Barking Dogs
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Dear brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I told you the secret truth of God. But I did not use fancy words or great wisdom. I decided that while I was with you I would forget about everything except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. When I came to you, I was weak and shook with fear. My teaching and my speaking were not with wise words that persuade people. But the proof of my teaching was the power that the Spirit gives.
The message that Jesus died on a cross so that the sins of the world – yours, mine and anyone else’s who believes in Him – would be forgiven feels so jarring in the context of modern 21st century life.
On the one hand, everyone seems to have a smartphone in their pocket. On the other, here’s this ancient story of a man claiming to be God, who got Himself nailed to a cross and allegedly rose again. As I said, jarring.
But the message of Jesus has always offended people. Hey, Jesus offended people. That’s why they crucified Him. And that’s why the Apostle Paul had this to say:
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Dear brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I told you the secret truth of God. But I did not use fancy words or great wisdom. I decided that while I was with you I would forget about everything except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. When I came to you, I was weak and shook with fear. My teaching and my speaking were not with wise words that persuade people. But the proof of my teaching was the power that the Spirit gives.
The Corinthians, it seems, weren’t all that enamoured with what Paul had to say. But as Charles Spurgeon once put it: Let the dogs bark, it’s in their nature. Go on preaching Christ and Him crucified.
Sometimes we feel nervous telling people about Jesus. Paul was weak and shook with fear. Other times we feel we don’t have the words or the wisdom. But when we share the wondrous truth of the cross, here’s what we do have. The power of the Holy Spirit.
Friend, keep telling people about Jesus.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.