By Sam Nobles
In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul
went to Mars Hill in the city of Athens and gave a thesis to the men of Athens
by referring to their poets, philosophy, and culture. Based on Paul’s other
encounters, the success of his message was minimal at best. Only a handful of
the people there believed that day. While one salvation would have been worth
it, most of the people mocked him.
Could it be that things did not
go well for Paul because he never mentioned Jesus Christ crucified? Even though
Paul speaks of the resurrection on Mars Hill, he never specifically mentions
Jesus crucified and resurrected. Could this attempt to be philosophical and
professional be the reason that no church was established in Athens? Whether or
not that is the truth will not be known on this side of heaven, but what is
known is that in Paul’s next stop in Corinth his methods changed radically. He
abandoned the philosophical speech and talked about the cross and resurrection,
with power and wisdom from the Spirit. The result was that many responded and a
church was planted.
Power (v.1-5)
Paul did not mimic the teachers
of Corinth who depended on their intellect; Paul’s faith was in the Lord, not
himself. Paul’s message was one that came by demonstration of the Spirit of
God. It wasn't man's wisdom. I
believe that there is, in the ministry of teaching and preaching the Word, that
the Holy Spirit speaks through man in a way that man cannot. I often listen to
my sermons and I enjoy them. I know that sounds weird, but I listened to one of
my messages the other day and I really enjoyed it. Most of the way through I
kept saying to myself, “Did I say that? Man, that's great stuff.” Why were my
words a surprise to me? Because it was a demonstration of the Spirit of God
moving through the teaching and preaching of the Word.
Wisdom (v.6-16)
The true wisdom of God comes to believers
through the Spirit of God. I always encourage a person to ask the Holy Spirit
to illuminate their mind and understanding before reading the Bible. Why? The
natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit. He cannot receive them; he
cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned (v.9-11). In the same way a deaf man cannot enjoy the symphony or a
blind man, the beauty of the sunset; the natural man cannot receive or know the
things of the Spirit, because he lacks the faculty by which these things are
known. The natural man lacks the Spirit
of God living in him.
Scripture
to Claim:
“and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 ESV)
“and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 ESV)
Chuck Smith, New Testament Study
Guide: Matthew Through Revelation/Verse by Verse (Costa Mesa, CA: Word for
Today, 2005).
