Power Of Persuasion

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

1 Corinthians 1:17

The late Fred Rogers of television’s Mister Rogers once attended church with friends while in seminary. During the sermon, he made a mental list of all the mistakes he felt the elderly preacher was making. When the service was over, he was caught short by the tears running down his friend’s face. “He said exactly what I needed to hear,” she said.

Sometimes what seems like poor preaching from a human perspective can be greatly used by God. What makes the difference? The Holy Spirit. Scripture and tradition give us reason to believe that the apostle Paul was not a very dynamic person, humanly speaking. Yet who can deny the impact of his words? No one, apart from Christ Himself, has accomplished more by his speaking.

Paul said it was good that his words were not “persuasive words of human wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:4), lest people look to him instead of to God as the true source of power. We would do well to examine ourselves the same way—to see whom we rely on for power in our lives: the Holy Spirit or ourselves.

It’s fine to use the natural gifts God has given us—as long as they don’t replace His supernatural gift of the Spirit.