For Paul, the cross preached by a crucified preacher was the power of God.

Indeed, the preaching of the cross is the very power of God.

That's John Piper's focus as he preaches from 1 Corinthians 2 1 to 5 in this episode of Light

and Truth. This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on February 7, 1988.

In verses 1 to 5 of chapter 2, what Paul wants to do, I think, is illustrate from his own

experience the present power of the cross and what effect it should have upon a believer.

And I'd like to try to lay out the building blocks of this text for you to see one at a time

and then look at a few of them together. What I see in this text are first of all two negative

statements about how Paul did not come to Corinth. Secondly, I see two positive statements about how

he did come to Corinth. Thirdly, I see him state the ground or the reason for why he came the way

he did in verse 2, namely the cross, and I see in verse 5 the goal for why he came the way he came,

namely, so that faith wouldn't rest in him but in God's power. Let's take those one at a time.

First of all, the two negative statements of how he did not come to Corinth. The first one is in

verse 1. When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God

in lofty words of wisdom. So he says how he did not come, not proclaiming the testimony of God

in lofty words or wisdom. Second, negative statement of how he did not come. Verse 4,

My speech and my message were not implausible or persuasive words of wisdom.

And all of that is an echo of what we've seen already, isn't it? Back in chapter 1 verse 17, it says,

God didn't send me to baptize. He sent me to preach and not with eloquent words of wisdom,

lest the cross be emptied. Now, when you stop and think about this, it sounds a little troubling

because when you read the letters of Paul, you open this book and read Romans, for example.

This man was no dummy. He's one of the most profound thinkers that ever lived.

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