Grace
Theological Journal 2.2 (Fall 1981) 171-89
Copyright © 1981 by Grace
Theological Seminary. Cited with permission.
THE
GLORY OF CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY
AN
ANAYSIS OF 2 CORINTHIANS
2:14-4:18
HOMER A. KENT, JR.
Some activities have a special appeal about them. People are
drawn to
certain
pursuits because of the excitement generated by the activ-
ity
itself. Others are attracted by the financial rewards, by the
adulation of an
audience, or by the popular esteem in which some
activities are
held. The sense of satisfaction and fulfillment afforded
by such
occupations as medicine, education, and social work can lead
to an
entire career.
The Christian ministry was once
one of those highly respected
vocations.
Shifting attitudes in recent years, however, have caused
changes in
society's values. Our "scientific" age tends to place on the
pedestal of
public esteem the research scientist, the surgeon, and the
sports hero.
Yet the reasons why the Christian minister once headed
the list
of respected leaders in American life are still valid and worthy
of serious
reflection.
The apostle
Paul wrote in this passage about the activity that
had
captivated him. He was not attracted by any financial rewards,
for it
offered none to him. He gained from it no earthly pomp, no
public
prestige (except the respect of the Christians he had helped,
and even
this was mixed). He experienced abandonment and hatred
that would
demoralize most men. Nevertheless he was so enthralled
with the
privilege of Christian ministry that he made it his career and
never found
anything that could entice him away from this glorious
passion of his
life.
Although "the Christian
ministry" is an expression often used to
a
certain career, "Christian ministry" should be an activity
in which
every believer is engaged. Even if it is not one's vocational
*This article will appear as chapters 3 and 4 in a forthcoming
book to be
co-published by
Baker Book House and BMH Books, under the title A Heart
Opened Wide--Studies in II
Corinthians. It
is used here by permission of the
publishers.
172 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
career, each
Christian can share many of the same satisfactions that
Paul describes here. The glory of this ministry can be enjoyed
by
every
Christian when he understands what Christian ministry involves.
Paul described the character of his ministry in a fascinating
discussion
which
revealed why he regarded it as the most challenging of
occupations.
IT WAS A SINCERE PROCLAMATION OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF
CHRIST
(
Verse 14. At
this point in the letter, Paul interrupted the descrip-
tion of his
search for Titus, not resuming it until 7:5. Nevertheless the
content of
this section is pertinent to the discussion, for it reveals
Paul's attitude of confidence in God's leading, even in times of
disappointment. There
is no need to suspect a combination of several
documents here.
Though he had been concerned at
not finding Titus in
(
leadership.
Disappointment over certain details and events did not
cause the
apostle to lose sight of the larger aspect of God's program.
He was convinced that God was always leading him and his
associates
in the
triumphant accomplishment of his glorious will. The figure is
probably that
of the Roman Triumph, in which a conquering general
and his
victorious legions would parade in
their
captives and other trophies of war. In this use of the figure Paul
seems to be
equating his missionary party with the victorious forces
in the
triumph, rather than with the captives who would soon be
executed.1
As part of a Roman Triumph
garlands of flowers along the route
and the
burning of incense and spices provided a fragrant aroma as
one of the
characteristics of the parade. So Paul recognized that
whether he and
Titus were at Troas, or
and
whether circumstances were pleasant or grim, God was using his
messengers to
disseminate the precious knowledge of himself in the
gospel of
Christ.
Verse 15. In
verse 14 the fragrance referred to the gospel which
was
proclaimed by Paul and his associates. In verse 15 the preachers
themselves are
identified with the gospel they preach. They are called
a
"fragrance of Christ" (NASH) because they are the deliverers of that
gospel.
1 The only other NT use of the verb qriambeu<w (lead in triumph)
may be
understood in the same way (Col. 2:15).
See H. A. Kent, Jr., Treasures of
Wisdom (Grand Rapids: 1978) 88-89.
Paradoxically, these messengers
of the gospel were a harbinger
of
diametrically opposite results to two groups of people. "Those who
are being
saved" and "those who are perishing" describe the two
kinds of
responses to the preaching of the gospel. At the Roman
Triumph the aroma of the incense was a token of victory and
honor
for the
conquering legions, but was a sign of sure execution to the
captives in the
parade.
Verse 16. The
previous statement is further explained by this
verse. To
unbelievers the preachers who announced the gospel were
proclaiming a
message of eternal doom which would eventually be
experienced in the
unbeliever's destruction (e]k qana<tou ei]j qana<ton,
"out of death unto death").
To those who responded in faith, the
gospel
preacher had brought a message which comes from Christ the
Source of true life and produces life eternal (e]k zwh?j ei]j zwh<n, "out
of life
unto life").2
The rhetorical question,
"And who is sufficient for these things?"
has been
answered differently by readers. Some have suggested the
answer to be,
"We apostles are sufficient," inasmuch as they did not
peddle a
false message (
one is, if
he depends on his own resources" (3:4-6). The latter
explanation is
best and could be expanded as follows: Certainly the
religious
peddlers are not sufficient, for they depend upon a personal
sufficiency with
selfish motivation. Only those who depend solely
upon God
for His sufficiency can hope to bear this heavy respon-
sibility (3:5).
