2 Coríntios 4
H.A. Ironside · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 4:3-4
Ironside - Lost In the Church - In an English village a Sunday school entertainment was being held in a small church. The place was crowded and in darkness as a stereopticon exhibition was being given. A knock at the door summoned an usher, who made his way to the front and announced, "Little Mary Jones is lost. Her family and the town officers have been searching everywhere for her. If anyone has seen her or knows of her whereabouts, will he please go to the door and communicate with the friend who is inquiring." No one moved and the lecturer went on with his address and pictures. At the close, when the lights were turned on, a lady noticed Mary sitting on a front seat. Going over to her, she said, "Why, Mary, didn't you hear them inquiring for you? Why did you not let them know you were here?" Surprised, the child asked, "Did they mean me? They said Mary Jones was lost. I am not lost. I knew where I was all the time; I thought it was some other Mary Jones." She was lost in the church and did not know it. How many others are like her. They have a name that they live, but are dead. Though members of some local church, they have never seen their need of Christ, nor have they believed the message of the gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God. (NASB: Lockman) Greek : en tois o theos tou aionos toutou etuphlosen (3AAI) ta noemata ton apiston eis to me augasai (AAN) ton photismon tou euaggeliou tes doces tou Christou, os estin (3SPAI) eikon tou theou. Amplified: For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. (Lockman)
2 Coríntios 4:10-12
Ironside: It was Arthur T. Pierson, I believe, who when visiting George Mueller asked him, "Mr. Mueller, would you be willing to tell me the secret of your great work and the wonderful things that God has done through you?" Mr. Mueller looked up for a moment, and then bowed his head lower and lower until it was down between his knees, and he was silent a moment or two, and then said, "Many years ago there came a day in my life when George Mueller died. As a young man I had a great many ambitions, but there came a day when I died to all these things, and I said, ‘Henceforth, Lord Jesus, not my will but Thine,’ and from that day God began to work in and through me." General Booth expressed it in a different way. J. Wilbur Chapman said to him, "Will you tell me the secret of the great work that you have accomplished?" He said, in his straightforward way, as he looked right into the face of Doctor Chapman with that eagle eye of his, "Dr. Chapman, when I was a lad of seventeen, I determined that God should have all there was of William Booth." That is it! When I come to the place where I am through with my own ambitions, when I can say, "None of self, but all of Thee," I understand what Paul means when he talks about "Bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." So that (2443) (hina - term of purpose) is used to express purpose or to introduce a conclusion, in this case the paradoxical conclusion that "death" resulted in manifestation of life. The life of Jesus also may be manifested (clearly revealed, made to be seen) in our body - Amplified = "so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies."