Second Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 4
Having shown us the two ministries of Law and Gospel Paul continues on to discuss the way in which the new covenant ministry of the Gospel must be carried out. “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1). The ministry of Jesus Christ crucified is a ministry that comes thru God alone. No man appoints himself to this ministry and calling, it is always God who brings men to this ministry as an act of grace and mercy. This ministry which cuts thru the world’s idea of peace and brings the ridicule and scorn of unbelievers is only possible to endure thru the compassion of God. Without God’s support and promises no man would be able to keep from being completely discouraged in carrying out this ministry that oftentimes seems fruitless and hopeless. It is only because this ministry comes from God that our hearts persevere in the face of the persecution, suffering, and worldly shame that accompanies the Christian walk.
In the face of what seems like constant worldly failure the most dangerous temptation will confront the ministers of God: the temptation to distort the Word of God in order to make things “easier” on themselves and their hearers. Paul however is very adamant that this can never be a possible solution for those called by Christ: “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2). The ministry of the Gospel is grounded in truth, grounded in the truth of Jesus Christ incarnated, crucified, and risen for our salvation. To distort this Message is to completely lose this Message. The Word of God is not an abstract concept or idea, it is concrete truth, and therefore the true ministers of the Word can never use deception or distortion without tearing the Gospel utterly asunder. False teachers and prophets therefore will be marked by their declaration of a distorted version of God’s Word (that may look very similar to God’s Word, using all the right “catch phrases” and terminology) which in reality ceases to be God’s Word and is only their own empty, meaningless, and useless word. “Every man’s own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, Yahweh Almighty, our God” (Jeremiah 23:36). “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds” (Jeremiah 23:21-22). Though they may sound the part of a follower of Christ a close look at these false prophets will reveal that they do not adhere with complete faithfulness to God’s Word in the Scriptures. Paul was especially familiar with the extreme dangers of false teachers who treat God’s Word liberally, without respecting its concrete truth: “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears” (Acts 20:30-31). In Paul’s farewell to the elders of Ephesus he tells us that for three years he never ceased warning them about the dangers of men arising within the church to proclaim false teachings and doctrines. This is not a matter that we can take lightly and Paul illustrates this with his emphasis on the tears he has shed over this. To the church at Philippi he writes: “As I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). It is a deeply sorrowful thing for the Christian to see men led astray to the fires of hell by false teachers who distort God’s Word in order to satisfy their own desires, pleasures, reason, and flesh. It is for this reason that Paul so strongly emphasizes throughout all his letters the need for pure doctrinal teaching and adherence to God’s Word. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Moving on Paul proclaims what sets the true follower of Christ apart from the false teachers and prophets: “On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2). The job of the prophet and minister of God (and every disciple of Christ) is to simply “regurgitate” His Word just as He has proclaimed it to us in the Scriptures. It is only arrogant and prideful men who will attempt to give their own “take” or their own “perspective” on God’s Word as if He was incapable of speaking clearly for Himself. Therefore the humble servants of Christ are to merely reiterate God’s Word as already revealed in the Scriptures. “Let the one who has my word speak it faithfully” (Jeremiah 23:28). There is never a time, place, or season where the truth of God’s Word loses its importance and where the need for careful instruction ceases. “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). Thru all things the follower of Christ is diligent in making sure that he is always in accord with the united testimony of the Scriptures. Correctly handling the Word of truth (adhering to God’s Word and balancing Law and Gospel) is an essential and indispensable aspect of being a workman for Christ Jesus. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This correct handling also includes proclaiming the entire Message of the Scriptures and not leaving out any part that we “don’t like.” To proclaim only the bits and pieces that appeal to us is a horrible destruction of the testimony of the whole of Scripture. If we are going to undertake a proclamation and teaching of any of it, then we better proclaim and teach all of it so that with Paul we can say: “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27).
Because Paul was so careful about proclaiming the whole council of God’s Word without any distortion or deception he is confident that any seeming “failure” of the Gospel he has proclaimed is due to the work of Satan in the lives of men: “And 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” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The devil, “the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:2), is a very real enemy who fights against God’s Word with everything he can. He is a worker of lies who distorts the truth and raises sinful doubts and questions so that men cannot hear God’s Word as it is plainly proclaimed. When the Word of God is proclaimed Satan eagerly sits around whispering in our ear: “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1). His evil goal is to get us to doubt the plain Words and replace them with our own meanings and “interpretations,” having faith in our own word and no longer God’s Word. Jesus Christ spoke of Satan’s work in regards to blinding men to God’s Word: “Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!” (John 8:43-46). The devil is very busy working his lies and questions that appeal to the reason, flesh, and desires of sinful man. These lies snatch away God’s Word from the hearts of men so that they cannot believe and be saved: “Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12).