Verse 17. Paul
and his companions were not like "so many"
(NIV),4 who were
"peddling the word of God" like common hucksters.
The Greek term occurs only here in the NT. It is derived from the
term for
"retailer," and carried the suggestion of trickery, deceit, and
falsehood. The
verb meant "to sell at illegitimate profit, to misrepresent,
to
hawk." The picture comes to mind of the cheap huckster haggling
over prices
and cheapening his goods when necessary to make a sale.
On the contrary, Paul's
proclamation of the gospel was done
with
complete sincerity. The term (ei]likrinei<a)
always denoted
2
Another view of these two e]k . . . ei]j phrases regards them as simply
indicating
continuous progression as in Rom
2 Cor
Expositor's
Greek Testament (
3 R. C. H. Lenski The Interpretation of
Epistle to the Corinthians (Columbus: Wartburg, 1946) 902.
4 Greek: oi[
polloi>. It is not always necessary to press this
to its
extreme
sense of "the majority."
5 ka<phloj. See Hans Windisch, "Kaphleu<w," TDNT 3 (1965) 603-5.
174 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
moral purity
and was apparently derived from the words for sun
(h!lioj) and test (kri<nw). Hence the sense is
"tested by the light of
the sun,
spotless, pure."6 From the subjective side of Paul's own
mind, he
had spoken with purity. Objectively, the source of his
commission was
from God (tIC OŁou).
Furthermore, he and his
companions had
carried on their ministry "in the sight of God," that
is, with
full consciousness that they were responsible to him and were
being
watched by him. Finally, they had spoken "in Christ," being
fully aware
of their 'position as members of Christ's Body and
drawing power
from their vital union with Him. Such a ministry left
little room
for suspicion.
ITS BEST RECOMMENDATION WAS THE LIVES OF THE CORINTHIAN
CONVERTS (3: 1-3)
Verse
1. At this point Paul felt a bit of awkwardness over the
possibility that
his previous statement might have sounded self-
serving. The
use of "again" could imply certain prior claims about
himself made
in previous contacts with the Corinthians or perhaps
may
reflect accusations made against him by the religious "peddlers"
who caused
him trouble (
quickly added
another question which should have shown how
baseless such a
suspicion was. Surely Paul did not need letters of
recommendation at this
point, either to them (he had led many of
them to
Christ and had founded their church), or from them (as if he
depended on
them for acceptance elsewhere). Letters of recommenda-
tion were a
common practice when persons were otherwise unknown.
The Corinthian church had once received one regarding Apollos
(Acts
and Judas
(Acts
commendations (for
example, Phoebe, Rom 16:1-2; Timothy, 1 Cor
on
grounds that no one recommended him, then let the Corinthians
pause to
remember a few things.
Verse 2. The Corinthians themselves were Paul's letter of recom-
mendation, far
better than formal credentials. Furthermore, they had
formed such
an important part of his ministry that it could be said
they were
actually inscribed in the hearts of the missionary party.
Hence Paul and his companions had the interests of the
Corinthians
close to
their hearts wherever they went. This living proof of Paul's
authority and
effectiveness as a minister of Christ should have been
6 F. Buschsel, "Ei]likrinh<j, ...," TDNT 2 (1964) 397-98.
perfectly obvious
to all persons who would take the trouble to examine
the
transformed lives of the Corinthians.
Verse 3.
Actually, it had been made clear7 that they were Christ's
letter. Paul
and his helpers were more like amanuenses8 whom Christ
had used
to communicate his message. Christ was the one who had
wrought the
change in the Corinthians' lives. Through his power they
had become
his letter to the world as to what the gospel could do. As
such they
were no mere document written with ink but had been
acted upon
by the Holy Spirit in regeneration. Nor were they like the
inanimate
tablets of stone in the old covenant of law given to Moses.
Rather, Christ had written his message on tablets of human
hearts.
This concept was undoubtedly based on the OT prophecy of the new
covenant (Jer 31:33, compare Heb 8:8-12). The new covenant mediated
by Christ
through the Spirit produced an inward change whereby
God's Word was actually implanted in believers, not just
externally
imposed. This
transforming work made the believers Paul's greatest
recommendation.
IT MINISTERED
THE NEW COVENANT (3:4 -18)
The
source of Paul’s competence (3:4-6)
Verse 4. The
confidence Paul had that Christ was speaking
through him
was no mere personal boasting. It had not resulted from
any
self-satisfaction based on strenuous effort, skillful performance,
or
unusual human competence. It was rather a conviction supplied by
Christ himself and was a confidence that would stand up before
God.
Verse 5. Here
Paul answers the question he raised in
Whatever adequacy or sufficiency he and his companions possessed
was not
the product of their own ability or origination. He did not
deny that a
competent piece of work had been done in their midst,
but
"he disclaimed all personal credit. Adequacy for the task had come
from God.
Verse 6. It was
God who had made his ministers competent for
their task.
Their ministry was the proclamation of the new covenant.
This covenant was God's promise to deal In
grace with his people by
forgiving their
sin and granting them new hearts. The covenant was
validated by the
death of Christ (Matt 26:28). Although national
7
Greek: fanerou<menoi. The term denotes making something
visible
which is invisible.
