vv. 1-5
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The Apostle's Ministry. (a. d. 57.) 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. In this passage the apostle pursues his design, and reminds the Corinthians how he acted when he first preached the gospel among them. I. As to the matter or subject he tell us (v. 2), He determined to know nothing among them but Jesus Christ and him crucified—to make a show of no other knowledge than this, to preach nothing, to discover the knowledge of nothing, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Note, Christ, in his person and offices, is the sum and substance of the gospel, and ought to be the great subject of a gospel minister's preaching. His business is to display the banner of the cross, and invite people under it. Anyone that heard Paul preach found him to harp so continually on this string that he would say he knew nothing but Christ and him crucified. Whatever other knowledge he had, this was the only knowledge he discovered, and showed himself concerned to propagate among his hearers. II. The manner wherein he preached Christ is here also observable. 1. Negatively. He came not among them with excellency of speech or wisdom, v. 1. His speech and preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, v. 4. He did not affect to appear a fine orator or a deep philosopher; nor did he insinuate himself into their minds, by a flourish of words, or a pompous show of deep reason and extraordinary science and skill. He did not set himself to captivate the ear by fine turns and eloquent expressions, nor to please and entertain the fancy with lofty flights of sublime notions. Neither his speech, nor the wisdom he taught, savoured of human skill: he learnt both in another school. Divine wisdom needed not to be set off with such human ornaments. 2. Positively. He came among them declaring the testimony of God, v. 1. He published a divine revelation, and gave in sufficient vouchers for the authority of it, both by its consonancy to ancient predictions and by present miraculous operations; and there he left the matter. Ornaments of speech and philosophical skill and argument could add no weight to what came recommended by such authority. He was also among them in weakness and fear, and in much trembling; and yet his speech and preaching were in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, v. 3, 4. His enemies in the church of Corinth spoke very contemptuously of him: His bodily presence, say they, is weak, and his speech contemptible, 2 Cor. x. 10. Possibly he had a little body, and a low voice; but, though he had not so good an elocution as some, it is plain that he was no mean speaker. The men of Lystra looked on him to be the heathen god Mercury, come down to them in the form of a man, because he was the chief speaker, Acts xiv. 12. Nor did he want courage nor resolution to go through his work; he was in nothing terrified by his adversaries. Yet he was no boaster. He did not proudly vaunt himself, like his opposers. He acted in his office with much modesty, concern, and care. He behaved with great humility among them; not as one grown vain with the honour and authority conferred on him, but as one concerned to approve himself faithful, and fearful of himself, lest he should mismanage in his trust. Observe, None know the fear and trembling of faithful ministers, who are zealous over souls with a godly jealousy; and a deep sense of their own weakness is the occasion of this fear and trembling. They know how insufficient they are, and are therefore fearful for themselves. But, though Paul managed with this modesty and concern, yet he spoke with authority: In the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. He preached the truths of Christ in their native dress, with plainness of speech. He laid down the doctrine as the Spirit delivered it; and left the Spirit, by his external operation in signs and miracles, and his internal influences on the hearts of men, to demonstrate the truth of it, and procure its reception. III. Here is the end mentioned for which he preached Christ crucified in this manner: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but the power of God (v. 5)—that they might not be drawn by human motives, nor overcome by mere human arguments, lest it should be said that either rhetoric or logic had made them Christians. But, when nothing but Christ crucified was plainly preached, the success must be founded, not on human wisdom, but divine evidence and operation. The gospel was so preached that God might appear and be glorified in all.
vv. 6-16
IV. Aquí vemos por quién nos es descubierta esta sabiduría: Dios nos las ha revelado por su Espíritu, v. 10. La Escritura es dada por inspiración de Dios. Hombres santos hablaron antiguamente según fueron movidos por el Espíritu Santo, 2 Pedro 1:21. Y los apóstoles hablaron por inspiración del mismo Espíritu, según él les enseñaba y les daba elocuencia. Aquí hay una prueba de la autoridad divina de las santas escrituras. Pablo escribió lo que enseñó: y lo que enseñó fue revelado por Dios por su Espíritu, ese Espíritu que escudriña todas las cosas, aun lo profundo de Dios, y conoce las cosas de Dios, como el espíritu de un hombre que está en él conoce las cosas de un hombre, v. 11. De estas palabras se extrae un doble argumento en prueba de la divinidad del Espíritu Santo: —1. Se le atribuye omnisciencia: Él escudriña todas las cosas, aun lo profundo de Dios. Él tiene un conocimiento exacto de todas las cosas, y penetra en las profundidades de Dios, en sus consejos más secretos. Ahora bien, ¿quién puede tener un conocimiento tan profundo de Dios sino Dios? 2. Esta alusión parece implicar que el Espíritu Santo está tanto en Dios como la mente de un hombre está en sí mismo. Ahora bien, la mente del hombre es claramente esencial para él. No puede estar sin su mente. Tampoco puede Dios estar sin su Espíritu. Él es tan uno con Dios y tan íntimamente como la mente del hombre lo es con el hombre. El hombre conoce su propia mente porque su mente es una con él mismo. El Espíritu de Dios conoce las cosas de Dios porque es uno con Dios. Y así como ningún hombre puede llegar al conocimiento de lo que hay en la mente de otro hombre hasta que lo comunica y revela, así tampoco podemos conocer los consejos y propósitos secretos de Dios hasta que nos sean dados a conocer por su Espíritu Santo. No podemos conocerlos en absoluto hasta que él los haya propuesto objetivamente (como se le llama) en la revelación externa; no podemos conocerlos o creerlos para salvación hasta que él ilumine la facultad, abra el ojo de la mente y nos dé tal conocimiento y fe de ellos. Y fue por este Espíritu que los apóstoles habían recibido la sabiduría de Dios en misterio, la cual hablaban. "Y nosotros hemos recibido, no el espíritu del mundo, sino el Espíritu que es de Dios, para que conozcamos lo que Dios nos ha dado (v. 12); no el espíritu que está en los sabios del mundo (v. 6), ni en los príncipes de este siglo (v. 8), sino el Espíritu que es de Dios, o que procede de Dios. Tenemos lo que entregamos en el nombre de Dios por inspiración de él; y es por su graciosa iluminación e influencia que conocemos las cosas que Dios nos ha dado gratuitamente para salvación"—es decir, "los grandes privilegios del evangelio, que son el don gratuito de Dios, distribuciones de pura y rica gracia". Aunque estas cosas nos son dadas, y la revelación de este don nos es hecha, no podemos conocerlas para ningún propósito salvífico hasta que tengamos el Espíritu. Los apóstoles tuvieron la revelación de estas cosas del Espíritu de Dios, y la impresión salvífica de ellas del mismo Espíritu.