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| Chapter 4 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not, 2 but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manifesting the truth we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to those who are lost, 4 whose unbelieving minds the god of this world hath blinded, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 ¶ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we who live are always being delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We, having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written: "I believed and therefore have I spoken" --we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that, through the thanksgiving of many, the abundant grace might redound to the glory of God. 16 For this cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we look not 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. |
We have a glorious ministry. Paul continues his thoughts from chapter 3. v1-2 We have a glorious ministry, a ministry which brings life and salvation, far better to that of Moses, this ministry is by the mercy of God, a gift not because of anything we had done. 1 Tim 1:12-17. The way each one of us looks at a tasks God has given us will affect the way we carry it out. If the task is a burden to you then you will only do what is required of you, you may even feel it was a punishment from God. When Paul considered his service for Christ a wonderful experience, he was overtaken by the mercy and grace of God. This attitude kept him from being dishonest, he was referring to the Judaizers who were changing the Word of God but he was only giving the truth, the witness of our own conscience will prove it. Paul does not try to hide anything of the truth by distorting the Word of God, the Judaizers often ignored verses or passages which do not tie in with their beliefs. v3,4 Paul was a faithful preacher so why were people not accepting the teaching? Why were the false teachers so successful?. Because the minds of the lost are being blinded by Satan, so people found it easier to accept the false teaching than the truth. Paul has already pointed out that the Jew has a ‘veiled’ heart 2 Cor 3:14-16 but also the Gentiles were blinded. Satan does not want the glorious light of God to shine into their hearts, sadly he is using ‘religious teachers’ to deceive the people. v5,6 Although Paul has received a wonderful task he does not use this to glorify himself, nothing is done for personal advantage, he seeks only to bring Christ to the lost. At creation God made the light shine, now He is trying to ‘light up the darkness’ of the lost heart. Heb 1:1-6. v7-10 Paul says we are like lamps made of pottery which carry the light of Christ, these pots are easily ‘broken’ but being so fragile shows even more the glory of God. Acts 9:15. Sometimes God will allow the ‘vessels’ to be troubled, distressed but never destroyed. v10-11 Paul’s "dying everyday" 1 Cor 15:30ff was a sharing of his Lords life as a man, that is why he changed to the title "Jesus" The task must come first, if we suffer, it is for Jesus sake, if we die to ourself it allows Him to shine through. If we go through trials it is so that Christ might be glorified. v12 Paul shows that the Corinthian church members will benefit from what is happening to him from what he is going through. v13-18 Our faith is strong. v13 "the spirit of faith" an attitude to the way we live, by faith, Paul uses Psalm 116:10 "I believed and therefore have I spoken" and says we should be the same, the true witness for God is based upon our faith in Him, a faith which we received from God’s Word. Rom 10:17. What did Paul’s faith cover? There is nothing to fear from what life throws at us even death. v14 God has raised His Son, nothing is impossible to Him, Jesus has conquered death, the last enemy, there is nothing the world can do to stop death, they might delay it but it will eventually come for all of us. 1 Thess 4:13-18. v15 What ever happens to us, God will be glorified, our suffering will be used by God to help others, how? by the "abundant grace," grace leads to glory. v16-17 Paul is not saying here that the body is not important, we should always look after it because our bodies are the temple of God. The inner body is renewed every day, He gives us the strength we need for the tasks He has given us. Paul considers our problems as "light affliction (troubles)," which are only for a short time compared with the eternal, forever, glory with God. Rom 8:18,19. Note that these things will only apply when we are living according to His Will, not of self, wrong doing cannot be turned into glory. v18 The things of this world may seem very real because we can see and touch them, but they are all only "temporal," for a short time, only the things which are hidden from us now will last for eternity, by faith we are able to see the invisible. Heb 10:16-20, in our heart God is working, " Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). What is important to you, the visible world or the invisible world of God? |
Easy English Translation
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| The 2nd Letter to Corinthians |
| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 |
| Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 |
| Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 |
| Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 |
| Chapter 13 | Introduction page |
