Not in Word but in Power

1 Corinthians 4:18-21

There are two ways to build a church, two ways to build a family and two ways to build a life: man’s way, according to the wisdom and strategies of the world which is the way of the flesh, or God’s way, according to the message and principle of the cross. The way of the cross is a humble way that looks foolish in the eyes of the world. It is a way that emphasizes, “Not I but Christ”; “I must die that He might live”; “God’s power made perfect in weakness”. But the way of the flesh is much more appealing and impressive and seems to get much better and quicker results. But the real test that will ultimately prove the value of what has been built is when it is tested by fire. (3:10-15)

Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” No such promise is made for the church that man builds. “Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it.” The bible assures us that unless the Lord builds your family and your life, no matter how impressive it may seem at the start, all the work you have put into it in the end will be in vain. It will not withstand the onslaught of the attacks of Satan and the trials of life.

Vs. 18

At some point earlier, perhaps in another letter, Paul has communicated to the church at Corinth that he would return to visit them. He has been gone now for an extended period of time and there are some influential individuals in the church who have concluded that he is not going to return. Therefore in their minds he forfeited his authority as the church founder and father and they are using this as an excuse to push their own agenda for the church. Not God’s agenda but their own.

Paul describes these individuals as being “puffed up” with pride. They are trying to control the church, seeking to organize the church according to how they think things should be run, which is, as we have already seen, according to the wisdom of the world rather than according to the wisdom of God. They are like arrogant but immature children who think that they should be in charge and run the family, thinking that they know better than mom or dad. They are puffed up wanting things to be done their way, and in the process they are causing division in the church (See 1:10 and 3:3).

There seemed to be power struggles going on in the church over who would lead and who would follow which leader. And the criteria for who was qualified for leadership seemed to be those who were impressive by the standards of worldly wisdom, or those who were noble or mighty in the eyes of the natural man. According to what we have been reading in the four chapters up to this point it seems, for example, that some of these puffed up individuals were likely pushing to embrace Apollos (who was an eloquent and powerful speaker) as their spiritual leader rather than Paul who was not impressive as a speaker. Verse 6 says, “Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.”

In light of this power struggle going on look ahead to Paul’s comments in chapter twelve to see the added significance of those comments about the members of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:17-28 “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. [It is not the place of the members themselves to try to rearrange the body structure; that is God’s role.] . . . 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” [They can’t say of Paul, “I have no need of you.”] No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. [In their eyes Paul was a weaker member.] And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, [they thought Paul was less honorable than Apollos] on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.”

Now in these closing verses of chapter four Paul, very assertively, levels his comments directly at these trouble makers in the church and he warns them that he is coming soon and he will be coming with the authority that God has given him as an apostle, as their founding father. As we saw in verse 17, Paul is sending Timothy ahead of himself to begin addressing some of the problems in the church, but as soon as possible Paul himself will be there to put things in order. (vs. 17) Look to 1 Corinthians 16:5-12 to see a more detailed description of Paul’s planned return visit to Corinth.

Vs. 19-20

We already saw last week in our study of verse 19 how Paul demonstrates to the church that his life and his plans are yielded to God’s control, “I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills . . .” His life is no longer his own to do with as he pleases, but he belongs to the Lord.

“. . . And [when I come] I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.” (vs. 19) His opponents in Corinth were good talkers but did they function in the power of God? That is what Paul would be looking for when he arrived in Corinth and by implication that is what the rest of the church should be looking for in the meantime. He warns the arrogant. When he returns, will they have merely the words of human wisdom or will they have the power of God? The test is not, “Does it sound great?” or “Does it look good?” But the real test is “Does it demonstrate power?” And what is this power Paul is looking for? It is obviously not the power of the world’s system, verse 21 tells us it is the power of the kingdom of God.

As we have seen, the believers at Corinth have been majoring on putting forth a good image: being eloquent and persuasive with words of human wisdom that would impress the Greek society of that day. In our day putting forth a good image in the eyes of the world depends largely on having great music (by the world’s standards) and an entertaining message. In the days of the Corinthians the big thing was to be dynamic in your speaking style. But Paul presented a very humble image; he ministered as a servant and not as a dynamic, charismatic leader. And by his own admission, Paul did not come with excellence of speech or of human wisdom. Frankly many of them were a little embarrassed of the way Paul came across, preaching his controversial message of the cross. But there was power in Paul’s ministry.

