For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
– 1 Corinthians 1:17
There’s a lot we could talk about here in 1 Corinthians 1:17 in light of the context. In light of how Paul is addressing division in the church at Corinth from the very beginning. Pointing them to the unity they have in Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:17 Encourages Us to Witness with Simplicity
But what I want to land on and pray according to is this last part of verse 17 when he says, Christ sent me to preach the gospel, not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. And I just want to ask you to think about how many times have you not shared the gospel with someone else because you thought you were not competent to do that?
You didn’t feel comfortable sharing the gospel. Or you thought you might say the wrong thing. You weren’t sure how the conversation would go. And so you stayed quiet and maybe you thought to yourself, “Well, if I was this person or that person who really knows the Bible really well and is really good at this, then I would be more likely to share the gospel.”
And this is where Paul is reminding us and not Paul, the Holy Spirit of God is reminding us that the spread of the gospel is actually not dependent on us having eloquent words and eloquent wisdom that we’re sharing. All it’s dependent on is us sharing the simple truth of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. And every Christian knows this simple truth and that simple truth just talking about the cross of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:17 says, “That’s where the power is.”
1 Corinthians 1:17 Reminds Us of the Power of Humble Proclamation
In fact, if you were to share with words of eloquent wisdom, you would empty the cross of its power. That’s what 1 Corinthians 1:17 is saying. Now, that obviously doesn’t mean that if someone is actually a good speaker or has particular gifts with words, it doesn’t mean that person can’t share the gospel or is emptying the gospel of power. But it’s interesting you get down in the 1 Corinthians 2, Paul actually says he makes sure in his sharing the gospel not to share it in a way that people are dependent on his eloquent speech or wisdom. That people are seeing the power of the gospel.
So when you feel inadequate, even incompetent. When you feel weak when it comes to sharing the gospel, press in all the more to the power of the gospel to do the work. Trust that the gospel spreads not through your ability to share it, but through its ability to save.
This Verse is All About Embracing the Cross’s Impact
So God help us today. I just pray this over my life and over every single one of us today. We pray that you would open a door for us to share the gospel with someone else. To tell someone else about who Jesus is and how he died on the cross for our sins. And God, I pray that you would show the power of the cross of Christ today as those words come out of our mouths. Even in our inadequacy and our weakness.
We pray that you would show your power to save, your power to draw people closer to you. Maybe they come to faith in Jesus today. God, we pray for that. God, we ask for that. And at the same time, God, if not that, may they come steps closer to you. May they be drawn to a deeper softness of heart toward you. And a deeper understanding of the cross that one day they might trust in you.
Prayer for the Banna People
God, help us in a Romans 1 kind of way not to be ashamed of the gospel. Knowing that it is your power to save. And we pray that you would show the power of the cross of Christ in our lives and God to the ends of the earth, among the Banna people of Ethiopia, these shepherds who live in the highlands of Southwestern Ethiopia. God, we pray that the cross of Christ would be shown as powerful for the salvation of the Banna people.
We pray that you would send out believers, brothers and sisters in Christ from Ethiopia and other places to get the gospel to the Banna people, that disciples might be made in churches might be multiplied among them. And the cross of Christ would be shown to be powerful for the salvation of the Banna people. Oh God, show the power of the cross of Christ through our weakness in your church and around the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
