Hidden Power of Speaking in Tongues by Mahesh Chavda

Author:Mahesh Chavda
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Spiritual, Religion, Christian Life, General, Gifts, Spirituality, Glossolalia, Inspirational, Christianity, Pentecostal & Charismatic
ISBN: 9780768421712
Publisher: Destiny Image Publishers
Published: 2003-01-21T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The Secret of Paul’s Effectiveness

Next to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, probably no one has had a greater influence on the life, growth, and history of the Christian church than has the apostle Paul. Aside from being one of the most highly educated and brilliantly intellectual men of his day, this Jew from the city of Tarsus was also a man of great passion. Paul never did anything halfheartedly. Whether as a zealous Pharisee persecuting the followers of Jesus, or later as a persecuted but faithful and tireless follower of that same Jesus, Paul committed himself heart and soul. There was no other way for him. Someone once said that Paul did not become a fanatic when he came to Christ. Paul was always a fanatic; he merely switched sides.

Here is a man who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote half the books of the New Testament, accounting for over one-fourth of its total volume, more than any other individual. Paul established, nurtured, taught, and encouraged churches throughout the Roman Empire and, according to tradition, even carried the gospel as far as Gaul and Spain. He is credited with developing or at least articulating most of the theology of the early Church. Over the course of his life Paul endured hardship and travail that would have killed many other men. Most significant, perhaps, was the undeniably supernatural nature of Paul’s ministry. Everywhere he went, Paul’s ministry manifested the power of the Holy Spirit. “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:11-12). In my opinion, Paul’s was the greatest New Testament ministry after that of Christ Himself.

How did he do it? What set Paul apart to make him so singularly influential and effective? What was the hidden key to the power and anointing that flowed in his life? I believe the answer can be found in two statements that Paul himself made in his first letter to the Christian believers in Corinth. These statements define Paul’s “philosophy of ministry,” so to speak—the “cornerstones” of everything he did. They are closely related, the first statement being the key to the second.

Early in his letter Paul makes this declaration: “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Here in a nutshell is Paul’s purpose, his entire reason for living. The second statement occurs much later, toward the end of the letter. Because it sounds at first like a simple passing comment, the significance of this second statement has been generally overlooked by many. Paul says simply,

“I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all” (1 Cor. 14:18).

I believe there is more here than meets the eye. With these simple words Paul reveals a major secret of the power and vitality of his “inner man”—his personal spiritual life— and his relationship with the Lord.

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