It's Not What You Are --- It's What You Appear To Be |
Today as always, we live in a world of perception. That being the case, we are often overwhelmed with style and underwhelmed with substance. It is unfortunate that it is not much different in the Christian world where each week we are exposed to a variety of Christian dancing bears and jugglers for Jesus. During the day of the Apostle Paul, people were no different and the church at Corinth seemed to be desirous of showtime in a big-time way. However, Paul was not going to give in to their adolescent appetites. Mark it well, Paul desired to be biblically accurate and culturally relevant. But he also knew that the power of the gospel was not in the oratory presentation but in the penetrating power of the Spirit of God and His inspired word. Hear Paul’s words of sacred scripture. I Corinthians 1:17- 2:4 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void. For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 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. And 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, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. The penetration of the gospel to dead men is not dependent upon the personality of men, because the power of the gospel is not found in the presentation by men but in the message of the resurrected Christ. Demand more of your pastors and depend more on Jesus. Serving Him with you until He comes for us, Fred |