And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man"s Wisdom of Solomon ,, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Speech (λόγος) denotes his private and familiar conversation as contrasted with his public preaching. S. Thomas and the Glossa distinguished the two words in this way; so does Seneca, who, in Ephesians 38 , says: "Conversation, because it makes an impression on the mind by little and little, is of immense force. Speeches prepared and delivered to a large assembly have more vehemence but less familiarity." S. Paul"s conversation, then, as well as his preaching, was not with enticing words (i.e, apt to persuade) of man"s wisdom. In such the orators and philosophers at Corinth surpassed Paul. Paul, however, had to make the Corinthians believe a new philosophy by a new mode of speech and action, and in this he excelled all orators and philosophers, viz, in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. So Sulpicius testifies that S. Martin once said that...
In the shewing of the spirit and power The gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed on those that believed, and the miracles which God wrought by his apostles, were the means God made use of to convert the world, which were of much greater force than human eloquence. (Witham)
Again, in the Epistle to the Corinthians he says: "For my speech and my preaching was not in the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
It does not belittle the gospel to say that it was preached without wisdom. On the contrary, this is the gospel’s great glory, the clearest sign that it is divine and that it comes from heaven. When demonstration is made by the wisdom of human words, the worse argument often overcomes the better one, because the one who argues for it has greater rhetorical skills. But in this case it is not so, because the Spirit does not enter an unclean soul, nor can he ever be overcome, however much clever speech is used to attack him. The demonstration by works and signs is more powerful than mere words.
And my speech and my preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom: that is, had not the wisdom from without. Now if the doctrine preached had nothing subtle, and they that were called were unlearned, and he that preached was of the same description, and thereto was added persecution, and trembling and fear; tell me, how did they overcome without Divine power? And this is why, having said, My speech and my preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom, he added, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
Do you perceive how the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness stronger? They for their part, being unlearned and preaching such a Gospel, in their chains and persecution overcame their persecutors. Whereby? Was it not by their furnishing that evidence which is of the Spirit? For this indeed is confessed demonstration. For who, tell me, after he had seen dead men rising to life and devils cast out, could have helped admitting it?
But seeing that there ar...
