Spiritual Eloquence

Spiritual eloquence is not the same thing as being good at public speaking, being original with cultural insights, or being able to affect hearts with healing words.

It might include such things, but these are not necessary for spiritual eloquence and should not be confused as such, as often as they are.

Apollos: Better Than Most

God has given especially gifted individuals to His Church and for this we are especially thankful and blessed. But, there are only a few like Apollos. However, all of us are needed not just the giants.

Acts 18:24–28 ESV “Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.”

Some of us might hesitate to speak because we are not as gifted, or mimic the greats hoping to be somebody someday.  Apollos is a good example for those extra-gifted and those who look up to them. His humility stands out in being willing to be corrected by those less gifted, ordinarily gifted, and see himself as just one of the group, not really any better a Christian. Many mighty would-be Apollos types have fallen in recent years because of arrogance.

Apollos shows us the way to spiritual eloquence by his example of becoming competent and well-taught in the Scriptures and then speaking boldly out of a faith-filled fervent spirit.

Jesus: The Spirit for All of Us

But, many protest they don’t know what to say or how to say it, that they don’t know enough, and that they fear arguments they cannot answer. These reasonings reveal a decided identification with human preparations and standards of eloquence. It is not spiritual thinking.

Luke 21:13–15 ESV “This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.” 

Acts 4:13 ESV “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

Acts 6:10 ESV “But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”

Jesus Himself provides His followers with the wisdom needed at the time it is needed through His Spirit that indwells them. Spending time with Jesus Christ is what fills up our minds with wisdom and grants a fuller measure of His Spirit. 

Spiritual eloquence comes from Jesus Christ. Be with Jesus a lot, even more than that. And then get out and try it. Rely on the Spirit of Jesus and prove His promise true.

Paul: Not Often Out of His League

We might still find ourselves in situations that way beyond our abilities, humanly speaking. The level of sophistication from the opposition is intimidating, and so even going in the Spirit we tremble. 

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 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, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

This is all the more reason to stay close to the clear message of Christ, and rely on His strength, His Spirit and His purposes with that audience. This is spiritual eloquence.

Besides, who and what are we really going after? Isn’t it the salvation and maturity of those He has prepared, not trying to conquer the fierce opposition with our intellect or creativity?

Being afraid to speak for Christ and the Gospel is a matter of spiritual warfare, the evil one assaulting the spiritual gifts Christ has given to the Church. The devil and our flesh induce us to measure with human standards and encourage our rising doubts and fears. 

Spiritual eloquence is not about speaking exceptionally well, impressing others or moving people emotionally. It is simply speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit, which comes from time spent with Christ and in His Word.

Maybe you just need to speak and see what happens.

Overloading Partners With Opportunities

Like a rain that turns into a flood it can become too much of a good thing.

There is such a thing as too many partnerships and too much training. This can easily be observed in areas newly opened to the Gospel with the rush to go in and minister and the eagerness to receive all that is newly available.

It is a challenge for all potential partners to discern and decide because we all want something to work out. We want relationships. We want ministry success. 

Too Much from Too Many

Without realizing it perhaps, when many different organizations descend on an area together they bring a dizzying number of great training options. Many of the programs overlap, seeking to accomplish the same goals, and the differences in choice are not very clear to those who might want to avail themselves of the services.

So training organizations should not be offended when potential partners decide they do not need or desire what their organization has to offer. Those looking for training, coaching or consulting should take their time and select carefully and not be afraid to decline many options in order to choose what is best for them or their ministry at the time. All of us are on the same team ultimately, and we can be confident that God is working out the right partnerships for each of us all along the journey.

However, sometimes the overwhelming flood also surfaces not so noble ambitions in all of us. We maneuver to take advantage of one another to selfishly acquire resources or claim the successes or others through partnership. Yet, even in these situations it can be mutually beneficial for the advance of the Gospel, and over time the Lord exposes jealousies and ministry greed and matures His people.

Too Much from Only One

It is also possible that even just one organization or church can offer too many options. Being so eager to help, with the resources lined up to be poured in, a new large vision is ready to be unleashed.