At this point our human reasoning will ask the inevitable question that arises: Why then do some men hear and others do not? Paul in his answer points away from himself and towards God, showing us that this question is ultimately another doubting question of Satan: “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ 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” (2 Corinthians 4:5-6). Paul’s message is not a message of human wisdom or reason; it is the Message of God Almighty. God’s Word does not work like man’s word. Man’s word is consumed with presentation, charm, wisdom, and reason, God’s Word however is the humble power of salvation to all those who believe. God’s Word never relies on the abilities of man and it destroys all the hopes of man to save himself. If Paul was using a fine human argument he would expect to be able to convince men of his message, however he is not preaching a human wisdom of his own, he is preaching Jesus Christ crucified. Therefore the efficacy of the Message relies totally on God’s power thru His Word and not on Paul’s abilities. As Christ said, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8:48). Only those who “belong to God” are capable of hearing His Word. Consequently it takes God to say “Let light shine out of darkness” to convert us men and open our eyes and ears to His Word; it takes an act of grace in Jesus Christ to break thru the impossible barriers of our sinfulness, silencing the lies and questions of Satan that oppose His Word at every turn. As a result it is not our job to figure out why some men hear and others do not (or to even ask such futile questions!). When we ask such questions we deserve the answer that Luther gave to those who asked what God was doing before He created the universe: “He was building hell for such idle, presumptuous, fluttering and inquisitive spirits as you.” We are not here to question, we are here to have faith, and therefore it is simply our job to trust that God’s Word will accomplish what He desires in this world, in His own timing: “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). “‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’” (Jeremiah 23:29). Let us pray that we cling to the unfettered and undistorted testimony of God’s Word in the Scriptures, realizing that it is not a word that needs “figuring out” but a Word that needs simple believing. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).
Having reminded us of our duty to keep the Word of God pure and undistorted Paul continues on to elaborate on the nature of the ministry of Christ’s disciples. As His disciples we have been entrusted with the very Words of God and the commission to proclaim His Law and Gospel unto the entire world. This duty does not manifest itself in worldly glory but in Christ-like meekness and humility: “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). The treasure of the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes enshrouded in humble means; it doesn’t come in the worldly glory of gold and jeweled cases, but in earthly, decaying jars of clay. But what does Paul exactly mean by this? Is he really talking about inanimate containers? No, he means that we ourselves, as the vessels and carriers of Christ’s ministry, will not be glorious by worldly standards but will be unpresuming, meek, humble, and seemingly weak. The purpose of this is so that men will know that the Word we bring is not one of our own devising or making, but the very Word that comes from the mouth of God Almighty. Instead of focusing on the messengers and appearances, God wants to ensure that men look to the Message and to Jesus Christ. The goal of every disciple is to hide “me” as much as possible so that we can point beyond ourselves to Jesus Christ alone.
Paul continues on to explain the consequences of this meekness for the disciple of Christ: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Because we are here to serve and to point away from ourselves God graciously allows us to share in suffering for Jesus Christ’s sake. Christ was very clear that because He is our Master we share in the hatred directed towards Him: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first…Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me” (John 15:18, 20-21). Because the world hates Christ they will also hate those who follow Him, persecuting us with relentless fury. For the sake of the Word of Christ we are afflicted, hunted down, bewildered, battered, and terrorized, however our enemies can never win the victory and thru God’s grace and sustenance we are able to persevere. When we are knocked down, God picks us up; when we are overwhelmed, God lifts our burdens; when we suffer, God is at our side. Though we may look like we are losing the battle we are never crushed or destroyed beyond hope. “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:10). As the followers of Christ we always (always!) carry around in our body the death of Jesus Christ crucified so that His resurrection may also be revealed in our earthly body. Our entire lives become living witnesses to what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf. Our bodily sufferings are held up in order that men may see the crucifixion and death of sin and the subsequent new life and forgiveness that comes thru Christ Jesus. “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8:36). We are given over to death so that men might see the perseverance of grace in the face of seemingly impossible odds; no matter what the world or Satan throws our way they are not strong enough to overcome the true victory we have in the Cross. “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” (2 Corinthians 4:11-12). Thru this divine mystery our sufferings bear witness to all the world of Jesus Christ crucified and risen. When we do not suffer for the name of Christ it is a sign that our ministry may be lacking, that we have become so much like the world, so quiet, or so distorted that men no longer see Christ thru our lives and words. When the proclamation of Law and Gospel is clear and unashamed and we live out the love of the Cross we will be persecuted in one way or another because this Message cannot be happily accepted by the sinful world. The world cannot stand to sit by idly and let us go unmolested as we bear testimony to the truth of Christ’s Gospel. “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:20-21).
