Paul affirms that he did not preach the gospel in a clever way. He knew that the "god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ"(2Corinthians 4:4). Paul also understood that no amount of eloquence or intelligent speech would be able to make people into believers. In 1Thessalonians Paul says, "we never came with flattering speech...". Why? Because the cross of Christ would be made void (1Corinthians 1:17).
Paul says in 1Corinthians 2:2, "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. It is Jesus, who is of Nazareth; a carpenter, who then started ministering to Israel. It is written of this Jesus: "the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor" (Isaiah 29:18, Luke 7:22). Jesus Christ is the center of the gospel, and there is power in the gospel because of Jesus. This message of salvation is ridiculous to the natural mind. "For indeed", Paul says, "Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified" (1Corinthians 1:22-23). This Jesus was indeed a stumbling block for the jews. It says in Luke 23:35, "even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, 'He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His chosen One". The jews had their own idea about who the messiah should be, and what he should do, so they tested the Lord in their unbelief. As for the greek mind, salvation coming from someone punished as a criminal in unthinkable. Greek philosophy, such as: Stoicism and Epicureanism, make it very difficult that salvation can only be attained through something other than self; and the suffering Christ contradicts their idea of "reality".
Whether jew or greek, it doesn't matter; because when a person hears of this Jesus hanging on a cross for sinful man, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, they catch a glimpse of who Jesus is, it changes everything. When God shines in our hearts to give "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ", then the gospel not only becomes believable, but it becomes a message so amazing, so beautiful, so glorious that we would be willing to forsake everything for this Jesus who was nailed to a cross (2Corinthians 4:6). That is why Paul "determined to know nothing [among the corinthians] except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified"(2Corinthians 2:2. If we try to make the sound eloquent, or if we depend on superior speech to make the gospel believable-- appealing to carnal minds, then the cross of Christ would be made void, and we strip the gospel of its power.
This message we have-- God's message, the gospel, or good news, is not another message concieved in a man's mind. If anyone believes this message-- truly believes, "it is a demonstration of Spirit and of power" (2Corinthians 2:4). The greek word for demonstration is "apodeixes". This word is only found here in the New Testament. One writer said concerning this word: "the word 'apodeixes' indicates a clearness which is produced in the hearer's mind, as by the sudden lifting of a veil; a conviction mastering him with the sovereign force of moral evidence. Such conviction comes only from the Spirit who works on our hearts in power". When the gospel is preached and a person truly puts their faith in Jesus Christ, we see a manifestation of the spiritual realm. We see the result of the Spirit of God "convicting"... "concerning sin and righteousness and judgement" (John 16:8). We see the result of God's most loving and gracious display of His power. Look now at 2Corinthians 4:6. Here there is a quote from Genesis: "Light shall shine out of darkness". When God first shone light, He just had to say it. In fact everything that God created, He just spoke it into existence. But for God to shine the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" in our hearts, this took the death of the Son of God. This required of the Lord to walk three decades on the very earth that He so easily created, and it also required that He be put to death on a cross in the sight of all beings.
Believing the gospel, or "being born again" are simultaneous at conversion; and it can only happen by God's power through the Holy Spirit. All of this is accomplished by Christ's death and resurrection...
... so lets exult Jesus Christ! Praise be to God
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