1st Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
2nd Corinthians 2:1-5 clarifies: “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”
Calvinist, James White, writes: “We would hope that it is not being suggested that the quality of the apostle’s speech is being credited with the faith of the multitude: men are not converted by words of wisdom or the persuasive abilities of any man. Men are converted when God changes their hearts and draws them unto Christ.” (The Potter’s Freedom, pp.186-187, emphasis mine)
In other words, men are converted solely by Irresistible Grace, which has nothing to do with whether Paul spoke in superiority of speech or in humble weakness, but wait! That undermines Paul’s point. If it didn’t matter how Paul spoke, then why did he say that it mattered? Calvinists will often suggest that such things are merely the “means” of conversion, but yet, according to Calvinism, it really wouldn’t matter after all, since the alleged, means, comes after Irresistible Grace, thus making whatever “means” simply academic, at that point. Again, Calvinism cannot provide a logical answer.
John Calvin comments: “‘The Cross of Christ would have been rendered useless,’ he says, ‘if my preaching had been tricked out with eloquence and brilliance.’ ... The meaning therefore is that if Paul had used the acuteness of a philosopher and clever speeches in his dealings with the Corinthians, the power of the Cross of Christ, in which the salvation of men consists, would have been buried, because it cannot reach us that way.” (Calvin’s Commentaries: The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, p.33, emphasis mine)
If Calvinism was true, how would any form of preaching render a unilateral regeneration as “void”? Whether Paul preaches in one way, or another, what difference would it make if they are given an alleged, Irresistible Grace? Paul’s concern for the right manner of preaching, in order not to nullify the Gospel (1st Corinthians 1:17), and his deep concern for his countrymen, the Jews, who were perishing (Romans 9:3; Romans 10:1), makes Calvinism logically incompatible with the Bible.
On a side note, Paul says, “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” (v.17)
Hal Lindsey comments: “If Baptism was part of salvation, he could have never said that. Could he? Man, he would be hunting for the nearest creek or bathtub or whatever, because he hasn’t finished the Gospel, if Baptism saved you. But he says, ‘Christ didn’t send me to baptize; he sent me to preach the Gospel,’ which gets people Born Again. But he always urged people to be baptized, as I do.” (Gospel of John)
Question: Is it possible to preach the Gospel in such a way so as to undo its power? In other words, if Paul had preached differently, that is, in cleverness of speech, would that have resulted in fewer people getting saved?
Answer: Not according to Calvinism. In Calvinism, it’s all about Irresistible Grace, no matter what you say or how you say it. Although Calvinists insist the faithful manner of preaching the Gospel is the predetermined means of conversion, the reality is that whatever the means may be, it still comes after the application of an Irresistible Grace, and that renders any means of preaching, simply academic. The complaint against Calvinism is that if, according to Calvinism, some people are going to be saved, no matter what, and some people are going to be lost, no matter what, then what does it matter how you preach? Again, if it comes after an Irresistible Grace, then conversion is a foregone conclusion. Additionally, Paul is drawing a direct correlation between the method of preaching and the result of preaching. In other words, it matters how you preach, but according to Calvinism, if one is unilaterally and involuntarily regenerated with an Irresistible Grace, then how you preach is rendered completely academic.
Paul knew how to preach with oratory skill, but he refused, so that people would not look to him and his authority, but to God and His authority. Paul states: “...so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” (1st Corinthians 2:4-5) What was the fruit of this type of preaching? Acts 14:1 states: “In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.”
