The Book of 2nd Corinthians:
My Notes on Chapters 1-5
My Notes on Chapters 1-5
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Author: Christopher J. E. Johnson Published: Oct 30, 2020 Updated: Dec 30, 2023 |
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Contents: Introduction Chapter 01 Chapter 02 Chapter 03 Chapter 04 Chapter 05 |
Introduction
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
-Matthew 28:19-20
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
-1 John 2:27
If you would like more information on these topics, I recommend the following resources here at creationliberty.com:
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The second epistle (letter) of Corinthians is not the second letter ever sent by Paul to Corinth, as indicated in chapter five of 1st Corinthians (i.e. Paul had sent letters prior to 1st Corinthians), but is a follow-up letter sent after the epistle of 1st Corinthians, which was written while he was in the region of Macedonia, with the help of Titus and Lucas. This letter intended to explain why he did not come to visit them as he had promised, to answer his critics who falsely accused him for their own gain, to encourage the church that they were a great comfort to him, to report the many sufferings he had undertaken, as well as the many mercies and miracles God had done, and to urge the faithful in the church to remember their ministry to the Lord Jesus Christ, that they would do good unto one another, and to the poor and needy.
Chapter 1
[v1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
Paul opens this letter by describing his calling to the readers, not giving himself a fancy title such as "Apostle Paul," but speaking of the calling to apostleship given to him by the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the will of God the Father. Paul also mentions Timothy, his close companion and friend who helped Paul with all his needs, which is not to say that Timothy was authoring the letter, because this letter was authored by Paul via the Holy Spirit, but rather, Timothy had been previously sent to Corinth and returned, confirming that Timothy was with him, and Timothy may have even dictated the letter for Paul, since Paul's eye sight began to fail later in his life. Whereas Corinth was the metropolis of the region, Achaia was another large city in Greece, located west of Corinth.(Read "Titles Are Unbiblical in the Church" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v2] Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a common phrase Paul used in his letters (Rom 1:7, 1Co 1:3), which is his desire that they would grow in the grace of God, not only for the expansion of Christ's gospel of grace unto the people, and for the growth of the church, but also that they would receive the blessings of grace from God. This grace is not meant for the salvation of their souls, which was already presumed since they were members of the church in Corinth, but that they would be blessed with the grace of God in terms of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, that they might be better servants of Christ, and that God might bless them with as much peace as possible while they do their work.[v3] Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Paul speaks of God being blessed, not in the sense that mankind has anything that we can bless God with, for God has no need of anything, let alone from His creation, but that God is blessed in the only way we know how, which is through our praise and worship of who He is, and the wonderful things He has done. Paul continues to point out that God is "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," saying "even," meaning "likewise," in the sense that all the blessings and comforts we receive come through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the son of God in nature, power, and glory, being one with the Father. (John 10:30)[v4] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
The Lord God is the comforter of His people, who are the children of faith, that when they suffer tribulation and persecution, He brings us comfort in those times, not just for our sakes, but also that we would be able to comfort others in their times of trouble, which Paul adds "by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted," meaning that the source of the comfort we bring to others is not of ourselves, but only through God which first comforts us. This is not to say that we have positive words for every person we come in contact with, as modern church buildings tend to do by always having a "good word" for those around them, never rebuking anyone of their sins, but rather, Paul specifically points out that these are words of comfort in times of trouble that come from tribulation, which most lukewarm church buildings today do not suffer. (Acts 14:22)[v5] For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
This is not to say that Christ's sufferings on the cross are attributed to our own efforts, meaning that we somehow, by default, we have right to take credit for the workings of the cross, but rather, He suffered for our sakes, having our sins washed clean in everlasting abundance, so we, being not greater than our master, have "abounded" (i.e. overflowing in us, like a fountain) the love to suffer for His sake (John 15:20), and for the sake of the brethren. This is a reminder that Christ has not abandoned us, although many abandoned Him; rather, He comes to us to comfort us (via the Holy Ghost) in our times of suffering with an endless consolation.[v6] And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
Despite the fact that we have many who bring unreasonable criticisms against us in hypocrisy, and despite the fact that many curse us, speak evil of us, and threaten us with harm (Luke 6:22), we preach the truth of Christ with cheerfulness and boldness, without fear (Heb 13:6), which is a great encouragement to others in the faith of Christ, by which their faith is strengthened that they serve the will of the Almighty God in truth. This is not only for the consolation and comfort of the faithful in the church, but also as a testimony to those who are lost, that through the demonstration of patience, reason, gentleness, and temperance (Gal 5:22-23), even unto our enemies (Mat 5:43-45), they might come to know the nature of Christ, hear the law, and repent (i.e. have grief and godly sorrow) of their sins. (Luke 24:47)[v7] And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
That is, the hope Paul and the other apostles, along with the other elders and deacons who often worked with him, was consistant and unwavering because of the knowledge that those Christians who were dedicated students and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ were suffering their own afflictions due to their preaching the truth of Christ's gospel, and therefore, knowing the great mercies of God, it was a certain conclusion that they would also receive His comforts in their time of trouble.[v8] For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
Paul mentions the potential ignorance of the church in Corinth concerning his many sufferings, and those who he traveled with, which could be due to the false teachers and false converts in Corinth not wanting others to hear of the sufferings of the apostles of Christ, lest it be an embarrassment to expose their lofty state of living, that they did not preach the truth in Christ as the apostles did, and perhaps even accused Paul, falsely claiming that he had no desire to keep his word to come visit them in Corinth, or their ignorance might have been due to them not receiving word of the events, so Paul's persecutors would not be exposed for their wicked deeds, and that they had falsely accused Paul and his companions, claiming that they committed crimes that they did not commit, in attempt to justify their actions against the apostles of Christ. Paul did not want them to be ignorant of these things, which was not to lift himself up among them for any reason, but so they would understand the afflictions he and his companions suffered was more than any normal man could bear (i.e. that a normal man's strength could endure), so much so that they had, many times, thought that their life was at an end, that their lives could not be saved, and yet, God gave them endurance, even pulling them out from under their burden, saving them from the brink of death.[v9] But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
Paul goes on to point out that it was not by their own power or abilities that they had survived, but rather, they forsook all confidence in themselves, their own reasoning, wisdom, and strength. Their faith had to be solely placed into God, who can raise the dead at His will.[v10] Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
Paul will make mention of some of these sufferings later in chapter eleven, in which he was in danger of drowning, threatened by thieves, shipwrecked, and beaten violently by the Jews. (2Co 11:23-26) Paul reassures the brethren that Christ does not forget the children of faith, and that He is with us in the spirit at all times, so we need only trust in Him, and He will deliver us.[v11] Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
Though the brethren in Corinth were not present to witness the sufferings of Paul and his companions, they did help by their prayers unto God, which shows us that our prayers do help others, whether we see the results of them or not. The gift Paul is referring to is the grace of God to deliver them out of their sufferings, and therefore, those in Corinth who prayed for such things ought to also give thanks for God's mercy to answer their prayers.[v12] For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
They rejoiced in the fact that they had done no wrong or crime, doing good unto all men, even unto their enemies, which was itself a testimony of Christ, the words and actions coming from a conscience given to them by the grace of the Holy Ghost, demonstrating the good fruits of the spirit, reflecting a heart of repentance. (Acts 26:20) The evidence of that good conscience was seen by the world, even the enemies of Paul who persecuted him and his companions, thereby those wicked men and women, who operate according to the false wisdom of this world, know their own words and deeds were evil, bringing fraudulent charges against the Christians who taught them the truth in love, and moreso, this fact was known to the faithful among the church in Corinth, since Paul spoke to them plainly, and provided the testimony of his conscience among them more abundantly, since he had been with them in much fellowship.[v13] For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;
What Paul is writing to Corinth correlates perfectly with the Word of God, and therefore, by the testimony which Paul has shown them while in their company, and by the Word of God which they read and acknowledge to be the truth, that despite what false accusations come out of the mouth of wicked men, that they would acknowledge the truth of the matter, trusting in God's Word to discern the good from the evil. (Heb 5:12-14)[v14] As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
The phrase "in part" is added here because some of those who had been added to the church in Corinth had to hear of Paul second hand, meaning that they had not witnessed all his words or deeds for themselves, so some of them had to rely on the testimony of those who had provided evidence of their good consciences, and likewise, that charitable mindset goes both ways, meaning that whereas they rejoiced unto the Lord concerning Paul's deliverance from his sufferings, so Paul and his companions rejoiced unto the Lord concerning the church's deliverance from their sufferings in Corinth.[v15] And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;
That is, Paul had confidence in their affection for him, the other brethren with them, and their prayers for deliverance from sufferings, and through that faith, he had mind to come and visit them prior to the time of this letter. It appears that he had previously gave them his word that this was his intention, and the fact that he did not show confused them, resulting in some falsely accusing him of unfaithfulness to his word, while others held confidence that he was delayed for an important reason; the latter being the case. The second benefit is described more in the next verse.[v16] And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.
