THE KING’S BUSINESS
857
should go to them with. Paul had formed the purpose to know but one thing among the Corinthians; that one thing was, “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Paul knew perfectly well that Corinth was a center of art and science, but he knew also that however much philosophy might attract them, it could not save them and it was for saving men and not to gaining admira tion for himself that he had devoted his life. The world wants to hear something besides “Jesus Christ, and him crucified,” but that js just what it needs to hear. Some think that preaching “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” would do for the. ignorant and poor but that the learned and people of wealth need something else. Paul thought differently. History has justified Paul’s method; those who were in Paul’s day, came in excellency of speech and of wisdom have been forgotten for mahy cen turies but Paul’s words still live. Wednesday, Sept. 26 . l Cor. 2 : 3 - 5 . In himself, Paul was nothing and he fully realized this, so that he was “with them in weakness and in fear and with much trembling.” God can use a man like that (Isa. 40:29; 2 Cor. 12:9, 10; 1 Cor. 3:18). Paul, in his preaching, practiced none of the arts of rhetoric or the tricks of the elocutionist. He says “my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom” but there was some thing mightier than the skill of the rhetor ician or orator in Paul’s preaching; there was in it, “the demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” The man who has the power of the Holy Ghost in his preaching and in his words, will, accomplish vastly more than the man who has the skill of oratory (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 1 Thess. 1:5).' It was a fortunate choice on Paul’s part that he put his trust in the power of the Holy Ghost and not in rhetorical and oratorical skill. His object in this was that the faith of his hearers might not “stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” The faith that stands in the wisdom of men will go down when {
the wisdom of man goes along on the other side but a faith that stands in the power of
God will never fail. Thursday, Sept. 27 . 1 Cor. 2 : 6 , 7 .
But after all, Paul did speak wisdom; he told a very profound philosophy. There is no other philosophy so profound as the philosophy taught in the Bible. The longer one studies the Bible, the more will each feel the marvelous depth of the philosophy therein taught. This philosophy, however, is “not of this world nor of the rulers of this world.” It does not have its origin in them; men would never have fought it out. It is a philosophy not of man’s crea tion, but of God’s revelation. It is well that it is not of the “rulers of this world,” for the rulers of this world, that is of the present age, are “coming to nought” and their wisdom is coming to nought with them. There has perhaps, never been a day in the whole history of this world in which it was so clear that the rulers of this age and the wisdom of the rulers of this age were coming to nought as the day in which we are now living. It was the wisdom of God that Paul taught ; a wisdom infinitely beyond any that this world ever thought out. This wisdom was a “mystery”, that is something hidden from the initiated, but made known to those whom God let into his secret, and God is willing to let all into his secret, who come with a humble, teachable mind (Matt. 11:25- 27). This wisdom which has been hidden before God made it known in the gospel, “God forordained before the world (or ages) unto our glory.” Before a world- was created, God had his purpose of eter nal love toward those who should accept his Son, Jesus Christ. The glory which this wise purpose of God brings to us, is unutterable glory; it makes us partakers of the glory of God, joint partakers with Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:11). Friday, Sept. 28 . 1 Cor. 2 : 8 - 11 . This wisdom of God which Paul spoke, “none of the rulers of this world knew.”
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker