"For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power."
(1 Corinthians 4:20)
I'm sure Paul was a bit frustrated. He had started the church in Corinth. It began well. Then somewhere down the line, after he left, it got off track. The letter he wrote to encourage them (and correct them) is the book of 1 Corinthians.
One of the criticisms he had was some in the church had become quite arrogant. Paul wanted to move beyond mere talk and get to the power of God at work. That's what we, as the church, need to be about, says Paul.
Too often we get sidetracked by "talk" within the church. Whether we're arguing over theology, denominationalism, or structure... the bigger issue should be how is God manifest in our ministry? What deeds of power & life transformation are present among us? Ultimately, people won't come to church because we've made the clearest argument. I take that back. Maybe people will initially be drawn to a church because of the "talk." But they'll only stay if God's power is manifest... if lives are changed and God is made known in our midst.
May we be known more for God's power than our words!
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