As Paul traveled east into the region known as Macedonia, to preach and gather alms for the needs of the Christians in Judaea who were suffering under heavy persecution from the Jews, he passed through Corinth on his way, but he also intended to stop in again on his return after making his rounds and traveling west out of Macedonia, but the persecution of evil men interrupted his plans.[v17] When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?
In the first epistle to Corinth, Paul had made mention of his intention to come visit them soon, but he added in the phrase "if the Lord will" (1Co 4:19), meaning that he could not forsee unknown circumstances which would prevent him from his desire to see them. Paul is questioning them to remind them of the things which he had said, and to remind them that he did not say these things lightly, meaning that he took his word very seriously, which is not something that churchgoers today often do, in that they often give their word and do not take their word seriously, casually blowing off the things they have said they would do, while refusing to acknowledge that giving one's word and not keeping that word is a lie.(Read "God Does Not Justify Lies" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
When Paul speaks of the things he purposes, he is referring to the reasons for which he says and does things, and questions the church in Corinth if by the evidence they have seen and heard from Paul, would they reason that he does things after the spirit or the flesh? In other words, has Paul provided evidence to them that he does things for their spiritual benefit, being charitable unto their needs? Or, has Paul operated according to his own selfish wants, being covetous, seeking fame and fortune? If a man has often demonstrated himself to be charitable, thinking of others, loving with selfless sacrifice, and he suddenly does not show up and do the thing he said he intended to do, it would be reasonable and charitable to draw a favorable conclusion about what happened to him, presuming that some emergency had taken place, and therefore, those who were faithful unto God and charitable in their hearts would have prayed for his good, that the Lord would protect him from whatever evil may have come upon him.
Paul ends his questioning with yea, yea (i.e. yes, yes) and nay, nay (i.e. no, no), which is not to be taken in the sense that Jesus Christ did not command our yea to be yea, and our nay to be nay, for that commandment is sure, meaning that we should do according to the things we have said we would do when we give our word, either a "yes, I will do this," or "no, I will not do this," anything more added to such simple phrasing (e.g. pinky swears, special promises, etc) come of evil, not of good. (Mat 5:37) Rather, Paul is saying this in the sense that he might use his "yea" and "nay" in the same sentence, or in the same context, meaning that they should realize, by their own reasoning through the evidence they have seen from Paul, that he does not give his word and go back on his word, he does not speak of plans lightly, without the seriousness that should be given to the things he says, and therefore, knowing that man can keep his word only if the Lord wills (as Paul prefaced in his previous letter), Corinth should have come to the conclusion that God willed for something otherwise, leaving Paul unable to complete the tasks he purposed to do.
[v18] But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
Paul knew that there were false apostles, false teachers, and false converts among the church in Corinth, which is why he warned them (and other churches) so fervently that wolves were going to come in to infiltrate the church after he departed (Acts 20:28-31), and therefore, to fight against the rumors of wicked men, Paul turned back to God's Word, reminding them that the power/gifts of the Holy Ghost was upon the apostles in that day, and so as the Word of God was taken as true, Paul's words should have been taken as true also, meaning that he would not tell them "yes, I will do this," but then turn around later, changing his mind to say "no, I will not do this."[v19] For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
Though I have emphasized Paul for the purpose of highlighting the author of this letter, he has consistently used the words 'we' and 'us' and 'our' to indicate that it was a group of Christians who had suffered along with him, and had preached the same truth Paul had preached, naming Silvanus and Timotheus as examples. All these men had preached the same truth of Jesus Christ, and none of them had contradicted themselves by saying both 'yea' and 'nay', that one should go back on his word, because the promises of Jesus Christ are based on 'yea', in that He came to bring us better promises in a new covenant (Heb 8:6), and has kept, is keeping, and will continue to keep those 'yea' promises. (Num 23:19)[v20] For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
All the promises concerning the coming of Jesus Christ, His work in this world, and His second coming, are all 'yea', meaning that are assured to come by the will of God, whereas our 'yea' can also only be assured by God, which is why we must say things like "if the Lord will," knowing that only by His allowance can we fulfill our word, but He has full power over all which He says. Therefore, knowing that God cannot lie, and that His promises were sure before the world began (Tts 1:2), and that Jesus Christ was 'Amen', that is, the truth destined before mankind was created, when we uphold our faith in Him, that He will certainly fulfill His promises to us through our Lord Jesus Christ, we give glory to God the Father.[v21] Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
That is, we are established in Christ the same as Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus were established in Christ, meaning that we are settled with a foundation, having a condition in which we have received the eternal love and grace of Christ, by which we will never be separated from Him under any circumstance. (Rom 8:38-39) Though a sheep might stray, God will bring him back to repentance. (Mat 18:12-14, Luke 15:4-7) There is no contradiction with God because a contradiction between two statements means that one (or both) of the statements is a lie, and therefore, it is impossible for God to contradict himself, which also means that when a child of God, speaking in honesty, expresses his purpose to do something with his 'yea', and God diverts him from accomplishing that 'yea', it does not mean that God has made His child into a liar, but that His child spoke with limited understanding, not knowing that he would not be able to accomplish that which he purposed at the time he said it, not yet knowing the will of God for him in that time.[v22] Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
When the Bible refers to the children of faith being "sealed," it has more than one meaning. It means that God has confirmed us and protected us, as a seal on a jar or can, and it also means that he has marked us as His children, as a king might put his special symbol in the wax seal of a letter, and therefore, a seal hides things away, protects them, distinguishes them, and separates them from other things, as we are hidden by God's mercy from those who seek to do us harm, and sanctified from the world for His special purpose.The word 'earnest' is typically used as an adjective, but here, it is used as a noun, and in that context, it is referring to the first fruits of something, which is not necessarily the best of the harvest, but it is the beginning of a harvest, which promises more to come. The first fruits is essentially a pledge of good things to come from the Lord God, having His favor, and therefore, we have received from Him the 'earnest' or 'pledge' of the Spirit, which is God's assurance of the great reward, peace, and rest that is to come at the end of our time in this world, sealing that hope of assurance within our hearts.
