The Preacher's Lectionary Notebook - Cross Over Cleverness
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year A)
Paul tells the Corinthians straight up that he didn’t come with “lofty speech or wisdom.” He’s honest about it. He could have tried to dazzle them with rhetoric, clever arguments, or philosophical tricks, because that city was buzzing with thinkers, sophists, and people who loved debate. But he didn’t. Instead, he came in a very simple, very human way—“in weakness, with fear and trembling.” Imagine that for a moment: the guy who would later write so much of the New Testament starts his ministry in Corinth not with confidence in himself, but with a deep awareness of his own vulnerability. That’s powerful. It’s almost as if he’s saying, “Listen, I don’t have the words or wisdom of this world to impress you. What I have is something far more important.”
And what he has is Christ. He makes it clear that his message isn’t about human cleverness, but about the power of God. Paul’s preaching is all about Jesus Christ and the reality of the cross. He wants the Corinthians to focus on the substance, not the style, because truth doesn’t need to be dressed up to be transformative. The cross, he argues, is foolishness to those who are perishing, and yet it’s the very power and wisdom of God for those who are being saved. It’s paradoxical, but that’s exactly the point. God works in ways that the world often can’t recognize. Real wisdom, the kind that changes hearts, doesn’t come from debating skills or impressive speeches—it comes from God’s Spirit.
Paul goes on to explain that the wisdom of God isn’t something we stumble upon on our own. No one in the world can truly grasp it without the Spirit. We can’t figure out God with our own cleverness or by reading all the right books (although reading good books is important). It’s revealed to us by God, through the Spirit. And here’s the kicker—the Spirit doesn’t just drop information into our heads. The Spirit helps us understand God’s deepest truths, things that are hidden from those who rely only on human judgment. Paul even points out that our minds, guided by the Spirit, can evaluate spiritual realities in a way that is impossible for someone who doesn’t have the Spirit. We have access to God’s mind in a sense—we can understand God’s plans and purposes because the Spirit is actively teaching us.
By the time Paul gets to verses 13-16, he’s driving the point home. This isn’t about human cleverness; it’s about spiritual insight. We use the words the Spirit gives us, not our own polished speech, to communicate God’s truth. And what’s amazing is that even our “spiritual” selves have access to a depth of understanding that the “natural” person simply cannot get. The natural person thinks it’s all foolishness because they can’t perceive it. But those who have the Spirit can discern all things—they can know the mind of Christ. It’s an invitation to humility and reliance, a reminder that our understanding comes not from how sharp we are, but from how open we are to God’s Spirit guiding us. Paul’s approach, simple and unassuming, models this truth perfectly. The power is not in the preacher, but in the Spirit of God working through the message of Christ crucified.
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION
How does reliance on human wisdom compare to reliance on God’s Spirit in understanding spiritual truths?
What does the message of the cross reveal about God’s power in ways the world might consider foolish?
In what ways can spiritual insight shape daily decisions and understanding of life?
Wow, you definitelly nailed the 'substance over style' point. The insight about Paul's vulnerability is so powerful. Makes you think, though, in our current info-heavy world, getting that pure message across without any cleverness feels like a real algorithm problem. Briliant take!