Translated using ChatGPT
1 Cor 2:1 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come in loftiness of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of Christ.”
The truly best teacher of eloquence is rightly judged to be the one who, in speaking, himself observes the rules of the art that he hands down to others. For this reason Paul affirms that, in persuading others concerning Christian doctrine—that is, in proving Christ to be the promised Messiah by the authority of the Law and the oracles of the Prophets, through whom forgiveness of sins is granted—he made no use of any merely human art or method of reasoning, although he was by no means unpracticed in such disciplines.
For since the word of the Cross is in itself wisdom, it had no need, among those capable of receiving it, of the assistance of human subtlety or eloquence. Just as streams poured into the depths of the sea do not increase it, so neither are the treasures of Christ’s wisdom and knowledge made greater or more credible by human philosophy or eloquence, as though their testimony required reinforcement.
From this it follows that, in order to demonstrate that the doctrine of faith was divinely handed down to humanity, it was introduced by very few men—men neither endowed with learning, nor armed with power, nor distinguished by nobility, nor eminent in wealth—who taught matters that were in large part opposed to human desires and even to the flesh itself. And yet very many of the richest, most learned, and most illustrious men, conquered and overcome by the single force of Christian truth, were finally led to abandon their ancestral religions, which themselves had been confirmed by long antiquity, and to embrace Christian teaching.
For this reason I think that Christ said many things which, when spoken by the disciples, were not understood at the time, but which they later understood when enlightened by the Holy Spirit. By this He indicated that the outward preaching of any divine word, of itself, is not sufficient to bring about understanding or to convert and draw the minds of hearers to assent and comprehension, unless the Holy Spirit cooperates inwardly. Christ was able to give that Spirit at that time, but He chose not to do so, lest the disciples should attribute future conversions and faith to their own word and preaching rather than to the Spirit who teaches and works invisibly.
In figure of this, the Lord chose to use not eloquent Aaron, but Moses of impeded speech, in the liberation of the people from Egypt and in addressing a barbarous nation.
1 Cor 2:2 “For I judged that I knew nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
Above, Paul had said that there are three means by which people are not too difficultly drawn into accepting a position: persuasion through skill and knowledge, force or power, and speech softened by verbal allurements. Here he proves that he did not rely on the support of learning. For although he possessed an eminent knowledge of Christ’s divinity—on account of which he counted all things as loss—and although the hidden mysteries of Christ’s Incarnation and the sacraments of His saving dispensation were not unknown to him, he nevertheless did not begin his preaching with these matters for two reasons.
First, because they were too lofty to be immediately believed or profitably proposed to beginners; and second, lest by adducing subtler arguments of wisdom he might seem to be advancing his own cause rather than Christ’s. For to explain matters arduous and difficult could appear as the vain pursuit of refined doctrine, especially since the Corinthians were still quite immature, being at the very beginnings of faith.
Therefore he took his beginning from the power of Christ’s Cross. For, as Augustine says, in Christ crucified people learn many things—most especially that our old self is crucified with Him, so that the body of sin may be destroyed and we may no longer serve sin. This discipline comprises the nobler part of Christian philosophy. For the wood of the Cross, sustaining the limbs of the dying Christ, is the chair of divine wisdom and knowledge. It teaches nothing contrary to reason, nor does it command anything that is immoral or excessively difficult to perform, but rather most faithfully safeguards and confirms the universal laws of nature, while adding other precepts by which it prescribes a form of religion that is in itself optimal and most fitting to Christian reason and to human nature—although from the outset it may impose things that are burdensome and grievous.
Hence, because its doctrine is immaculate and splendid, it possesses an easy power of conversion over souls; and while it abundantly proves itself, it profoundly affects human hearts with divine force and impels them toward virtue. For this reason, writings and teachings expressed in simple words and without rhetorical art move the minds of readers and hearers more powerfully than arguments polished by verbal allurements and devised through human skill and ingenuity for persuasion.
Therefore, weighing the power of this Cross, the Apostle labored with constant diligence in commending it, so that apart from it he might seem to know nothing—namely, because he was not prepared, for the time being, to manifest anything beyond this. As the comic poet says, “You know not what you know, if you are wise”; and Christ Himself declared that the day of the final judgment is unknown.
