4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained
mercy, we
don't
faint.
We Minister with a Clear Conscience
4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame,
not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God
deceitfully;
but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves
to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
We Shine the Light in the Darkness
4:3 Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish;
4:4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the
unbelieving,
that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image
of God, should not dawn on them.
4:5 For we don't preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord,
and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake;
4:6 seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of
darkness,"(Gen
1:3)
who has shone in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ.
Our Dying Reveals Jesus' Life
4:7 But we have this treasure in clay vessels,
that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not
from
ourselves.
4:8 We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet
not
to despair;
4:9 pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;
4:10 always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord
Jesus,
that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
4:11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake,
that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.
4:12 So then death works in us, but life in you.
Our Words Reveal Our Convictions
4:13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is
written,
"I believed, and therefore I spoke." (Ps 116:10)
We also believe, and therefore also we speak;
4:14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also
with
Jesus, and will present us with you.
4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the grace,
being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to
abound
to the glory of God.
Our Hope is Set Upon Eternal Glory
4:16 Therefore we don't faint, but though our outward
man
is decaying,
yet our inward man is renewed day by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment,
works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
4:18 while we don't look at the things which are seen, but at the
things
which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are
not seen are eternal.
Discussion Questions
vs 1 How would you complete the phrase for yourself: "Since
through
God's
mercy we have this ministry, therefore ..."?
vs 2 What are examples of distortions of the Word of God?
Contrast the manner in which the world advertises it products with
the way in which Paul does.
vs 3-6 To what extent is it our fault if people do not
understand
or receive the gospel message?
vs 7-12 In what ways do you feel limited in your
circumstances
and resources hindering you from your ministry. And what sources of
hostility
might you face? Now question the same of Jesus and his ministry. How
might
you indentify with Jesus in these? In what way is the manner in
which
you
do ministry also part of its message?
vs 13-15 What kind of speaking resulted from you believing,
or what kind of speaking would you expect? What kind of speaking was
Paul
talking about? (Just to other Christians, or also to unbelievers in
evangelism?)
vs 16-18 What unseen thing in the future are you looking
forward
to that encourages you to endure in the application of your faith?
Comments
Present
the Truth Frankly
2Cor 4:1,2Therefore, since through God’s
mercy we
have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have
renounced
secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we
distort
the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth
plainly we
commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
No need to lose heart in the ministry seeing as Christ will build
his
church whether we're involved in it or not. It's a priviledge to be
in
the ministry the foundation of which cannot be shaken and the fruits
of
which will live on for all eternity. There is nothing more
significant,
nothing more essential, nothing more edifying than the work of the
ministry of the gospel of Christ and building up his body to
maturity. "We do not lose
heart. Though outwardly
we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by
day."2Cor
4:16
Politicians, salemen and the like often use marketing techniques,
deception and such to gain influence over their audience in order to
manipulate them. Paul didn't do that. He didn't put on a false
face like the religious hypocrites down through history, like those
who
crucified Christ. Such people often will distort the Word of God.
There
are a variety of ways people distort the Bible. Much of
denominationalism is a result of such distortions. Some will
over-inflate something it says, making their group distinct by
over-inflating doctrines which were not meant to be over-inflate.
Others will interpret verses out of context in order to distinguish
their denomination from others. And very common today in this
post-modernistic subjective oriented culture is the phenomenon of
reading into scripture whatever one wants it to say rather than
seeking
for the author's intended meaning. In fact even of Paul's writings
Peter says, "His letters
contain
some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and
unstable
people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own
destruction." 2Peter
3:16b
Let the Bible speak for itself or face the consequences.
Remember back in chapter 1 Paul said, "Now this is our boast: Our conscience
testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and
especially
in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are
from
God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according
to
God’s grace."2Cor 1:12 In Hebrews 13:18 it says, "Pray for us. We are sure that we
have
a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way." Walk
in
a
good
conscience.
Interpret and apply the Bible with a good
conscience. "The goal of this
command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good
conscience
and a sincere faith."1Tim
1:5
Gospel
Veiled
to the Perishing
2Cor 4:3,4And
even
if
our
gospel
is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that
they
cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is
the
image of God.
The "god of this age" is of course Satan whom Jesus refers to the
prince of this world (John 12:31;
14:30)
Of
course
we
were all at one time objects of wrath following the ruler
of the kingdom of the air. "You
were
dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live
when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the
kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are
disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time,
gratifying
the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and
thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."Eph
2:1-3 Satan can also affect the minds of believers as Paul
says
to the Corinthians in this same letters, "I am afraid that just as Eve was
deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led
astray
from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."2Cor 11:3
As for being blinded, he is not speaking of such people being
innocent
victims. For we read in Romans
1:21
that "although they knew God,
they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but
their
thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened."
The obstinate refusal to glorify God as God leads to the corruption
of
the heart and of the mind. For "since
they
did
not
think
it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he
gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be
done."Rom 1:28
As for Jesus, "The Son is the
radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being,
sustaining all things by his powerful word." Heb 1:3
Preach
Jesus
as LORD
2Cor 4:5For we do not preach ourselves, but
Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’
sake.
Don't try to make a name for yourself. Make a name for Jesus. For
many
given the opportunity to preach end up preaching about themselves,
though it may be under the guise of "sharing their testimony."
As
for those in authority, "Be
shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as
overseers—
not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants
you to
be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over
those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." 1Peter 5:2,3 Neither church
leaders
nor their constiuents should overinflate the role of leadership.
