2 Corinthians (Written)

Thursday, 16 July 2015

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 2 Corinthians 4:3

The previous verse spoke of the “hidden things of shame” which Paul and the apostles had renounced. Instead, he spoke of the “manifestation of the truth” which is found in the gospel message. He now writes words which are intended to correct any perceived contradiction. In saying that it is the manifestation of the truth, then how can it be veiled to some? A manifestation implies something that is open and available to all. But there are some who haven’t received it because they are “perishing.”

As he notes, “if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.” Therefore, there is no contradiction in his words. People must be willing to accept that Jesus is the explanation for, and fulfillment of, all Scripture. If they fail to accept this, then the veil remains (as he noted in the previous chapter). The result for such people is that they “are perishing.” But there is a note of hope even in his words. He uses a present participle for the word “perishing” rather than a past participle. In other words, he doesn’t say, “to those who have perished.” Because of this, it does not exclude hope of the person turning to the Lord and having the veil lifted (Keep praying for your Jewish friends!).

The gospel is the manifestation of the truth and it is available to any who will but receive it – even until their dying breath. Albert Barnes gives a lovely set of examples of comparison for us to consider –

“It is not the fault of the sun when people shut their eyes and will not see it. It is not the fault of a running stream, or a bubbling fountain, if people will not drink of it, but rather choose to die of thirst. The gospel does not obscure and conceal its own glory anymore than the sun does. It is in itself a clear and full revelation of God and his grace; and that glory is adapted to shed light upon the benighted minds of people.”

Life application: Minds are easily dulled and we tend to gravitate towards those things which we prefer, regardless if they are right or wrong. The gospel sets us free from this, and yet until we come to it, the perception is that we will lose all of the things we like in the process. Instead, when we come to Christ, we are enabled to appreciate things in their proper perspective. As we grow closer to Him through His word, what is right becomes increasingly desirable and that which is wrong becomes increasingly undesirable. Truly a veil is lifted in Christ.

Heavenly Father, in turning to Jesus, there is a new love of that which is right and proper. However, unless we continue to study Your word and pursue righteousness, it is so easy to get bogged down in a morally confused state where tolerance rather than obedience is the norm. From there, our religion devolves into acceptance of that which is morally improper once again. I pray that hearts will turn towards You with a desire to seek Your whole counsel as recorded in Scripture. Anything less will certainly result in sadness when we stand before You. Amen.

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 2 Corinthians 4:2

Building upon the thought of “this ministry” which he mentioned in verse 1, Paul acknowledges the purity of it. The word “but” is given as a contrast to “having received mercy.” They had once needed mercy and based on the granting of that, they (meaning him and the apostles) “have renounced the hidden things of shame.” Charges had been leveled against him for various reasons and certainly the others had been slandered in one way or another as well. But those were mere words without truth.

Rather than speaking of things which are inappropriate, the speech of the apostles was pure and pointed to holiness, not illicit behavior. And not only did he conduct his speech in this manner, but he encouraged others to as well. In his letter to the Ephesians, he said –

“For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.” Ephesians 5:12

Further, their conduct was “not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully.” The word Paul uses for “craftiness” indicates “crafty behavior; unscrupulous cunning that stops at nothing to achieve a selfish goal.” In contrast to such an attitude, his life, doctrine, and intent for sharing the gospel was open and only had the best of others in mind.

There was nothing but good intent and honesty in his conduct. He proved this by working with his own hands to sustain himself rather than peddling the word of God for profit. And this is exactly what he means by the use of the word translated as “deceitfully.” It is a word used only here in the New Testament and it gives the idea of “to ensnare; then to corrupt. Used of adulterating gold, wine, etc” (Vincent’s Word Studies). If someone were to take something of value and water it down for by mixing in something of lesser value, they would be acting in this manner. But Paul held the word of God in the highest reverence and refused to budge an inch on its proper presentation.

Instead of acting in such a disgraceful way, he says they had conducted themselves “by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” In other words, they understood that what they did was in the sight of God and therefore they purposed to always act with this in mind. At the end of the day, their conscience was clean from anything that would be considered dishonest or disreputable. If only all of God’s ministers would act in such a forthright manner today!

Life application: The Bible is God’s word, not ours. When we share it, we are to hold it in the high reverence that it deserves, knowing that the Source holds it as His chosen means of relaying the truth about Himself to us. Further, when we share it, it is in His presence. Therefore, we must remember that He knows our treatment of it and will hold us accountable for how we present it.

Lord God Almighty, You have chosen the Bible as the means of specifically revealing Yourself to us. Therefore, how we treat it is a reflection on our heart’s attitude toward You. You entered the stream of humanity in the Person of Jesus and this great book reveals Him to us. Therefore, when we diminish Your word, we show contempt for Him and thus for You. Help each of us to soberly consider how we treat Your superior word, knowing that an offense against it is an offense against You personally.  Amen.

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:1

In the previous chapter, Paul noted that he and the apostles were ministers of the new covenant (3:6); that it was a ministry of the Spirit (3:8); and that it was a ministry of righteousness (3:9). This is the ministry that he is speaking of. Everything about it is superior to the old covenant which was received by Moses. This ministry, as he explained, is one of revealing the surpassing glory of God that will not fade away.

However, his next words show that he is not bragging about the marvelous honor that has been bestowed up them. Rather, in the reception of the ministry, mercy had been bestowed. As fallen men, they were inherently unworthy of the position and status that they now bore. Paul alludes to this in 1 Timothy 1-

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” 1 Timothy 1:12, 13

In the mercy poured out on him and the others, they were enabled to “not lose heart.” On several occasions, Paul speaks of standing strong in the faith and he encourages others to act likewise. One example of this is found in Galatians 6 –

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9

The term to “lose heart” implies being worn our or wearied to the point that one is no longer effective. But Paul knew that with the reception of God’s mercy came the inner strength to endure the challenges that came with the ministry. Two other instances of the use of this word by Paul are found in Ephesians 3:13 and 2 Thessalonians 3:13.