As he continues Paul quotes a beautiful passage from the psalmist to show us the source of our unmatched confidence: “It 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” (2 Corinthians 4:13-14). In these few beautiful words we have the battle cry of the Christian faith. To know and believe the amazing news of Jesus Christ is to speak of this news to the world with peerless confidence, boldness, and assurance. “Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (Acts 4:29). “You made me bold and stouthearted” (Psalm 138:3). “The righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1). It is only God’s amazing deeds that can move us to such boldness. A look at the psalmist’s words leading up to Paul’s quote makes this very evident: “For you, O Yahweh, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before Yahweh in the land of the living” (Psalm 116:8-9). It is only in the immeasurable joy of what God has graciously done for us that we can speak without fear and shame and with the poise of Paul and the psalmist. One commentator said, “No sooner does faith exist than she begins to speak to others, and, while speaking, recognizes herself and grows in power.” It is absolutely true that the real gift of faith that God’s Spirit works in our hearts compels us to speak of His love: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). “I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). “It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:10). Even though we face daily rejection and hatred for the Word of God we have no choice but to speak of it from our hearts. When our hearts have been transformed by the Gospel it will be impossible for us to keep this Message to ourselves: “The word of Yahweh 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” (Jeremiah 20:8-9).
“All 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” (2 Corinthians 4:15). Everything that the Christian undergoes in this life is for the sake of spreading the Law of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All of our sufferings, trials, and tribulations are God’s way of nonverbally proclaiming Jesus to the world thru our lives. Because we know this we willingly undergo all the troubles that come our way: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Outwardly the Christian life may look to be the bleakest of all as we are rejected and hated by men and share in the sufferings of the Cross, but in inwardly we are renewed in the incomparable love of God as we look forward to the sweet relief of life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord. “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” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Therefore we must not look at this outward life for a source of hope, but we must look to God’s immutable promises. What we see with our eyes is a fleeting world that will not last, but the promises of God are our eternal guarantee of the joy and glory to come. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Let us pray that even though the whole world may be against us that we still stand firm because of the faith we have in Jesus Christ, knowing that nothing in this life can shake us, break us, or remove us from Him who went the humble way of the cross for our sakes. “I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side” (Psalm 3:6). “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident” (Psalm 27:3). “‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:14-15).
In the face of what seems like constant worldly failure the most dangerous temptation will confront the ministers of God: the temptation to distort the Word of God in order to make things “easier” on themselves and their hearers. Paul however is very adamant that this can never be a possible solution for those called by Christ: “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2). The ministry of the Gospel is grounded in truth, grounded in the truth of Jesus Christ incarnated, crucified, and risen for our salvation. To distort this Message is to completely lose this Message. The Word of God is not an abstract concept or idea, it is concrete truth, and therefore the true ministers of the Word can never use deception or distortion without tearing the Gospel utterly asunder. False teachers and prophets therefore will be marked by their declaration of a distorted version of God’s Word (that may look very similar to God’s Word, using all the right “catch phrases” and terminology) which in reality ceases to be God’s Word and is only their own empty, meaningless, and useless word. “Every man’s own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, Yahweh Almighty, our God” (Jeremiah 23:36). “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds” (Jeremiah 23:21-22). Though they may sound the part of a follower of Christ a close look at these false prophets will reveal that they do not adhere with complete faithfulness to God’s Word in the Scriptures. Paul was especially familiar with the extreme dangers of false teachers who treat God’s Word liberally, without respecting its concrete truth: “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears” (Acts 20:30-31). In Paul’s farewell to the elders of Ephesus he tells us that for three years he never ceased warning them about the dangers of men arising within the church to proclaim false teachings and doctrines. This is not a matter that we can take lightly and Paul illustrates this with his emphasis on the tears he has shed over this. To the church at Philippi he writes: “As I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). It is a deeply sorrowful thing for the Christian to see men led astray to the fires of hell by false teachers who distort God’s Word in order to satisfy their own desires, pleasures, reason, and flesh. It is for this reason that Paul so strongly emphasizes throughout all his letters the need for pure doctrinal teaching and adherence to God’s Word. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Moving on Paul proclaims what sets the true follower of Christ apart from the false teachers and prophets: “On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2). The job of the prophet and minister of God (and every disciple of Christ) is to simply “regurgitate” His Word just as He has proclaimed it to us in the Scriptures. It is only arrogant and prideful men who will attempt to give their own “take” or their own “perspective” on God’s Word as if He was incapable of speaking clearly for Himself. Therefore the humble servants of Christ are to merely reiterate God’s Word as already revealed in the Scriptures. “Let the one who has my word speak it faithfully” (Jeremiah 23:28). There is never a time, place, or season where the truth of God’s Word loses its importance and where the need for careful instruction ceases. “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). Thru all things the follower of Christ is diligent in making sure that he is always in accord with the united testimony of the Scriptures. Correctly handling the Word of truth (adhering to God’s Word and balancing Law and Gospel) is an essential and indispensable aspect of being a workman for Christ Jesus. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This correct handling also includes proclaiming the entire Message of the Scriptures and not leaving out any part that we “don’t like.” To proclaim only the bits and pieces that appeal to us is a horrible destruction of the testimony of the whole of Scripture. If we are going to undertake a proclamation and teaching of any of it, then we better proclaim and teach all of it so that with Paul we can say: “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27).