8 An amanuensis was a
stenographer or copyist, who did the actual
writing for
an author.
176 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
has not
yet experienced the fulfillment of the covenant, the spiritual
benefits of it
are available to every believer through the gospel. It was
as a proclaimer of this new covenant, which offered regeneration
to
men that
Paul was carrying out his ministry.
The new covenant is "not
of the letter but of the Spirit." We
must not
suppose that the common English contrast between "letter"
and
"spirit" as distinguishing "the letter of the law" from its
underlying
spiritual
principles is meant. Paul certainly did not mean that the
literal
meaning of the OT was harmful and that only spiritual
principles or
allegorical interpretations were valid. On the contrary,
he was
contrasting the two covenants, as is clear from the context. By
"letter" he meant the old
Mosaic covenant which was a document
externally
imposed upon its adherents. "Spirit" characterizes the new
covenant which
provides an internal change wrought by the Spirit of
God (3:3).
The contrast between the two
covenants is noted in their results.
"The letter kills" clearly refers to the Mosaic
covenant, as v 7
indicates. It
killed in the sense that it confronted man with God's
righteous
standard but left him condemned to death. The law could
not of
itself provide righteousness. Regeneration, however, is produced
by the
Spirit and provides life for everyone who by faith comes under
the
provisions of the new covenant. This is not to imply that no one
in the OT
had spiritual life. What it does indicate is that life comes by
the action
of the Spirit, not by human ability to keep God's standards.
OT saints were saved by faith in the transforming power and
grace of
God, just as NT believers are.
The
great glory of the new covenant (3:7-11)
Verse
7. As Paul continued to describe his ministry as involving
the
preaching of the new covenant, he showed its superiority over the
old
covenant. Doubtless the opposition he continually received from
Judaizing teachers
who stressed the Mosaic law made this emphasis
especially
important. The argument was based on the admitted glory
of the
old covenant, called here "the ministry of death." In view is the
giving of the
law on Sinai with its glorious accompanying circum-
stances. It is
called the ministry of death because it "killed" (3:6) by
placing its
offenders under condemnation.
In spite of its death-dealing
results, the old covenant was
nevertheless a
product of God and was initiated with impressive
phenomena. One
of those remarkable displays was the appearance of
Moses' face. When
he descended from the mountain, his face shone
with a
supernatural glow so that he had to put on a veil (see Exod
34:29-35). Paul reminded his readers, however, that this
glorious glow
was a
fading thing, and later he expands this thought to symbolize the
temporary nature
of the old covenant (
Verse 8. The
question is then asked, to which the answer should
be
obvious: "Will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more
glorious?"
(NIV). If the former dispensation had a covenant which
ministered death,
surely the new covenant, which provides regenera-
tion by the
Spirit9 of God (3:3, 6), should be regarded as even more
glorious.
Verse 9. The
argument is reinforced by another comparison.
Once again Paul argues from the assumption that the old
covenant,
here termed
"the ministry of condemnation," possessed a genuine
glory. This
was true even though it was a covenant that placed man
under
condemnation because no one was ever able to keep it perfectly.
The new covenant was a
different sort, and not only did not
leave its
subjects under condemnation, but provided something
positive. Paul
calls it "the ministry of righteousness" because it
supplies its
recipients with God's approval instead of condemnation.
"Righteousness" is a legal term which denotes the
judge's pronounce-
ment that
the defendant is acceptable without any broken law to
accuse him.
In the new covenant which is based upon Christ's
substitutionary death
for sinners, all who believe are provided with
God s verdict of righteousness— His approval and acceptance,
based
not on the
merits of the sinner but on the perfect righteousness of
Christ. Surely a ministry that involves such a covenant must
abound
with glory!
Verse 10. Paul
now reaches the climax of his argument by
pointing to the
temporary character of the old covenant and the
evident
superiority of that new covenant which was planned to take
its place.
The Greek text at this point does not translate easily into
clear
English. Both NASB and NIV have paraphrased somewhat, but
the sense
is made clear. "That which has been glorified" (literal) refers
to the
old covenant mediated by Moses which had certain attendant
glories
already mentioned. "Has not been glorified in this respect"
indicates some
limitations upon the glory which it did have. "The
glory which
surpasses it" refers to the greater glory of the new
covenant which
the apostles were ministering. Paul's point is that the
glory of the
old has been eclipsed by the greater glory of the new. Just
as the
moon becomes invisible in the overpowering sunlight of the
day, so
the glory of the old covenant and its ministry has faded away.
9 tou?
pneu<matoj (of
the Spirit) is regarded here as an objective
genitive,
parallel with the other objective genitives tou? qana<tou (of
death)
in 3:7,
and th?j katakri<sewj
(of condemnation) and th?j dikaiosu<nhj
(of righteousness) in 3:9.
178 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
Verse 11. After
acknowledging that the law existed with a
genuine glory
for a time, while at the same time noting that it was a
transitory,
fading instrument just as the glow on Moses' face (3:7),
Paul drew the significant conclusion: How much more should we
understand that
the new covenant which replaced the former one
remains in
glory. It should be obvious that anything which God has
given to
supersede a glorious covenant must be even more glorious.