Status
is not a measure of greatness. For "You
know
that
the
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high
officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead,
whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of
Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many." Mt
20:25-28
We learned in 1Corinthians that the church was elevating leaders to
celebrity status. In contrast Paul wrotes, "men ought to regard us as servants of
Christ" 1Cor 4:1a "What, after all, is Apollos? And
what
is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe— as the
Lord
has assigned to each his task." 1Cor
3:5
Today we live in an entertainment - celebrity oriented culture. This
should not be so in the church. Jesus Christ is Lord and everyone
else
his servant. "He died for all,
that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for
him
who died for them and was raised again."2Cor 5:15
Be
a
Light Shining out of Darkness
2Cor 4:6,7For God, who said, "Let light shine
out
of darkness," (Gen 1:3) made his light shine in our hearts
to
give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of
Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that
this
all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
"The
people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living
in
the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."Mt 4:16
(Is 9:2) Becoming a Christian one becomes
enlightened in
the knowledge of God in view of Jesus Christ who is the image of
God.
In particular concerning Paul's understanding of the gospel he
writes, "at God's appointed
season he brought
his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the
command
of God our Savior"Titus
1:3
God chose the most unlikely of characters. Even Jesus was
reckoned
an unlikely candidate for the Messiah. He was despised among men.
His
apostles were ordinary unschooled, largely fishermen. But "When they saw the courage of
Peter and
John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they
were
astonished and they took note that these men had been with
Jesus." Acts 4:13 "Brothers, think of what you
were when
you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards;
not many
were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose
the
foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the
weak
things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly
things of
this world and the despised things— and the things that are not—
to
nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before
him."1Cor 1:26-29
Christ
Revealed
in Labors of Love
2Cor 4:8-12 We are hard pressed on every side,
but
not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not
abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around
in
our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be
revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being
given
over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in
our
mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work
in
you.
In other words, don't take the problems and troubles in this life
too
seriously. Paul writes, "I
consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with
the
glory that will be revealed in us."Rom 8:18 Concerning the seed
that
fell on rocky soil Jesus said is he "who hears the word and at once
receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts
only a
short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word,
he
quickly falls away."Mt 13:20,21
Expect
trouble with regards to living the Christian life. Paul said, "everyone who wants to live a godly
life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" 2Tim 3:12
Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine
or
nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we
face
death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved
us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels
nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will
be
able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
our
Lord.Rom 8:35-39
Furthermore we ourselves should be crucifying our sinful nature. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus
have
crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Gal 5:24"For the sinful nature desires what is
contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the
sinful
nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not
do
what you want." Gal 5:17
Therefore we are to scrutinize everything we do and every attitude
of
our heart, exercising self-control over our sinful nature in service
to
the LORD Jesus Christ.
I
Speak
because I Believe
2Cor 4:13,14It is written: "I believed;
therefore I
have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and
therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord
Jesus
from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with
you in
his presence.
The quote is from the first part of Ps
116:10 but regardless where it's from, it's an obvious
truism.
If a person believes something, that will be reflected in what they
say. "For out of the overflow
of
the heart the mouth speaks."Mt
12:34 In fact concerning faith in Christ it says, "That if you confess with your
mouth,
"Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the
dead, you will be saved."Rom
10:9 and goes on to say,
"Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there
is no
difference between Jew and Gentile— the same Lord is Lord of all
and
richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls
on
the name of the Lord will be saved."Rom 10:11-13 To trust in him,
which
is to believe in him, is reflect by calling upon him. But it is also
reflected in what we say to other people. If you have come to
believe,
have you spoken? Have you told others of the faith so that they may
be
saved? Or do you really believer afterall? Or is this your
experience: Whenever I speak,
I cry out proclaiming
violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me
insult
and reproach all day long. But if I say, "I will not mention him
or
speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire,
a
fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I
cannot.Jer 20:8,9
Be
Thankful
for God's Grace
2Cor 4:15All this is for your benefit, so
that
the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause
thanksgiving
to overflow to the glory of God.
The labor and difficulties faced by those who minister is intended
to
benefit not simply themselves but for all those who are touched by
their labor. And what is primarily desired in return is simply
thanksgiving to God. The Lord says to the righteous, "Call upon me in the day of
trouble; I
will deliver you, and you will honor me."Ps50:15 and in the same Psalm "He who sacrifices thank offerings
honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the
salvation
of God."Ps 50:23
God
wants us to experience his grace and in return to thank God,
acknowledging Him. Later Paul talks about this effect with regards
to
the practice of generosity, when he says, "You will be made rich in every way
so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your
generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that
you
perform is not only supplying the needs of God‘s people but is
also
overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." 2Cor 9:11,12 Now "give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God‘s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1Th 5:18
It's
Worth
the Trouble
2Cor 4:16-18Therefore we do not lose heart. Though
outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed
day by
day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not
on
what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but
what is unseen is eternal.
That is, they were not losing heart because despite the
difficulties,
they were seeing fruitful results of their labor and anticipating
more.
And again as Paul said, "if we
are children, then we are heirs— heirs of God and co-heirs with
Christ,
if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also
share in
his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Rom 8:17,18 Suffering comes with
the
territory as does glory. Funny that the 5 other places the Gk. word
for
"weight" or "outweighs" (NIV) is used are all negative connotations
of
burden. Having an eternal burden of glory is a burden I don't think
any
of us would mind bearing. The angel told Daniel, "Those who are wise will shine like
the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to
righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever."Dan 12:3