Forthright Magazine
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Straight to the Cross


COLUMN: Final Phase

Plain and Simple
by J. Randal Matheny

"I recollect with admiration an animating blaze of
eloquence, which rouzed [sic] every intellectual
power in me to the highest pitch, but much have
dazzled me so much, that my memory could not
preserve the substance of his discourse; ..."
(Jas. Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson).

Randal's modern translation: The delivery was so
good, I forgot the content. Mr. Boswell was so
impressed with the speaker that the message was
lost in the dazzle.

Not many of us are as eloquent as the subject of
Boswell's observations. But preachers, teachers,
writers, and other users of the word are often
tempted to soup up the message. How many times
have we used an illustration that people remember
afterwards, but forgot what it was supposed to
illustrate?

God's ambassadors eschew literary flourishes of
eloquence. Says straight-talking Paul, "And I,
when I came to you, brothers, did not come
proclaiming the testimony of God with lofty speech
or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you
except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor.
2:1-2, ESV). Paul was less concerned with delivery
than with his single subject.

Paul's words were so plain that people could get
away with accusing that "his personal presence
[was] unimpressive and his speech contemptible" (2
Cor. 10:10, NASU).

Would people have a hard time of making such a
mean charge stick to my communication of the
gospel?

I don't want to offer rehashed blather. On the
other hand, I pray people may always be impressed
with God's plan in Jesus rather than a cute story
or turn of phrase I might offer.

Plain and simple will get the job done.

Boswell would approve.

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