I remember learning how focal the kingdom of God was for Jesus. It was a central element of His teaching – and that caused me to hone in on kingdom sayings whenever I found them. One of them is in I Corinthians 4:20 – “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”
Paul was writing to a troubled Corinthian church, and it’s important to remember that God uses troubled churches. If not for this troubled church we wouldn’t have so many of Paul’s great Bible teachings. In this case the church was divided into factions, with ego-driven cohorts lining up behind individual leaders. Paul responded with three images…
That whole section revealed Paul’s frustrations, leading to his charge of arrogance in 3:18. This is an even bigger problem today. Even though there are specialists who have been studying things for years, today any person can watch a two-minute online video and feel like a genius. So then as now it’s good for us to remember Paul’s kingdom saying in 4:20. It has two parts… A. The kingdom of God isn’t just talk. The Greek word is logos, which is used positively elsewhere (e.g. John 1:1-14). But here it is used negatively – like the popular expression that says “Talk is cheap.” I think of the politicians who make religious noises to get votes. A lot of it is just verbiage which lacks substance. B. The kingdom of God consists of power. The Greek word is dunamis, which is related to the English word “dynamite” – something that is powerful to effect change. It’s the same way with the power of the Holy Spirit changing a person’s life (I Thessalonians 1:4-5). Paul teaches us a couple more things about this power in the surrounding verses…
God bless you, Pastor Andrew McHenry First Congregational Church & Trinity Presbyterian Church
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Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
March 2024
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