Competenty Christiantiy
The Principles for Your Ministry
Autobiography of a Traveling Man
Paul The Apostle of Jesus Christ
Ministry Principle 1: If you’re a Christian, you’re in the ministry.
Ministry Principle 2: To minister effectively to others, you must know and personally apply biblical truth in your walk with the Lord.
Ministry Principle 3: Trust God to work through others in the body and affirm their ministries.
Ministry Principle 4: Be sensitive towards others.
Ministry Principle 5: Don’t hesitate to be bold in challenging others or in reminding them of what they already know.
Ministry Principle 6: Offer your ministry to God as an act of worship, pleasing to Him
Romans 15:19 Notes
IN THE POWER OF SIGNS AND WONDERS, IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT: en dunamei semeion kai teraton, en dunamei pneumatos (theou): (Acts 14:10; 15:12; 16:18; 19:11,12; 2Corinthians 12:12; Galatians 3:5; Hebrews 2:4) (Matthew 12:28; Acts 1:8; 1Corinthians 12:4,-11; 1Peter 1:12)
Keep the context in mind for Paul has just stated...For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed. John Piper reminds us that "The aim of missions is to bring about the obedience of faith among all the unreached peoples of the world. But that is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal—even of faith and obedience—is "for the sake of His name. " The fame of Christ, the reputation of Christ is what burned in the heart of the apostle Paul. The faith of the nations was not an end in itself. It was the way that the name of Christ would be honored. This is what filled him with such a passion for the Great Commission. Jesus had told Ananias "how much he [Paul] must suffer for the sake of My Name" (Acts 9:16). And he had never turned back from his willingness to suffer if only the fame of Christ would result. Near the end of his life he could still say, "I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 21:13)-- from The Pleasures of God
Power (1411) (dunamis) describes inherent power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature. Ability to accomplish a task. In the present context the power is in the signs and wonders and the dunamis or power of the Holy Spirit. (Compare Acts 1:8 which also uses dunamis). Unless the Spirit of Christ enables us, we can do absolutely nothing of eternal value! (cp Jn 15:5, Jn 6:63).
John Stott - It seems that the only preaching God honors through which His wisdom and power are expressed is the preaching of a man who is willing in himself to be both the weakling and the fool.
Charles Spurgeon agreed declaring that "The power that is in the Gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher, otherwise men would be the converters of souls, nor does it lie in the preacher’s learning, otherwise it would consist in the wisdom of men. We might preach until our tongues rotted, till we would exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless the Holy Spirit be with the Word of God to give it the power to convert the soul."
Vine comments on the phrase in the power of the Holy Spirit—Cp. Ro 15:13, and see note there. Cp. also 1 Corinthians 2:4. This clause probably applies both to what was stated in verse 18 and to what has just preceded. The Holy Spirit was the agent not only in the preaching but also in the signs and wonders. The effectivity of gospel ministry depends, then, not upon human power of eloquence, but upon the Lord, who works all by the Holy Spirit.
