1 Corinthians 2:4

“And my speech, and my preaching, etc.] As he determined, so he acted. As the subject matter of his ministry was not any of the liberal arts and sciences, or the philosophy and dry morality of the Gentiles, but salvation by a crucified Christ; so his style, his diction, his language used in preaching, was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom; with technical words, words of art, contrived by human wisdom to captivate the affections; and with bare probable arguments only, a show of reason to persuade the mind to an assent, when nothing solid and substantial is advanced, only a run of words artfully put together, without any strength of argument in them; a method used by the false teachers,…”

“my speech--in private. preaching--in public [BENGEL]. ALFORD explains it, My discourse on doctrines, and my preaching or announcement of facts. enticing--rather, "persuasive." man's wisdom--man's is omitted in the oldest authorities. Still "wisdom" does refer to "man's" wisdom. in demonstration of . . . Spirit, &c.--Persuasion is man's means of moving his fellow man. God's means is demonstration, leaving no doubt, and inspiring implicit faith, by the powerful working of the Spirit (then exhibited both outwardly by miracles, and inwardly by working on the heart, now in the latter and the more important way only, Mat 7:29; Act 6:10; Heb 4:12; compare also Rom 15:19). The same simple power…”

“And my speech - The word “speech” here - if it is to be distinguished from “preaching” - refers, perhaps, to his more private reasonings; his preaching to his public discourses. Not with enticing words - Not with the persuasive reasonings (πειθοῖς λόγοις peithois logois) of the wisdom of men. Not with that kind of oratory that was adapted to captivate and charm; and which the Greeks so much esteemed. But in demonstration - In the showing ἀποδείξει apodeixei; or in the testimony or evidence which the Spirit produced. The meaning is, that the Spirit furnished the evidence of the divine origin of the religion which he preached, and that it did not depend for its proof on his own reasonings…”

“And my speech in private, as well as my public preaching, was not with the persuasive words of human wisdom, such as the wise men of the world use; but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power - With that powerful kind of demonstration, which flows from the Holy Spirit; which works on the conscience with the most convincing light, and the most persuasive evidence. 1 Corinthians 2:5”

“my speech: Act 20:27 not: Co1 2:1, Co1 2:13, Co1 1:17; Jdg 14:15, Jdg 16:5; Sa2 14:17-20, Sa2 15:2-6; Kg1 22:13, Kg1 22:14; Ch2 18:19-21; Pro 7:21, Pro 20:19; Jer 20:10; Eze 13:6, Eze 13:10, Eze 13:11; Rom 16:18; Col 2:4; Pe2 1:16, Pe2 2:18 enticing: or, persuasible, Act 26:28; Gal 1:10 but: Co1 4:20; Joh 16:8-15; Rom 15:19; Th1 1:5; Pe1 1:12 1 Corinthians 2:5”