Paul was constantly encouraging those who had been saved, knowing that like him, they had been given everything necessary to continue their walk of faith to the end.

Life application: If God has saved you, then He has a purpose for you in His church. If He has a purpose for you in His church, then He has also enabled you to meet that purpose. Don’t shrink back from the honor bestowed upon you, but use it to its fullest to His glory.

Lord God, I know for sure that You have had mercy on me in this life. And I know that along with that mercy comes the responsibility to share this knowledge with others. As this is true, then You have certainly endowed me with the ability to fulfill that responsibility. And so help me to use my time wisely in the ministry to which You have called me. I know You are here with me in it and so I know that I can fulfill it! Amen.

Monday, 13 July 2015

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18

In verse 16, Paul said that “…when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” As a word to those who are in Christ, he shows that this is already true. For us there is no veil – “But we all, with unveiled face…” Instead of a veil, we are “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.” It seems rather difficult to scholars exactly how to translate this. Some say “contemplate the Lord’s glory,” “can see and reflect the glory,” “beholding as in a glass the glory,” “reflecting like bright mirrors the glory,” and so on.

However, the Bible should always be interpreted with the Bible. In doing so, the difficulty will clear up. The word for “beholding” here is katoptrizó. It means “beholding as in a mirror.” It is used only this once in the New Testament and therefore Paul has specific intent on choosing this word instead of a word comparable to, say, 1 Corinthians 13:12. By going back to the account of Moses, we can determine what the intent is. In Exodus 33, we read this exchange between Moses and the Lord –

“And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’
¹⁹ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ ²⁰ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.'” Exodus 33:18-20

In this, we are told that man “cannot see” the face of the Lord and live. However, in Jesus we are told that He is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). Putting the thoughts together then, Paul has been contrasting the Law of Moses with the new covenant. Therefore, he is saying that when we see the gospel message, we are as if “looking into a mirror” which reflects the glory of God. In Christ we behold His glory. We cannot say we are looking directly at the Lord because He is not present with us at this time. Therefore, it is the truth of Christ that we are beholding in the message of Christ.

Therefore, the translation of the NKJV is correct. At this time, we are “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” each time we contemplate the gospel or (now because it is written) search out the New Testament Scriptures. And, in the searching out of Christ in this way, Paul says that we “are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”

Just as Moses’ face reflected the glory of God when he came before the Israelites, so we are being transformed. It is not a physical transformation, but a spiritual one. As we conform to the prescriptions of the New Testament, and as we follow as disciples of Christ, we are being spiritually transformed into that same image; the image of Christ, thus, “from glory to glory.” We behold the glory and it transforms us to that glory.

Paul finishes this thought and the chapter with the words, “just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” It is the Spirit who calls, it is the Spirit who seals, and it is the Spirit who sanctifies. As we pursue Christ from glory to glory, the Spirit is accomplishing His role in the process to conform us to the image of God in Christ.

Life application: To know God, you must know Jesus Christ. To know Jesus Christ, you must know your Bible. If you claim Jesus while circumventing the Bible, then how do you know you’re not following a false Christ? Read your Bible.

Heavenly Father, how often I see people claim Jesus as “Savior” and yet they don’t acknowledge what they are being “saved” from. Being saved implies having been in peril. Your wrath is as evident in the pages of the Bible as is Your love. But the world wants to circumvent the wrath and focus only on the love. They have made a god in the image they want and have not called out to You in true hope of being saved from the wrath You feel at our sin. Help eyes to be opened to the truth of who You are. Amen.

Sunday, 12 July 2015

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17

This phase seems perplexing, but it is only perplexing if we fail to look for the context of Paul’s thoughts. In verse 3:6, he said, “…who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” He is now returning to that thought, as if the intervening verses were parenthetical.

He has been contrasting the supremacy of the new covenant over the old. In doing so, he gave the example of Moses’ veil as a picture of how the truth of Christ is veiled to those who read the law without the connection of who Jesus is in relation to the words it contains. Once a person (specifically a Jew, and more specifically the nation of Israel collectively) turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

In this is found the answer to what Paul is saying. The Lord is the Spirit of biblical interpretation. This is not speaking then of the Holy Spirit but the knowledgeable relationship between what is written in the law and what it is pointing out, which is Christ Jesus. As He said Himself in John 5 –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39

The sentiment that Paul is giving here is very similar to the words of the angel who spoke to John in Revelation 19 –

“Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10

Albert Barnes explains the intent of this verse quite well –

“The sense is, that Christ was the Spirit; that is, the sum, the substance of the Old Testament. The figures, types, prophecies, etc. all centered in him, and he was the end of all those institutions. If contemplated as having reference to him, it was easy to understand them.”

Understanding who Jesus is, and understanding what Scripture is saying about Him, leads to the liberty that Paul addresses. The Jews only find true liberty from the veil which covers their eyes when they turn to the Lord.

Life application: One can read Scripture all day long and not properly understand it unless they recognize that it is revealing Jesus. Therefore, arguing Scripture with those who do not accept who He is makes no sense. They must first be correctly trained in the Subject of Scripture before they can understand the meaning behind the words.

Heavenly Father, You have given us Scripture to reveal Jesus to us. And so it is obvious why so many people misuse Your word. They create a Jesus in their own image rather than receiving Him as He is portrayed. This leads to a false gospel and a sad future which lies ahead for them. I pray that people will determine to look for the truth in Your word and stop believing the false presentations of Jesus which have become so commonplace in the modern church. Open eyes Lord! Amen.