (Acts 18:1-18), he reminded them of his unimpressive personal performance. His words had been plain and his physical appearance less than forceful. He certainly remembered himself as a person driven by a message, facing an intimidating environment. He “kept it simple.” The Corinthians had responded. They were living examples of the power of the gospel.

While believers cannot rival Paul’s training or match his experiences, they must still communicate the gospel in a hostile world. When they try, they quickly learn about feeling insignificant. The resistance is real. But Paul’s example offers two valuable lessons as we share the gospel. (1) Feelings of confidence or insecurity should not be the motivation to communicate. Personal gratitude and obedience to Christ as well as compassion for others must drive our witnessing. (2) The power of the gospel does not depend on the skill or charisma of the speaker; it flows from God’s Spirit, convincing persons of the truth. Share what you know about Christ with others and let the feelings take care of themselves.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
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