1 Corinthians 2:1

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.

     Every person wants their lives to mean something. This is the basis for the mid-life crisis. People look back at their lives and they wonder what it all meant. Have they done any good? Have they left the world in a better place than they found it? If they look back on their lives and find themselves deficient in this category, it can be very disheartening.

     Those who want to make the world a better place need to realize the principle action that must occur for them to be successful: change. If they do not enact change in the world, then they have not helped the world become a better place. In order to accomplish this goal, people must desire to change things. It is only through change that we can improve the current model.

      It may be discouraging to think that we need to offer change in order to make things better. However, we should take courage. The amazing aspect of this story is that there is no special ability needed in order to cause change. We do not have to be a super-intelligent scientist nor a wealthy tycoon, nor even a dynamic speaker. In fact, the only tool we need is widely available to any of us. It is the word of God. The word of God brings about change in people’s lives, and it is always a positive change. If we can bring even one soul to God by presenting the Word, then we have made the world a better place.

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.

1 Corinthians 9:20

To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;

Paul was an excellent evangelist. He was always preaching the word. He probably converted more people than I have even met at this point in my life. When Paul went to prison, what did he do? He converted the guards. He converted the other prisoners. Even thrown in prison Paul was showing people the truth. Understanding how excellent Paul was at evangelism, we should follow His example whenever we want to teach unbelievers.

One of Paul’s greatest strengths was the ability to adapt. Paul preached to two completely different cultures. You would be hard pressed to find people much more diametrically opposed than Jews and Greeks. Jews thought Greeks were unruly pagans. Greeks thought Jews to be out of place ascetics. And yet Paul was able to preach effectively to both people. He tailored his message to their needs. He talked to each people in their own way.

We need to follow this example of Paul. We need to preach the word to those we know in a way that is suitable to them. Sometimes we can be stubborn. We can teach it in a way that we are comfortable with. Yet sometimes because of the ways we were raised, our way is different from the way they are. We need to determine what method may be the most effective for them. Like Paul this does not mean we diminish the truth. What it does mean is that we bring the truth to the people in a way they can see and understand it.

To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;

2 Timothy 4:2

preach the word; be ready in season {and} out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

     Paul commands Timothy here to preach the word. This is one of the most vital aspects of being a Christian. It is our responsibility to be preaching the word of God. We need to see how important this is. There is nothing that we as Christians have to offer those in the world whom we love. We have the gift of eternal life. We have the way to forgiveness of sins and a relationship with God. We have the way to joy and peace in this life here and earth. We have all of this to offer people if we would just open our mouths.

     Paul says that we need to preach this word, and to be ready to preach it in season and out of season. By this he means that he wants us to preach it even when people do not want to hear it. While the gospel has so much to offer people, it also can make them uncomfortable because it moves people to change. We do not like to change or to be made uncomfortable. The gospel, when it reaches man does not leave him unchanged. Therefore, even though people need it they may not want it. We must preach it anyway.

     This does not give us license to preach it in an ungodly or unloving fashion however. Above all we need to show patience. The word of God is not always quickly obeyed. Even those who are willing to serve God may fall short because of a lack of knowledge or discipline. We must be ready to instruct them more surely in the way of God. We can show them the path that God has laid out for us to walk. When they veer off or turn aside, we must show patience. This does not mean that we let them forsake the Lord, but that we do show love and understanding toward the difficult changes they are now facing. We must teach the word, but we must teach it with love.

preach the word; be ready in season {and} out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.