[v23] Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
Paul is stating most solemnly (i.e. seriously) that the Lord God can look upon Paul and read his words, to testify that everything that he is about to say is the truth, namely, that God delayed him for a particular reason, not allowing him to come to Corinth for the sake of the church in Corinth. The reason Paul was not permitted to come, and that Paul ended up delaying his visit, was because if he had shown up in the timely manner he first desired, he would be forced to come in with the rebuke of the Holy Spirit, which we have seen in Scripture is a very serious matter, even punishing some by death (Acts 5:1-11), and so Paul, by the grace of God, hoping to spare those in the church from the punishments issued by the Holy Ghost, avoided visiting them for a time.[v24] Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
Though the bishops (i.e. elders) were overseers, as were the apostles, they were not heavy-handed rulers (even though, sadly, many pastors act in such a brutal manner), but rather, they are servants, seeking the good of the church, that all would be joyful in the blessings of God. It is a wretched thing that the church would stand or fall based on the whims of a preacher, but rather, knowing that we are sealed in Christ, it is our faith in Christ alone that makes us stand, and therefore, Paul did not want them to see him as a dictator, but as someone who cared for their well-being, and through the evidence he provided to them of his charity towards them, that they should not think negatively when he did not show up in the manner in which they expected him.Chapter 2
[v1] But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
Paul was determined in himself that he no longer wanted to come to them with heaviness of heart, in which he knew he would have to sharply rebuke their sins, and that his coming would be grievous to them. Such grief is understandable to those who have had a duty to bring rebuke, correction, and instruction to those who it will hurt, and to those who would be angered by it, knowing the reaction of the listeners is backlash in many cases; therefore, it is better if a man judges himself, so we would not have to judge his iniquity. (1Co 11:31)[v2] For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
The original intent in visiting Corinth a second time on his trip was to fellowship with the brethren, in which they would enjoy one another's company, since in the wicked city of Corinth, there was nothing much to enjoy. If Paul came to Corinth and had to issue rebuke and reproof for transgressions, then it would bring them grief, by which Paul would also grieve, and therefore, no one would have any joy by which to be made glad, which would only add to Paul's many afflictions. Paul's only joy in Corinth is the church, and if the church is sorrowful, then there would be no respite in his visitation with them.[v3] And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
This is not to say that Paul wrote the previous verse in another letter, but rather, he wrote of that which would cause him (and the rest of the church) grief, namely, that those who would not repent (i.e. have godly sorrow) of their sins, from fornication to covetousness to idolatry, should be removed from the church (1Co 5:9-13), which typically results in hurt feelings and anger from the those who are forced to depart, and thus, it causes much grief for all involved. Therefore, he had no desire to increase his own sorrow, let alone their sorrows, in that they should have already removed the offending members of the church, but having not done so, Paul would have to rebuke them along with removing the rebellious members; rather, Paul would prefer they do those things of their own obedience to the instructions God had given them, and then, when he came to visit them, they would demonstrate that Paul's confidence in them was not misplaced, and that they would rejoice together that the church flourished because of their diligence to perform their duties unto the Lord.[v4] For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
It was hurtful and heavy for Paul to have to write the first epistle to Corinth to them as he did, but being led by the Holy Spirit, he had to write those things for their sakes. Paul points out that his purpose was not to grieve them, even though he knew they would be grieved, but rather, Paul wanted them to know that he cared for them, loving them enough to tell them the truth.[v5] But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
Those who cause grief in this passage is referring to the sinful persons who the rebuke is directed towards, which is the source of everyone's grief. However, if that person heard the words of Paul's rebuke and instruction in the first letter, and repented of his sin, then the grief was only partial, meaning that Paul could now rejoice and be comforted in the fact that the offending person was humbled to grief of his own sin, accepting Paul's reproof. Therefore, if the offender repents, then there is no need for Paul to come to Corinth and rebuke the entire church for not doing what they were supposed to do.[v6] Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
That is, the discipline to rebuke the sin was taken up by many in the church, not just the pastors, teachers, elders, prophets, and evangelists (Eph 4:11-12), but all who assembled together, that all would be like-minded in one accord. (Phil 2:2) When all are not in one accord together, the offender may want to excuse the matter by claiming that one man just did not like him, bringing charges against the man issuing rebuke of sin, and so it is important that, if the evidence of the matter is clear, all those in the church be in agreement together. However, if the offender repents of his sin, then such a punishment, that is, his own grief of his wrongdoing, where he is afflicted because of his own conduct, is sufficient punishment for the wrongdoing, whereby we can then show him grace and understanding, and thereby, the church can rejoice together.[v7] So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
This is to reassure the church that, if a man shows genuine repentance of his wrongdoing, we can forgive him, and give him words of comfort. Religious institutions which have issued punishments more than this have led people into a works-based doctrine because, being overcome with grief of their wrongdoing, the offender is then led to believe that in order to be right with God and receive His grace (and likewise, to be right with the church and receive their grace), he must do certain deeds or suffer certain punishments, therefore being unable to overcome the grief and rejoice in the Lord for His great mercy.[v8] Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
That is, Paul is encouraging Corinth to express their love and kindness towards the offender when he repents of his wrongdoing, to treat him as brethren, forgiving completely, as God has done for us, as if no wrong had ever been done.[v9] For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
Which is to say that First Corinthians was written as a test to the church to see if they would do the things they were instructed to do by the Holy Ghost. Certainly, the epistle was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for the reproach of the offenders, and for the church to know the will of the Lord, but it was also a trial of the church's obedience in all these matters.So, for example, when Paul wrote these things in the fifth chapter of First Corinthians, he mentioned men who were railers, which is a person that uses contemptuous language in an insulting manner, and that those who do such things without repentance should be removed from the church. In a teaching I did exposing a hateful, warmongering, false preacher named Steven L. Anderson, I demonstrated that he is a railer, but the church congregation he oversees will not rebuke and remove him from the church, which then demonstrates that they are disobedient to the Word of God, and through that, much leaven is created and spread among them (1Co 5:6), leaving them unfit for ministry of any kind.
(Read "Wolves in Costume: Steven L. Anderson" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v10] To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
Even without knowing a particular offense, or that any man had done anything sinful in the church, he is willing to forgive that person, so long as the church had overseen the matter and forgiven it. This is not only coming from the desire of Paul to forgive them, but that, under the power of the Holy Ghost, that such a thing is also remitted by the Lord God, who gives grace to the repentant. (Jms 4:6) Paul continues on to point out that he does such things in charity, trusting them to their word that they have handled the matter and forgiven the sin, and not only would this give Paul reason to rejoice, but for their sakes, he would be confident to forgive the offender the same in the sight of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.[v11] Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Wicked men who live after the flesh do whatever is necessary to gain a selfish advantage, to get ahead of everyone else, to seek his own gain, as the Bible has often described false preachers and corrupt pastors as greedy dogs which can never have enough (Isa 56:11), and likewise, Satan is always on the lookout to find those who he can devour (1Pe 5:8), seeking to gain an advantage over his prey. Therefore, knowing Satan's general intellect and strategies, that he can deceive us even by transforming himself to appear as an angel of light (2Co 11:14), having his focus set on destroying as many souls in hell as possible, we should be vigilant, not allowing the bitterness of hatred and contempt to overtake the church (1Co 11:16), which results in the formation of traditions in many corrupt religious institutions, by which they excommunicate members permenantly, no matter how much sorrow a man expresses over his error, simply because he did not follow a false prophet or did not perform a ritual.[v12] Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,
At first glance, this verse seems to be a complete shift away from the context of this chapter, but upon careful consideration, Paul is still addressing the false accusations made against his conduct and ministry, particularly by those who had brought grievous sins and spread rumors, which the Bible calls 'busybodies' (i.e. the definition of which can include things like gossip). These men had claimed Paul was supposed to receive word of Corinth by Titus in the city of Traos (formerly called Troy, southeast of Macedonia), which was true, but then claimed that Paul ignored their communication with him and went another way.Paul is now revealing the truth of what happened. First, a great opportunity was granted to him by the Lord God, in which he was able to preach to many people there, and so he stayed a while preaching to them, which also caused a delay in his journey; in fact, Paul spent so much time there, he had amassed a number of books and documents that he had to leave behind, and the season had changed so much that he did not need his cloke for traveling. (2Ti 4:13)
[v13] I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.
