(https://www.deviantart.com/cosmicgrooveart/art/Wise-Man-948242312)
I like this time slot better, Father, may I use our time together wisely and may I clearly hear Your voice. Amen.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (<<click here to read the passage)
Several years ago, we had a new couple visit our one church. They had found the Lord later in life and yet, they were solidly grounded in their relationship with Him. They asked if we could start a Bible Study and we did, meeting one evening a week.
Initially, I asked if anyone interested in participating had any ideas as to what kind of Bible Study they wanted to do – a certain series, any specific author, etc. Well, in the end, they didn’t want anything that formal, they just wanted to come together, sit around a table, read a portion of the Bible, and then talk about it. There was nothing complicated or over-the-top about it at all. We started with John’s Gospel (it took us quite a while to get through it). It was enjoyed by all, and I feel was greatly beneficial as well.
At the end of verse 1 of our text the Apostle Paul, speaking to the church in Corinth, said,
I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom [no lofty words of eloquence or of philosophy as a Greek orator might do] AMP
He didn’t want to wow them with his intellect or all the big words he might use (and believe you me, he was more than capable of doing that!). He felt it was his responsibility to communicate not in persuasive words of wisdom but in a demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit [operating through me] and of [His] power [stirring the minds of the listeners and persuading them], so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom and rhetoric of men, but on the power of God. (emphasis mine) vs4-5 AMP
I strive to be very careful when I preach. Much of what I use is from scholarly sources, and if you’ve read much of that genre, they like using big words – especially big “religiousy” words – theological writings are full of them. For example, how about the word propitiation? It means… “to offer a sacrifice that appeases God’s just judgment and righteous anger against us and our sin.” …Jesus is not simply “the propitiator” but the “propitiation.” He is what satisfies the justice of God.
It is an important word in our faith, but it is a word I would not use on my blog or from the pulpit without explaining it.
If people don’t understand it, what does it accomplish besides someone sounding super intelligent? If it is incomprehensible to some, how does it challenge or help us?
There’s nothing wrong with prepared Bible Studies, many use them, and they can be greatly beneficial, but there’s something to be said for allowing the Holy Spirit to use His Word in speaking to us. May we strive to not just let our faith rest on the wisdom and rhetoric of men, but on the power of God. Amen.
Oct 3rd, 2023, Tues, 12:34 pm
