Preaching and Preachers

'Demonstrations of the Spirit and of the Power'For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty throughGod to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations,and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.'It is always the same point, 'not carnal', 'mighty through God'. It is aspiritual power. Indeed, the same emphasis is to be found in thatextraordinary statement in 2 Corinthians 12 where he tells us of howhe had been 'lifted up into the third heaven, and had heard thingswhich cannot be uttered'. And how then 'the thorn in the flesh' hadcome and he prayed three times for its removal; but the thorn was notremoved. He was perplexed by this at first, but he had come to understandits meaning when God had said to him, 'My grace is sufficientfor thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' He is now ableto say therefore, 'Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in myinfirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me ••. for when Iam weak, then am I strong.'Another statement of this which never fails to move me is found atthe end of Colossians in chapter 1. 'Whom we preach, warning everyman, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may presentevery man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, strivingaccording to His working, which worketh in me mightily.' That isalways Paul's testimony. He was doing his utmost, but what reallycounts is 'His working, which worketh in me mightily'. That is whatis meant by 'unction'. A still more precise definition even than that isfound in 1 Thessalonians 1:5: 'For our gospel came not unto you inword only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in muchassurance.' The Apostle is reminding the Thessalonians of how theGospel had come to them. He had had to leave them in order that hemight preach elsewhere, and he writes this letter to them, which manythink was his first letter to a church. It is a most important chapterindeed as the definitive and controlling statement concerning preachingand evangelism. He reminds them that the Gospel had 'come' tothem; 'not in word only'. It had come 'inword', and he reminds themof the content of the word in verses 9 and 10, but it was 'not in word3 13