Power, Not Talk!! 1 Corinthians 3-4

 Power, Not Talk!

1 Corinthians 4:17-20 (ESV)

17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

The context of a Biblical passage is paramount to understand the authors purpose and/or intent.   The above verse, taken in context, is Paul’s response to leadership in the church at Corinth who are promoting themselves.   These leaders are self promoting and self-serving.   In chapter three we read about them soliciting a specific following of certain members.   Their self-serving attitude was to promote themselves above the Gospel and, certainly, beyond Paul’s influence.   Paul is sending this letter to correct several mis-steps in faith the have caused the Corinthian believers to “act as mere humans:”

1 Corinthians 3:3-4 (ESV)

3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

Paul wants these believers to live at a different level.  He is encouraging them to realize that the Gospel has changed how they live.  He is imploring them to leave the confines of this bad leadership and live out load for Christ.   He has sent Timothy to influence them to change their walk.    In the above passage he tells them that they are partakers of the divine nature and members of the Kingdom.  That Kingdom is characterized by “power.”   These leaders were all talk. Paul is telling the church that he is coming to them and will be glad to discover the source of the power.   The word for “power” in these verses is the Greek word that we derive our English word, “dynamite.”   Paul is telling them that his source of dynamite is the Gospel.  Note:

Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Paul is confident about his power.   He is bold. He is part of the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom of God has the very power of Christ at its core.   Christians are not mere words.  We are filled with the power of God through the Spirit by being in Christ.   The entire power of the Trinity dwells within us.