Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Corinthians 1:17

17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel , not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect .

Baptism was not his principal work, not the main business for which Paul was sent, it was his work, otherwise he would not have baptized Crispus, or Gaius, or the houshold of Stephanas, but preaching was his principal work. It is very probable others (besides the Apostles) baptized. It is hard to conceive how three thousand should in a day be added to the Church, if Peter had baptized them all, Acts 2.41.

The Apostle goes on, telling us how he preached the Gospel, and thereby instructing all faithful Ministers how they ought to preach.

Not with wisdom of words or speech. Wisdom of words must signifie either what we call Rhetorick or Logick ▪ delivering the Mysteries of the Gospel in lofty, tunable expressions, or going about [illegible: 1 letter]o evidence the[illegible: 1 letter] from rational demonstrations and arguments. This was the way (he saith) to have taken away all Authority from the Doctrine of the Cross of Christ, Divine Faith being nothing else but the Souls assent to the Divine Revelation, because it is such, is not furthered, but hindred, by the arguing the object of it from Principles of Reason, and the colouring of it with high-flown words and trim phrases. There is a decent expression to be used in the communicating the Will of God unto men: but we must take heed, that we do not diminish the Authority of Gods revealed Will, either by puerile flourishings of words, or philosophical argumentation.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 2[illegible: 1 letter], 4▪; [illegible: 1 paragraph]