God's a speaking God. In the beginning, he spoke the world into existence. When Jesus came to the earth, he was called the Word of God. God values words.
So, ironically, did the residents of ancient Corinth. They appreciated good oratory, a good debate, eloquent speakers.
And so they determined that Paul may not have met their expectations because he spoke simply, not eloquently. Paul confronted that judgment in the second chapter of 1 Corinthians.
He spoke simply, he told them, because he wanted their faith to rest on God's power, not on a man's eloquence. These new believers were using the standards of their culture to determine their leader when they should have trusted God's calling.
Words are important to God but believers should follow those who speak God's words, not the sweet words that tickle our ears.
Today we still like good oratory and will follow someone who speaks well. We might miss the speaker's meaning in the glow of his eloquence. But Paul was clear. He spoke simply of God's power "so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Cor 2:5)
What words do we treasure today?
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