Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-11-13
THE APOSTLE PAUL
Ills Style of Preaching tn
Sinners.
Rev. III. ". Spear-Text-1 Cor,
1;I7-2;5.

1t is always painful to be placed in
circumstances where we are forced to
defend ourselves personally. This is
especially true of noble and sensi-
tive nature like that of the Apostle
Paul. He had with the greatest care
and sincerity sought to avoid all pre-
text for forming a faction in his
name. But in spite of his efforts, fac
tions had arisen. In his letter he does
not countenance the Pauline faction
for one minute but rather expresses
| his horror. He exclaims, was Paul
crucifed for you? He then proceeds
to defend his conduct when he first
preached among them. He first re-
minds them that he had baptized only
three or four persons and rejoices in
the fact lest some one should feel that
they had been baptized in the name
of Paul instead of Christ. He then
proceeds to anticipate and answer
another objection Some might claim
that he had pursued such course in
his preaching that people were drawn
to him instead of to Christ. This sug
gestion leads him to take up the ques-
tion of his style of preaching, both to
the unsaved and to the natures
Christian. The section we have I'M
der consideration today has to do only
with his style of preaching when deal
ing with the unsayed.
In considering his defence of this
method of presenting the gospel,
think that we will find this PROPOSE
ton TO contain the thought in nut
she'll. Christ and him crucified is the
message for sinners. In developing
the thought contained in his defense
we will find that he first states what
his style of preaching was and then
gives his reasons for adopting the
style he did.
He made it his business to preach
Christ and him crucified in the plain
est and simplest way possible. He
chose to present facts and not theor-
les or options. While the Jews ask for
signs and the Greek seek after wisdom
Paul determined to preach Christ and
him crucifed He says, 81 determined
not 10 know anything among you save
Jesus Christ and him crucifed."
Paul came among the Corinthians,
not to represent system of philoso-
ply nor even of religion, but person.
He came as the ambassador of the
Lord Jesus Christ. This is always an
important distinction to make. Christ
does not send any of his disciples out
to propagate system of truth, but
to represent Christ as person.
To preach Christ as person was
not such difficult thing to do but to
preach crucified Christ was beyond
comprehension both to the Jews and
to the Greeks. In thus preaching a
crucined Christ he apparently threw
away his only means of approaching
the Greeks. They loved philosophy
and rhetoric and rejoiced in philo-
sophical discussions. But Paul had
learned the God given way of winning
souls hence he was not deceived by
their clamor, Jesus crucified is the
one drawing and converting power of
the gospel. Take away the cross and
the shed blood of Christ and the vital
power of the gospel of Christ is gone
Paul justifies himself first by show
ing that this is Gods plan. The Hea-
then had done their best through
philosophy and had failed to find God.
"Seeing that in the wisdom of God the
world through its wisdom knew not
God, it was Gods good pleasure
through the foolishness of preaching
to save them that believe" The
term, "foolishness of preaching"
means not the act of proclaiming, but
the message proclaimed. In this case
it means the message of Christ and
him crucifed.
The power needed to save men is
not the power TO remove mountains
or TO tathom the depths OF philosophy
but the ability to sympathize, com
fort, forgive and give peace. That
kind of power is found not in the God
of nature or knowledge but in the
suffering Savior of the cross. God
demonstrates his love and sympathy
by the death of Christ on the cross.
The cross of Christ will lift the
humblest deciple higher than philoso-
ply can ever lift the wisest and
nobIest in the world. Who ever heard
Of learned argument taking up an
outcast and making a new man out of
him?
Paul was really personal to himself,
but at the same time il is a reason
that may well he considered by every