Which is more important—the message or the messenger? In the upper class Greek culture, they had high expectations regarding the messenger. They would disregard the message if it didn’t come in the fine oratory packaging that they had gotten used to. Paul didn’t want to confuse the message of the gospel with philosophy. He brought a plain message that trusted in a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. This is good news for several reasons.
1. Anyone who has the Spirit of God can be confident that God can use them to communicate the gospel. Paul claimed to know only Jesus and his crucifixion. If we can explain the cross, even in rudimentary terms, we can explain the heart of Christianity.
2. Our lives demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit. People want a faith that works. A simple rational explanation is only a collection of words. There is no end to words and good ideas. What people long for is something with the kind of power that can change their lives.
3. The Holy Spirit uses the words that we speak with fear and trembling and can reveal to others the mind of Christ.
If that wasn’t enough, we can be confident that God has given us the Spirit “That we may freely understand what God has freely given us.” What an awesome mystery!
How have you experienced The Spirit helping you understand what God has freely given us?
Posted by Marc
Monday, October 13, 2008
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