1 Corinthians 2:3

3 And so far as I myself was concerned, I came to you in conscious feebleness and in fear and in deep anxiety.

1 Corinthians 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 2:3

And I was with you in weakness
Meaning either the weakness of his bodily presence, the contemptibleness of his voice, and the mean figure he made as a preacher among them, both with respect to the matter and manner of his ministry in the eyes of many; or his lowly and humble deportment among them, not exerting the power and authority Christ had given him as an apostle; but choosing rather to work with his own hands, as he did at Corinth, to minister to his own necessities, and those of others; or the many persecutions which he endured there for the sake of preaching a crucified Christ; and which he sometimes calls "infirmities"; see ( 2 Corinthians 12:9 2 Corinthians 12:10 ) wherefore it is added,

and in fear, and in much trembling:
not only on account of the greatness and awfulness of the work in which he was engaged, and lest the souls he ministered unto should be drawn aside from the truth, and into a sinful compliance; but because of the violence of men against him, threatening his life, and lying in wait for it: hence, the Lord, to encourage him, spake in a vision to him, and bid him not be afraid, but boldly preach his Gospel, and not be silent; assuring him of his presence, and that no man should set on him to hurt him, for he had many chosen vessels there to call by his grace through his ministry, ( Acts 18:9 Acts 18:10 ) which no doubt greatly served to remove the fears and tremor that attended him.

1 Corinthians 2:3 In-Context

1 And as for myself, brethren, when I came to you, it was not with surpassing power of eloquence or earthly wisdom that I came, announcing to you that which God had commanded me to bear witness to.
2 For I determined to be utterly ignorant, when among you, of everything except of Jesus Christ, and of Him as having been crucified.
3 And so far as I myself was concerned, I came to you in conscious feebleness and in fear and in deep anxiety.
4 And my language and the Message that I proclaimed were not adorned with persuasive words of earthly wisdom, but depended upon truths which the Spirit taught and mightily carried home;
5 so that your trust might rest not on the wisdom of man but on the power of God.
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