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gospel + Spirit is enough?

It seems to me one of the main points in 1 Corinthians 2 is that 1) the simple gospel of Christ crucified and 2) the ministry of the Holy Spirit in giving inner wisdom are the main components of successful ministry. In other words, with the gospel + the Spirit I can effectively do ministry because this is where God's power is demonstrated.

1 Corinthians 2:2-5 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

It seems our ministry should be built upon and shaped by this premise that in the work of Christ (crucified and risen) and in the work of the Holy Spirit to make this real to us (the convicting & illuminating work).

  • What should this look like in our ministry today? What are some of the ways we might clutter up this simplicity?

Other questions:

  • Do we make still make the distinction between spiritual and natural persons (2:14, 15) in our ministries today ?
  • How do we tell where a person stands in this?
  • What does "wisdom" look like (2:7, 8, 12, 13)? Compare this with James' description in James 3:17, 18.



Comments

Anonymous said…
Clutter up the simplicity? What the heck? Is somebody doing that? Yeesh. Where was I?
Ok.
Some Cluttering Ways:
a. Too many people worried about WHO they are instead of just going out and doing.
b. Too many new and innovative ways to creatively and exploritatively nurture our inner disciple.
c. Have to come up with neat and clean Christianized euphemisms for basic words like, O crap. This should be number 1) actually.
d. We are not legalistic sabbatharians the way we should oughta be. One day per week to UNclutter would be nice. Especially if the Temple Police came and arrested your butt er um, I mean, posterior, if you violated it. Let me make myself more clear: If we were somehow forced to take a day in 7 to relax, refuel, unwind, read, sleep, did I mention relax?
February 22, 2008 at 8:35 AM
Anonymous said…
O wait, You meant uncluttering down I Cor. 2. ok, sorry.
Well, yes, it is Jesus and Him crucified and the demonstration of the Spirit in power, which for us I think is not powermiracles so much, though I wouldn't mind a few of them, but mainly just feeling your own heart gradually more and more warmed to Christ, His priorities, His law (Gal.6) and His presence. Simple, eh?
February 22, 2008 at 8:38 AM
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