The Spirit is the power for the apostles to preach the gospel of Christ to the nations. Paul says, “I will not dare to speak anything of the things which Christ has not accomplished by me unto the obedience of the nations, by word and work, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:18-19). During Paul’s time, Illyricum was a remote region on the northeastern corner of Europe. Paul preached the gospel from Jerusalem, a cultured city, to a remote, uncultured region. Through the all-inclusive, consummated Spirit as power Paul preached the gospel to the nations in a prevailing way. In his preaching to the nations he ministered Christ as the sanctifying element that can change a person’s being. As a result of such gospel preaching, the nations became an acceptable offering, an offering sanctified by the Holy Spirit (v. 16).
When the apostles preached the gospel, they did so in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. In 1 Corinthians 2:4 Paul says, “My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Persuasive words of wisdom issue from the human mind; demonstration of the Spirit comes from our spirit. Paul’s speech and preaching were not from his mind with words of speculation but from his spirit with the release and exhibition of the Spirit, hence of power. Paul did not exercise persuasive words of wisdom but the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. The power demonstrated by Paul was Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:23-24). The issue of such a demonstration was that the believers’ faith would not be the result of Paul’s wisdom overcoming their wisdom, but would be in God’s power, the crucified Christ (1 Cor. 2:5).
First Thessalonians 1:5 says, “Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, even as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.” Here we see that the gospel preached by the apostles was preached not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was the reality of the gospel preached by the apostles. Verse 6 tells us that the believers accepted the gospel with joy of the Holy Spirit. The gospel was in the Spirit, and the joy with which the believers accepted the gospel was of the Holy Spirit. On the preachers’ side the gospel was in the Spirit, and on the receivers’ side the joy was of the Spirit. If there had been no Spirit, there would have been no reality of the gospel and no genuine joy to receive the gospel.
First Thessalonians 1:5 indicates that the apostles not only preached the gospel; they lived it. Their ministering of the gospel was not only by word but also by a life that displays the power of God, a life in the Holy Spirit and in the assurance of their faith. They were the model of the glad tidings they spread. We all should learn to preach the gospel in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance. If we would preach the gospel in this way, we must have a life to match this kind of gospel preaching. Our manner of life must match the power, the Holy Spirit, and the assurance.
In 1 Corinthians 12:3 we see that the Spirit is the means for the believers to speak for Christ: “I make known to you that no one speaking in the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed; and no one can say, Lord Jesus, except in the Holy Spirit.” Unless we are in the Spirit, we cannot speak for Christ. The Spirit is the element, the sphere, and the means for us to speak for Christ.
In Paul’s word in 1 Corinthians 12:3 we see the governing principle of the spiritual gifts (v. 1). Paul’s concept is that the dumb, voiceless idols in verse 2 make their worshippers dumb and voiceless, but the living God causes His worshippers to speak in His Spirit. This kind of speaking is related to the spiritual gifts. No one who speaks in the Spirit of God would say, “Jesus is accursed”; he would like to say and he is able to say, “Lord Jesus.” No worshippers of God should be silent; instead, all should use their voices to speak forth the Lord Jesus in the Spirit of God. This-to speak the Lord Jesus-is the main function of all the spiritual gifts.
The governing principle of the gifts is to speak by our spirit with the Spirit, that is, to utter something with the Spirit in our spirit. This kind of speaking is centered on the Lord Jesus. Therefore, what we speak should be focused on Christ. Christ should be the substance, the element, the essence, of our speaking. We all should speak for the Lord and even speak forth the Lord. We need to speak things that are centered on Christ. Furthermore, Christ must even be our speaking, our utterance. He must be the center and circumference of our speech. To speak Christ in this way is a strong proof that we are living. Because the God whom we worship is the living and speaking God, we also speak and thereby prove that we are living members of the Body of Christ.
Paul’s intention in 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 is to impress us with the importance of speaking in the Spirit. When we speak Christ in the Spirit, the Spirit will function for the dispensing of the Triune God into ourselves and others.
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