The Kingdom of God in Power 1 Corinthians 4:20

Paul the apostle shared how he “would come to” the Corinthian church “shortly”, and he conditioned it with “if the Lord will”. When Paul came to the church, he would “know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power”, and in chapter four and verse twenty of First Corinthians, Paul told the church members in Corinth, “the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” where we read:

For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

The verse begins, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, ...” Paul began with the word, “For” which means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore” “the kingdom” or “the royal power, kingship, dominion and rule” “of God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “is not in word” or “is not in speech, utterance, decree, mandate or order which embodies a conception or idea”. God's kingdom is not about “words spoken” about it.

The verse continues, “... but in power.” Paul added the word, “but” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “in power” which is the Greek word “dynamis” that is pronounced “dü'-nä-mēs” which refers to “generating power” and means “mighty work, strength and virtue”. God's kingdom includes “generating power and might” rather than simply words alone.

When we consider these words from Paul, we see how God has filled His kingdom with “power” and not empty words. It would have been much easier for Jesus, God's Son, to come to the earth and “talk” alone, but He demonstrated over and over again the “power” of God's Spirit that was in Him. He made the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the dead were raised to life again, and those things cannot be done without supernatural “power” from God. We have an opportunity to serve a “powerful” and “awesome” God and His Son Jesus Christ, and all who recognize how wonderful He is shall not only “talk” about Him, but live under the covering of His “strength, might and virtue” every day.

Next time Paul asks “shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love or in the spirit of meekness”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.