The openness of the new
covenant (3:12-18)
Verse
12. The previous reference to the fading glory of the old
covenant and
the experience of Moses led Paul to emphasize another
important
feature of the new covenant-its openness in contrast to the old.
"Having such a hope"
is Paul's statement of assurance that the
provisions of the
new covenant will all be realized. Therefore, he and
his
assistants had no hesitancy in proclaiming its truth with great
boldness. They
were not fearful of the Judaizers, even though it was
surely a
startling message in Jewish circles to proclaim that the
Mosaic law as a system for God's people
had been replaced by
another
covenant.
Verse 13. Paul
used the incident at Sinai where Moses placed a
veil over
his face (Exod 34:33-35) to illustrate his point. The
KJV
translation of Exod 34:33 implies that Moses wore the veil while he
was
speaking with
"till" has been corrected to
"when" in ASV,
proper sense
of the passage is that
radiant face
of Moses when he was conveying God's word to them,
but that
he covered his face when he was finished. Paul correctly
understood the
reason to be that Moses did not wish the Israelites to
be
watching his face each time the glory faded away.10
Verse 14. This
dramatic procedure of Moses, however, was
confronted by the
spiritual hardness of Israelite hearts. Most of them
failed to
understand the true nature of the glory of Moses' face. Paul
explains that
the same spiritual dullness existed among the Jews of
his day.
Just as the veil hid the fading glory of Moses' face from
Jewish observers, so the same sort of obscuring veil seemed to
hide
the true
meaning of the old covenant when it was read by
10 This
is the view of most modern commentators.
P. E. Hughes, however
rejects this
explanation and suggests Moses' action as merely intended to prevent
sinfulness. Paul's Second Epistle to the
Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962) 107-10.
were unable
to see that it was transient, that it pointed to Christ, and
that it
would be replaced by a new covenant.
The obscuring veil of unbelief
remains unlifted for
it is
removed only in connection with Christ and his work. Only by
faith in him
can the glory of the new covenant be seen, as well as the
replacement of the
old by the new.
Verse 15. The
previous verse described the veil as resting upon
the old
covenant and obscuring the proper understanding of it. Here
Paul makes it clear that the fault was not with that covenant,
but
with the
people. The veil was actually over their hearts. The old
covenant was
not misleading. The problem lay in the unbelief of
Jewish hearts. This
circumstance was true at the writing of
2 Corinthians twenty-five years
after Christ's resurrection. It still
characterizes
Verse 16. The
language of this verse is adapted from Exod 34:34.
There it described Moses who took the veil off when he went to
speak
with he
Lord. Paul used that terminology to illustrate what happens
when anyone
turns to the Lord. Faith in Christ removes the obscuring
veil from
the heart and there is open communion with God under the
terms of the
new covenant as announced in the gospel.
Because no subject is given in
the original text for the verb
"returns," the KJV has
supplied "it," referring presumably to "heart"
as the
antecedent. NASB supplies "a man" and NIV uses "anyone."
Contextually it is likely that "the heart of a Jew" is
meant. However,
the
statement could also be regarded as a general one, "whenever one
turns.
..." The truth is the same for Jew or gentile: turning to the
Lord in faith removes the separating veil of obscurity, and the
true
understanding of the
old covenant can be gained.
Verse 17. There
is a clear relationship of this verse to 3:6 and 8.
There it was stated that the new covenant proceeds from the
Spirit, it
is
life-giving, and is more glorious than the old covenant. Paul then
illustrated from
the life of Moses the transitory character of the old
covenant, in
contrast to the open unveiled nature of the new. Now he
points out
that the Lord Himself is the Spirit about whom he has
been
speaking. On the understanding that "the Lord" is a reference to
Christ, as is usual with Paul, the thought is that Christ and
the Spirit
are one in
essence, just as Christ and the Father are one (John
in that
mysterious union of the Trinity. In the new covenant Christ
brings about
the inner transformation of believers by the action of the
Spirit (called in 3:3 the Spirit of the living God).
This activity of the Spirit of
the Lord brings liberty, not deadness
(3:6), or bondage. New
birth by the Spirit has infused believers with
180 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
new life,
and brings freedom from enslavement to sin's guilt and
power (Gal
5:1-5).
Verse 18.
Consequently, all Christians, not just the apostles,
behold God's
glory with an unveiled face. Because they have turned
to the
Lord, the veil has been removed from their understanding and
they have
open access to the revelation of God in Christ.
Our versions vary between the
concepts of "beholding as in a
mirror"
or "reflecting" as translations for a Greek word appearing
only this
once in the NT.11 Although the idea of reflecting fits the
parallel with
Moses who reflected the glory of God, the translation
"beholding" is usually
preferred. The ancient versions' commonly
understood it
this way. There is no clear instance of the verb having
the
meaning "reflect" unless it is in the active voice (it is middle
here).
Furthermore the passage speaks of believers who can now see
clearly
because the
veil has been removed from them.
