I Cor. 2:4 ... "My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
The apostle Paul preached the gospel of Christ over a large portion of the Roman Empire, from Israel in the east to Rome (and perhaps even Spain) in the west. Congregations sprang up in country after country, and in city after city, and Christianity as a new religious movement became known to the average citizen in most places. We read such reports as Acts 19:10, "All who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." In the Macedonian city of Thessalonica the enemies of the Christian missionaries are said to exclaim with alarm, "These men who have upset the world have come here also," (Acts 17:6). Paul and his assistants were preaching the gospel, the power of which was noticeably transforming society, for it contained essential truth able to penetrate people's lives, perfect them in righteousness, and fill them with hope for a better future.
We might ask today, "What was the nature of the gospel which Paul and others preached to the people of their age?" In the second chapter of First Corinthians especially the apostle tells draws a contrast between human wisdom and divine wisdom. We must not think that formal education in school is a product of our modern age. The ancient world had great schools and academies where instruction was both regular and quite vigorous. Neither must we think that human science and learning were rudimentary then. Both were, in fact, advanced to a degree by the First Century that astonishes most people today when they first learn about it. Paul was evidently well versed in much of this wisdom, at least in the philosophical and literary areas. Yet, as he stood before audiences and proclaimed the gospel, he did not draw from that source to appeal to people to believe in Christ as the Son of God, to accept His doctrine as the standard for their lives, and to obey His plan for being saved from their sins. In vs. 1-2 previous to the text above he confessed, "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."
It seems that many today have chosen to ignore the message of I Corinthians 2. There are congregations that choose only ministers who have doctorate degrees. Those who might know the Holy Scriptures far better, and who might be far more skilled in their interpretation and application, are passed over because they do not have multiple university degrees. One wonders if Jesus, or Peter, or Paul, or John would be allowed to speak from their pulpits, because none of them had academic credentials. There is growing evidence that many today seem ashamed and embarrassed by the content of the Scriptures because they do not incorporate the achievements of human wisdom during the past nineteen centuries. The preacher or teacher who tends to use the Bible less and human philosophy, science, and literature more gains greater recognition and praise than the one whose purpose is "to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." Do not think this writer is anti-academic. I have seven years of university education, all with superior grades. Also, I spent forty-two years teaching mathematics and physics. Now in retirement I avidly keep busy reading volumes of philosophy, history, social science and theology. And yet, I am very concerned that so many in the church today have come to the place where they seem to honor human wisdom more than the wisdom God has revealed to us in Holy Scripture.
