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Timothy: I Corinthians 2:1-8
Misconceptions about Preaching the Gospel (1)

1 And when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with excellency of word or wisdom, declaring to you the Testimony of God.

2 For I decided not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and Him having been crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my word and my preaching was not in enticing words of human wisdom, but in proof of the Spirit and of power,

5 that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

6 But we speak wisdom among the perfect, but not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, those being brought to nothing.

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, having been hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,

8 which none of the rulers of this age has known. For if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I respectfully offer You words of praise and thanksgiving. You are the God of Heaven and my Father in Heaven. Thank you for giving me another day filled with activities in ministry and reflection on the Eternal Living Word of God. I am joyful to be in Your love and grace. I am satisfied every day of my life because I know and believe that You are my Guardian. I pray to Christ for new strength for my physical body, and I pray to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding for my spirit.

I would like to present my understanding of I Corinthians 2:1-8.

I understand verses 1 and 2 to mean that when the Apostle Paul came to Corinth to preach the Gospel to them, he did not use lofty words like the orators of his time. He called his preaching of the Gospel the declaration of God’s testimony. God’s testimony is the very person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God the Word and who explains God to humanity. God’s testimony is also the preaching of the Gospel, which is the declaration of God’s love and grace for humanity. Paul came to the people of Corinth with one purpose, which was to preach nothing except Christ, and that Christ died on the cross to redeem humanity from sin.

I understand verse 3 as follows: During the 18 months that Paul stayed in Corinth to preach the Gospel, the Corinthians saw him weakened in his physical body. He may have had malaria, or he may have had chronic eye pain, which caused tears to flow and blurred his vision. According to Paul’s confession to the Church in Corinth, Christ allowed him to have an illness in his flesh that He did not heal, but only added grace to him, so he could endure. I understand that when Paul preached the Gospel, he was in fear and trembling because he was aware that Christ was by his side. He was afraid that he would not fulfill his ministry. He trembled due to the strong emotion he felt in the presence of the holy and awesome Christ.

I understand verses 4 and 5 to mean that Paul did not use rhetorical art to incite people’s hearts, nor did he rely on human wisdom. Instead, he preached what the Holy Spirit revealed to him in his mind, and he did so through the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, those who listened and believed Paul’s preaching had faith in the Gospel, relying on the illumination and impact of the Holy Spirit, not on the clever words of humans.

I understand verse 6 to mean that Paul and his companions preached the Gospel, which is about the wisdom of God in His plan of saving mankind. This wisdom does not belong to the world or to those who rule the world, such as those who have power in human society, Satan, and the demons, who are the angels who followed Satan and rebelled against God. The wisdom of the world and of those who rule the world is useless because it does not meet mankind’s greatest need, which is salvation.

I understand verse 7 to mean that the Gospel that Paul and his companions preached is the wisdom of the Triune God in the plan of saving mankind. This plan was predetermined by God before the foundation of the world. This plan was kept hidden until God the Word became human and revealed it to the world. Those who accept this proclamation receive the grace of salvation and are restored to the glory that God had predetermined for mankind.

I understand verse 8 as follows: Since those who rule the world, including humans and demons, did not know God’s plan for saving mankind, which was full of His wisdom, they crucified Christ. They thought that by killing Him, they could hide the truth about God. However, they did not realize that Christ had to die to become the atoning sacrifice for mankind. Only after His death, resurrection, and ascension did the Gospel continue to be preached, and then they understood the intention and wisdom of God in His plan for saving mankind. Some of those in power in human society are willing to accept the Gospel, but most are hard-hearted, still opposing Christ, and persecuting those who accept the Gospel. The demons, meanwhile, use humans to persecute the people of God and create many false religions to lead people astray from the truth.

I understand that only those who do not truly repent of their sins and accept the Gospel, especially those who are proud and disobedient, can be deceived by demons. Those who truly repent have the illumination of the Holy Spirit, which allows them to understand the Word of God correctly.

My beloved Father, I thank You for giving me understanding and guiding me in all the truth of the Eternal Living Word of God. I thank You for bringing me out of the religious organizations of man. I thank You for using me as a true Gospel preacher. I pray that I may always remain Yours. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
04/20/2023

Note:

[1] (a) Please note that when the term “spirit” is used without a definite article in Greek to refer to God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, it refers to their mindset and should not be capitalized. (b) If it is used to refer to humans, it refers to the human mindset aligning with God’s. (c) When used with a definite article, it refers to the spiritual essence of either God or humans.