1 Corinthians 2:1-16

The Gospel causes a variety of reactions.  Some people are offended by it, some are curious about it and some are transformed through it.  It is not the Gospel that changes, rather it is man's reaction and response to the Gospel.  Paul describes the Gospel in this passage.

THE GOSPEL IS SIMPLE AND POWERFUL: Paul's ministry was one of revealing the truth of the Gospel to men.  Paul was highly educated and capable of impressive and intellectual conversation.  However, he did not use some sort of aloof position or complicated vocabulary when presenting the message of Christ.  The power of the Gospel is in the simplicity of the truth.  Clever speech and gimmicks are not needed, in fact they distract from and end up hiding  the truth.  God's power is available through the Spirit of God to all who believe and is able to transform sinners into saints for the glory of God.

THE GOSPEL IS SPIRITUAL AND PROFOUND: The simplicity of the Gospel should never be mistaken for shallowness.  In fact the Gospel is discerned on a level of reality that most men never probe: the spiritual realm.  As mortal humans, our reality is usually focused upon that which is physical and material.  We are impressed by and focused on possessions and positions of human authority.  Our passions are wrapped up in that which is temporary.  The Gospel awakens men to that which is eternal and is concerned with the spirit of man.  When we trust the simple message of Christ revealed in the Gospel, the Spirit of God takes up residence in our hearts and begins to reveal truths to us that are far more profound than the deepest thoughts that natural intellectuals might muster.  To those who do not believe and therefore do not have the Spirit of God, the Gospel looks and sound foolish.  But to those who believe, the Gospel becomes like an eye opening balm that permits us to perceive and life in light of an eternal and spiritual reality that was previously unknown to us.  It is not that we a smarter or more profound, it is that the Spirit of God removes our spiritual blinders and we are able to catch a glimpse of this world from the perspective of He who created and sustains it.

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