With faces (and hearts)
unveiled, believers may behold the glory
of God as
they are brought into relationship with him through Christ
(see also 4:6). Those who press the
imagery may identify the mirror as
the Word,
or Christ, or something else. Inasmuch as mirrors in Paul's
day were
polished metal giving somewhat imperfect images, the
thought is
explained as indicating that even though our vision of
Christ's glory is vastly superior to the OT experiences, it is
still
something less
than the final vision when we see him face to face
(1 Cor
interpretation this
far, since the emphasis in the statement is not upon
the mirror
but upon the beholding.
As believers behold the Lord's
glory, now that the veil of spiritual
dullness is
removed, they are continually being transformed12 into his
image. The
word describes a change of form which is intrinsic. The
true nature
of the child of God is progressively revealed, just as the
process of
metamorphosis transforms the true nature of the caterpillar
into a
butterfly. Paul is referring to the progressive sanctification of
believers
whereby as they behold Christ and increase in their under-
standing of
him, they become more and more like him, from one
stage of
glory to the next. We perceive Christ's glory as we seek
spiritual
nourishment in the Word of God, the Scripture. The
transformation is
then accomplished in us supernaturally by the
Lord, identified here as the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who
gives the
new
covenant its distinctive character (3:6, 8). No wonder the apostle
11 The
verb katoptri<zw in the active means "to produce a
reflection" and
in the
middle "to look at oneself in a mirror." It is the middle voice which
appears in
12 The present tense of
the verb metamorfou<meqa denotes progressive
action.
exulted as he
did at being involved in Christian ministry which could
accomplish such a
feat!
The glory of the Christian
ministry which Paul has been describing
did not,
however, mean that it always enjoyed uninterrupted successes.
Its glory pertained chiefly to its spiritual significance, and
this feature
is not
seen by everyone. Those who tend to judge the value of
anything solely
by immediate results, outward trappings of "success,"
or by
physical and temporal benefits need to realize another aspect of
true
Christian ministry.
The sobering fact is that
Christian ministry is faced with obstacles.
The accomplishment of God's work is no easy task. Paul informed
the church
that his own ministry was beset with various kinds of
accusations and
criticisms. Furthermore, he and his assistants lived
constantly under
the threat of death. Their physical bodies were
paying a
price for their commitment to this ministry. The secret of
their
steadfastness lay in their unshakeable faith in God's revealed
truth and in
the eternal value of Christ's cause. In this vein Paul
continued the
description of the character of his ministry which he
began in
IT WAS CARRIED OUT OPENLY
(4: 1-6)
Verse 1. This
paragraph not only is a positive assertion of the
openness and
candor with which Paul and his assistants had ministered,
but seems
also to be a response to criticisms leveled against him by
certain
Corinthians (see
"This ministry" to
which he referred was the ministry of the new
covenant (3:6).
It was the task of proclaiming and teaching the gospel
of
Christ, the glorious news that sins have been forgiven through
Christ's death, and that his perfect righteousness has been made
available to
those who will trust him for it. Paul had previously
disclaimed any
personal adequacy that had made him worthy of this
responsibility (3:5).
Now once again he evidences deep humility by
saying
"we received mercy" in being given such a task. Does this imply
that some
of the religious peddlers at
Paul and his associates were too high-handed or authoritarian
when
they
preached among them? Then let them know that Paul's ministry
was no
display of ego or personal vanity, but the response of one who
viewed his
position as an instance of God's mercy on undeserving
men.
Consequently, Paul and his men
did not "lose heart"
(e]gkakou?men). In
spite of accusations and difficulties, they continued
performing their
ministry without cowardice or discouragement. A
firm
conviction of the nature of their mission kept them going.
182 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
Verse 2. Paul
claimed an openness about his ministry with
complete
absence of any sort of secrecy or subterfuge. There had been
a
renunciation or disowning of those things which one hides because
of a
sense of shame.13 As ministers of God, there had been no trickery
in their
methods or their message. They had done no falsifying or
adulterating of the
Word of God when they proclaimed the gospel.
They were not guilty of giving wrong emphases or withholding
significant parts
of the truth. .
Again, one can imagine that
certain criticisms of Paul may be
alluded to
here. Had Judaizing teachers accused him of omitting
certain
teachings regarding compliance with Mosaic rites? Were they
accusing him of
enticing gentiles with a watered-down message of
salvation at the
outset, with the scheme in mind of adding the other
essentials later?
Paul's clear answer was that the Word of God had
been
handled in such a way as to display its truth to every open-
minded
listener. It has been taught not only for intellectual stimulation,
but its
moral and spiritual implications had been clearly aimed at the
conscience of
each hearer. This in turn should have commended the
preachers
themselves to the conscience of every Corinthian as being
faithful
messengers of God. These words reflect no self-seeking on the
part of
Paul, but rather were his solemn recognition that his ministry
was
carried on "in the sight of God," who was not only guiding his
labors, but
was also enlightening the consciences of those who were
open to his
truth. How refreshing it would be if it could be said of
every
preacher that his chief commendation was his fidelity to the
truth of
God's Word and the impact which he makes upon the
consciences of his
hearers.