While staying at Troas, Paul was very worried, despite the wonderful opportunity he was given to preach to those who would hear, because he knew he was supposed to meet Titus there, which was his initial reason for visiting the city, but Titus never showed up. Paul writes "Titus my brother," not to declare him a Christian, which many in Corinth already knew of Titus and his works, but because Titus was a close friend and fellow-laborer in traveling and preaching. Therefore, after a time, Paul decided to leave Troas in the hands of the disciples who were there, and traveled back into Macedonia in search of Titus, who he did end up finding, as he points out later in chapter seven. (2Co 7:5-7)[v14] Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
Paul is giving praise to God for His many wonderful opportunities, guiding us to that which we cannot see, to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, to save souls and add them to the kingdom of heaven, which is the church. The Lord makes known to us the "savour of his knowledge," which is meant to be the good smell and taste of His knowledge, which is gladly accepted by his disciples, most espeically by those babes in Christ who have been recently born again, having never tasted the sweetness of His wisdom, absorbing in the new flavors of God's understanding, finding them most agreeable and valuable to their souls; this is done so by God through the servants of Jesus Christ, that, by us, the manifestation of His savour is known unto men.[v15] For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
The sweet smell and taste of the knowledge of God is given off by those who have been born again in Christ, which is not due to our own nature as men because those who are converted unto Christ have the same corrupt hearts of flesh that all mankind has, but rather, it is because we have been given the gifts of grace, charity, knowledge, and wisdom by God the Father, that we then demonstrate that savour by how we live as servants of Christ, bringing peace and understanding to the world, which is pleasing to both those who are saved and those who are not, though the savours can be different depending on the circumstances, which is why Paul goes on to explain this further.[v16] To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
Though we preach the same message to all men, which is repentance and faith towards Christ for the remission of sins, and though we are called to do good works, even unto our enemies (Mat 5:43-45), that sweet smell and taste is like a heap of fiery coals on the head of those who reject the Gospel of Jesus. (Pro 25:22-23, Rom 12:20) The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that we are to give the laws of God to lost sinners, that they might hear it, know their guilt, and be brought to the humility of repentance (Mat 19:16-21, Psa 19:7, Gal 3:24), and that humility is brought about by the law "slaying" the hearer, as Paul wrote in Romans 7:9-11, that the commandments of God bring us to the knowledge of our wretched, corrupt state of being, knowing we are condemned to hell and the lake of fire for our transgressions, and that the law "slew us," by which we were converted unto Jesus Christ, and that His Gospel became to us "life unto life," in that we hear the sweet savour of Christ's message, and He gives us eternal life. However, for those who perish, or in other words, to those who reject God's gifts of repentance and faith, who refuse the mercy and longsuffering of Jesus Christ to save their souls, the same message is the savour of death unto them, by which they will not receive grace, and they will suffer eternal death in the fires of hell.Paul adds the question for the reader to consider "who is sufficient for these things," or in other words, who would be qualified or capable of comprehending the infinite mind of God, to know the fullness of His judgments, to know the reasons for why one has his understanding opened unto eternal life, while another has his understanding locked away unto eternal death? Mankind, in our weak and ignorant form, does not have the capacity to understand the infinite things of God, and therefore, we have no right or reason to judge His judgments, especially considering that we are saved by His mercy.
[v17] For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Even in the days of Paul, there were many who corrupted the Word of God, being false apostles, false evangelists, false prophets, and false pastors, which is what we still experience to this day. True teachers in Christ speak plainly, openly, and faithfully, without want for a paycheck or popularity, but the reason they changed the truth of God into a lie (Rom 1:18) was to serve their own belly (Rom 16:17-18), rejecting the truth of Christ because, to them, the savour of Christ's Gospel was "death unto death," and therefore, they seek their own gain. (Isa 56:11) Paul separated himself from them, and decalred that all sincere teachers of Christ are separate from them, being known by God, whereby the Lord can testify of their sincerity and good works, rewarding those things which are done in secret. (Mat 6:4-7, Mat 6:18)Chapter 3
[v1] Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
At the end of the last chapter, Paul had separated himself from false apostles and teachers, who worked corruption and deceit, but this was not to commend himself, which means he was not lifting himself up on a pedestal above all others, thinking of himself more highly than he thought of others. This is a rebuke against the wicked practice of corrupt preachers, by which they love to receive favorable letters of praise from other corrupt preachers, or were sending out letters of praise to gain special favor from others, maintaining a pretense that only positive words are to be spoken, never rebuke, which is a facade that is still practiced religious leadership in modern-day church buildings. The sincere preachers of the Gospel, who are the true disciples of Christ, cannot be bought with money or praise, and therefore, they have no need for such displays of vanity.[v2] Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
Again, the word 'epistle' means "letter," and so Paul is not referring to an epistle in the sense of a book of the Bible, but in the context of the letters which are written by false teachers to lift themselves up in the pride of the hearts. The Christian brethren who stood unmovable on the truth were a living reproach to such deceptive practices, and that which encouraged the apostles most were the fruits of their labor, which are the converts unto Christ, and those which accept the sweet savour of the Gospel to learn more from it and improve their lives in service unto the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore, they have no need to be commended by men with fancy letters to impress others because the sincere teachers of Christ have provided evidence of their sincerity through those who have been converted to Christ, and further evidence by those who have grown in Christ, turning from sin (e.g. idolatry, fornication, dishonesty, etc) to God, and that fruit is a testimony unto all men.[v3] Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
This is to distinguish that the fruit of their labor was the work of Christ, the foundation of repentance, faith, and grace all established by Him, whereby the apostles were servants to labor in planting and watering the ground work that God had laid. The "epistle" of their testimony was not written by the physical means man uses, with ink and paper, but it was written by the Holy Spirit, not in tables of stone, as the Ten Commandments were written (Exd 32:16), but a spiritual authorship was written to turn the heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Eze 11:19), meaning that one would be given a new spirit, having the conscience of the heart awakened, that the emotions of the heart would coincide with the truth of God's Word.[v4] And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
That is, knowing that those in the church of Corinth that were true disciples, being made a sweet savour of life unto life, would be a testimony for Christ, and through their testimony of Christ, they would also provide evidence to the good works and teachings of the apostles, that others would have no excuse to falsely accuse them, as corrupt preachers in Corinth had falsely accuse Paul.[v5] Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Paul is saying that he is not capable by his own means or knowledge to do these good works or teach proper wisdom and understanding to others, but rather, the "sufficiency," or in other words, the 'capability' to do such things only comes from God the Father, and cannot be done by any other means. This is the answer the question posed in the previous chapter, "Who is sufficient for these things?" and the answer to that question is "No man; only God who raises men up to do," as Paul goes on to explain the next verse.[v6] Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Only God can make a man able to be a minister (i.e. servant) of the New Testament Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is not of words written physically, but spiritually. Even the law itself is not of the letter, for it has a spiritual component, which is why it is written on the hearts of mankind (Rom 2:15), and therefore, the letter of God's Word slays men in their hearts (Rom 7:9-11), which can bring a man to repentance, but it is the Spirit of God which gives life.There is a common phrase I have heard many times from pastors and churchgoers, namely, "the letter of the law," but such a phrase does not exist in Scripture; rather, that phrase exists in modern-day, corrupt bible versions that pervert the truth of God's Word. (e.g. NLT, NASV, etc) The letter that is being spoken of in this passage is that which is stringent and rigorous in religious institutions, by which they become superstitious (just as the heathen) in their observance of rituals, times, and strictly religious (non-spiritual) duties.
