"For the preaching of the cross is to them that parish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
When Paul wrote these words, He was renouncing this wisdom or clever use of words in preaching this Gospel, and says that he was sent to preach the Gospel which was not to be with "wisdom of words," "less the Cross of Christ be made of none effect." If people cannot understand what we are saying, we make the cross of none effect. The cross has never been made of none effect by plain speaking. It is this "wisdom of words" or "wise words" which have the destroying power. This "wisdom of words' works evil by covering up the truth which ought to be set forth in the clearest possible manner. When the highway department is going to put up a warning sign on the road, they get right to the point, and put nothing on the sign that would distract from the warning message. Because of the offense of a bloody atonement, many are careful not to state it too plainiy. They tone down the objections of this great sacrifice of Christ, for proud minds object to substitution, the Lord's suffering as the just for the unjust.
This "wisdom of words" explains the gospel away. It is possible to refine a doctrine until the very soul of it is gone. If you take out of this Gospel everything that is offensive to man, when you get through there is nothing left worth preaching. It is like making cheese. By the time you get through taking everything you need to make cheese out of the milk, there is nothing left of the milk but "blue-john."
Many tell us that it is necessary to adapt truth to the advancement of man. This is known as progressive theology, which is nothing more than a popular lie that will take the place of an offensive truth. Would you like it if the mailman opened your mail and changed what it said so it would not be offensive? To change the Gospel is an attempt to adorn the Gospel and to adorn the Gospel is to dishonor it, for our minds are detracted from the Gospel. Then we forget the precious blood of Christ, His wounds, and forget to look to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
This is why we must cut out of our sermons everything that takes men's eyes off the cross. Our sermons must point to Christ alone or they will do more harm than good. Many say that the Power of the Gospel must lie either in the logical way it is preached, or in the beautiful way it is presented. Reason, eloquence, art, music or some other force must introduce and support it, or it will make no progress in this world. But, the Cross of Christ is in itself the Power of God, and Paul says that it is to be preached, "Not with wisdom of words" lest the power should be attributed to this "wisdom of words." Our faith must not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. The Gospel is not "wisdom of words," but "words of wisdom," spoken to us by God alone.