Demonstrating The Spirit
Not With Man's Wisdom
I think that you would agree with me, that the times we are living in are calling for a clear distinction of the demonstration of the power of God amongst the situations ruling over the kingdom of men. If your experiences are anything like mine, more often than not, you'd notice that we see a lot more of the charisma of great oratory verbatim in our churches and fellowship gatherings, instead of the required out working of the power of God.
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling and my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
The Apostle Paul opens the second chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians by stating that his words, speech and preaching were not with enticing, or persuasive words of man's wisdom, but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Which is quite amazing really, considering he was mentored and taught by Gamaliel in all the Jewish laws and customs of his day. Paul, even being the scholar that he clearly was, denounces his ability in what he has learned and the power he had to communicate this, to only count the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as anything worth knowing.
I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.
Act 22:3 (NKJV)
“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;”
Paul puts away the wisdom of men, to know only the crucifixion of Christ and thereby demonstrate the power of the Spirit. And if Paul determined that this was the best course of action for a fruitful spiritual life, what say we? What exactly should we be putting away?
1 - Excellency of Speech:
Excellency
This means elevation, pre-eminence or superiority
From the idea of standing out, rising above, to be superior in rank, authority and power
To be better than, to surpass
2 - Persuasive Words:
Persuasive
From the idea of inducing belief from words, to win favour, to tranquillise, to entice
3 - Man's Wisdom:
Wisdom itself it not an issue
The Greek word for wisdom is “Sophia” and it means a broad and full intelligence, the knowledge of very diverse matters
It the source of the wisdom that we need to be careful about. In this verse, it's man's wisdom
"Man's" means after the manner of men, or common to man or mankind
Christ Crucified
The absolute foundational truth to the Christian faith is the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The Prophet Isaiah prophesied some 700 years in advance about the sufferings of Christ, and that His soul would be an offering to ransom many. The power of transformation for all of mankind is found only in the finished work of Christ. It's in the finished work of Christ that believers must anchor their faith, for it is there, and there alone, that the answer to everything resides.
The stripes that Christ bore provides divine healing
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace [was] upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
His blood was shed for our redemption
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
Ephesian 1:7 (NKJV)
And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation
Revelation 5:9 (NKJV)
He poured out his soul to death to bear the sin of many
For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
1 John 2:2 (NKJV)
He conquered death
Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
Romans 6:9 (NKJV)
"I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Revelation 1:18 (NKJV)
He ascended in glory
Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended" what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Ephesians 4:8-10 (NKJV)
And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 17:5 (NKJV)
Every aspect of the death, burial and resurrection was for a specific reason, and resulted in a specific spiritual victory that Christ obtained for mankind. If it were to be summed up holistically however, Christ's sacrifice provided eternal redemption, which not only provides us with a secure eternal future, but His shed blood itself is also propagated eternally. There is no other thing that can out rank the shed blood of Christ in this physical world or within the spiritual realms.
Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Hebrew 9:12 (NKJV)
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
For this reason the Apostle Paul lets us know that all power that God makes available to us, is made available to us because of the cross of Christ. And it is also for this reason that Paul determines to keep his focus on the cross and the finished works of Christ and nothing else.
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14 (NKJV)
New Living Translation - As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.
Amplified - But far be it from me to boast [in anything or anyone], except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Here Paul is indicating the identification that we have with Jesus Christ as our substitute and the dis-identification that we should have with the things of the world. This is also summed up in the new creation realities, with the old passing away and the new being established. As a new creation, we have access to and can demonstrate the power of God in our own lives and towards the lives of others:
Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Romans 6:6 (NKJV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
Demonstration of Power
We are citizens of the kingdom of God and as such we are to accurately represent His kingdom. If the Word of God tells us that His kingdom is not in word, surely it follows that the citizens of the kingdom should follow suit.
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
1 Corinthians 4:20 (NKJV)
For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 NKJV)
For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
2 Corinthians 13:4 (NKJV)
The power of God is where our faith needs to reside and is the foundation that it should stand on. On faith should not be in ourselves or our ability or in even in our idea of God, but it should be in the power of God.
