1 Corinthians 2:3-5 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

People talk about the importance of first impressions. Public speakers, actors, actresses, politicians … Those who seek to convey a message to people know that an audience will “read” a speaker for clues to his message. People notice whether a speaker is unsure of himself, or confident in his standing with the audience. In Paul’s day, public speaking was an art form and there were many “expert” speakers to be heard. Speakers who appeared nervous or humble were disdained. It was assumed that they had no confidence in their message. Paul, however, paid little attention to style, and he spoke in noticeable weakness and fear.

This brings us to a question … what was it that Paul feared … even to the point of trembling? We know that Paul was not lacking confidence in the gospel message. He was, however, aware of the weakness of his presentation as judged by human standards. His humble attitude was not appealing to the Corinthians. There were plenty of other, better public speakers to be heard. They laughed at Paul’s meekness when he was with them. They said, “Paul makes bold statements in his letters, but he shakes when he speaks to us face to face.” They were rejecting Paul and his faithful preaching of God’s Word. They showed preference for more polished speakers … those who, Paul warned them, “enslave you, take everything you have, take advantage of you, take control of everything, and slap you in the face” (2 Corinthians 11:20). Just as David refused Saul’s armor, so Paul would not gird himself with persuasive words to prove the truth of the gospel.

I can’t help but wonder if the revival we all pray for is going to come not by the convincing words of a professional preacher but by the message of the cross born on the backs of meek men who tremble when they teach? I feel very strongly that is the case because so far the convincing spectacle of crusades and concerts, mega churches and mega pastors has resulted in very little, if any, revival. Revivals of the past, were born on simple truth and a demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power that was entirely convincing. That demonstration of the Holy Spirit was what we would call conversion. That a person would be saved through a presentation marked by weakness … even visible trembling … can only be the Holy Spirit at work.

Paul ended Chapter 1 talking about how it’s not through the powerful but through the weak that the gospel came. Paul wrote, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27). And here, in chapter 2, he’s making the same argument about man’s speaking ability and intellectual prowess. It’s not in the strength of the speaker, but in the strength of the message.

What does this mean for you and me? Oh, it’s great news … it really is. You see, we might assume that we are unable or unprepared to share the gospel. We might think that our simple, imperfect presentation would do more harm than good. We might think we are unable to give the message of the gospel unless we’ve taken a course, class or have a fancy certificate. But Paul says he came in “weakness and fear.” The key wasn’t in Paul’s ability to impress – but in the Spirit’s ability to bring life to the words. Remember Romans 1:16?

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Sharing the good news that Jesus paid the penalty for our rebellion against God so that through His death and resurrection we can have a sure relationship with God is a message of immense power. The power is in God … His ability to change a heart by the hearing of the gospel. If human wisdom is used to win someone to Christ, then his faith stands on man’s wisdom. But if a man is brought to faith by the power of God, then his faith rests upon that.