Tag: Preaching Truth vs Eloquence - 2 Corinthians 11-13

2 Corinthians 11:5-6 (ESV Strong's)

Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

Tag:  Preaching Truth vs Eloquence 

Paul, in this second letter to the church at Corinth, is writing to correct previous misconceptions from a previous letter and a previous visit, and to correct an on going problem with false teachers.  He had been accused of not being the most eloquent or gifted teacher.  Note what Paul writes about these comments these “super-apostles” (so they called themselves) said about Paul’s delivering style:

2 Corinthians 10:10 (ESV Strong's)

For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

In the passage we are looking at he states they said he was “unskilled.”  The Greek word for “unskilled” is “idiōtēs.”  So, they were not only criticizing Paul’s style, but his intellect.   Note what the commentator John MacArthur says about this passage:

(MacArthur NT) As noted in the discussion of 10:10 in chapter 26 of this volume, the false apostles scorned Paul for being unskilled in speech. Idiōtēs (unskilled) has a contemptuous ring to it, reflecting the false apostles’ view that Paul was a crude, amateurish, unrefined speaker. The apostle acknowledged that he was not interested in the rhetorical and oratorical skills that so impressed the Greeks, because he was not concerned with technique, but with the truth. He was not interested in theatrics or in manipulating his audience. Therefore, his message was the gospel, clear and simple. Paul knew that human eloquence draws people to the preacher, not to the cross; faithful preaching, on the other hand, results not in people admiring the preacher but the Christ he proclaims. The gospel itself is “the power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16) and does not need any human embellishing.

We have a challenge in this society of being entertained by everything. Our attention spans are short, our interests are narrow and our depth of learning is shallow.  It would be a risk to have Paul preach in our churches today, based upon what we read that was said about him and what our audiences have grown used to.  Yet, Paul is not to be measured by style, but by substance.  That is his point in the above passage.  We are not to be titillated by our speakers, we are to be taught.  We are not to be entertained, we are to be edifies.   Paul is not concerned about these false prophets.  Paul (as he will go on to write) is empowered by God and his message is the power fo the Gospel, not the power of his speech tempo, tone, or skilled styled.  It is the message of the Gospel that he preached and that was the only power he needed.