Because Paul was so careful about proclaiming the whole council of God’s Word without any distortion or deception he is confident that any seeming “failure” of the Gospel he has proclaimed is due to the work of Satan in the lives of men: “And 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” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The devil, “the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:2), is a very real enemy who fights against God’s Word with everything he can. He is a worker of lies who distorts the truth and raises sinful doubts and questions so that men cannot hear God’s Word as it is plainly proclaimed. When the Word of God is proclaimed Satan eagerly sits around whispering in our ear: “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1). His evil goal is to get us to doubt the plain Words and replace them with our own meanings and “interpretations,” having faith in our own word and no longer God’s Word. Jesus Christ spoke of Satan’s work in regards to blinding men to God’s Word: “Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!” (John 8:43-46). The devil is very busy working his lies and questions that appeal to the reason, flesh, and desires of sinful man. These lies snatch away God’s Word from the hearts of men so that they cannot believe and be saved: “Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12).
At this point our human reasoning will ask the inevitable question that arises: Why then do some men hear and others do not? Paul in his answer points away from himself and towards God, showing us that this question is ultimately another doubting question of Satan: “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ 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” (2 Corinthians 4:5-6). Paul’s message is not a message of human wisdom or reason; it is the Message of God Almighty. God’s Word does not work like man’s word. Man’s word is consumed with presentation, charm, wisdom, and reason, God’s Word however is the humble power of salvation to all those who believe. God’s Word never relies on the abilities of man and it destroys all the hopes of man to save himself. If Paul was using a fine human argument he would expect to be able to convince men of his message, however he is not preaching a human wisdom of his own, he is preaching Jesus Christ crucified. Therefore the efficacy of the Message relies totally on God’s power thru His Word and not on Paul’s abilities. As Christ said, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8:48). Only those who “belong to God” are capable of hearing His Word. Consequently it takes God to say “Let light shine out of darkness” to convert us men and open our eyes and ears to His Word; it takes an act of grace in Jesus Christ to break thru the impossible barriers of our sinfulness, silencing the lies and questions of Satan that oppose His Word at every turn. As a result it is not our job to figure out why some men hear and others do not (or to even ask such futile questions!). When we ask such questions we deserve the answer that Luther gave to those who asked what God was doing before He created the universe: “He was building hell for such idle, presumptuous, fluttering and inquisitive spirits as you.” We are not here to question, we are here to have faith, and therefore it is simply our job to trust that God’s Word will accomplish what He desires in this world, in His own timing: “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). “‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’” (Jeremiah 23:29). Let us pray that we cling to the unfettered and undistorted testimony of God’s Word in the Scriptures, realizing that it is not a word that needs “figuring out” but a Word that needs simple believing. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).
Having reminded us of our duty to keep the Word of God pure and undistorted Paul continues on to elaborate on the nature of the ministry of Christ’s disciples. As His disciples we have been entrusted with the very Words of God and the commission to proclaim His Law and Gospel unto the entire world. This duty does not manifest itself in worldly glory but in Christ-like meekness and humility: “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). The treasure of the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes enshrouded in humble means; it doesn’t come in the worldly glory of gold and jeweled cases, but in earthly, decaying jars of clay. But what does Paul exactly mean by this? Is he really talking about inanimate containers? No, he means that we ourselves, as the vessels and carriers of Christ’s ministry, will not be glorious by worldly standards but will be unpresuming, meek, humble, and seemingly weak. The purpose of this is so that men will know that the Word we bring is not one of our own devising or making, but the very Word that comes from the mouth of God Almighty. Instead of focusing on the messengers and appearances, God wants to ensure that men look to the Message and to Jesus Christ. The goal of every disciple is to hide “me” as much as possible so that we can point beyond ourselves to Jesus Christ alone.
