Testimony of a Preacher (Part 1 of 2)

God called the apostle Paul to preach the gospel to unbelievers in the first century.

His mission was clear. His approach was intentional, but what does Paul's methodology teach us about how we are to share the gospel all these centuries later today I'm truthful, I beg points out the things Paul chose to set aside so his listeners could focus on what really matters. Please turn with me to first Corinthians chapter 2, and as you turn there. Let's just ask God to help us as we seek to study these verses together.

Heavenly father, we are about to discover in these verses truth that we want to be applied in our very discovery. We want to discuss find that the Spirit of God works in our hearts beyond the power and influence of mere human words give is attentive hearts. We pray maybe listen with years that are attuned to your voice and may we be different. As a result of what we discover for. We pray in Christ name on and consider how much exchange since Paul wrote these words to the Corinthian church 2000 years of history and all the developments of science and modern technology means that we are not only thousands of miles from Corinth, but we are also thousands of years from Corinth and while everything is been changing in the minds of men there has gone along with a simultaneous thoughts that knew is largely supplanting the old and much of what is old is not only old but it is obsolete. It is no longer valid.

It certainly would no longer be useful to us today that is true. When we think of modes of communication when we think of means of transportation. When we think all the benefits and blessings of medical scientific discovery and because that is so much a part of our thinking in a vastly changing universe. It is uniquely challenging to consider the idea that while so much changes in so much that was part of Corinth would only be part of a museum today, but in the midst of all of that the message proclaimed by Paul in Corinth would be equally valid would be still the message that we needed to be proclaimed in Cleveland this morning because of the backdrop against which that notion is set. It's hard for us to actually believe that that is so, and yet when we think along other lines. We realize that people still fall in love today. The way they fell in love and people still face their destiny the way they did so long ago.

They still fight their fears. They still wrestle with sin and with guilt. Therefore, for those timeless factors in humanity. We would, I presume you need any timeless truth to answer them.

And of course that is Paul's conviction that although much of humanity had passed them by.

Before he reached the streets of Corinth. Still, he proclaimed this truth, proclaimed it in such a way that subsequent generations would lay hold of it and proclaim it also themselves was very clear about his mission. He was to preach the gospel, despite the fact that this wisdom and power represented in the gospel was regarded as foolish and weak by man and Paul is wrestled with this antithesis through these verses to the end of chapter 1.

This paradox and we are not to think of Paula some mighty man. We are not to think of them in terms of coming in. I procession into Corinth by that is the kind a little character that would have been jeered at people would've knocked him regarding his message is absolutely stupid despite if I do. Paul understood that he declares forcefully in verse 25.

The foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength that he immediately provides an illustration.

He says you want to have an illustration of this. Don't look any further than yourselves brothers he said, think of what you were when you were called. Now in verse one of chapter 2, he provides a further picture of strength revealed in weakness of wisdom conveyed in a message of apparent foolishness and it is illustrated not only in the calling of those who were in Corinth but also in the coming of the one who was involved in their calling.

So I said let me give you further illustration of the paradox. When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom so there is one central truth that he is continuing to drive home. Namely, the notion that this abiding message of the cross of Christ regarded as foolishness in Corinth and foolishness in Cleveland nevertheless remains the message and the only message which the church is given to proclaim irrespective of technological advance scientific discovery letters and consider three things. First of all, his manner then his message and finally his motivation.

He mentions the manner in which he came in verse one, and also in verse three I like for you to turn back for a moment in the book of acts to sketch in what we probably have already forgotten that when Paul arrived in this narrow neck of land.

This intersection of the trade routes of his day. This cosmopolitan commercial enterprising city. He had come out of a background that was represented not by what you would regard as the most encouraging circumstances we can take time to articulate it all, but a cursory glance at from about the 14th chapter of acts of the apostles will bear this out. By the time he gets to Philippi in chapter 16 and verse 23 he had already had his clothes stripped off him and he was beaten and he had received a flogging that was enough not only to take the wind out of him but to take the skin off his back.

That was Philippi. Gardner accurately intervenes in Philippi and he moved to Thessalonica and chapter 17 in Berea, to which he moves despite the fact that people are receiving this message with keenness his ministry is marked by agitation and by the time he reaches Athens discovers a city full of idols were told in verse 16 that he was greatly distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols. And so he goes on to Corinth out of this background now hold that kind of sketch in your mind because it will be important in a moment or two to help us understand what he saying in verse one. He tells us that in his arrival at Corinth was traveling light traveling light. What did he have in his baggage while he tells us what he didn't have and then he tells us what he had two items in particular, he decided to leave behind one eloquence and to superior wisdom. If you imagine them in common parlance of the day checking in Cleveland Hopkins and somebody said give anything to check and he said I know I just have a carry-on and they said nothing at all know he said I was going to bring a couple of things with me. I had a couple of cases that I would have checked one case was marked eloquence and the other case was March, superior wisdom, but I decided to leave them at home.

