Reflections on Scripture

Reflections for February 14, 2017

"My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power." (1 Corinthians 2:4)

In Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church he points out that when he first came to them his proclamation of the gospel was not made with "persuasive words of wisdom," but rather with "a demonstration of the Spirit and power." In so doing, Paul was avoiding a common temptation. It would seem our first instinct is to rely on ourselves, and in the case of trying to win unbelievers to faith in Jesus Christ our instinct is to attempt to persuade them with irrefutable logic. Our best logic, of course. We even take apologetics and evangelism studies to prepare ourselves to be more persuasive. 

But Paul, instead, relied on "a demonstration of the Spirit and power." He, himself, served as the instrument of this demonstration. In part, at least, it was a demonstration through the power of miraculous works. But there is another demonstration of the Spirit that has greater power than we give credit, and that is a demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. A clear, consistent, and persistent demonstration of this fruit which is possible only through the power of the Spirit has a power that we often - maybe usually - fail to give credit. 

Maybe more obvious is our total inability to be persuasive without the presence of this fruit. Words without the presence of this fruit will fall flat, but with a clear, consistent, and persistent demonstration of this fruit, few words will be required to give a persuasive witness to Christ.