1 Cor 2:3 “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.”
That he applied no force in laying the foundations of the Christian faith is further shown by the fact that, while governing the Corinthian Church, he was continually afflicted by various calamities of both soul and body. For one who must always fear the extremity of death, for whom the cruelty of punishment must be dreaded night and day, for whom there are fears without and struggles within—his power or strength neither could nor ought to be feared.
Indeed, the magnitude of the fear that possessed Paul’s soul had an accompanying bodily effect, contracting the heart with coldness and producing trembling in the outward limbs. Yet, though cold with fear, he burned with the fire of charity, as Augustine says. For Christ had chosen him as a light, had kindled him by His word and Spirit, and had said: “Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.”
1 Cor 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of Spirit and power.”
Whether teaching privately or speaking publicly about matters pertaining to the religion of Christ, Paul recalls to the Corinthians that he employed such moderation, simplicity, and modesty of speech that none of them could complain that he had been ensnared by verbal techniques or captured by the subtlety of clever disputation in his conversion to Christ. For he used the simplest language, the plainest judgments, and common proverbs, so that persuasion was attributed not so much to his eloquence or learning as to the power of the Spirit speaking through his mouth.
This was excellently observed by Saint Chrysostom and Jerome: that Christ, by speaking alone, had such power that vast crowds left their homes and followed Him into fields and deserted mountains to hear Him, forgetful of food and the necessities of life. Since Paul was a participant in that same Spirit, who can doubt that, whether speaking familiarly or addressing an assembly, an inner divine power added strength and sharpness to his words?
From this it follows that the Corinthians—though endowed with human learning and eloquence—ought not to be accused of levity, since speech devoid of art had drawn them so readily to belief that they could not even be dislodged from it. For thus the Apostles, invited by Christ’s simple words, immediately followed Him who called them. This must be attributed to the efficacy of the divine word, which by its hidden power drew hearers into agreement with the speaker’s meaning.
In this sense, persecutors of the Church are said to have been unable to resist the Spirit who spoke in Stephen. For since the human mind is exceedingly weak and unequal to the task of discovering the doctrine of faith by itself, while the majesty of that doctrine is so great that the narrowness of human intellect cannot easily grasp it, it is a gift of God that, stirred by the voice of evangelical preaching, people either embrace the faith, or enter upon a new way of life, or, like eagles, renew their youth and follow sounder counsels of virtue and piety.
Some rightly marvel that Lazarus was raised after four days by Christ’s voice, that the blind were enlightened and healed by His word, that the sick were restored at the command of that same voice. Let them also marvel that by Paul’s simple discourse and public preaching so many wise men were brought to Christ, so many rich men recalled to the heights of virtue and to a wholesome manner of life through their acceptance of Christ’s teaching.
Indeed, the innocent life of the evangelical preacher, the integrity of his morals, his patience in adversity, his invincible strength of spirit, and the wondrous working of miracles all added spur enough to make hearers believe that what Paul proclaimed was true. Yet the Spirit whom Christ promised must be judged to have claimed for Himself the principal share of this efficacy.
1 Cor 2:5 “So that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
He gives the reason why he employed this method in announcing the doctrine of Christ: namely, lest human wisdom—which often deceives, as Isaiah says, “Your wisdom and your knowledge have led you astray”—should be thought the foundation of faith, but rather that all might understand faith to rest upon divine power, which endures forever.
Accordingly, in the Epistle written to the Romans he declared that he was not ashamed of the Gospel, “for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.” For the Gospel contains within itself the power of God, according to what is said elsewhere: “God has given a voice to the voice of His power.” He rightly extols the remarkable power of the Gospel, since through one unarmed man so many armed enemies were able to be struck down and overcome.
Indeed, it was the supreme power of Christ that, in weak flesh, He conquered the devil, of whose might Job spoke when he said that upon earth there was none comparable to him. Great too was the power of Paul and of the other Apostles, who without any defense of arms or weapons were able to subject the most powerful kings and princes—indeed almost the whole world with its desires—to themselves. Great is the power of the Gospel to enlighten the blind, to raise the dead, and so forth.
CONTINUE
Comments
Post a Comment