(Read Why Christians Should Study The King James Bible here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
It should be noted that this does not mean that there is a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament in a sense of the Gospel of Salvation because the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and both should be preached (as contextually applicable) to know the will of God. The New Testament contains the New Covenant, which is why we Christians put heavy emphasis on it, but that does not make the Old Testament/Covenant irrelvent in any sense. A teacher/author that has been called to teach by the Lord God should bring things from both the Old and New Testaments for the edification of the children of faith, which is what Jesus taught in Matthew 13:52.
[v7] But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
That is, that which is administering death in the sense that men are slain in their hearts, and so those commandments, which were written on stone tablets, were very glorious. The evidence of this glory was the splendor in which the stones came down the mountain in the hands of Moses, whose face shined so brightly, onlookers would not look directly at his face due to the brightness of his countenance. (Exd 34:30) The glory was "done away," meaning the splendor of brightness that shown on Moses' face was temporary, just a small sample of the glory which came with the delivering of God's Word, and that temporary brightness paled in comparison to the brightness of Christ that was to come.[v8] How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
If the law brought with it glory that was so bright that men could not look upon it, surely the administration of the Holy Spirit, with the grace, forgiveness, joy, and comfort that His Spirit brings to us, and our baptism and cleansing by him, should also be glorious in a similar way on the day of Christ's return.[v9] For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
The law is called "the ministration of condemnation" because it is essentially a service (i.e. ministration) to mankind which issues proof of wrongdoing (i.e. condemnation), which is why Jesus taught "he that believeth not is condemned already" (John 3:18), and that because mankind is already condemned by the law, He did not come to condemn the world (John 3:17), unnecessarily repeating what the Holy Spirit has already declared in the Old Testament. God revealed a mere drop of His glory upon Moses delivering His Word unto the children of Israel, and so much more glory is to be revealed in the ministration (or service) of righteousness by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, even a glory which we cannot yet see with our physical eyes.[v10] For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
That is, the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which administers the mercy, love, comfort, and charity of the Holy Ghost, excels so far greater than the law in this respect. Whereas the law was written on stone tablets by the finger of God (Exd 31:18), the fullness of the Gospel was revealed on the Day of Pentecost to the children of faith, fulfilling all the law and prophets (Mat 7:12), and therefore, that glory will outshine the former glory of the law, in that the message of repentance and remission of sins through faith in Christ gives more glory than condemnation.[v11] For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
This does not just refer to the law only, but to the entire priesthood of Aaron, and the ministry given by Moses, which was temporary, whereas the finished work of Jesus Christ is eternal. Even though the promises in the Old Covenant were glorious, the promises of the New Covenent are far more glorious (Heb 8:6), and though the summation of the law and prophets (Mat 22:37-40) was taught in the Old Covenant (Lev 19:18), the New Covenant is "that which remaineth," demonstrating that the law is only temporary, meaning that at the end of this world, there will be no more need for the law, and those who have been born again in Christ will live forever in the perfect glory of God and His kingdom.[v12] Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
The hope we have in God the Father and Christ the Son comes from our confidence (i.e. faith and trust) in His promises, whereby He has not only given us His glorious mercy and saved our souls, but He has made us ministers (i.e. servants) of Christ's Gospel. Because of this, we use "great plainness of speech," which means that we use words that reflect a straight-forward and simple understanding, that all hearers would understand (Psa 119:130), with wisdom and knowledge given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ, but also without the pretentious speech of men who deceive with lofty and complex words and terms. We also speak the truth of Christ boldly to the face of men who threaten and oppose us, knowing that our spirits are eternally secure in Christ (Rom 8:35-39), having no fear of what man or devils might do unto us. (Heb 13:6)[v13] And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
This indicates that the glory shown in the face of Moses was part of the glory of Christ, which if a man was able to look upon, he might see the end of the law and prophets, giving them knowledge that was hidden, which is the fullness of Christ's Gospel, and that was not to be revealed until a certain time. Because the glory of Christ was shown in the face of Moses, he had to put on a vail (veil) to cover his face while he spoke to the children of Israel. (Exd 34:33-35)[v14] But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
The minds of the Jews are still blinded by their own pride, in which they read the Scriptures of the Old Covenent daily and weekly, but there is a spiritual veil between the truth of God's Word and their understanding, and only through Jesus Christ can that understanding be unlocked, which He did for His disciples on the day He returned to the right hand of God the Father. (Luke 24:44-47) The veil can still be taken away from the Jews if they would come to repentance (i.e. godly sorrow of their sin) and faith in Christ, but while they resist Christ, their veil will remain.[v15] But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
The veil remains over the eyes, ears, and understanding of the Jews, even though they read the law and prophets in Jewish synagogues every week, and that their blindness is, in part, come unto them that the fullness of the Gentiles would come to repentance and faith in Christ and be brought into the church. (Rom 11:25)[v16] Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
By 'it', it is mean the nation of Israel, or the entirety of the Jewish nation, wherever they are around the world. This may be the veil that is referred to in Isaiah 25:7, that takes place in the final days when Christ shall defeat the final enemy, which is death. (Isa 25:8, 1Co 15:26) However, in a general sense, it should be noted that a veil does not cover everything, and that they are blinded "in part" (Rom 11:25), meaning that if a Jew would be humbled to inquire into the part that he can see, the Lord would show him mercy. (Jms 4:6)[v17] Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
This is to say that the Lord God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, are three distinct entities, but one God. Since the Holy Spirit is the Lord, therefore, where that Spirit is, there is liberty, which means that where the Holy Ghost has baptized the children of faith, they receive grace, forgiveness of sins, eternal life, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of His Word, by which they have freedom in the sense that they are no longer bound by the wages of sin and death (Rom 6:23) through the condemnation of the law, but those who do not have that liberty are in a constant state of labor, trying to work and earn their place in the kingdom of heaven, which can never be done. (Rom 11:6-7)[v18] But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
By the phrase "open face," it is meant that we do not wear a veil, in the sense that we do not have a veil blinding our eyes to the truth, whereas the Jews continue to walk in darkness. We see not through a veil, but as if we looked through a window, to see clearly what is on the other side, not in the sense that we can see all spiritual things, for we see through a glass darkly (1Co 13:12), but that we can understand Christ through the Holy Spirit. The image that Adam was created in was a divine image that reflected God's own image, but that image was corrupted when sin entered into the world, and so through Christ's resurrection from the dead, we are also spiritually raised from the dead, being made a new creature (2Co 5:17), and upon death, we will be translated into His glorious kingdom, which means that it is "from glory to glory," or in other words, from the glory of Christ to our glory in Him, by the Holy Ghost.Chapter 4
[v1] Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
The ministry being referred to here is the New Testament Gospel of Jesus Christ because the context in the previous chapter was the difference between the Old Law versus the New Gospel. We have received the mercy of Jesus Christ in the New Covenant (Heb 12:24), and so we rely on His promises which will not pass away (Mat 24:35), and therefore "we faint not," which is not in the sense that we weaken, but faint is used here in the context of decay, in which there will be no need for the law in the day Christ returns to this world, and it will decay in the sense that there will be no more need for it, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ will abide forever.[v2] But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
The Holy Spirit works within us, not only regenerating our spirits with the saving blood of Jesus Christ, but giving us knowledge and understanding, and teaching us charity and temperance, by which we deny false teachers (2Pe 2:1) and science falsely so-called (1Ti 6:20-21), exposing those fraudulent men and ideals with the light of God's Word. (Eph 5:11-13, Psa 119:130) In order to do that without hypocrisy and contradiction, we must live according to the things of honesty, and because we have been given the gifts of the Holy Ghost, we ought not to deceive nor manipulate others, preaching deceitfully for our own satisfaction and gain (Isa 56:11), but rather, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the truth will be made manifest in our words and actions, by which we commit ourselves to persuade men of the truth, that they might come to see the law of God written on their hearts (Rom 2:15), triggering the consciences of those who have not had their conscience seared (1Ti 4:1-2), and be brought to repentance towards God and faith in Christ. (Acts 20:21)[v3] But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
The words "our gospel" is not to say that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was authored by the saints, but rather, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was given to us by His grace, as Paul stated in the first verse, meaning that the knowledge and understanding of it was put into our minds and hearts. The mysteries of the Gospel were hid for a time, but with the coming of Jesus Christ, He has unlocked our understanding and shown us that which was hid (Luke 24:45), which also means that it is the will of God that mankind would know the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and therefore, after hearing it, if they do not understand it, it is because they are lost (Mat 13:23) because the Holy Ghost has not opened their understanding. (1Co 2:14)[v4] 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.
