Power and Kindness

“In purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God…” (2 Cor. 6:6-7a)

Notice the association that the power of God has with these other qualities. They go together.

Here are a few more passages on power and kindness.

“And who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord…. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Rom, 1:4, 16)

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18, 22-24)

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor. 2:4-5)

Power is a big word. Kindness is a small word that can be defined more sharply.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Gal. 5:22)

“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.” (2 Tim. 2:24)

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (1 Cor. 13:4)

There are people who have an obsession for power. Normally those people do not have the kindness that goes with it.

We are to witness in power. We are to witness in kindness.

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