What happened when Paul preached with simplicity?
When Paul preached with simplicity, people were convicted by the power of the Gospel. He proclaimed Christ crucified, buried, and risen, and those converted out of paganism shared their faith everywhere, so that it spread abroad and there was no need to speak anything further.
Les explains that Paul was not looking for some Madison Avenue approach to get the masses to come and hear him. But whatever he preached, in all of its simplicity, people were convicted. This happened everywhere he went because he preached Christ crucified, buried, and risen from the dead. That is the power of the Gospel, and even though we cannot understand it, God in His own inimitable way brings people to a knowledge of the truth. In I Thessalonians chapter 1, the Thessalonians were just as pagan as the rest, yet their faith to God spread abroad. As soon as Paul saw these people converted out of paganism, they shared it wherever they went, and their mouths could not be shut.