(Warning! a little longer than usual) When my children were very little, they believed the TV character McGuyver was real. Week after week we saw episodes of his brain figuring out the most dangerous situations. Why was McGuyver real for them? Their Dad was on TV every day, and he was real so if Dad is on TV and real, McGuyver must also be. This was solid logic for a 2 and 5-year-old. The problem: McGuyver is fictional. Dad could be touched seen, known, talked with and there is evidence of his presence. But not McGuyver. If that is the test of what is real, how do we know Jesus is real?
"that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you," 1 Corinthians 1:5,6
So what does that scripture have to do with knowing Jesus is real or not. I shared yesterday about William Wallace much of what we know about him is legend versus fact. We can't talk to him interact with him to find out what is truth versus a story. Jesus is different!
Paul is writing to the Corinthians church recognizing that they are in contact with Jesus through the Holy Spirit on a regular basis. He says they are "enriched" in other words, abundantly wealthy, wealth beyond measure with what "utterance and knowledge."
As you read the Corinthian letters, you see that this church while they had not known Jesus personally as He walked the face of the earth, were the blessed beyond measure with the witness of Jesus, the Holy Spirit. The "utterance" gifts, according to scripture are tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy. The "knowledge" gifts according to the Bible are words of knowledge, wisdom, discerning of spirits, and can also be prophecy. These things were active in their lives and church life.
The entire community knew these things were alive in their lives and church and because of that, they proved that Jesus was with them. The word "confirmed" means to make concrete, authenticate as to be proven in a court of law. Because they used these gifts, Jesus was seen in their midst!
They didn't know Jesus by the time the Corinthians church was founded. He had gone to the Father at least a decade earlier. What they knew from their history was Jesus the Prophet, Healer, and Miracle-worker. Because of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives and the church they saw the testimony of Christ in their lives through the miracles, prophecies, words of knowledge and wisdom, and all the gifts of the Spirit. Every week in our church someone is touched by the prophetic, a healing, word of knowledge or wisdom. Jesus is not simply a historical or worse fictional character to us, He is alive as prophet, healer, miracle worker and so much more. His testimony is alive in our church and my life. That same testimony can be alive in your life as well if you allow Him!
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