What does it mean that the kingdom of God is not in words (1 Corinthians 4:20)?

But some had drawn from the apostle's not going to Corinth, and sending Timothy, that he shrank from visiting the assembly there. So had the false apostles insinuated in their own pride to his depreciation. "Now some were puffed up as though I were not coming unto you; but I shall come shortly unto you, if the Lord will, and will know not the word of those that are puffed up but the power; for the kingdom of God [is] not in word but in power. What will ye? that I come unto you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness?" (Ver. 18-21.) Indeed he was coming, and for this dependent on the Lord's will. But subjection to the Lord in no way enfeebles the conduct of His servants. So on coming the apostle tells them he will know, not pretentious talk, but reality — "the power." For this in truth is the essential characteristic of "the kingdom of God," in contradistinction from "the word," to which Greek ears had been ever used, and alas! the Jews for the most part. And this leads the apostle to remind the Corinthian saints that, if he had reminded them of the peculiar bond between them and him, as their father through the gospel, he had power and authority from God, however slow he might be to enforce it. It was for them indeed, as he puts it, to decide how he was to come, for this was the real question, not whether, nor when, but how: with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness? What he desired himself, as he says elsewhere, was their edification, not their destruction. In Acts 5 we see Peter using the rod; and the apostle Paul could do as much according to the Lord. But his heart sought other things for his beloved children: what did they wish?

(Vv. 18-21). Alas, then as now “some are puffed up” and entirely indifferent to the inspired teaching of the Apostle. As to such the Apostle indicates that the real test of spirituality is not in the speech, but in the power of life. As far as speech is concerned, the Apostle has to warn us a little later that we can speak like an angel and yet be nothing. The kingdom of God is not set forth by our words merely, but in what we are as manifested by spiritual power (1 Cor. 2:4-5). The Apostle asks, how shall he come to them? Will it be with a rod to chasten, or in love and the spirit of meekness to edify? We may well ask, how would he come to Christendom today; how would he come to us?

Men of a different kind crept into Corinth, and did their best to undermine the God-given authority of the apostle in that church; but he spoke of coming thither, and of knowing “not the speech of them that were puffed up, but the power, for,” said he (and let us mark most carefully and diligently the fact) “the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” What marks that kingdom is not speech, but power—and that ever and always, although the power may not be such as dazzles nature, or carries merely human applause.

But he knew that in Corinth some were puffed up in the vanity and pride of the flesh. He does not single them out, but holds the assembly as such responsible for the condition. They thought to have things their own way, counting on no intervention by Paul. But he would come, he says, if the Lord will, and would show up what was merely speech, and what was true power. "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." How deeply important a matter is this sober, sound, discerning spiritual power.

On this account, therefore, he was sending to them now Timotheus, himself fulfilling his name, one who faithfully "honored God," and who would put them in mind, as they needed, of ways which were in Christ, — of the doctrine they had received, and he was giving to them nothing more than in this way: What he said was that they should develop in practice that which they had received. His ways he could boldly profess (and indeed it was evident) were according to the teaching which he had delivered to them. He was coming also himself. His heart plainly urged him to this, but if he came, the question which made him, we may say, hesitate, was that of the manner in which be would have to come to them. Was he to come to exercise apostolic authority and to deal with them with a rod, which God after all had given him, or was he to come as he desired, in love and in the spirit of meekness? They were puffed up, some at least, as if he would not come; but when he came it would not be the speech of those that were puffed up that would be seen, but what was the power; for the "kingdom of God," he says, "is not in word, but in power." Power must of necessity characterize a rule of God wherever it existed.

