Simple Message

The introduction of this passage tells us how wonderful and simple God's message is. Paul went to the Corinthians with one thing on his mind: Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. Verse 3 gives a bit of an insight into Paul's journey so far. He started out strong, but as his journey went on, he met more opposition and was at times on the run from people who wanted to kill him. From these events that have affected Paul's life, he has chosen not to focus on anything but Christ. By doing this, he allowed the Holy Spirit to work in him and through him amongst the people he met and spoke/preached to. To me, this is like a 'how to' guide on missioning. The one thing we should have our minds on is Christ, and God will do the rest. If your mind is focussed on big schemes and ideas rather than the message of Christ, then you may hinder the Holy Spirit's work. Also, by focussing yourself on Christ, you are shifting the focus of the audience away from your own 'marvelous ideas' to the true message that God wants everyone to hear.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

1Dear brothers and sisters,when I first came to you I didn't use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God's message. 2For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. 3I came to you in weakness--timid and trembling. 4And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you. 5I did this so that you might trust the power of God rather than human wisdom.