11月24日
标 题：不在乎言语，乃在乎权能
经 节：因为神的国不在乎言语，乃在乎权能。（哥林多前书四章20节）
基督教不是道德的陈腔滥调、高谈阔论和崇高理想。神国度的基本特性是权能。保罗的事工不断地面对早期众教会的批评，有些诽谤者甚至到哥林多的城市，大声疾呼保罗的错误。有时候，教会里的人信以为真，相信了对使徒保罗的批评诽谤。
保罗提醒他们，测试一个人是否为天国子民，不是看他说的话有无说服力，而是看他生命中属灵的权能。保罗坦率地承认，有人认为他说话没有口才（哥林多后书十：10）。然而，他们无法质疑神在保罗生命中，所施展的权能。他曾经看过许许多多的人悔改归主，许多教会也因他的事工而建立。他倚靠那能医治病人及使死人复活的神的权能，不管他的口才能否滔滔雄辩，那些话语带着从神而来的属灵能力与权柄。
你将会遇到许多人，想以他们对神国的看法来说服你。他们说的话可能很动听，甚至以图表来证明他们的观点！然而，要检验他们的话是否可信，就得查看他们生活的属灵能力。如果一个人滔滔不绝地解释某神学观点，却在生活中惯性犯罪，他的生活使得他所说的话不足为信。如果一个人谈论神的权能，但在生活中却看不到一点得胜的见证，那么他所说的话是空话。基督徒生活的得胜之道，用口说明远比用生命活出，要简单多了。
如果你仅有敬虔的外貌，却没有敬虔实质的属灵权能（提摩太后书三：5），求神洁净你的罪，以圣灵充满你，好叫你的生活能看到神权能的彰显。
Not in Word but in Prayer
For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:20)
Christianity is not moral platitudes, lofty intentions, and noble thoughts. The fundamental characteristic of God’s kingdom is power. Paul faced constant criticism about his work among the early churches. Some of his detractors would travel to cities such as Corinth and speak extensively about all that Paul was doing incorrectly. At times, people in the churches were enticed to believe the slanderous criticisms against the apostle.
Paul responded with a reminder that the test of a kingdom citizen’s authenticity was not the persuasiveness of his words, but the spiritual power of his life. Paul candidly acknowledged that some did not find him eloquent in speech (2 Cor. 10:10). Yet they could not question God’s power in his life. He had seen many people converted, and many churches were started through his ministry. He had been used to heal the sick and raise the dead through God’s power. Regardless of whether his words were eloquent, they carried spiritual power and authority that came from God.
You will encounter many people who seek to convince you of their opinions concerning the kingdom of God. They may speak passionately. They may even bring charts and graphs to prove their points! But the test of the validity of their words is the spiritual power of their lives. If a person speaks forcefully about a point of doctrine but is habitually sinning, his words are discredited by his life. If a person talks of the power of God but gives no evidence of victory in her life, her words are empty. It is much easier to talk about the victorious Christian life than it is to live it.
If you only have the appearance of godliness without any corresponding spiritual power (2 Tim. 3:5), ask God to cleanse you of your sin and to fill you with His Spirit so that your life is characterized by power.
