“Fluent or persuasive speaking or writing” is the definition of eloquence. We like eloquent speakers. Some speakers can be annoying to hear because they say too many “uh’s” or other verbal interruption. Two come to mind who do that (in the interest of by-partisanship!): Robert Gibbs, President Obama’s first press secretary and Condoleeza Rice, Bush’s Secretary of State. We say “uh” or “um” much more when we are speaking extemporaneously (off the cuff) rather than from prepared remarks. But when people read prepared remarks, the eloquence is also missing.
Eloquence can express emotions in a powerful way and an eloquent speaker can snatch us up into his or her wings and carry us beyond ourselves. If one stutters or stammers, it is hard to be persuasive because conviction is not portrayed as strongly. But an eloquent speaker conveys his thoughts, his plans, his goals, his ambitions so that we can see them as well, be caught up in them, and make them our own plans, goals, and ambitions.
That’s the power and the danger of eloquence. For when a man comes along who is eloquent but will not allow God to speak through his eloquence, he can easily lead people astray.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” Eloquence can rob the cross of its power, Paul warns. If a man sees that the message of the cross is not drawing the masses as he thinks it ought, he makes subtle changes here and there. People sit in rapt attention to his eloquent message but if they don’t respond, rather than thinking the fault is in their heart, he feels the fault is in the message.
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Paul, himself, writes that he was not an eloquent speaker: “when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:1). In verse 4, he continues: “my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Again, in verse 13: “we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”
Paul’s detractors in Corinth had this to say about his eloquence: “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account” (2 Cor. 10:10). One chapter later, Paul confesses: “Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things” (11:6).
Preachers, if you are not eloquent, be more concerned about communicating the Gospel in biblical terms. Be more concerned about the “simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3). Preachers, if you are eloquent, do not let that gift corrupt your heart and your motivation. Use that eloquence to point people to the Christ and stay humble. You can not improve, even with your eloquence, the simplicity of book, chapter, and verse preaching.
–Paul Holland