The vision might be too large for the potential partners, or different than what they truly want and need to advance the Gospel in their society. On the other hand, there may be no vision but merely a lot of varied activities planned based upon all the skills available from the church or organization.

Being over eager it is hard to discern if potential partners are ready to receive and engage, or simply willing to work together. This over eagerness also makes it hard for potential partners to stay true to their vision and assess rightly what partnership with a particular church or organization will mean and what will be the results.

Stop the Flood

Too many options of good things can keep our friends from selecting the best.  We make similar ministry judgments, saying “no” to the good in order to say “yes” to the best. We should expect and actually encourage our potential partners to do the same, even if it means not selecting what we have to offer. 

Learn about your potential partners’ real needs in their context. Listen well and observe carefully and be willing to modify or customize what you have to offer. If your church or organization is offering too much or too many options, spread out. Match your efforts to the capacity of your parters. Find more partners or locations.

Not everyone needs the services you offer. Many different types of services are needed, and your thing is not the only thing and it will not be the best thing for for everyone. Relax and follow the Spirit’s leading and don’t be jealous. God has a place for everyone to serve.

The Main Thing Is Not The Only Thing

It is popular to promote the main thing, to unify and rally people around recovering the main thing, and then to speak passionately about the main thing. Good so far, in fact great, because the main thing is awesome!

However there are dangers in taking too strong a stand on the main thing.  It is easy and ever appealing to stay simple and general.  And it feels good, maybe even morally superior at times. Lots of people are tired of arguing, lots more, alas, are ignorant and many just want to get along and settle for peace in the big truths.

But, we are not faithful to God and His Gospel when we make the main thing the only thing, because He Himself didn’t.

The Main Thing is the Best Thing

The main thing we are talking about is Jesus Christ, who He is as God and Man, what He accomplished on the Cross and in His Resurrection, and how we benefit from this.

Most pastors, scholars and all Christians who study the Bible would certainly agree. We don’t want to sharply divide over smaller matters though they may be important and we hold our own studied commitments to them.

Yet, we also are aware that not everyone who says they are talking about main thing is actually talking about the main thing. Many popular speakers simply attach Jesus to their motivational speeches, acronym-friendly guidance, discipleship programs and products for sale.

Assuming we want more than that from our Christian leaders (many don’t obviously), but assuming we do, such a situation is another reason we should be desiring deeper instruction and asking deeper questions about Jesus Christ and His relationship to the whole of Scriptural revelation. How does it all fit together, the whole story, from beginning to end?

Many Things are Big Parts of the Main Thing

There is much more to learn.  We weren’t only given the main thing, but many other things as well. This is highly significant and it should be obvious that it is of critical importance to God Himself and in His communication to us for our faith.

Matthew 5:17–19 ESV ““[Jesus said,] Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Surely all things point to the main thing, but will you point to the main thing from every thing in the Scriptures? Yes, it is about Jesus. But how is it about Him?

Do the hard work and serious thinking required.  Don’t waste the Bible stories by launching into moralizing instruction, or carelessly picking texts for political pontification, or crafting obscure analogies that aren’t really there, or embellishing the stories for a good show, or rearranging the structure to teach systematic theology, only to add a Jesus Gospel moment somewhere along the way. We want to hear about the main thing from the many things.

Will you preach and teach it profoundly? Do you skip passages? Do you avoid books?  If you do (and many do), why?  God considers them necessary for His people to fully learn about Him and completely mature in their faith.

We Should Make the Whole Thing the Main Thing

God didn’t make the main thing the only thing; therefore, the main thing is no longer the main thing if it is the only thing. The Apostle Paul made it his practice to talk insightfully about many things in Scripture.

Acts 20:27 ESV “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” 

2 Timothy 3:14–17 ESV “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

The whole thing (all Scripture) is really the main thing (revelation of Jesus Christ). Let us teach about God as He has given to us His self-revelation and His history of redemption in the Bible.

Our concern should go beyond skillful rhetoric that rallies and on to the realities that transform our minds and our souls and impact our core being, beliefs and behaviors. This will take more than talking about the main thing as if it is the only thing people need to know and be concerned about knowing.

Let us definitely keep talking about the main thing, but may we also talk perceptively about all the other things that are truly big parts of our comprehension of the main thing.