Reflections on 1 Corinthians 2:1–2
“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:1–2, NIV)
The Remedy says Paul did not add to their confusion with theological jargon, “but instead, I presented the truth in simple language, so even the children could understand.” Paul was one of the most learned men of his day. He could have impressed them. He chose not to.
Keep your speech simple. Simple words leave room to listen, and they allow the listener to better share what is on their heart. Using big words can cause the timid soul to draw back or shut down for fear of making a fool of themselves. Listening is how we hear the heart of the one in front of us: who they are, and what events have shaped them into the person they have become. Everyone has a back story; it is what makes us who we are. Most of us learned to deal with pain and disappointment in our early years, at a time when we had no power over what came into our lives.
So our work is not to impress but to empower. We make people strong to grow and become more by showing them the One who has all the strength and wisdom, the One with all the answers. This was Christ’s own way: “The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 143)
And what was the simple truth Paul would not move away from? Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The Remedy calls it “the simple truth about God’s character of Love as revealed in Jesus Christ and his self-sacrificing death on the Cross.” Everything else Paul taught flows out of that one picture of who God is: Love that gives itself.
The simple truth lived out is our best witness. Words can be argued with, but a life whose selfishness His truth is healing cannot. When we let Him do that work in our hearts and minds, people see the true Savior, and there is no more powerful witness for the truth.
Lord, show us more of You. Flow through us and out to this sin-sick world. We need healing, and we need Your strength to be a blessing to each one who crosses our path today.
