Not men's wisdom, but God's power

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5
Here Paul writes to the church at Corinth, reminding them of how he preached the gospel to them. He begins by saying how he did not speak with eloquence or superior wisdom. This doesn’t mean that Paul couldn’t speak with eloquence or wisdom; rather, he chose not to. In the book of Acts we read that Corinth was the next stop after his experience in Athens, at Mars Hill. Paul had been invited there to give a speech to the leading philosohers, and while we read that some people enjoyed listening to him and a couple even came to faith (Acts 17:32-34), we don’t read of a church being planted by Paul in Athens. Paul began his speech there by explaining that the Athenians, although they were religious and showed that they were seeking God, had not yet found Him (Acts 17:22-23). He presents fact after fact, linking each one logically with the next. Paul had grown up in Tarsus, and had been trained in the best schools of Greek thought. He knew how to present the gospel in a logical form.
Yet Paul did not use this approach when he arrived in Corinth. Instead, he said, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). The gospel can indeed stand up to logical scrutiny. But for a person to come to faith, there must be more than just their intellect involved. If someone can be persuaded into the kingdom, they can be persuaded out of it. This is why, when in Corinth, Paul didn’t preach about the logic that God exists, that He can be known, that He is able to raise the dead. He simply preached about the power of God, namely, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This is an important thing for us to remember when we are witnessing to people. Don’t appeal to their intellect. Don’t discuss intelligent design. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them, because without the Holy Spirit working in their heart, drawing them to Christ, your words will have no effect. Tell them your own story, how the power of God turned your life around – they cannot deny you this. Tell them about the resurrection of Christ and the hope that you have. And pray, pray, pray!