The importance of our authorship shows up in this phrase, not word peddlers but rhema sharers. Remember, rhema is a specific personal word of God generated by the Holy Spirit. This is the Greek word used in Ephesians 6 as the sword which is the word of God. I covered this in my latest booklet: Daily Deliverance.

Logos is the overall Greek word used for the written word of God, our scriptures. Yes, they are God-breathed. Yes, the Spirit will convert them to rhema as you read scripture in an attitude of prayer and worship. But, this is not common knowledge in the Church today. The focus of this post is a scripture rarely talked about in II Corinthians.

For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word; but as men [and women -ed.] of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. II Cor. 2:17 RSV

One of the main problems today remains the idea of preaching, teaching, and pastoring as the gifts of an elevated professional dispenser of the Word of God. Many priests, ministers, and pastors offer their expertise with scripture as part of their job. Their income depends upon their oratorical skills in sharing the Bible and Christian tradition. That can sound very good. But the scripture itself teaches us that this is not enough—or even good in many cases.

We are not word peddlers but rhema sharers

If the spirit does not anoint our words with power, we waste our time and the time of the sheep God has given us to teach and inspire with our books. Paul clearly understood this.

When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. I Corinthians 2: 1–5 RSV

Some of the old manuscripts use mystery of God instead of testimony. But the point Paul makes shows him putting aside his oratorical skills (which he probably had as a Pharisee trained by Gamaliel [if that’s an accurate memory]). He knew that worldly wisdom had no chance of changing lives. Only the power of God could do that.

More than that, we teach foolishness

We are not impressive members of society. God specifically chose us to confound and shame the wise and powerful of the world. There remains the true reason for the birth of our Messiah in a stable—first visited by unclean shepherds.

For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. I Corinthians 1: 26-29  RSV

We are truly fools for the Messiah. That is clear from that same area of scripture:

For to those who are perishing, the preaching of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. I Corinthians 1:18-25 MEV

Our only hope is the anointing power of the Holy Spirit so we become not word peddlers but rhema sharers

He’s the One who teaches us all things [I John 2:27] and anoints our words with transformational power. He can speak a special rhema to each of your readers—targeted specifically at their needs. More than that He can do this every time they read (and even when they reread) your book.

“How to produce book writing which changes lives
Christian writers need the ability to write and publish books which genuinely bring change into the lives of our readers. This must be our goal. Only the Holy Spirit can do this through us. But we can learn how to be used more easily by the Lord. We will get better with more experience.
The entire process of putting your flesh into submission to your spirit, winning the spiritual battles, and learning to hear the Lord enables you to do this. Taking up your cross and allowing the Lord to purify you begins it. The ‘old man’, the flesh, must be brought under the control of the Spirit. More than that, working out your call in fear and trembling will cleanse and purify you. He will prune you so you can be that well-crafted tool in the hands of The Master.”

Excerpt From: “Daily Deliverance: Spiritual Warrior Victors Writing With Power.” pages 44-45