This verse tells us plainly that God's power comes from the gospel and that is available to all who believe, as this verse also says "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12) Do Christians understand what the gospel is? Generally we define it as "the teachings of Christ". Does it include the teachings of the apostles? Jesus told Peter..." And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The "keys" Jesus refers to here is a figure of the first gospel sermon that was delivered by Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2. They opened the door of salvation to all men, not just the Jews.
The binding and the loosing means the tenants or laws of Christ that govern and deliver under the New Covenant...given to Peter alone: NO, He was to be the one to open the door. He was given no preeminence. That belongs to Christ. (Col. 1:18)
Jesus, while praying in the garden, before He was taken away to be crucified, said concerning His apostles..."As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." (John 17:18) Sent to do what?...teach the commands of Jesus. (The great commission; Mt. 28:18-19)
Paul, speaking to the Colossians...told them they would be holy and unblameable "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
When Jesus was instructing "the seventy" (Luke 10:1), he established a principle which He expressed in verse 16...""He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." This is quite clear and refutes those who claim only Jesus words are authoritative.
What did Jesus mean in saying to His apostles..."And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:29-30) We understand that the kingdom in this passage refers to the church and the eating and drinking at my table refers to the last supper observance in our worship, but we are a little fuzzy in our understanding of judging the 12 tribes. Consider the next two scriptures:
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1 Cor. 6:2)
"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations" (Rev. 2:26)
Maybe a hypothetical will clear it up... When we witness sin practiced by another person, how do we conclude that it is sin? Why, by the standard of God's word, of course. Do we conclude in our mind that that individual is in a lost state, unless he is taught about sin and repents? Yes, again. Are we then, in doing so, playing God by judging him? No, that is Paul's primary point in 1 Corinthians 6:2. Again , he said "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Christians are given the power to "know", unequivocally, what is right and wrong by applying Biblical standards. This is an ability the world does not have. If the whole world is practicing sin, who in this world is capable of judging so? Faithful Christians, that's who. When we live by the divine standard of God's word, do our lives testify of the wisdom and power His knowledge gives us? Unquestionably, YES. Are we, personally condemning anyone for their sin? NO. God's word condemns them.
"He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. (John 12:48)
When the apostle, Paul, was told of his mission, "to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.", it seems to have escaped the notice of many Christians that we are given the same mission. Notice what happens when we so fulfill that mission...we loose them from the power of Satan. Is it our own power that does it? In a sense, it is, because God has given us the same power he gave to Paul...that is the power of the gospel...knowledge of the word of God. (Acts 26:18) Is it squandered on those who refuse to make use of it? I'm sad to say, it is.
How can we be so indifferent toward lost souls? It is a bit like people who are floating down a river in a boat being unaware of a waterfall just around the bend and we ignore their plight. We make excuses like, "Oh, they will hear it in time" or "Surely they know that it is there."
It is like those Jews of whom Paul testified "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." Many of us have the knowledge but not the zeal.
We should not neglect the power that is within us...that is the power to rescue souls from the grip of Satan and to achieve the greatness that is expected of us. It is within our grasp, like our own obedience was within our grasp. We took it and we should give it, as well.