The word 'god' is used in this passage to refer to a ruler, the prince of this world (John 12:31), which is Satan. It is not to be said that Satan has any ruling authority over this world in the sense of a governor, nor has he any supreme authority over this world as Christ does, but rather, he is a ruler of darkness, overseeing the shadowy places of this world. (Eph 6:12)It should also not be said that he is solely responsible for blinding the minds of people, in the sense that if Satan were destroyed, all sin would disappear, but rather, Satan is the overseer of the sinful, in which those who have rejected Christ and turn to the lust of their flesh choose Satan as their father (John 8:43-47), whether they want to admit it or not. As a minister of darkness, Satan does whatever he can to shield his children of corruption from the glorious light of Christ, lest at any time they might be converted and healed (Mat 13:15), but the path of destruction is one they have chosen for themselves out of pridefulness of heart and lust of the flesh.
[v5] For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
That is, the apostles preached the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, not the glory of themselves, meaning that they did not preach according to their own thoughts and feelings, they did not set up for themselves lofty positions to have preeminence over others, they did not create burdens for others so that they would become the source of faith and conscience for how others should live, nor did they do or say anything to gain filthy lucre (Tts 1:11), but rather, they served the Christian church in humility for the sake of Christ, preaching the truth despite the anger and hatred they would receive for it because they were not in the business of satisfiying men. (Col 3:22)[v6] 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.
Christ commanded that we Christians are to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works" (Mat 5:16), as He has shined in our hearts by the working of the Holy Spirit within us, giving us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (Pro 9:10), and by His Spirit, we give glory to God in our words and actions, being servants of the Gospel for Jesus Christ, doing these things "in the face of Jesus Christ," meaning that there is no veil to cover our eyes from the truth, which emphasizes the clearness by which the knowledge of Christ is communicated unto lost sinners.[v7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
This is not to say that God has put the treasure of His gifts of charity and wisdom into vessels created by the hands of men, but into us, who are vessels in the sense that we are objects designed to hold something within them, which in this instance is meant our bodies, that are vessels made of the earth (i.e. the dust of the ground, Gen 2:7), so that no man would ever have reason to take credit for his own charity, wisdom, knowledge, or mercy because all things were created by God, and all things exist because of His will. This means that those who minister for the sake of Jesus Christ have been given gifts to do so, and therefore, all praise should go to the Lord Jesus Christ, and not to ourselves.[v8] We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
That is, Paul and the other apostles were afflicted with grief, harassed, molested, and persecuted constantly for nothing other than preaching the law to sinners that they might come to repentance and faith in Christ, and yet, they were not distressed, which is not to say that they did not feel grief over such matters, but they were not distressed in the normal manner that mankind would be distressed at such things because they knew that their victory in Christ was certain, and eternal life in Him is guaranteed to the children of faith, so that one day, all suffering and tears will end forevermore. This is not just for the apostles, but for all those born again in Christ. In like manner, we are often perplexed, meaning that we often do not know what we are supposed to do in a given situation, or what way God would have us to go, but unlike the lost sinners of this world, we are secure in Christ, knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5), and therefore, we do not grieve in tears of hopelessness and doubt.[v9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
We suffer harassment and unjust punishments because we teach the truth of repentance and remission of sins (Luke 24:47), but we know that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:38-39) We are cast down physically in the sense that we are thrown to the ground, suffering injury and death (Rom 8:36), and not just in the physical sense, but also verbally, in which men speak unjust evils against us and threaten our lives (Mat 5:11, 1Pe 3:16), and yet, we are not destroyed by their threats, nor are we destroyed even if they kill us, for we will live forever with Christ. (John 14:2-3, 1Th 4:17)[v10] 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.
We continually bear the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ, not that we continually bear the literal pain He suffered on the cross, but in the sense that we suffer in our ministries in the same way He suffered, being falsely accused of wickedness and deception for His righteous teachings and good deeds, and suffering the troubles of this world, especially from those who would persecute and harass us. Therefore, if we live according to the Word of God, the sufferings of our life and ministry will reflect that of our Master's life and ministry. (John 15:20)[v11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
This is not to say that we are continually put to a literal death, because we are not literally killed daily, but rather, we are continually delivered unto the results of Christ's death in His ministry, as the previous verses clearly defined, being troubled, perplexed, persecuted, cast down, etc. This is what it means to bear the cross of Christ (Mat 16:24), which is misinterpreted by many foolish churchgoers to mean that they must purchase a golden necklace with a cross symbol hanging on it (which is also a contradiction to Christ's commandments. Acts 17:29) Once we are born again in Jesus Christ, we have our eyes opened when studying His Word, and the Holy Ghost changes the way we live and speak, so that our mortal flesh reflects the life of Christ, in that He suffered for the sake of others, rebuked false doctrines of lofty and self-righteous men, and showed charity and mercy to the poor and needy.(Read "Christian Symbols Are Not Christian" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v12] So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
This is not meant that the apostles did not of have the life of Christ working in them, but in the context of the previous verses, Paul is saying that we have gained through Christ's death and suffering in His ministry, that through suffering in ministry and death on the cross, we have gained knowledge of God's Word, eternal life, and joy in the Lord, and likewise, we the church gain through the suffering and death of the apostles, and so even we who are elders, scribes, and teachers of Christ suffer and die to this day for the gain of the church, that they might understand the Scriptures and do good works for His sake.[v13] 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;
That is, we have the same spirit of faith as a whole, that all the church has their faith established by the same Author (Heb 12:2), which means that all of us should suffer and speak the same in likemindedness. (Phil 2:2) Paul referenced to Psalm 116:10, which says, "I believed, therefore have I spoken," which gives us a more clear understanding of Rom 10:10, which says, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation," which is not to say that a series of scripted words must be spoken for saving grace, but that all Christians who have a tongue which can speak will confess the truth of Christ with their mouths, and that is a normal reaction for those who have repentance and faith in their hearts. This is most common with those who are ministers of God's Word, by teachers, pastors, prophets, and evangelists, speaking the truth of God's Word to all those who would hear, but for all believers, after they have grown beyond a babe in Christ, studying and learning the truth of Christ's Gospel, it would be a normal thing for them to speak up about the truth of God's Word and rebuke the sins of men, whether it be family, friends, or neighbors, because it is impossible for a man to have the Spirit of God within him and not eventually speak the truth of Christ to the lost, which is why confession is synonymous with salvation.[v14] Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
So because we know that God raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, we also know that Christ's promise to raise us from the dead in the final day of this world is certain, whereby we have comfort, even in times of trouble. Paul adds that, once we have been raised from the dead, we will be forever with the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will present the apostles together with us, meaning that we will be able to talk one with another, or in other words, one day I can meet Paul, and the two of us can speak face to face, for I faithfully consider him my friend and brother in Christ, even though we have not met in the flesh.[v15] For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
This is not to say "all things" as in "everything in existance," as some tend to take the phrase "all things" to mean, for example, that every invention of men is for our sakes, because the Word of God rebukes such inventions, specifically those which corrupt the sound doctrine and the philosophy of Christ. (Psa 106:39) The phrase "all things" in this passage refers to those things which were listed out in the context of this chapter, namely, those things which Jesus Christ and the servants of God have done for the church, whether it was edification and comfort, or suffering affliction and persecution; all was done for the sake of the church, that through the abundance of grace given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ, the thanksgiving of the church would redound (or contribute) to the glory of God.[v16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
In typical corrupt church buildings, I have seen many preachers who have given up on ministry, and furthermore, many so-called "pastors" in many evangelical church buildings have been surveyed, and it was discovered that the majority were so depressed, they wanted to quit, but they had no other way of making a living, meaning that their motivation is popularity and a paycheck, not Jesus Christ. This is not to say that minister will not slow down in his old age, nor is this to say that a man should not have any rest from his work, but once we are called to minister the Gospel of Jesus, we faint not, meaning that we are not weakend to the point that we give up, but rather, though our bodies are broken, and though we are harassed, troubled, and afflicted daily, the inward man (i.e. our spirits) are renewed daily by the Holy Spirit and promises of God's Word.(Read "Tithe is Not a Christian Requirement" here at creationliberty.com for more details on research studies done on pastoral ministries in modern-day evangelical church buildings.)