Verse 3. Paul
recognized, however, that not everyone responds
favorably to the
gospel. The reference to "every man's conscience" (4:2)
was a
generalization with many exceptions. "Even if our gospel is
veiled"
(NASB, NIV) states a condition which he was willing to
assume as
true.14 He quickly explained, however, that the problem
was not
with the gospel nor its preachers but with the unbelieving
hearers. It is
veiled to "those who are perishing”. Paul has moved in
his figure
from the veil over the face of Moses (3:13) to the veil over
the heart
of
unbelievers are
concerned.
Verse 4. This
veiling of the gospel was not because Paul had used
secrecy in his
preaching or deviousness in his methods. Rather it was
13
This is BAGD's translation of ta> krupta> th?j ai]sxu<nhj ("the
hidden
things of shame"). The translation
"hidden things of dishonesty" (KJV)
reflects the
obsolete English usage of "dishonest" in the sense of
"shameful."
14 A first class
condition, using ei] with the indicative mood.
because the
thoughts of perishing unbelievers had been blinded by the
"god of this world”. The reference
is to Satan, who is called elsewhere
by the
similar titles "prince of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) and
"prince of the power of the
air" (Eph 2:2). He is "god”, not in any
dualistic sense
as equal to and Independent of the true God, but only
in the
limited sense that his followers so regard him, and at present
God allows him to utilize this power over the minds of sinners.
Because of Satan's action in
blinding the minds of sinners, they
are not
able to see the illumination of the glory of Christ which the
gospel
provides. The good news about Jesus Christ as Lord, his
unique
Person, his stupendous works, and his incomparable
teachings— all
are minimized, explained away, or otherwise perverted
so that
the spiritual enlightenment which could save their souls from
destruction is
disregarded. The glory of Christ is essentially his
unique person
as the image of God, the one who is the revealer of the
invisible God
(Coll:15; John 1:18), on whom men must depend if
they would
see the Father (John 14:9) and receive salvation.
Verse 5. Paul will
not let his readers escape the real issue
involved in
Christian ministry. It was not a promotion of the
preacher,
directly or indirectly. He and his associates had never
preached
themselves. The heart of their ministering the gospel was
their proclamation
of Jesus Christ as Lord.15 This acknowledgment is
basic to the
gospel (Rom 10:9; 1 Cor 12:3) and thus lay at the
heart of
Paul's message. One
should beware of drawing categorical distinc-
tions
between accepting Christ as Savior and accepting him as Lord.
Both are clearly involved in any true commitment to Christ.
Just as Paul had been faithful
in presenting Christ as Lord in his
preaching, so he
and his associates had been careful to maintain their
own
position as servants among the Corinthians. He did not mean
that the
Corinthians were the masters, for Christ was the Master
whom they
served. But he did mean that as Christ’s servants, they
had
followed his orders and that had Involved ministering to the
Corinthians.
Verse 6. The
reason why the messengers gave no thought to
promoting
themselves was due to the overwhelming grandeur of the
Source from which their message
came. God, who had once brought
physical light
out of darkness by his creative command (Gen 1:3), had
himself shone
with spiritual enlightenment in the hearts of believers.
At creation, light resulted from a command of God. At
regeneration,
God himself shines as the illumination.
15 Word order suggests that ku<rion should be regarded as a predicate
usage,
"Jesus Christ as Lord." If it
were simply part of the title, one would have
expected it
to be first in the series: "Lord
Jesus Christ."
184 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
This light from God is
explained as the knowledge of God as
revealed in the
face of Jesus Christ. Sin hardens the heart (
makes it
unbelieving and insensitive to God (
Satan to keep men in the
spiritual darkness of unbelief (4:4). The
great
mission of Christ is his role as the image of God to reveal the
Father's glory to men when they have a spiritual encounter with
his Son.
For Paul this transforming
encounter had occurred on the
been struck
down with an overpowering light and had seen the
glorious Lord
who identified himself as Jesus (Acts 9:1-9; 22:5-11;
26:12-18). Some of the phenomena of
that occasion probably
influenced Paul's
language here ("light," "glory of God," "face of
Christ"). However, one must not limit the thrust of this
verse simply
to the
miraculous physical happenings on that day. The use of the
plural
"our hearts" shows that more than one person was in the
apostle's
thought, and the reference to God's action of shining in
"hearts" applies to the
spiritual experience of every believer.
IT WAS PERFORMED,
HOWEVER, IN BODILY WEAKNESS (4:7-18)
Present
trials of Gods messenger (4:7-12)
Verse 7. Paul's
ministry of proclaiming the new covenant (3:6)
carried with
it certain burdens. Not the least of them was the presence
of
various trials which God's messengers must undergo. "This
treasure"
refers to the light of the knowledge of God in Christ as
explained in the
preceding verse. This sublime truth is contained,
however, in
"earthen vessels" ("jars of clay”, NIV). The figure depicts
pottery jars
used as storage for all sorts of items. Household lamps
were made
of clay to hold oil and a wick. Valuables were stored in
such jars.
The Dead Scrolls were found in pottery jars after being
hidden for
nineteen centuries. Paul used the figure to depict either the
human body
with its frailties, or perhaps the entire human per-
sonality16
inasmuch as body, soul, and spirit are a unity, and all are
subject to
weakness, suffering, and discouragement.
