Neville Goddard on 1 Corinthians 4:16-21 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 1 Corinthians 4 in context

Scripture Focus

16Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

17For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

18Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

19But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

20For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

21What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

1 Corinthians 4:16-21

Biblical Context

Paul invites the Corinthians to imitate him in Christ, warns against puffed-up ego, and declares that the kingdom of God is power, not mere talk.

Neville's Inner Vision

In the inner theater, the Corinthians are invited to align with a state of consciousness where 'following me' means inhabiting the Christ within. Timotheus stands for the faithful inner memory guiding you to the ways of Christ in your daily life. The puffed-up are the ego voices that trust language over power. I will come with power, not speech—this is the call to realize that the kingdom of God is the felt power within your state of being, not external rhetoric. The rod versus meekness choice is your daily decision: domination or loving, spirit-led conduct. When you yield to meek, loving inner authority, the Spirit operates through your imagination, and what you declare becomes your lived reality. Remember: the I AM within is the source of true power, manifesting as your experience when you feel it real and dwell in that state.

Practice This Now

Assume the role of your higher self now; feel the power of God within you as your present reality, and revise any urge to prove yourself with words; sit quietly for a few minutes and affirm, 'I am the power of God within me.'