“If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
let him speak as the oracles of God
“Speak” means an oral presentation.
“As” means manner. The manner of our speaking should represent the Bible. God expects us to speak God’s Word with conviction and a sense of awe. Our presentation should display earnestness and humility because we speak God’s Holy Word (2 Co 2:17: 1 Th 2:13). We are the mouthpieces of God. What we speak, we speak from God’s Word. These are statements from the mouth of God.
The word “oracles” is a short saying. This word means saying, pronouncement. It was used as a saying originating from a divinity. Originally this term meant an oracular utterance of heathen deities. Pagans used “oracles” for a saying that came from their gods.
In Christianity, “oracles” came to mean divine revelation. Acts 7:38 uses “oracles” of revelations received by Moses. Romans 3:2 uses this term for God’s promises. In this verse, the use is of Christian gifts with a special supernatural capacity to serve God with words. We pronounce the content of God’s truth.
The person who speaks the “oracles” of God does not express his own opinion or propagate his prejudice. He makes sure his message is from God. Speaking gifts requires Bible study. We must ask for illumination so that we can confidently proclaim the Word of God.
The phrase “as the oracles of God” precedes “speaks” in the Greek text making the words emphatic. We do not trust our powers of speech. We do not seek applause for ourselves by our ability to communicate. We possess power beyond self. We speak with the authority of one who knows God’s Word.
We suffer from humility in the wrong place today. Today people speak the Word of God with timidity. We remove humility from motivation and put it into the domain of conviction, where it was never meant to be. We may doubt ourselves, but we cannot doubt God’s Word if we are to present it with conviction. We are on the path to producing a batch of Christians too timid to believe the multiplication table!
PRINCIPLE:
To speak as an oracle of God is to speak with authority.
APPLICATION:
Do you speak the Word of God with conviction?
Anyone who “speaks” the “oracles” of God dispenses revelation to others. We do not seek to please men when we speak God’s Word. We speak the truth unabashedly. John the Baptist is an example of one who was no weather vein but a guidepost who gave clear direction. Neither was there anything mousy about the way Jesus spoke. That is why they said, “Never man spoke like this man.”
Today we have a finished Bible entirely written for our edification. The unabridged, exhaustive edition of the Bible is the foundation for everything we believe. All our convictions are within the confines of this Book.
God will use his Word (Is 55:11). God does not promise to use an outline or a sermon, or a lecture. He has promised to use his truth. Do you depend on oratory and logic? Depend on his Word, and he will bless your ministry. Preach the Word and leave the results to him.
Speaking as the oracles of God is expository preaching (Neh 8:8). When we expound Scripture, we can speak with authority. This is what God says, chapter and verse. If you want to argue, argue with the Bible. The beauty of expository preaching is that verse two follows verse one. No one can accuse us of preparing messages for specific individuals.
Do you speak God’s Word, or are you a purveyor of your notions or opinions? In speaking gifts, God designs that we transmit his truth. We chime the truth, and the Holy Spirit does the work of applying truth to experience.
