This Is No "Cleverness-Of-Speech" Gospel

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void."  (1 Corinthians 1:17)

Some use our text as an excuse to minimize baptism.  This is the distortion of Scripture which Peter speaks of in 2 Peter 3:16.  And the context tells us that distortion of Scripture leads "to their own destruction."  If people minimize baptism, they minimize the Word of Christ "to fulfill all righteousness."  But baptism is not the subject here.  Paul was simply stating the primacy of his mission at Corinth---to "preach...the cross of Christ...." 

The first 2 chapters of 1 Corinthians contrast man's wisdom and God's.  Man's wisdom is praised for its lofty words---- "cleverness of speech." Beware of such speech.  The conclusion of chapter 1 indicates that it is just a struggle for boasting rights.  God says of such deception, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside."  It does not take "cleverness of speech" to preach or share "the word of the cross."  Neither does it take "cleverness" to receive "the word of the cross."  Remember, it is the little child who enters the Kingdom. 

The song writer said it was "at the cross, at the cross where I first
saw the light."  If it was at "cleverness of speech," whatever you "saw" was not the Light, Jesus Christ.  It was just performance of a person's ability.  That will last for only the time it takes to perform.  "The word of the cross of Christ" will last and take you for eternity. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, in a world where so much seduction is rooted in personality, attractiveness, and cleverness, keep me in the "simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."  Amen.
********************************
* If you wish to access a devotional later, you can go to the devotional blog site at:                         apfdevotionals.blogspot.com    
* News, Commentary:          www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com


"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2



**************
Worried about job security? Check out the 5 safest jobs in a recession. (http://jobs.aol.com/gallery/growing-job-industries?ncid=emlcntuscare00000003)