My God and My Country

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 1:17

17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel, not with (A)wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Cross references:

1 Corinthians 1:17 - 1 Corinthians 2:2, 4, 13; 2 Peter 1:16

Editor’s thoughts:
Herein above, we find that the verse ends one thought, and begins another.

In the first part, we are reading that which refers to the verses preceding seventeen. Paul speaks upon, what we now call denominations. He declares that he had come openly, not to baptize, but to spread, and teach the Gospel of our Saviour, Christ Jesus. Baptism, the end result of such of preaching. One must first hear, and accept the good news before one can be baptized. Additionally, he left that to others. As we shall read later onward in this epistle, Paul goes on to say that one will plant, another will water, but it will be God that gives increase (Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Likewise, it is written in this same epistle that we are all one body of Christ, each with a different function. (Read 1 Corinthians 12;12-26)

Now, in the second part of this verse, he declares that he speaks plainly and simply. Not with words that might beguile one, but one that speaks with the knowledge based on the message of the cross. That message being; Christ died for our sins in order that God might cleanse our sinful natures, and redeem us unto Himself. We are now covered by His grace, granted mercy, restored to righteousness, (not of our own accord), and returned to His kingdom a clean and new creation.

“...his sense is, that baptism was not the chief and principal business he was sent about; this was to be done mostly by those preachers of the word who traveled with him, or followed after him: he was not sent so much about this work, but [instead], to preach the Gospel, for which he was most eminently qualified, had peculiar gifts for the discharge of it, and was greatly useful in it. This was what he was rather sent to do than the other, and this ‘not with wisdom of words’. Scholastic divinity, or the art of disputation. He was not sent with, or to preach, with words of man's wisdom, with human eloquence and oratory, with great swelling words of vanity, but in a plain, humble, modest manner; on which account the false teachers despised him, and endeavored to bring his ministry into contempt with others: but this way and manner of preaching he chose for this reason. [This to say], lest men's ears and fancies should be so tickled and pleased with the eloquence of speech, the elegancy of diction, and accuracy of expression, the cadency of words, and beauty of the oration, with the manner, and not with the matter of preaching, and so the true use, end, and design of the doctrine of a crucified Christ be defeated; or lest the success of the ministry should be attributed to the force of enticing words, and the strength and persuasion of oratory, and not to the energy of divine power attending the doctrine of the cross.”

John Gill - Theologian