Paul wanted no mistake to be
made about the true nature of the
Christian message in comparison
to the significance of the minister.
The human instrument is weak and expendable; the message is
vital
and of
inestimable value. By utilizing frail human ministers, God
demonstrates that
the "surpassing greatness of the power" (NASB)
which
transforms men's lives is from God and not from any preacher.
16 Alfred Plummer, Second Epistle of
(ICC; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1915) 127.
Verse 8. In a
series of four contrasting parallels, Paul shows what
he and
other true ministers were continually facing. "Troubled on
every side,
yet not distressed" (KJV) has been also translated "hard
pressed...but
not crushed" (NIV). The idea is that in spite of
pressures that
would thwart their effectiveness, they were never
completely
crushed so that their ministry totally failed. In Paul's
ministry such
experiences were multiplied. At
he was
arrested and imprisoned; yet the gospel was not stopped, for
the jailer
and his household were converted (Acts 16). At
had been
arrested and accused before the provincial governor, but
dismissal of the
case gave new opportunities for the gospel.
"Perplexed, but not
despairing" is a play on words17 which is
not easily
preserved in English. One has rendered it "being at a loss,
but not
having lost out."18 These contrasting phrases emphasize
human
inability as offset by divine enablement. Perhaps Paul was
thinking of
experiences like his recent one at
in the
city left him powerless to act, and yet God still preserved his
Christian witness (Acts 19).
Verse 9. They
were continually being persecuted by opponents of
the
Christian message, but they were never abandoned by the Lord
who had
sent them. Paul regularly experienced pursuit by one group
or
another. He was frequently a hunted man (Acts 9:23-24, 28-29;
13:50; 14:5-6, 19-20; et al.). yet
never did they conclude that God had
forsaken them,
and for this reason they continued their ministry.
From time to time adversaries might succeed in casting them
down,
but never
would this result in their destruction before their mission
was
accomplished. God's enablement was still in operation, even
though great
obstacles were faced by his messengers.
Verse 10. Here
Paul begins an explanation of the preceding
paradoxes. The
sufferings which the apostolic party experienced,
along with
the successful accomplishment of their mission in spite of
impending
disaster, must be interpreted as Paul here indicates. Their
sufferings were
actually a "carrying about in the body the dying of
Jesus." The next verse (4:11) is parallel in thought and
makes it clear
that
Christ's physical sufferings and death were in view. Paul and the
other
apostles were constantly under threat of physical death just as
Jesus was. Now the hatred of men for the Son of God was being
directed
against Paul and others as they attempted to carry out their
Christian ministry. The
word "dying" (ne<krwsin) does
not mean
simply
"death”, but the process of dying. He chose this term to
17
Greek: a]porou<menoi a]ll ] ou]k e]caporou<menoi.
18R.C.H. Lenski,
Interpretation of I and II Corinthians, 977-78.
186 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
emphasize not
just one act, but the repeated sufferings which were
directed
against his life in order to put him to death.
Nevertheless Paul could look
beyond the trials to the grander
purpose which
was being served. God's suffering servants not only
showed their
identification with Christ by their willingness to suffer
as he
did, but they also displayed his life in their bodies. It was Christ
living in
them that enabled them not to be crushed, be despairing, feel
forsaken, or be
destroyed. They ran the risk of death in order to
proclaim the
new life in Christ, and they did this by personal
demonstration of
Christ's life in their own lives.
Verse 11. In
this parallel expression, Paul's meaning in the
preceding verse
is more fully explained. As ministers of Christ he and
the other
apostles were continually exposed to the danger of physical
death. This
was what Paul meant by carrying about in his body "the
dying of
Jesus”. He had learned at the very beginning of his Christian
life that
persecution directed against Christians was regarded by Jesus
as
actually directed against him (Acts 9:4-5; cf.
purpose,
however, was not to undergo suffering for suffering's sake,
but that
"the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal
flesh."
The proclamation of the new life in Christ became more
clearly
manifested when it was set forth against such a dramatic
background. The
eternal life provided by Jesus who said "I am the
life"
(John 14:6) enabled his messengers to be victorious in spite of
physical
weakness and would ultimately make them triumphant even
though many
of them would experience a martyr's death.
Verse 12. In
summation, death was an ever-present reality with
Christ's messengers, but his purposes were being accomplished
because
eternal life
was being received by the Corinthians and others who had
responded to the
gospel.
Paul was not describing
explicitly the experience of every
Christian in this passage, but primarily that of himself and the
other
apostles. In
the context he was not talking about the Corinthians, but
about those
who had preached to them. Nevertheless the principle
was set
forth that God's servants have his truth in earthen vessels that
are
fragile and subject to damage. By application of this principle
every
Christian may recognize that physical weakness and opposition
from
adversaries can cause hardship in the performance of any
Christian ministry.
Importance of faith to Gods
messenger (4:13-18)
Verse 13. It
must not be supposed, however, that Paul's previous
words were a
bitter complaint about the personal difficulties of his
ministry. What
sustained him and his companions was the same
viewpoint and
attitude which the psalmist expressed in Ps 116: 10,
"I believed, therefore I spoke." The context of these
words in the
psalm
reveals the writer to have been in great adversity (116:3,6, 8).
