1 Corinthians 4:19

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

The letter was written in A.D. 57 to meet false philosophy creeping in among the Corinthians, to correct the tendency to divide into factions, to point out the sins common in heathendom that were entering the church, and to emphasize the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Chapters 1-2 draw a strong contrast between the wisdom of the world and the power of the Gospel. The verse belongs to 1 Corinthians 3-4, which reprove the worship of men and show that Jesus Christ is the only foundation upon which character and the church can be built.

The ones described as puffed up were puffed up by their own attainments and, through jealousy, denied Paul's apostleship and hindered his work. Their pride and opposition were exposed by his teaching. As with them, some who oppose God's servants when their errors are pointed out and denounced may remain hostile.

The verse states Paul's purpose to come to the church at Corinth shortly, which he afterward changed for sufficient reason and did not carry out at the time first intended. That change was charged against him as fickleness and untrustworthiness, requiring him to answer that charge. His answer was that he was not governed by low or worldly considerations or human plans but preached the gospel with steady and settled purpose.

The verse tests the standing of those who boast in speech by their power rather than by their words or professions, since the kingdom of God is marked by power. Attention to impressive words without attention to spiritual power is therefore misplaced. The Spirit's effective power in gospel work stands above eloquence or human wisdom. The power in the verse is the power of endless life received by faith, which transforms a profligate sinner into a humble keeper of God's commandments. Worldly people have little relish for that power.

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