The Spirit and the word

NORSK

In prepatation for a conferrence on church growth in 1989, I read John Larsson’s book: “How Your Corps can Grow”. 

In this excellent book on an important theme on how to adapt the principles in the context of The Salvation Army, Larsson uses a quote that I have repeated many times, and I just love it:

The word without the Spirit – you dry up
The Spirit without the word – you blow up
The word and the Spirit – you grow up! (1)

When I in this tour of the Acts have a focus on the Holy Spirit, it is interesting to observe what happened when Apollos turned up in Ephesus with a desire to continue to Achaia. I believe it was the Spirit who lead him that way so that the people there could be prepared to receive the Spirit. Before they could do that, they needed the ballast of the word, and Apollos was more than prepared to give them that:

When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
Acts 18:27-28

It is always important to help those who by grace have come to faith to see that their experience is rooted in the Scriptures. It was like that in the beginning and equally important that we who have “walked the road for a while” today, are ready to support the newborn believers and give them the ballast of the word.

‘Manna’ for today:

I will grow up in the life of the Spirit and with the ballast of the word.

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(1) John Larsson: ”How your corps can grow” London 1988 p. 105