For Paul the gospel was God’s power revealed through the resurrection of Christ and evidenced through the presence of the Spirit.6 He expected his ministry to be marked by the powerful presence and visible manifestations of the Spirit. The churches that he founded were characterized by concrete and visible manifestations of God’s power through the Holy Spirit. Paul could not have imagined conducting his ministry or living the Christian life without dependence on the reality of the power of God. New Testament believers experienced the Spirit in powerful and visible ways.7
