1 Corinthians 2:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do you see how "the foolishness of God is wiser, and the weakness of God stronger, than men" (1 Cor 1:25)? Simple preachers, being constrained and persecuted, conquered their persecutors. Why? Was it not because they inspired faith by the Spirit? This is what demonstration of the Spirit means.

Tell me, who would not believe when seeing the dead raised and demons cast out? But since there are false powers, such as those of sorcery, the Apostle removes this thought also. He does not simply say "power," but first "Spirit," and then "power." By this he expresses that everything done was accomplished by the Spirit.

Thus it is not a humiliation for the preaching that it is proclaimed without the aid of wisdom. On the contrary, it is its greatest adornment. This especially proves that it is divine and has a higher, heavenly origin. Therefore he adds: "that your faith might rest not on the wisdom of men but on the power of God" (1 Cor 2:5).

The phrase "of power" can also be understood in another way. Since he said, "I came not in wisdom, but in weakness," he applies the words "in demonstration of the Spirit" to wisdom, and sets the word "power" against weakness. It is as though he were saying: although I endured persecutions and was beaten with rods, I proved still stronger, and this is the greatest proof of the word.

22. The Apostle Paul declares that his word does not consist in human wisdom: “And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom.” Yet his preaching and sayings themselves are called the word: “Preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2), and wisdom: “He will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients” (Sir. 39:1). “So shall you understand wisdom in your soul” (Prov. 24:14). “For this is your wisdom and understanding before all nations” (Deut. 4:6). The Savior Himself promises to give both word and wisdom to all His faithful servants: “I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or contradict” (Lk 21:15).

Explanation. The word rendered in Greek as Logos has different meanings in the divinely inspired books.

a. Sometimes it refers to the Second Hypostasis of the Most Holy Trinity and names the Son of God, the Hypostatic Word of the Father. As our word is born inseparably from the mind, so the Son of God is begotten from the pre-eternal Father impassibly, inseparably, and incomprehensibly to our mind.

b. Sometimes word means the composition of human speech, which a man pronounces in order to communicate his thoughts to another. Such a word is called uttered, and it disperses into the air. From this distinction it can be seen that the Word of God, that is, the Only-begotten Son, is the Hypostatic and personal Word, and abides forever.

Concerning this Word St. John theologizes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14).

c. Sometimes the word of God stands for Holy Scripture. In this sense it signifies the books of the Old and New Testaments. The Apostle uses it in this meaning in many places: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit” (Heb. 4:12).

d. Scripture also mentions the word of judgment, one of the finest vestments of the Old Testament high priest. It was a square piece worn on the breastplate, or pectoral, sewn upon the upper robe. This word is called ephod in Hebrew. Twelve most precious stones were sewn on it, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel.

It was called the word of judgment because through it, as through something rational, that is, possessing reason, divine answers were given to the people in explanation of His judgments. This took place in the Old Testament Jewish Church on very notable and important occasions. When such circumstances arose, the high priest, that is, the archpriest, put on the ephod and, adorned with the word of judgment, questioned God about future and doubtful matters. God, condescending to human needs, was pleased to give answers to the questioning high priest by some inward or outward voice. This word of judgment is described in the book of Moses, Exodus (Ex. 25:3).

e. Scripture contains the phrase word of adultery. By this expression is meant the matter of adultery by a husband or wife. To this belongs the Gospel saying: “Whoever puts away his wife, except for the word of adultery, and marries another, commits adultery” (Mt 19:9).

f. The word of the Cross is mentioned by the Apostle Paul. Under this name the Apostle means the preaching or Gospel teaching concerning Jesus Christ and the actions of His divine self-emptying.

The Apostolic word and preaching set forth that very true wisdom which Jesus Christ promised to give to all confessors of His Gospel. He would enlighten their reason with a clear understanding of the mysteries of God and with high knowledge of the divine faith. He would make their mouth and tongue capable of declaring the saving truth, in order to lead erring people from impiety to the reception of the Gospel faith.

Wisdom has different meanings in the books of Scripture.

a. Sometimes it means moral teaching, which urges each person toward holy and pure virtue, showing what must be followed among the virtues and avoided among the vices. Solomon, king of Israel, set forth such wisdom in his divinely inspired book.

b. Sometimes under the name of wisdom there is hidden a prophecy concerning Christ.

c. Words of understanding, riddles and parables, and narratives about honored men of ancient times who pleased God also belong to wisdom.

Origen, in Contra Celsum, book 1, sees the demonstration of the Spirit, or proof of the Spirit, in the prophecies that the Apostle cited in his preaching to the Jews. He sees the demonstration of power in the miracles that he performed before the Gentiles.

This alone, according to the Apostle’s rebuking thought, that is, his example, should already have taught the Corinthians not to be carried away by the external learning and eloquence of the local teachers. Rather, with all heart and mind, they should have listened to the chief saving subject of apostolic preaching.

The power of my preaching, the Apostle says, consisted in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. What does this mean? Nothing other than that my preaching was accompanied by signs and persuaded through them. The Evangelist Mark also says that when the Apostles went out to preach, the Lord everywhere worked with them and confirmed their word by the signs that followed (Mk 16:20).

What was present in all the others was present also in Saint Paul. There is no doubt that the grace of the Spirit also acted through Paul’s word upon souls and disposed them toward faith. Such is always the case with an anointed word. But the establishment of faith cannot be explained by this alone. The transformation produced by it was extremely great. For anyone to resolve upon it, a striking and shaking impression had to be made upon him. At the same time, this impression had to testify that the proposed teaching came from above, that God had sent it and required obedience.

As the Apostle Paul himself was converted, so afterward the Lord granted him to convert all nations. Everywhere his preaching was accompanied by signs, these demonstrations of the Spirit and of power, which finally sealed conviction and faith. All our interpreters understand this in this way.

Theodoret writes: "The testimony of the preaching was the wonderworking of the Spirit. Most fittingly, the Apostle placed the power of the Spirit alongside the weakness of sufferings." Saint Chrysostom speaks more fully: "If the preaching had nothing sophistical in it, and those called were simple people, and the preachers were likewise, and, besides this, there were persecutions, fear, and trembling, then tell me, how did they win the victory? By divine power. Therefore Paul added: but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Simple preachers, constrained and persecuted, conquered their persecutors. Why? Because their preaching was accompanied by demonstrations of the power of the Spirit. For tell me, who would not believe, seeing the dead raised and demons cast out? This precisely proved that it was divine and had a higher, heavenly origin."