Competence
The Corinthian Church had been infiltrated by false teachers who competed with one another, causing the congregation to develop a bit of a "personality cult" where they focused on the achievements and reputations of the preachers who visited them. Paul addresses the matter when he talks about who some of them said: "I follow Paul" while another said "I follow Peter" while the some, pretending to be pious, said "I follow Christ". They had developed the idea of "super apostles" and visiting preachers would ask for letters of recommendation which flattered the church members' egos, but made the competition culture even more toxic.And so, having confronted the recommendation letter issue, Paul talks about competence:
| "Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2Corinthians3:5-6) |
What a leveller! Paul says it straight: We are not competent in ourselves.
God doesn't call me for my verbal skills, my theological knowledge or my dashing good looks.
Our competence comes from His call. Our competence lies in what God is doing in us!
He qualifies us by forgiving our sin.
He authorises us by calling us.
We are not competent by our training, our track record or our CV.
He equips us, not through the letter of the law, but by the Spirit.
What does that last phrase mean?
The letter of the law was the law of Moses.
It was legalism. It was salvation by works. It was us trying to save ourselves.
It was us, trying to be competent.
But the letter kills... A new covenant is needed...
The Spirit gives life. Through faith generated by the Spirit, I have access to the forgiveness obtained by Christ and through the connection of the Spirit I can abide in Christ, the Vine, and I can bear fruit...
So my boast is that I am INcompetent - not competent on my own - but competent IN Him.
Today I hope that's your boast too...
