Demonstration Of The Spirit And Of Power
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
From what I am reading here, the most brilliant of the apostles, educationally speaking, refused to put any confidence in persuasive words of human wisdom. Instead, he felt it was important to rely on the Holy Spirit, and that reliance came with demonstration.
This would not have been all that interesting had he not used the word demonstration. It is a Greek word that means manifestation or demonstration. It comes from a root Greek word that means to prove, to show off, set forth.
In the natural, Paul was weak among them and afraid, so much so that he was trembling. In other words, this well-accomplished man was without confidence in his flesh to step up to the plate and make anything happen.
According to Paul, his preaching was nothing remarkable, and his speech lacked something. Paul was not a pulpiteer. He was not someone who could blow your mind with his handling of words when speaking. I marvel that this did not bother Paul. Instead, it worked in his favor because it meant that if people were to get anything worthwhile from his ministry, they would have to experience the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and of power.
Why would Paul rejoice in such a thing? Why would he not rather be better understood intellectually?
He gives us the answer to this question. He wanted their faith to be in the power of God as opposed to the wisdom of men—my how we have this backward in our day and time. Today, the purpose is to be intellectually understood and a pulpiteer with such prowess that we can entertain and hold the attention of those listening. If someone stands before a congregation in an unassuming way and speaks in trembling, many would lose their attention span in a hurry. But in Paul’s case, this was a plus. It meant God would have to show up and substantiate the truth Paul was speaking. It meant the people would not be mesmerized by Paul’s excellent word skills but rather captivated by God’s power and the Holy Spirit’s demonstration.
Today, the quest for the wisdom of men to become a minister of the gospel is like a contagious disease. Many would prefer to be polished more than be a weak vessel demonstrating His power.
In the quest to see hearts established in Christ according to the working of His Mighty Power, then His presence must have center stage, and reliance upon the Holy Spirit is not merely icing on the cake; it is an essential ingredient to seeing the work of God taking root in the lives of Christ’s disciples. I am not convinced there is too much demonstration of the Spirit and of Power in the churches today. I believe there is a great need for more of it. It is my prayer to be used as Paul was used and not to fall into the snare of self-confidence based on my handling of the truth but rather to be reliant on the Holy Spirit all the more! Without the working of His mighty power, hearts are not readily changed, and people are not aptly equipped for the work of the ministry. Holy Spirit, we need You to be the One who produces fruit for His kingdom through our partnering with You! There is no revelation or understanding without Your power, and there is no evidence of presence without a demonstration of Your activity among us. Please move and reveal Jesus as only You can!