[v17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
This is not to say that the affliction of the apostles was trivial, because Paul has said that his affliction was great, being attacked during his travels, whipped by magistrates, deceived by false converts in the church, and even stoned to death at one point, but God raised him back from the dead to continue his work of ministry. (2Co 11:24-27) What is meant in this passage is that in comparison to eternal life in the kingdom of God, our suffering is but a passing breath in the wind, lasting only for a short time, and that those sufferings work a reward, not earned by our own merits, but a gift of reward far greater than anything we could fear in this world. (Heb 13:6, 1Co 2:9)[v18] 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.
If we were only to look at what we can see with our eyes, we would faint in the face of such heavy persecution, but because we look to the eternal things which are unseen, which is what we hope for by faith in the promises of God (Heb 11:1), we become conquerers through the love of Jesus Christ over the temporary sufferings from the spiritual darkness of this world. (Rom 8:37, Eph 6:12)Chapter 5
[v1] For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Based on the context of the following verses, it seems 'tabernacle', 'building', and 'house' is not referencing to a structure, but rather, this is referring to our bodies. Once our flesh dies, it begins the process of decay, returning back to the dust of the ground from which we came. (Gen 2:7) However, the children of God will be given a new name (Isa 56:5), with a new spiritual body that is not physically made with hands, which will be everlasting, never grow old, never decay, and will always be together with the Lord in heaven. (1Th 4:17)[v2] For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
We groan in the sense that we sigh in a longing sadness, desiring to be translated into God's Kingdom. (Col 1:13) The 'house' referred to here is the spiritual clothing we receive from heaven, and though we cannot yet understand this to its fullest extent, we are given the analogy of clothing, as when John prophesied that His servants would be clothed in white raiment after death. (Rev 3:3-5)[v3] If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
This is referring to those who will have not seen death when Christ returns, or in other words, those Christians who still remain alive in the world on the final day when Christ comes back. Still being clothed with physical clothing, they will be immediately raptured up, but shall not be found naked, being clothed with the spiritual clothing, the glory of Christ.[v4] For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
While we remain in our physical bodies, we long for the spiritual things to come, and we are burdened with the pains of this world, not only suffering persecution, but also suffering the internal pains that come with age, having our functions and senses deteriorate over time, and also with the temptations to fulfill the sinful lusts of the flesh, which are a constant hindrance to our spiritual thoughts and work, wherefore we hate our lives in this world, and greatly desire the eternal life to come. (John 12:25) This is not to say that we long for death itself because God has put into living things the general principle of nature to avoid death, which is what Paul meant when he said "not for that we would be unclothed," but that corruption and decay of this mortal body would be consumed and overwhelmed with the infinite glory of God, who grants us eternal life by His grace, that we would never have to experience destruction, death, decay, or any such miserable thing ever again.[v5] Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
This verse seems to be taken from the beginning of this epistle, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, which not only helps us understand the meaning intended in chapter one, but also expounds on the idea in the context of chapter five. It is God the Father who established us in Christ, and it is therefore His will that we are given the earnest, or great desire, for the spiritual things to come, that we have a hope by which we should not faint, knowing that while our body decays, our spirit is strengthened. (2Co 4:16)[v6] Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
That is, we are faithful in our knowledge, which was given to us by God in His Word, trusting in His promises, without doubt in the surety that we will only be absent from the Lord for a short time while we are in this earthen vessel. This is not to say that we are absent from God's general presence (Psa 51:11), which oversees all things in this world, recording all which happens from His throne outside of time, nor is this to say that we are absent from the Holy Spirit, which lives within us (John 14:16, 1Th 4:8), but rather, we are absent from the fullness of His glorious presence, which no man would be able to stand in by his own ability. (Hos 10:8, Luke 23:30)[v7] (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
This is not to say that we do not use our eye sight in this world, to perform our daily tasks, but this is meant in the spiritual sense, that we see this world through the spiritual glasses that we were given by the Holy Ghost. Our spiritual sight is not clear yet (1Co 13:12), but our faith is the evidence of the things we cannot yet see (Heb 11:1), hoping for the things God has promised us in His Word.[v8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Though we are content in our present condition (Heb 13:5), as faithful servants unto our Master, who gave us our bodies and put us in the circumstances we are in for His good purposes, we would rather be absent from our bodies. The pains of death are certainly abhorant, and though we do not look favorably on corruption (in the sense of decay) of the flesh, because of the faith which Jesus authored in us (Heb 12:2), we would rather die so we can go be present with the Lord Jesus Christ.[v9] Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
This is another supporting verse that disproves the works-based philosophies of false religions, in which they believe that you must do good works to enter heaven, for we do not labor for our salvation, because salvation is a gift that comes by grace through faith in Christ. (Rom 11:6) As Paul stated, our labor is done for the glory of Jesus Christ, that we might be acceptable in the sight of God, whether we are currently living and preaching the Gospel, or if they have died and gone to be with the Lord.[v10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Christ will judge all people of this world, regardless of age, rank, gender, or nationality; everyone will be made to appear before the judgement seat in which Christ will judge this world, and all things we have said, thought, or done will be revealed openly in the sight of angels and men. The saints in particular will be given clothing of the glory of Christ, destined for eternal life for their repentance and faith in Him, while their works will be judged for the purpose of reward in heaven (1Co 3:8), but those who are children of destruction, of which Christ said there would be many (Mat 7:13-14), and though many will claim to be of Christ, but were never humbled to repentance of their sin (Mat 7:21-23), will be sentenced to eternity in hell and the lake of fire (Rev 20:15), and their works will be irrelevant at that point because a man cannot be justified by the works of the law. (Rom 3:20, Gal 2:16)[v11] Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
By His Word, we know the terror of the Lord, in that we have been given the gifts of understanding to fear Him as a Father and Judge over men, and that the wrath of God is going to pour out onto all sinners who rejected His mercy. With this knowledge, knowing that angels will one day throw the spirits of mankind into the lake of fire for all eternity, we persuade them of the truth as much as we are able, to all those who will hear, and the renewal of our spirits through the Holy Ghost is presented before God in His holy courtroom by the evidence of our deeds, and those deeds likewise present evidence unto the church, that by their consciences, they know Paul and the other apostles serve Christ in their perfection of sincerity and truth, once again disproving the false allegations from corrupt teachers within the church in Corinth.[v12] For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
