June 8, 2014 Corinthians II Chapter 4

2nd Corinthians Chapter 4

Originally posted Thursday July 31, 2014

2nd Corinthians Chapter 4:1-18 A Treasure in Clay Jars

Paul has used three terms for the ministry in which he and his co-workers are involved. It is the ministry of the new covenant, of the Spirit and of justification. The common thread in all three is Christ who establishes the new covenant; it is preached in his Spirit and it is his act upon the cross which brings justification to the believer. The success of their involvement does not come from any competence in themselves but from God. This is why Paul does not lose heart. Because of his own stance as a believer he considers his very existence as a Christian to be the graceful mercy of God. Being under that mercy he shapes his preaching in a frankness, truthfulness and honesty which he sees to be absent in others who are "peddlers of God's word" who stoop to practice cunning and falsifying that word as a means of success. Paul is confident (not in himself, of course!) that his readers will discern the accuracy of his words within their own consciences where the Spirit will bear witness to Paul's truthfulness.

Although his preaching has been free of misleading under and over statement, there are some whose acceptance of the Gospel is veiled. In Paul's logic there has little room for those who cannot understand his straightforward, no frills preaching. He reasons that the only possible explanation can be that "the god of this world (Satan) has blinded [their] minds" and prevented the perishing from "seeing the light" which is Christ, "the image of the God" Paul proclaims. It is this very light that God has placed in Paul's heart and has called him to "let light shine out of darkness" so that the glory of God might be seen in "the face of Jesus Christ,"

Paul is but a human vessel, a fragile clay jar carrying this light of Christ on behalf of God. Whatever power the Gospel conveys through Paul's efforts is God's doing, not his. Paul elaborates on the trials and afflictions he has experienced on behalf of the Gospel, pairing each trial with an affirmation of the cause that sustains him in the darkness. Though these many trials are as the death of Jesus which Paul shares and carries in his own body, he is comforted knowing he is also carrying the life (light) of Jesus so that Jesus' life might be seen as shining forth in and from him. He finds consolation knowing that while death confronts him at every turn, life is in those who believe (you Corinthians).

Returning to his insistence of having preached in a straight forward manner (vs.2), he quotes Ps. 116:10 which in the Greek that Paul reads is, "Alleluia! I have trusted, therefore I have spoken; but I was humbled exceedingly." He identifies with the Psalmist in that he also has trusted (believed) and so has spoken in accordance with the trust he has in God. It is worth reading the entire Psalm which gives us a broader understanding of Paul's trust coming out of his experience of how God has carried him through these harsh experiences previously noted. As with many quotations used in Scripture, much of the meaning can be lost by centering on a single verse or phrase. It is an axiom of Biblical interpretation that a single part cannot be understood apart from the whole. The center of Paul's trust is what he believes (he would say he knows) God has done in the resurrection of Christ, for what he has done in Christ he will do in Paul. More than that, he believes the resurrection will be with the Corinthians and together they will be in Christ's presence. Paul's hope, then, is two fold: first in God for all he has done in this life and second in God for what he will do in the next. His hope is not lost on the Corinthians for whom he has suffered. He can say that everything he has done among them has been for their [eternal} sake and through them - being a letter of commendation to all, will abound with grace reaching "more and more people," all to the glory of God.

With all the blessings that flow from the Gospel, no matter the cost to him in preaching, "[he does] not lose heart." While his physical body is wearing away, his spirit is refreshed by the thought that this life of suffering is brief and of no consequence when measured against the "weight of glory beyond measure," the unseen future which can be perceived only through the eyes of faith.