As verse 19 implies, the Corinthians were drawn to the clever and articulate words of those who in their pride spoke words of human wisdom rather than humbly sticking to the words of God which, though foolish sounding to the flesh are in fact the wisdom and power of God. I don’t know if you are aware of it or not, but in a great many churches and ministries today the preachers and teachers are using very little of God’s word but prefer instead to quote the wise and clever sounding words of human authors. They think that people are more open to listening to great sounding quotes from very articulate modern authors than they are to hearing the word of God. But when we think that way we are over looking an important truth that God’s ways are not man’s ways. And though we can choose our own ways we cannot make our ways work.

Again, what is the power that the Bible is talking about in verse 19 and 20? Some have argued that it is the miraculous power of signs and wonders. I believe that power to do miracles is part of what is meant by the word power in these verses but I do not believe that is the primary thrust of the word in this context. Why not? First of all because the letter is being written to a church that prides itself in the abundance of their spiritual gifts. In fact Paul acknowledges that they do not come short in any gift. (1:7) They were not lacking in any of the sign gifts but what they lacked was the power of the more excellent way of love which never fails.

Secondly I believe the power that Paul is looking for in the church is not primarily referring to the power to do signs and wonders because in the context of what follows, the very next thing Paul addresses is their moral failure. In verse 20 he says, “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” Then two verses later as if to demonstrate their lack of power he says, “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles . . . 2 And you are puffed up . . .” [addressing the same puffed up ones as a few verses earlier in 4:18-19 who were so big on excellence of speech]. I believe the power is primarily referring to the power of God to triumph over sin and Satan; the power to live godly in the world, the power of the gospel and of the resurrected life of Christ in us to lead us as believers into victorious Christian living.

We’ve all seen the powerful presentations the world can put forth with their powerful music and graphic video clips. They are powerful to stir your heart at a flesh level. They are powerful enough to make your mouth drop open with “wow” or to move you to tears. But they have no power to transform your life for the better or to give you victory over sin. When we implement the methods of the world’s wisdom in our churches or in our homes we can make a big impression and we can deeply stir people’s emotions, and we can highly motivate them to try harder but we will not empower them to experience victory over sin. We need more than words, we need more than music, we need more than impressive graphics or even signs and wonders. We need power to live victoriously over sin. Samson had miraculous power from God to perform great feats, but he had no power to triumph over sin.

A third reason why I believe it doesn’t primarily refer to the power to do miracles is again because of the context, this time before the statement of 4:19-20. All along up to this point in First Corinthians Paul has not been speaking about power to do miracles, but he has been contrasting the wisdom or power of God’s word with the weakness or foolishness of man’s wisdom. Look at the emphasized contrast being made in the following scriptures between God’s word and man’s own words:

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. [Notice that the wisdom of mere human words result in that which is crucial to the Christian life having no effect on the listeners.] 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing [because of the weakness of their own wisdom], but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” What is the power of God that is here contrasted with the wisdom of men? Romans 1:16 gives a clear answer, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

So in the context of verse 20, the meaning seems to be that the kingdom of God is not in the words of human wisdom but in the power of God to triumph over Satan, over sin, over the world, and over our flesh especially through His Word and specifically through the message of the cross, “no longer I but Christ”.

1 Corinthians 13:1-10 describes a power of God which characterizes the kingdom of God which is greater than the power to perform miracles. They will know that we are Christians, not by our miracles as valuable as they are, but by our love.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. [Love is the power of God to suffer long and be kind; etc . . . love is the power of God at work in me to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. Love is so powerful that it never fails]. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”

Yes the power of God is manifest through the casting out of demons and through the healing of the sick and turning water into wine. But the greatest evidence of the kingdom of God is the transformation of lives resulting in power to overcome sin and to live godly lives in this wicked world.

Vs. 21

For Paul it was imperative that the church not be built on the sand of man’s own wisdom but upon the solid rock of Christ Jesus. If they did not carry out church discipline in order to get back on track Paul would exercise the discipline of a father when he came to visit. He would not ignore this matter and let them seek to build the church after the ways that seemed right to human wisdom.