Paul, his companions, and the other apostles had no need to speak of the kindness they had shown unto the church in Corinth, nor do they have need to prove their charity and service, for the evidence was clear, and by this letter, it was a reminder to the true Christians in Corinth that they had evidence to retort against the false allegations of corrupt men, who feigned to be apostles, that they might be ashamed of their venomous conversation against the servants of God, speaking lies in hypocrisy (1Ti 4:2), cleaning the outside for a show unto men instead of cleaning the inside (Mat 23:25) to be perfect (i.e. sincere, honest, charitable, etc) before God. (Mat 5:48)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Perfection" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v13] For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
In this context, the adversaries of the true apostles were claiming that Paul had lost his temperance and reason (i.e. to "be beside" himself) because of the doctrine he preached, accusing him of being a madman, knowing that foolish men would hear the false accusations, by which they could increase their own reputation by converting that foolish audience. Paul is not saying that the apostles and their companions were beside themselves, but they patiently suffered such accusations for the glory of God. Meanwhile, the sobriety, or temperance (Gal 5:22-23), of the apostles is to put aside emotions and focus on the truth of a matter, and by doing so, the church benefits, proving what pleases God in both their words and demeanor. (Rom 12:2)[v14] For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
Whereas men can only handle so much punishment before they depart from a station or duty that causes them much suffering, those who have been born again in Christ and received the gifts of mercy and protection from the Holy Ghost are constrained to their office, or in other words, the motivation to continue to serve in the ministry of their calling persists because of the love of Christ over us, knowing that we would have been lost and doomed to destruction if it were not for His selfless sacrifice for our sakes. Therefore, "we thus judge," meaning that we have compared the facts of the matter to reason the truth, that if it is true that Christ died once for all men (Heb 10:10), then it has to be true that all men are dead in the spiritual sense, having naturally inherited sinful condition from Adam (1Co 15:22) in which their souls are corrupt and are in need of restoration.[v15] And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Though Christ died for all, not all will come to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of wrongdoing) and believe the Gospel of Jesus (Mark 1:15), but for those few who do (Mat 7:14), having been given the merciful love, peace, and kindness of the Holy Spirit, they know they should not live to do according to their own will, after the lusts of their flesh, but rather, they should live according to the will of Christ, who bought them with a heavy price (1Pe 3:4), shedding His own blood at Calvary (Luke 23:33), and raising Himself from the dead. (John 2:19-21)[v16] Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
In this sense, the word 'know' is being used in the spiritual sense, comparing it to knowing someone in the physical sense. When it says "know we no man after the flesh," it is not meant that we have no knowledge of other people living in this world, but rather, it means that we do not come to men to learn the will of God as men once had to do under the Old Testament, to go through the prophets in the nation of Israel, but now, instead of having to rely on the Holy Spirit residing in a tabernacle (i.e. a temple or church building), the Holy Spirit resides within those who have been born again in Christ, by which we have no need to know men to gain understanding. (1Jo 2:26-27) Paul continues to point out that "we have known Christ after the flesh," by which he is referring to the apostles, which did know Christ when He was in the flesh in this world, but now that He is risen from the dead and gone to sit in His throne on the right hand of God the Father, we do not know Him in that carnal manner, to be seen with the eyes, but now must be perceived (or known) in spirit and truth. (John 4:24, John 20:29)[v17] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
This is reinforcing the reasons that our perception in Christ is spiritual in the truth of His Word, and that by understanding of His Word, we know Christ, for He and His Word are one (John 1:1), which is one of the many reasons why studying the Word of God is such a necessary practice for born again Christians (2Ti 2:15) because without it, we have no other way to know Christ and the will of God. Once a man has been born again (John 3:7), "he is a new creature" that interprets things by the Word, Will, and Spirit of God, and thus, the old things of this world, the ceremonies and traditions of the Old Covenant, have passed away, being consumed by the glory of Jesus Christ, and now we have become new creatures that worship and serve Him, being faithful in the surety of His promises (Heb 7:22), which can never pass away. (Luke 21:33)[v18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
All these things that Paul has mentioned are of God's will, like the establishment of the church, the Holy Spirit coming to Gentile believers, the better promises of Jesus replacing the Old Covenant (Heb 8:6, Heb 7:12), the passing away of the ceremonies and sacrifices, the destruction of Solomon's temple, and much more; all these are done by the will of God, who made a way that lost sinners could be reconciled to Himself, by the wonderful sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross, by which Christ has given us the ministry (or service) of preaching the Gospel of Peace unto people, teaching them the amazing grace of the Holy Spirit, if they simply humble themselves in repentance and trust in Him.[v19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
This is not to say that God was only in Christ, that Christ was not God Himself, but rather, that the will of God to make new creatures was in Christ, and that it was God's intent to reconcile as many people unto Himself as possible, being so wonderful in His glorious mercy that, if they come to repentance and faith, He would not charge them with eternal punishment for their trespasses, and even transformed us in our spirits, giving us gifts of His great knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to be able (through faith in Him) to preach His gospel that a man can receive friendship with God, attaining the same thing that God gave to Abraham. (Jms 2:23)[v20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
As Christians (1Pe 4:16), we have taken on the name of Christ as ambassadors, which is a very serious matter because to take on the name of God without sincerity has grave consequences. (Exd 20:7) As an ambassador would come in peace to another country, so we come in peace to those who are lost, whether they be Jew or Gentile, and we pray for them in Christ's place, not in the sense of the wicked priests of Rome who claim to be Christ (i.e. Vicar) and to have His station, but rather, as servants, while Christ is not with us physically in this world, we pray in His stead, that as many as possible would be reconciled unto God, even for those who hate us, speak evil of us falsely, and spitefully use us and persecute us. (1Pe 3:16, Mat 5:44)[v21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This is not to say that Christ was sinful in any way, but was made sin in the sense that he was born of the sinful flesh of a woman (even though He was sinless and sanctified), being raised in the manner that any other sinful man would have been raised, treated as a sinner by men, and then sacrificed as a sinner by those who He came to save. This is also not to say that Christ had no knowledge of sin, for He certainly saw it in men, hated it, and is the Almighty Judge over all mankind's sin, but rather, He had no intimate relation to it, meaning that it was not something he approved of, nor did he join together with any sinful thing. Christ was sinless, and sacrificed Himself for us, that He might impute His righteousness into us (Rom 4:22-25), not that we would be made the righteousness of God, which is not possible, but that we would be made righteousness "in him," which is to say, "in Christ," that it is not of ourselves; rather, God sees the righteousness of Christ in us by Christ imputing His righteousness into us by the Holy Ghost. Just as Christ became sin by us imputing our sins to Him, He has made the faithful righteous by imputing His righteousness to us, whereby, all praise, honor, and glory goes to the Lord Jesus Christ for His wonderful mercy.
