I would like to look at the scripture in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 and.. and you know some of these Scriptures are just so simple and so clear that actually what we read in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 is what we looked at this morning there in the 17th chapter of John... so clear that, if the Lord will open our eyes to it, it is clear. But this morning it was no mysteries or anything, it just says, "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." That's John 17:2 that we looked at this morning. But there's no mystery there, there's nothing conditional... it's just facts. I like that about the Scriptures. Again today I heard different things on television and radio and again they were praising Joseph for what a wonderful man he was. 
And of course this is what man looks at. But, the Apostle Paul, who was Saul of Tarsus, it's my understanding that he was a very well-educated person. He was a Pharisee, he had a good education. He probably did have excellency in speech and everything. But when it comes to the part we're going to look at this evening, he didn't use that. 
He broke it down very simple and that's the way I like to look at it. It is being grounded in in the basics, and if we're grounded basics, then, humanly speaking, it kind of keeps us in check, keeps us from going out in left field with these wild questions and things of that nature. 
So I'd like to read 1 Corinthians Chapter 2, and I think I'll read maybe 5 verses and will concentrate on on verse 2. 
"And I, brethren, and when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or wisdom." Now he had it, he had excellency of speech but he didn't come in that matter. He said, "Declaring unto you the testimony of God" and verse 2For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness. And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's Wisdom best demonstration of the spirit and a power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. So now, in the political field now in the debates some say well 'I'm not a good debater' or something. Maybe enticing words are some people so claim to fame or whatever. But again I believe Paul had enticing words. I believe he had a good education. He kept it simple and said: "I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and crucified." And if you study the writings that God has Apostle Paul pen, that's what you'll see. Now sometimes it may not seem as plain but he said "This is it." If you can summarize everything, and all I want to say Paul's writings, but in all of God's Word through the Apostle Paul I think this is the best summary that we can find. And I think it's something we should be grounded in: I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
Now, when we're talking about Jesus Christ and Him crucified we're talking about the salvation of our souls, that's what we're talking about. 
But I remember someone said, that they were kind of for whatever reason talking in a negative sense about Brother Austin. They said, "All he preaches about is 'Salvation, salvation, salvation!" and they said it was "maybe it's just me" and as it comes, I think they were right, it was just them. 

Why would you look in a negative sense for someone preaching salvation, why would you why would you want to condemn that? Now, when we're talking about Jesus Christ and Him crucified we're talking about the salvation of our souls, that's what we're talking about. 
But I remember someone said, that they were kind of for whatever reason talking in a negative sense about Brother Austin. They said, "All he preaches about is 'Salvation, salvation, salvation!" and they said it was "maybe it's just me" and as it comes, I think they were right, it was just them. 

Why would you look in a negative sense for someone preaching salvation, why would you why would you want to condemn that? 
Why would you think that that's a bad thing? I do that also,  right, I pray that I do that also. You may say, "Well there's a lot of other things in the Bible. Granted, it's a big book are there a lot of other things in it. I think we should state that carefully, it is a big book, there are a lot of things in it, but are there a lot of other things? That is a statement that I would...if I made that statement I would back up from it. I'm not sure about that. I think you're going to see this is a subject from beginning to the end, I believe that... we may be we may be talkin about many different subjects as we would study the Scriptures, but if we can't trace it back to this, to Jesus Christ and Him crucified... we're probably missing the point and the value of whatever we're studying.