We would have a fair picture of what this verse conveys because we need to ask the question.

Is Paul saying that these factors eloquence and superior wisdom were missing because he was incapable of them is this a description of Paul incapable of doing these things, of applying this process, the answer is no, not for a moment. Paul was as gifted and is capable as any of his day. Paul stands out as someone who represents giftedness in relationship to these things and so what he is saying is not that he was incapable of them, but that he was unwilling to employ them. He was unwilling to take stock of them and to use them. Another reason that this was significant was because the style and content of the proclaimers that were represented in the Corinthian scene was committed to both these pieces of luggage if you couldn't be eloquence and if you couldn't be smart then nobody wanted to listen to you. So the temptation was to draw a crowd in much the same way. That is, I have to speak to you and I see you out there and I see some of you already nodding off and he see some of you already leafing through your bulletins and I see some of you doing all manner of things to one another.

The challenge that is there for me is how you speak to this group of people.

I want ways to do it is to manipulate them, make them laugh or make them cry. Sternum change them, move them, guide them user tricks of the trade use all the theatricals use all natural ability and simply attach them to yourself.

Paul could have done all of it was more than capable of, but he did.

He rejected the style and the content which was most acceptable in his day you said yourself, and surely that threaten the possibility of his results. Surely you would do much better if you use the methodology of the time. Didn't he risk failure. Yes, when people think he was foolish and not really smart. Yes, but did not allow him to be swayed by now now uses technical terms here the word eloquence is actually the word log us with a little bit of an adjective in front of it. But don't worry about it describes rational talk the eloquent and persuasive oration of the Greek auditors in describes a kind of proclamation which is so upfront that it obscures the content of what the individual saying that's what he saying I refused to use a mode of address that would be so in people's faces that all he could remember was the way in which I said it's and they forgot the very thing that I was called upon to say the kind of Greek oration to which he refers is not the ability of syntax is not a quote concerning his ability with vocabulary. It is not that he is unable to communicate effectively is a decision on his part, not to use the flowering junk of his day. The kind of thing that Shakespeare captures so incredibly in a number of his plays, and especially in a character which he reincarnated a number of times with different names, but he appears as the father of Ophelia in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark in June whenever the Polonius was a great orator, but he could never say what he was trying to say for stumbling over the way in which he was saying something that we had the responsibility to convey to the Queen that her son was crazy. He somehow just couldn't get to the bottom line, and so he goes at it like this Milesian madam to its postulate. What majesty should be what Judy is what ideas they end.

Night night and time is time were nothing but a waste both night and day and time, and since brevity is the soul of wit.

IPS noticed the lens and outward flourishes. I will be brief.

Shakespeare write some sort of joke, it's a joke in the play. I will be brief negatives in your noble son is not mad: I started the flame through madness. What is by doing nothing else but my name is on the backend to go on cloud around with the whole notion well again and all that he's trying to say is Hamlet's Knights that said that's his message. A queen Hamlet is nuts. By the way in which ego is acted obscures the content of his delivery and that is what Paul is referring to. I did not come into Corinth, he said and try and dance your June I come in and play your game and come in and set up my stall and stand on my balls and go at it the way you like it, I decided I wasn't doing and furthermore he said not only did I not know use long-lost but I didn't use Sophos. I didn't use Sophia, I didn't use the wisdom that they like tremendous statement concerning his strategy.

He knew that to approach them on the basis of eloquence and superior wisdom would please and would captivate them but notice this and notice carefully what he knew would please captivate. He decided not to employ now does not strike you as ridiculous.

It's supposed to because he stands against the tide of his day in doing what he did, not only in what he said. Also, in the way in which he said again. You must understand the notion is not that he couldn't, but that he wouldn't know what was missing from his bags eloquence and superior was what did he carry with while you find that in verse three.

What did he check. He checked three things weakness, fear, and much trembling. What you have to offer today apostle Paul. While he said I got some weakness and some fear and I shake a lot. Not exactly what you would call impressive if it I mean I think we think of the apostle Paul and we read back 20 centuries of modern evangelicalism. We think of the apostle Paul coming to Cleveland and staying in the Ritz Carlton getting picked up in the limo and dropped off the stadium where he will proclaim to thousands magnify the wonder of his ability get back in the limo and go back to his hotel where he will be ensconced in his room and will only entertain interviews by CNN and also his staff of reporters of determine he will meet with stupid stuff.

There's nothing like that are tall and Paul coming into Corinth, Paul came into Corinth scooter apparently trivial, strange little man when you rehash the events that we went through and that's why I went through them. A moment ago for my chapter 14 and following. You can understand why it is that he would be weak, weak. If you beat not that much do you think you'd be weak. I'm how many times can get thrown down the dungeon stairs.

