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"I will come to you.......and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people, but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk,...... but in power - 1 Corinthians 4:19-20, RSV
What power is this?
Was it power for exciting novelties? In fact, the Corinthians, were full of the thought of all the gifts they had, and they boasted about them in full.
In v. 8 Paul acknowledges this trait, albeit with semi-sarcasm.
No it wasn't power for the miraculous that Paul is looking for here, but rather the power for holy, Christ-like living: and that is the missing element in their living.
He goes on to say in 5: 1, "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you." He is thinking about Holy Living.
Christianity is caught as much as taught; but it seems that the Corinthians were hardly living an infectious kind of Christianity. Their evangelism had descended just to the level of proselytism; they were really engaged in sheep-stealing (6b) Join our party, come to our group.
That is not evangelism, and Paul sees this nauseating brand of Christianity for what it is - plastic discipleship.
My own observation is that large numbers of us, young and old, experienced and immature, are drop-outs.
Neglecting our responsibility to society; leaving the field to the humanists and the violent revolutionaries.......Let us get it clear, that if we cannot act as purifying salt today in society, as holy people of God, then society itself is going to rot us.
It is war today. "Forget about your words, your claims,' says Paul, 'where is your power - your power for holy living? It wasn't that there isn't power available. The marvellous thing about the Christian life is that when we step into Christ there is power, because He gives us the Holy Spirit. What robs us of power is plain rank disobedience.
What power is this?
Was it power for exciting novelties? In fact, the Corinthians, were full of the thought of all the gifts they had, and they boasted about them in full.
In v. 8 Paul acknowledges this trait, albeit with semi-sarcasm.
No it wasn't power for the miraculous that Paul is looking for here, but rather the power for holy, Christ-like living: and that is the missing element in their living.
He goes on to say in 5: 1, "It is actually reported that there is immorality among you." He is thinking about Holy Living.
Christianity is caught as much as taught; but it seems that the Corinthians were hardly living an infectious kind of Christianity. Their evangelism had descended just to the level of proselytism; they were really engaged in sheep-stealing (6b) Join our party, come to our group.
That is not evangelism, and Paul sees this nauseating brand of Christianity for what it is - plastic discipleship.
My own observation is that large numbers of us, young and old, experienced and immature, are drop-outs.
Neglecting our responsibility to society; leaving the field to the humanists and the violent revolutionaries.......Let us get it clear, that if we cannot act as purifying salt today in society, as holy people of God, then society itself is going to rot us.
It is war today. "Forget about your words, your claims,' says Paul, 'where is your power - your power for holy living? It wasn't that there isn't power available. The marvellous thing about the Christian life is that when we step into Christ there is power, because He gives us the Holy Spirit. What robs us of power is plain rank disobedience.