Yet his faith In God caused him to pray for deliverance (116:4),
and
he
continued to bear his testimony, believing that God ultimately
brings
vindication to his saints whether in this life or the next
(116:2,9, 10, 15). This same
"spirit of faith”19 permeated Paul and his
suffering
companions. It. was because they had an abiding faith in
God who had revealed his Son to them that they continued to
speak
forth the
gospel in spite of continual risk and frequent affliction.
Verse 14. A firm
faith in the resurrection made Paul willing to
risk death
in order to carry out his ministry. He was convinced that
the Father
had raised Jesus for he had seen him on the
road. He
also firmly believed that Christ's resurrection had guaranteed
the
resurrection of all others who were united to him by faith.
Consequently, no fear of death could divert him from his mission
of
proclaiming the
new covenant that God has provided for men (3:6).
Does it seem that Paul had
earlier expected to avoid death
through the
rapture (1 Thess 4: 13ff.), but has now become
resigned to
dying and
looks only to the resurrection? It is better to understand
Paul's view as exactly what our Lord had taught: namely, that
his
coming was
imminent, but unpredictable. Every believer should be
ready at all
times for either eventually. We should long for the
Lord's return and the prospect of meeting him by whatever route
he
may
require of us.
Verse 15. So
firm was Paul's faith that he could look with joy at
the
outcome of his labors, even though they were being done at
tremendous cost.
"All things" that he and the other ministers were
undergoing were
for the benefit of the Corinthians and other
Christians. His eye of faith saw beyond the immediate trials.
What he
saw was
God's saving grace being multiplied through a continuous
stream of new
converts. As the grace of God in the gospel was
received by
more and more people, the thanksgiving of their grateful
hearts would
overflow and bring glory to God. It was faith that
enabled him to
have God s perspective.
19
Some interpreters explain this phrase as "the Spirit of faith," a
direct
reference to the
Holy Spirit; others have suggested an indirect reference to the
Spirit as the bestower of a gift of faith. However, the expression is more
generally
understood here as denoting a spiritual state or disposition. Compare
the
similar phrase of Paul, "a spirit of meekness" (1 Cor
4:21, Gal 6:1).
188 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
Verse 16. In
spite of great obstacles, therefore, Paul and his
associates did
not "lose heart" (e]gkakou?men). The same verb is used
as in 4:1.
No amount of discouragement could make him abandon his
mission. He
freely admitted that his "outer man" was decaying. He
had
previously spoken of physical life as "earthen vessels" (4:7) and
would later
refer to it as an "earthly tent" (5:1). Furthermore, the
hardships of
travel and the heavy burden of the care of the churches
placed great
strain upon his physical body. His various imprisonments,
beatings, and
continual harassments had left their scars.
Nevertheless, of far greater
significance in Paul's eyes was the
"inner man”, and here the story
was far different. His inner man was
being
renewed as each day passed by. The reference is to the
Christian's regenerated spiritual existence which can grow
stronger in
spite of
physical weakness. This inner man is also called by Paul the
"new man" (CoI 3:10), and is described as experiencing continuous
renewal as
believers increase in their understanding of God through
the
enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (Eph 3:16). As Paul's Christian
life progressed
toward its inevitable earthly close, his physical
capacities might
lessen, but his spiritual awareness of God's program
continued to
develop. He understood more clearly the values which
should govern
the Christian's outlook, and he shared them with his
readers.
Verse 17.
Because of the spiritual insight which his inner man
now
understood, he could refer to his incredible trials as "momentary,
light
affliction." Humanly considered, they could have been regarded
far
differently, and Paul himself did not minimize their severity
(4:8-12). Yet Paul here was looking at them in the light of
Romans
8:28 and the eternal purposes
of God. He understood that, severe as
they were,
they were momentary and light in comparison to the
"eternal weight of glory"
which lies ahead for all who trust the Lord
and serve
him faithfully. "Weight" (ba<roj) is probably used in
contrast to
"light" or "lightness" (e]lafro>n). Human assessment would
call
physical afflictions a heavy weight. Paul said they were actually
light in
comparison to the glory that "far outweighs them all" (NIV).
Faith enabled him to view his life this way.
Verse 18. This
statement gives the essence of Paul's ability to see
the glory
of Christian ministry rather than to be disillusioned by the
obstacles. He
and others like him had learned not to focus their gaze
on things
which are seen, but to fix their attention with eyes of faith
on things
which are not seen. They had learned the basic truth that
the
matters of this present world, including even the most serious of
human
afflictions, are only transitory. It is the unseen things of the
spiritual life
that are of eternal value. The regenerated life, the
continuing
ministry of the Spirit, the growing comprehension of God
through dally
communion with him, the promises of God for the
present and
the future—all of these and many more are things not
seen, but
they are just as real as the visible objects of this world and
are far
more permanent. With this kind of spiritual emphasis in
Paul’s life, no earthly obstacle could blur his vision of the
glory of
serving
Christ.
This
material is cited with gracious permission from:
Grace
Theological Seminary
www.grace.edu
Please
report any errors to Ted Hildebrandt at:
thildebrandt@gordon.edu