The fact is, we know Paul was an eloquent preacher, with a masterful use of the languages of his time period. His writings alone reveal a depth of wisdom and understanding along with the ability to communicate excellently. He was well educated and very knowledgeable. One does not need to read very long about his life to know that Paul was a person of courage and strength. The question remains: why did he describe himself in these terms when writing to the Corinthians in a letter that he calls so strongly upon his apostolic authority (see 1:1)?
This is not simply humility or self-deprecation. Rather, it is his attitude of heart and philosophy of ministry. No where does he declare that he did not possess these things, only that he refused to rely on them and was “resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” His “weakness and fear with much trembling” sprung out of his understanding of the awesome responsibility of proclaiming the divine message, and his inability to proclaim it effectively in his own power and from his own resources. The sheer magnitude of this responsibility caused him to shutter in his sandals and drove him to his knees pleading for God’s unction. The divine message, along with all ministry, requires, “God’s power.” It is all futile and fruitless unless it is a “demonstration of the Spirit’s power.” Faith in the hearer does not rise out of wise, eloquent, persuasive speeches. The cross, Jesus Christ crucified, defies mere human understanding and is scandalous to human reason. Faith rises out of the heart and mind that have been gripped by the Spirit of the Living God, revealed and working through a message proclaimed with divine unction.
Such an attitude and philosophy of ministry is not for Paul alone. This must be the attitude and philosophy of all of us. Our proclaiming, whether lay or clergy, preaching or witnessing, spoken verbally or through compassionate action, must be a “demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that their [the hearer’s] faith might not rest upon men’s wisdom, but upon God’s power.” It is essential that we not be like the Church of Laodicea telling God that “we are rich and have need of nothing” (meaning we have no need, for we know how to do it and have all the resources we need to build a church). Instead, let us be a people, like Paul, in “weakness and fear with much trembling,” falling to our knees pleading that God would anoint us from on high so that our message will be a “demonstration of the Spirit’s power” and people’s faith would rest upon God and not us!
Keep Close to Jesus.
Pastor Gerry