Of the Spirit and of Power
Of the Spirit and of Power.— The apostle Paul, in writing to the Corinthian brethren of his preaching among them, said: “And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” 1 Cor. 2:4, 5, R.V. The word “man’s” is not in the Revised Version, but the thought is, as shown by the context. Persuasive words of man’s wisdom would broadly include all those devices and arts and tricks by which men attempt to attract other men, to hold their attention, and to win them. It can not refer to correct speech, to perfect articulation, to proper emphasis, accent, and gesture. It would not refer to clear, strong, forcible argument, pertinent illustration, and impassioned appeal if these things are used in the Spirit, and all at the very best unworthy of the great theme of the Gospel. For the message of God is worthy of the purest, the clearest, the sweetest, the strongest language that men know. The very aptest words, the clearest construction, the greatest simplicity and dignity of man, are unworthy of the tremendous Word, freighted with eternal import, with which God has entrusted man. And the preacher who studies to improve the matter and manner of the presentation of his theme, feeling that his message demands always better than he can give, is working in the right direction. But after all this is not to be his great aim. All these must be subservient to the living Spirit in the words; for, says the same apostle, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” The power to win must be the Spirit of God, filling the words of the message, making them winged arrows of love, mighty hammers of love, melting flames of love, mighty healers and builders of love. Let the words come forth from a softened, burdened heart, from a Spirit-filled life. If men depend upon devices and arts of man’s wisdom, it will lead one class of men to capture their hearers by the art of the finished elocutionist, and men will be attracted to men and not to God. It will lead others, who may in a way despise the affected art of the elocutionist and dramatist, to take an opposite course. They will seek to hold men’s attention by strong, unqualified statements, not alone concerning the truths and doctrines of the Bible, but concerning things known even by their uninstructed hearers to need qualification. The man ignorant of the Gospel may be acquainted with the common thing concerning which the strong unqualified statement is made. He knows that the statement needs discounting, that it ought to be qualified; and he logically concludes that the strong statements concerning Gospel truth unknown to him ought to be discounted also, when perhaps nothing of the kind should be done. The speaker has injured his own influence. The strong statements attract and startle, but do not convict or convert. They have a present effect, but are not of permanent value. Persons invariably remember and talk of the strong startling things instead of the principles. Lightness and Grotesqueness.— Others attract in giving the Gospel message—sometimes unconsciously—by witty remarks, by grotesque attitudes and gestures. These affect those who hear. The witty remarks raise a laugh. The grotesque gestures and attitudes nervously affect the people. The pathos that follows more easily arouses the sympathetic feelings, and the audience is turned easily from laughter to tears, and tears to laughter. But the memory carried by the persons present is concerning the wit, the humor, the grotesqueness. Not long ago when a mighty man of God arose to speak, one thoughtless girl likened him to a monkey instead of listening to the message of life that he bore. We can not say that the fault was altogether on the part of the girl. The occasion was offered by the man. Our plea to the minister of God is, Let the manner, the method, the presentation, be such as will commend the message you bear; yet be yourself. That is, take no man for your pattern. Let Jesus Christ rule and reign in heart and life, and let word and action, method and manner, gesture and tone, be only such as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Our plea to the hearer, young or old, is, Listen, that you may hear what God may say. Do not imitate. Do not criticize the speaker. Do not remember the ludicrous. Get at the principle, the power, the life; receive that into the heart and live.