And what were the labourers in truth? In what light ought they to view them? Paul, and with himself he here joins Apollos, would have them remember that such are but ministers* (hyperetas) of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. (1 Cor. 4:1.) It is not the servant whom men in general exalt, but the master. But what was it at Corinth? What has it been in the Church of God? In the absence in person of the Master, and from ignoring the presence of the Holy Ghost, the servant (lit. here, the underling) has been exalted and made much of. How foolish on the part of the saints! how wrong on the part of the stewards! for stewards the labourers were, and are. (1 Peter 4:10.) Now it is required in a steward that he should be faithful to his master; for to him he must render his account. They were forgetting that. A faithful steward remembers whom he has to serve. His master's approval is that which he seeks after, whatever others may say or think of him. In that spirit Paul had worked and would work. But what were the leaders of parties at Corinth doing? What sense had they of their responsibilities as builders? (1 Cor. 3:10-19.) Things were out of course in that assembly, and, as was natural, the fruit produced was in keeping with the seed sown. The teachers gloried in their gifts, unmindful of the One to whom they were indebted for whatever they had. The rest were reigning, as it were, then as kings, full, wanting nothing, though "without us," as Paul writes; their hearts' affections becoming estranged from him who had first brought to them the truth. Had those schisms made them better Christians? 1 Corinthians 4:8 supplies us with an answer. Hence he wrote, not to shame them, but to warn them, his beloved children, and sent Timothy to them, he himself hoping to revisit them, when he would know, not the speech of those which were puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power; that was the proper test, and he would apply it.

Nevertheless he did not say these things to put them to shame, he warned them as his beloved sons; for his sons they were. Though they might have ten thousand teachers, he had begotten them all by the gospel. Let them then follow him. In all this there is the deep working of the affection of a noble heart, wounded to the utmost, but wounded in order to bring out an affection that rose above his grief. It is this which so strikingly distinguishes the work of the Spirit in the New Testament, as in Christ Himself. The Spirit has come into the bosom of the assembly, takes part in her afflictions — her difficulties. He fills the soul of one who cares for the assembly, making him feel that which is going on — feel it according to God, but with a really human heart. Who could cause all this to be felt for strangers, except the Spirit of God? Who would enter into these things with all the perfection of the wisdom of God, in order to act upon the heart, to deliver the conscience, to form the understanding, and to set it free, except the Spirit of God? Still the apostolic individual bond was to be formed, to be strengthened. It was the essence of the work of the Holy Ghost in the assembly to bind all together in this way. We see the man: otherwise it would not have been Paul and his dear brethren. We see the Holy Ghost, whom the latter had grieved, no doubt, and who acts in the former with divine wisdom, to guide them in the right way with all the affection of their father in Christ. Timothy, his son in the faith and in heart, might meet the case. Paul had sent him; Paul himself would soon be there. Some said, No, he would not, and took occasion to magnify themselves in the absence of the apostle; but he would come himself and put everything to the test; for the kingdom of God was not in word, but in power. Did they wish him to come with a rod, or in love?

18 Now some were puffed up as though I were not coming unto you; 19 but I shall come shortly unto you, if the Lord will, and will know not the word of those that are puffed up but the power; 20 for the kingdom of God [is] not in word but in power. 21 What will ye? that I come unto you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of meekness?

But perhaps through the mercy of God we are comparatively free from association with the world and its institutions; we are outwardly separate, and find our companionship among those who call on the name of the Lord. If so, the most subtle danger to which we are exposed is the leaven of the Pharisees. How easily we lose the reality of God's presence, and therefore the sense of our own nothingness, and hence the sense of His grace (in which alone we can stand); thus our standard of holiness and of righteousness declines, and instead of judging ourselves we become content with ourselves, resting in what we are (or think we are) instead of what Christ is. Once we repented, but now we have gone back on it, we build again the things we destroyed, we take pleasure in ourselves and judge others, we thank God we are not as other men are, we are full, we are rich, we “reign as kings”—glorious in our own eyes (1 Cor. 4:8). We rejoice in excellency of speech, forgetting that “the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” We have ceased to understand that “blessed are the poor in spirit”; we have gone so far as to make the cross of Christ of none effect (1 Cor. 1. 17). We pity the Sadducee, the religious worldling, and without knowing it we have succumbed to the leaven of the Pharisees. May God open our eyes!

If we have the truth given to us, the only way we can prove that we have it is by a more Christ-like life than those, who have it not, for the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power, and it is only by well-doing that we can put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.