Do you think that his body was wracked with the account in acts beating for dad. He was left for dead. The studies done in less stress. The people gathered around and laid hands on the spirit of God raised him up but he was finished. I'm sure there were parts of his body. If you instruct offer the shower you looked at me so happen to you said this the way my knee won't straighten. I got this and Lester when they kicked in the way my neck is here was from the back of the blow that came to me when the flop is in the jail in Philippi before the put is in the stocks I find I look as decrepit as I do, is not because I like looking this way but it is because this is the way they treated first century evangelist. There is a correlation loved ones between the takings and the power I don't know how we get added by there is no question there is a correlation between the underground church in China and their mighty power and there is a correlation between our softness and our inability to impact this culture with the gospel in the very things we run from the very things that would make as the very things that we run after the very things and making the relevancy impulse is not Intuit's in dunes he'd been through too much. He was not afraid of the context when he says that he was there in fear did. He was trying to preach all preaching all the time. Jenny was afraid of what people say get real.

Everybody said everything there's nothing more for them to say what was he afraid of, I'll tell you what he was afraid he was afraid of the fact that when he looked at himself and saw how impoverished he was when he looked at people and saw how great their need was when he looked at God and saw the calling he'd been given was afraid that he would intrude upon the proclamation in such a way that folks would be attached to him and would miss what God was saying he was afraid of. That's what I did make a preacher fearful and that is why he dumped the bags because he knew that if you give them what they wanted made by at that price and having bought it at a discounted level. It would be in a relevancy to the face the future. So here is he's running down he's a sorry sight is not the kind of individual that you expect to put face-to-face with people who admired strength and creativity and oratory, and philosophy.

Can you imagine introducing them to a group of people at the prayer breakfast in Washington DC would bring the president and we bring all powerful and mighty, who because of their high estimation of themselves believe that the only person they would ever be prepared to listen to is someone who is very powerful, very mighty, very eloquent and very why and in we trot this little converted Jew who can neither stand up straight North chooses to take them on their own game.

People are said away with this we can. He's not the kind of thing we give us what we once Paul faced the challenge in his day and we face the challenge in the day. The culture cries out is what we want the challenge of the Scriptures is whether were going to get what the Bible says they need. That was his manner of his message while he tells us he said they made to resolve the word is actually an important word, suggested that his resolve is unique to Corinth, I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except this, as opposed to other places and those of your Bible students over the years know that one of the classic interpretations is that he moves from acts 17 berries been in Athens anything quoting Paul Hansen quoting literature and doing all that stuff and and there hasn't been a great of a response in the gospel. Apparently so he decides that Baghdad is an approach he comes into Corinth and he says non-resolving to do it differently. I think that's an absolutely crazy interpretation of the Bible. I don't believe that he was doing anything differently except employing the methodology that is a distinction between when you walk down to a group of fishermen by the coast in the northeast of Scotland and you seem to engage them in conversation you're going to approach them in a very different way than you're going to engage a group of people in conversation down on Coventry Avenue in the Heights.

If you're smart you are. At any rate, you tell your part.

And that's exactly what he was doing when he wasn't Athens. He employs a strategy for these guys and intellectually grows at their level and he quotes their points, but he doesn't rely upon that strategy is merely a door of opportunity. The difficulty comes when the door of opportunity that we create, by means of our methodology transcends our message. The only reason he swung the door open so they could say the same thing happens is in the same court was he say he was complaining the testimony of God listing the Truth for Life with Alister. The message called testimony of a preacher or study.

Today is a reminder that the message of the Bible is what our world needs. That's why we teach directly from the Scriptures every day. On this program will often hear me talk about our mission which is to teach the Bible with clarity and relevance. Our conviction is that when God's word is taught God's Spirit works to convert unbelievers, turning them into followers of Christ. He also uses his word to establish those who already believe more deeply in their faith and the teaching of the Scriptures strengthens pastors and church members so they can commit themselves to the work of the gospel in their community. This is a mission.

We are passionate about. It's one we'd love for you to be part of you can do that by becoming a truth partner to partners or listeners like you who pray for Truth for Life and to give a monthly donation to help cover the cost of producing and distributing these daily messages. When you become a true partner today or when you make a one-time donation. We want to say thank you by sending you a colorfully illustrated children's book titled the God contest when you requested. This is a picture book that cleverly retells the story of Elijah and his challenge to the people of his day to believe in the one true God. You might be familiar with the story from the book of first Kings the book the God contest introduces young school-age children to Elijah and his contest calling for people to choose between the false God bail in the true God of Israel. Ultimately the story points to Jesus and invite young children to make a choice of their own. We were thrilled as we came across this book because of its faithfulness to Scripture, the God contest does a terrific job of introducing this Old Testament story in a way that's biblically solid and also entertaining. Most importantly, it invites you and your child to have a gospel conversation, you can request your copy of the book the God contest when you sign up to become a partner or when you make a one-time donation, visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate call us at 888588788 and Bob Lapine should listen tomorrow as Alister explains why we must never settle for anything less, than the one true gospel message Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living