What would the apostle Paul have accomplished without the power of the Holy Spirit?
He would have accomplished nothing. Without the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of God, even the apostle Paul’s efforts would have produced no result, because God is the one using the man as His instrument. A willing servant alone is not enough.
Les explains that the key is God’s power, not human ability. Paul says in verse 17, “...but he that glorieth let him glory in the LORD.” Les emphasizes that it is God who is using the man. God has an instrument that was willing, but without the power of the Holy Spirit, without the power of God, even the apostle Paul would have accomplished nothing. Les applies this same principle to every believer and teacher—Sunday school teachers, those on television, and those teaching classes in church or in the home—saying it is basic to every one of us, just as it was to the apostle Paul. He then turns to Acts 16:14 and the account of a certain woman named Lydia.