I believe that the greatest need of the church, the greatest need of the preachers and people of our day is a return to plain, Bible preaching. Preaching that is true to the Scriptures and preaching that men and women can understand, answering questions that people are asking, not answering questions that nobody cares about, but dealing with the issues that concern the people.

    Now, Paul was conscious of this; I can see that he is conscious of this need in his day. In our text he talks about his own preaching. Listen how he describes his own preaching. He is speaking to Corinth, a city that greatly appreciated enticing words of man’s wisdom, and intellectualism.

    He is talking to people who were intrigued with these things. He said, “When I came to you preaching the Gospel, I did not come with wisdom of words. I did not use worldly wisdom. I did not come with fine oratory. I didn’t come with excellency of speech.”

    “It doesn’t matter if my speech is plain and contemptible. At least you understand what I am saying,” he said. Paul didn’t come with enticing words of man’s wisdom. He didn’t come arguing and debating. Everybody wants to debate and argue.

    My friends, the kind of preaching that God blesses, the kind of preaching that God uses, the kind of preaching we need to hear is the preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is what Paul said; “I came preaching in the Spirit and in the power of God.”

    And the end of that preaching? Notice the last verse, “That your faith, shall not stand in the wisdom of men.” Some say, “I believe this because I was persuaded that it was true by a speaker I heard. He was so persuasive and he was so convincing.”

    Paul said, “I don’t want your faith to stand in my persuasion or in my argument; I want your faith to stand in the power of God that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men.”

    If one man can talk you into a position, another can talk you out of that position. If one man can talk you into a religion, then another can come along who is a better speaker or a little smarter and talk you out of that religion.

    When the Samaritan woman heard the Master, she went down into the city and she said, “Come and see a man that told me everything I have ever done. Is this not the Christ, (is not this the Messiah?)”

   They went running out and heard the Master for themselves. They turned to the woman and they said, “Now we believe, not because of your words but because we have heard him ourselves.”

    That is what Paul is saying here; “I didn’t come to you with oratory and excellency of speech and enticing words of man’s wisdom, (debate and logic, argument, and intellectualism).” He said, “I came to you in the power of the Spirit preaching the Word of God that your faith should not stand in my wisdom or in the arguments of men, nor in the schemes of men but that your faith should stand in the word and in the power of God.”

    Paul himself said, “I know whom I have believed. I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day.” It’s a personal, living, intimate, vital, union with Jesus Christ. That’s salvation!