NOTES for Co2 1:12

What is a Christian testimony? And how can one testify? Over centuries of the Christian history, many witnesses testified of their loyalty to the Christ and the Kingdom with several beautiful works and words. However, there is a testimony, accessible to each without exception: the lifestyle that the man leads in our transforming, but not yet transformed world. That’s what, probably, must be considered as the main testimony, this testimony on which is based quite different thing.

Of course, if Christianity was simply a new religion, everything would have been a little bit different: then in particular the separate words and the separate acts of the adepts of the new religion, telling about this religion or demonstrating it, will have been the main testimony. Indeed, Christianity is not a new religion, but a new life, the life in the Kingdom. Moreover, the main task of a Christian as a witness consists in demonstrating this life, its capacity here and now, in the world although still transforming, but not yet transformed till the end.

All the rest, all the words and all the works obtain their meaning only at the background of this new life, because they are only a derivative of it. And Paul speaks in particular about this, he speaks about this life in the not yet transformed world, of which himself and his companions led not according to the laws of the not transformed world, but "by grace", by the laws of the Kingdom. And this his life and that of his concelebrants, as seen, he considers the main testimony.