Key Brief 3, Demonstrate the Spirit

Those first two Keys are related, and so are the next two, which are both mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2, and they relate to how we minister. 

Demonstrate the Spirit

The Kingdom is not a matter of talk (doctrines) nor is it advanced by merely talking (preaching) about it. Sure, there are doctrines of the Kingdom, and we preach these doctrines, but the Kingdom itself is not a doctrine. There are doctrines about Jesus, and we preach about Jesus, but Jesus … is not merely a doctrine. So Paul said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” He even said he came in a demonstration of the Spirit, some versions say ‘in the Spirit and Power of God,’ to achieve a specific purpose, well to achieve several specific purposes. His first purpose was SO THAT your faith would not rest in Man’s Understanding, or Man’s Wisdom. Ministering only ‘in word’ makes people gain confidence that salvation and becoming close to God is just a matter of knowing stuff, which is ultimately a false hope. [James, 2 Cor 8:1-3, I Cor 4:20 etc.] In fact it is not gaining knowledge only but becoming a new creation that saves us. So INSTEAD of ministering ‘in word’ only, as most people do today, Paul, who was trained by the Holy Spirit how to advance the Kingdom, ministered by DEMONSTRATING the Holy Spirit which was with him and once released changed people directly. This method of ministering is both proof, but also the purpose of the Kingdom, and so has multiple benefits: it transforms people in ways human words cannot. But also it gives people a deep faith in the reality of a real but invisible God. It also stops many foolish debates and arguments that bring only division and offer no hope or peace. THESE were Paul’s overreaching objectives, not to make people follow him, join his church, sell books or find a beautiful young wife. He was making disciples of Christ, for Christ, the way Christ was teaching and training him to do it. We have MUCH to say on this in the longer teaching to explain how important but also easy it can be to minister in the demonstration of the Sprit, how effective, and frankly how enjoyable it is!

And this is also linked to the other methodology he employed to spread the Gospel. So the next key, #4, is the counterpart to this idea …