In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them. (II Corinthians 4:4)
Who has shone in our hearts?
The same God who in the beginning commanded the light to shine out of darkness.
What light has God shed in our hearts?
The light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ.
In what vessel are we holding this treasure, the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ?
Who has shone in our hearts?
The same God who in the beginning commanded the light to shine out of darkness.
What light has God shed in our hearts?
The light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ.
In what vessel are we holding this treasure, the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ?
In the earthen vessel of our human form.
Why has God given us such a treasure while we are in a state of humiliation, of weakness, of frailty, of corruption?
So that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.
Again we have the theme (suffering and comfort; death and resurrection) we encountered first in Chapter One- that of ministry from the cross, strength from weakness, life from death, the Glory of God proceeding from our flesh and blood inabilities and perplexities.
Paul was beginning to understand that the tribulations that came upon him continually were accomplishing a Divine purpose. They were keeping king self off the throne of Paul's life so that King Jesus, the Lord of glory, would be able to bring the fullness of the Glory of God to the imprisoned human race.
Name some of the forms of tribulation that were keeping Paul in a state of suffering.
Trouble, afflictions, perplexity, persecution-especially from the Jews, being struck down by people and circumstances.
Notice that these pains and problems were not coming on Paul as a judgment on his sins or to purge him from fleshly behavior. Rather, they were given so that the power of Paul's ministry would come from God and not from Paul's own abilities.
Paul was a helpless, suffering human being. But from the first century the Glory of God in Christ has poured through Paul's writings until the fruit that has resulted passes human ability to measure.
In your estimation, how many people of the world have been saved, strengthened, or otherwise affected for good through the letters of the Apostle Paul?
We have mentioned the trouble, afflictions, perplexity, persecution, being struck down. These are the sufferings of Christ.
In the sixth chapter of the Book of Romans we are commanded to count ourselves as crucified with the Lord Jesus and risen with Him. Here, in the fourth chapter of II Corinthians, we see the crucifixion and resurrection worked out in daily life. Everyone who suffers with Christ reigns with Christ. The power by which Christ rules is that of eternal, indestructible, resurrection life, the life that proceeds only from crucifixion with Christ.
The power of resurrection life insured that Paul was not bound, was not crushed, was not in despair, was not at a loss, was not forsaken, was not destroyed.
What was Paul carrying around in his mortal body?
The death of the Lord Jesus.
For what purpose was Paul bearing about the death of Jesus in his mortal body?
So the resurrection life of Jesus might be revealed in his mortal body.
In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them. (Philippians 3:10)
When we are young in the Lord our union with Christ's crucifixion and resurrection delivers us from the authority of the Law of Moses and from the guilt and force of sin. When we are older in the Lord the same union enables us to bring resurrection life to other people. Finally, we perceive as the goal of our life the removal of all self-centeredness and the gaining of the perfect knowledge of Christ, of the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.
What is true of Christ's servants who are living in and by His eternal life?
They constantly are delivered to death for Jesus' sake.
Why does Christ continually deliver over His servants to trouble, to afflictions, to perplexity, to persecution, to being struck down?
Because such suffering provides the opportunity for the eternal, indestructible, resurrection life of Jesus to raise them up. The servants of the Lord thus are driven to live by the power of Christ's resurrection rather than by their own energy and wisdom.
When we become powerless to act, the Lord must assume control if something is to be done. We always have the sentence of death in ourselves such that we do not trust our own strength or wisdom but trust in God who raises the dead.
What is working continually in the faithful minister of the Gospel?
The death of trouble, afflictions, perplexity, persecution, being struck down.
What is working continually in those who are partaking of the ministry of the faithful minster?
The indestructible resurrection life of Christ; Christ's power that raises up the minister and is conveyed to the hearers.
What faith does the Apostle have?
The spirit of faith that causes him to speak the Word of God.
I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: (Psalms 116:10).
What did Paul know?
God who raised the Lord Jesus will raise Paul also with Jesus and will present him with the saints in Corinth before His holy Presence.
Why were the things that were happening taking place, especially the tribulations that were coming upon Paul?
They were taking place for the spiritual benefit of the believers in Corinth.
The grace of God that was raising up Paul was spreading out to many people. Therefore many people would be praying for Paul and giving thanks for his deliverance, bringing an abundance of glory to God.
Why did Paul not faint or lose heart because of his troubles?
Because he understood that God was bringing forth the Glory of Christ through Paul's tribulations.
What was happening to Paul's natural personality, his flesh and blood self?
It was decaying, perishing.
What was happening to Paul's inner, born-again man?
It was being renewed day by day.
What was Paul's momentary, light tribulation creating?
An eternal weight of glory so marvelous as to be beyond all comparison.
Notice that it is the tribulation that produces the glory.
Tribulation, when we permit it to bring forth the Life of Jesus in us, produces a weight of glory. The weight of glory is the "house which is from heaven" of the next chapter. The house from Heaven is the robe of righteousness and glory that will clothe our resurrected body when the Lord appears from Heaven. The robe of righteousness consists of the "things done in his body," of II Corinthians 5:10.
When we are young in the Lord our union with Christ's crucifixion and resurrection delivers us from the authority of the Law of Moses and from the guilt and force of sin. When we are older in the Lord the same union enables us to bring resurrection life to other people. Finally, we perceive as the goal of our life the removal of all self-centeredness and the gaining of the perfect knowledge of Christ, of the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.
What is true of Christ's servants who are living in and by His eternal life?
They constantly are delivered to death for Jesus' sake.
Why does Christ continually deliver over His servants to trouble, to afflictions, to perplexity, to persecution, to being struck down?
Because such suffering provides the opportunity for the eternal, indestructible, resurrection life of Jesus to raise them up. The servants of the Lord thus are driven to live by the power of Christ's resurrection rather than by their own energy and wisdom.
When we become powerless to act, the Lord must assume control if something is to be done. We always have the sentence of death in ourselves such that we do not trust our own strength or wisdom but trust in God who raises the dead.
What is working continually in the faithful minister of the Gospel?
The death of trouble, afflictions, perplexity, persecution, being struck down.
What is working continually in those who are partaking of the ministry of the faithful minster?
The indestructible resurrection life of Christ; Christ's power that raises up the minister and is conveyed to the hearers.
What faith does the Apostle have?
The spirit of faith that causes him to speak the Word of God.
I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: (Psalms 116:10).
What did Paul know?
God who raised the Lord Jesus will raise Paul also with Jesus and will present him with the saints in Corinth before His holy Presence.
Why were the things that were happening taking place, especially the tribulations that were coming upon Paul?
They were taking place for the spiritual benefit of the believers in Corinth.
The grace of God that was raising up Paul was spreading out to many people. Therefore many people would be praying for Paul and giving thanks for his deliverance, bringing an abundance of glory to God.
Why did Paul not faint or lose heart because of his troubles?
Because he understood that God was bringing forth the Glory of Christ through Paul's tribulations.
What was happening to Paul's natural personality, his flesh and blood self?
It was decaying, perishing.
What was happening to Paul's inner, born-again man?
It was being renewed day by day.
What was Paul's momentary, light tribulation creating?
An eternal weight of glory so marvelous as to be beyond all comparison.
Notice that it is the tribulation that produces the glory.
Tribulation, when we permit it to bring forth the Life of Jesus in us, produces a weight of glory. The weight of glory is the "house which is from heaven" of the next chapter. The house from Heaven is the robe of righteousness and glory that will clothe our resurrected body when the Lord appears from Heaven. The robe of righteousness consists of the "things done in his body," of II Corinthians 5:10.
To be continued.
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