And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of [b]human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NKJV

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It’s odd how we often acknowledge that we take on too much, and try to accomplish things in our own strength, and need to rely more on Jesus. And yet we continue to do the same thing over and over.

Self-esteem, which can be defined as a positive opinion one has of oneself, is something that is repeatedly emphasized in our culture. It is not uncommon to hear that an individual who places a high value on himself will achieve a great deal. The Bible, however, cautions us against having an overinflated opinion of ourselves.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 NKJV 

Christ ought to be our primary source of confidence, rather than our own abilities.

In 1 Corinthians Paul asks about worldly wisdom, in fact God asks about where it is.

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;  1 Corinthians 1:20-22 NKJV

Where is the wise? Paul gave a paraphrase of Isaiah 19:12, in which the prophet was talking about the wise men of Egypt who made promises but never delivered any wisdom. The knowledge of humans has often been shown to be inaccurate and fleeting.

Where is scribe? Paul is probably thinking of the Assyrians when he says this because the Assyrians were known to have scribes accompanying their men into battle to keep track of the plunder. God took care to ensure that they did not keep any records (Is. 33:18).

Where is the disputer. This was a Greek word that did not have an equivalent in the Old Testament that was used to describe those who were skilled at arguing philosophical points.

God, in His wisdom, decided that it was impossible for men to learn about Him through their own intellect. Because doing so would elevate man. 

God devised a plan to save hapless sinners by means of the proclamation of a message that was so straightforward that the “worldly wise” considered it to be foolishness. (Cf. Rom. 1:18–23). 

Faith is necessary for salvation to occur on the human side, and faith is the only way to achieve it. Please refer to John 1:12 and Romans 10:8–17.

Jews who didn’t believe still wanted supernatural signs (Matthew 12:38–44), but they wouldn’t accept the most amazing supernatural sign of all, which was God saving people by giving them a Messiah who was born of a virgin, died on a cross, and rose from the dead. 

In fact, the sign caused them to stumble (see Romans 9:31–33). wisdom. Gentiles wanted proof that they could understand with their minds, through ideas they could put forward, talk about, and argue about. 

Like the philosophers of Athens, they weren’t sincere and weren’t interested in divine truth. Instead, they just wanted to argue about new ideas (Acts 17:21).

Even though Paul shared with the church the “full counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) and instructed the Corinthians in the Word of God, the primary focus of his preaching and instruction to those who did not believe was Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay the price for the sins of the world. 

There is nothing else that can be spoken to someone until they have reached the point when they comprehend and believe the gospel. The message of the cross was so widespread in the early church that Christians were accused of worshiping a dead man because it was so prevalent.

Paul was aware that, despite his great credentials (Philippians 3:4-5), he was not sufficient to fulfill the ministry that God had given him. According to the chapter we read today, in reality, when Paul went to proclaim the gospel to the Corinthians, he did so with fear and trembling (1 Cor. 2:3). His delivery of the message was not marked by an air of self-assurance but rather a total dependence on the Holy Spirit. And it is precisely how each of us ought to conduct our daily lives as well.

The supernatural fearlessness that God develops in us is a direct result of our putting our trust in God’s power rather than in our own talents. Because the Spirit of the living God dwells inside us, we are able to obey God’s will even when life gets tough. This gives us the assurance we need to face whatever comes our way. As we learn to depend on Him in humility, He guides and strengthens us through every circumstance.

Are you currently dealing with circumstances that make you feel like a failure? Consider these things as opportunities to put your trust in the Lord, rather than things that should make you cower in fear. You can put your faith in the One who is both your Creator and your Redeemer and your Friend.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, [a]we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 NKJV