Paul continues on to explain the consequences of this meekness for the disciple of Christ: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Because we are here to serve and to point away from ourselves God graciously allows us to share in suffering for Jesus Christ’s sake. Christ was very clear that because He is our Master we share in the hatred directed towards Him: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first…Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me” (John 15:18, 20-21). Because the world hates Christ they will also hate those who follow Him, persecuting us with relentless fury. For the sake of the Word of Christ we are afflicted, hunted down, bewildered, battered, and terrorized, however our enemies can never win the victory and thru God’s grace and sustenance we are able to persevere. When we are knocked down, God picks us up; when we are overwhelmed, God lifts our burdens; when we suffer, God is at our side. Though we may look like we are losing the battle we are never crushed or destroyed beyond hope. “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:10). As the followers of Christ we always (always!) carry around in our body the death of Jesus Christ crucified so that His resurrection may also be revealed in our earthly body. Our entire lives become living witnesses to what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf. Our bodily sufferings are held up in order that men may see the crucifixion and death of sin and the subsequent new life and forgiveness that comes thru Christ Jesus. “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8:36). We are given over to death so that men might see the perseverance of grace in the face of seemingly impossible odds; no matter what the world or Satan throws our way they are not strong enough to overcome the true victory we have in the Cross. “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” (2 Corinthians 4:11-12). Thru this divine mystery our sufferings bear witness to all the world of Jesus Christ crucified and risen. When we do not suffer for the name of Christ it is a sign that our ministry may be lacking, that we have become so much like the world, so quiet, or so distorted that men no longer see Christ thru our lives and words. When the proclamation of Law and Gospel is clear and unashamed and we live out the love of the Cross we will be persecuted in one way or another because this Message cannot be happily accepted by the sinful world. The world cannot stand to sit by idly and let us go unmolested as we bear testimony to the truth of Christ’s Gospel. “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:20-21).
As he continues Paul quotes a beautiful passage from the psalmist to show us the source of our unmatched confidence: “It 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” (2 Corinthians 4:13-14). In these few beautiful words we have the battle cry of the Christian faith. To know and believe the amazing news of Jesus Christ is to speak of this news to the world with peerless confidence, boldness, and assurance. “Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (Acts 4:29). “You made me bold and stouthearted” (Psalm 138:3). “The righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1). It is only God’s amazing deeds that can move us to such boldness. A look at the psalmist’s words leading up to Paul’s quote makes this very evident: “For you, O Yahweh, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before Yahweh in the land of the living” (Psalm 116:8-9). It is only in the immeasurable joy of what God has graciously done for us that we can speak without fear and shame and with the poise of Paul and the psalmist. One commentator said, “No sooner does faith exist than she begins to speak to others, and, while speaking, recognizes herself and grows in power.” It is absolutely true that the real gift of faith that God’s Spirit works in our hearts compels us to speak of His love: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). “I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). “It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:10). Even though we face daily rejection and hatred for the Word of God we have no choice but to speak of it from our hearts. When our hearts have been transformed by the Gospel it will be impossible for us to keep this Message to ourselves: “The word of Yahweh 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” (Jeremiah 20:8-9).
“All 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” (2 Corinthians 4:15). Everything that the Christian undergoes in this life is for the sake of spreading the Law of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All of our sufferings, trials, and tribulations are God’s way of nonverbally proclaiming Jesus to the world thru our lives. Because we know this we willingly undergo all the troubles that come our way: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Outwardly the Christian life may look to be the bleakest of all as we are rejected and hated by men and share in the sufferings of the Cross, but in inwardly we are renewed in the incomparable love of God as we look forward to the sweet relief of life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord. “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” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Therefore we must not look at this outward life for a source of hope, but we must look to God’s immutable promises. What we see with our eyes is a fleeting world that will not last, but the promises of God are our eternal guarantee of the joy and glory to come. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Let us pray that even though the whole world may be against us that we still stand firm because of the faith we have in Jesus Christ, knowing that nothing in this life can shake us, break us, or remove us from Him who went the humble way of the cross for our sakes. “I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side” (Psalm 3:6). “Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident” (Psalm 27:3). “‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:14-15).
