“But Not With Words Of Eloquent Wisdom”

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Eloquent is defined as having or exercising the power of fluent, forceful, and appropriate speech;

powerful;  passionate; touching; impressive; significant. 

We must let Christ speak in us and not to simply try and speak for Him. On our own we are only creation, but with Christ, we can do anything God asks or wills. When God calls us, His spirit speaks to us, prompts us and convicts us. When we are supposed to understand something, He will show us. It doesn’t have to be worded in a precise science and then it clicks, it has to be His prompting on our heart. Paul tells the people, “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,  so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Though Paul was clearly skillful in his use of words, he did not want to persuade anyone to come to faith in Christ because of dazzling wordplay. Instead, he wanted to present the gospel as clearly as possible and allow his listeners to be persuaded by the simple, compelling fact that the Son of God died to pay the penalty for their own sin. That powerful message should not require dazzling packaging to make an impact. Colossians 4:6 tells us, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

I come by this morning to let you know we must use words that are clear and direct and present the plain message of “Christ crucified” to save sinners. Don’t worry about sounding smart, or being impressive. That’s Apostle Paul’s whole point. He’s not saying we can’t or shouldn’t, use language well. He is saying we should use language to exalt Christ, not ourselves. Amen! Be bless and I love you!!! JE