The
First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth
Chapter
4:20
20
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
Related
Scripture
1
Thessalonians 1:5
Brethren:
Though
we are to live our lives emulating our Creator, and being His
proxies, we would do well to likewise remember that this living in
holiness is not only in the words we speak, that is to say confessing
Christ as Lord but in the power of that confession. It is the Holy
Spirit that imbues us with this power.
“True
godliness is a powerful thing; faith is powerful, and so is love; and
so is prayer, and preaching; and so is all religion, internal and
external, where there is the life and truth of grace, and that in
exercise. But I rather think the Gospel is here meant, often in
Scripture called the kingdom of God, and the doctrines of it, the
mysteries of the kingdom; because it is a message from the King of
kings; the means of setting up the kingdom or grace in the heart; its
subjects are things concerning the kingdom of God; it is what has
brought life and immortality, or an immortal life to light; and gives
the best account of the invisible glories of the heavenly state, and
points out the saints' meetness for it, and title to it; declaring
that except a man is born again, and has a better righteousness than
his own, even that of Christ's, he shall neither see nor enter into
the kingdom of heaven. Now the Gospel is not in "word";
though it lies in the word of God, the Scriptures of truth: and
treats of the essential word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ; and
cannot be preached without words, even the words of men; yet is not
to be preached with wisdom of words, with enticing words of man's
wisdom, or in the words which man's wisdom teacheth; nor does the
efficacy of it lie in, or depend upon the words of the preacher, or
on mere moral persuasion: for whenever it is effectual, it comes not
"in word only, but also in power". And by "power"
is meant, not a power of working miracles the first preachers of the
Gospel had, and by which it was greatly confirmed; nor a godly life
and conversation which that enforced upon, and engaged both ministers
and people to; but the powerful efficacy of the Spirit, attending the
preaching of the Gospel to the quickening of dead sinners, the
enlightening of blind eyes, and unstopping of deaf ears; the
softening of hard hearts, the delivering of persons from the slavery
of sin and Satan, the transforming and renewing of them both inwardly
and outwardly; and to the comforting, enlivening, strengthening, and
establishing of the saints; all which can never be ascribed to the
persuasive language of men, but to the power of God; and which is the
more apparent when it is observed what mean and despicable
instruments in the eyes of men are made use of: what the doctrines
are that are preached, not being of man, nor agreeably to his carnal
reason, but esteemed foolishness by him; and the manner in which they
are propagated, not in a carnal way, by outward force, but by the
foolishness of preaching: and the opposition made to it both by the
enmity of man's heart unto it, by the men of the world, and by Satan
and his principalities and powers.” - John Gill - Theologian
No comments:
Post a Comment