2 Coríntios 4
Kent Hughes · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 4:1-2
Hughes comments that "the combination of this mercy and the astonishingly surpassing glory of his (New Covenant) ministry heartened him and kept him from losing heart...Spurgeon was right in delineating discouragement as one of the ministry’s great risks. Loss of heart can bring disaster. But these two things will ground our hearts: (1) God’s merciful call, and (2) the surpassing glory of the gospel ministry. He stands in Christ’s stead; his message is the Word of God; around him are immortal souls; the Saviour, unseen, is beside him; the Holy Spirit broods over the congregation; angels gaze upon the scene; and heaven and hell await the issue” (Matthew Simpson). What glory! How heartening! (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word) Willmouth: Tenacity of Ministry -- The way we view our ministries will often help determine how we will fulfill it. If it becomes a burden instead of a privilege, then it becomes easy to quit when things don't go our way. Paul was overwhelmed by God's grace and mercy, which gave him the tenacity to keep on serving Christ regardless of his circumstances, regardless of what others said about him, regardless if anyone responded the way he wanted them too.
2 Coríntios 4:1-2
Hughes adds that craftiness (panourgia) is "a cunning readiness to adopt any device or trickery for the achievement of ends which are anything but altruistic (unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others)...I once received an expensive brochure that featured eight separate pictures of a self-styled “evangelist” designed to instill confidence in his power. It featured photos of him praying by a waterfall and praying with his hands on a pile of letters asking for prayer. Another photo showed him holding a baby. In another he was shaking the hand of a poor man. But what really got my attention was the offer of a specially blessed handkerchief that had been dipped in the Jordan River and that, if prayerfully applied, would bring healing. The cost? About twenty-five dollars in today’s economy. Such conduct was anathema to Paul. (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word.) Charles Swindoll - “Like supermarket cereal, when Christianity is brightly packaged & sugarcoated & enticingly offers free prizes on the inside, we fail to see the fine print on the side of the box. And so we never know about all the empty calories we’ve eaten…or realize how malnourished we’ve become.” HCSB Study Bible: False teachers are recognized both by wrong motives (deceit) and the wrong message (distorting). True teachers are recognized by true motives and by "the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all" (Jude 1:3). There is no secret tier of truth reserved only for those who have been initiated into its secrets. (HCSB Study Bible) Satan's modus operandi has not changed that much since the Garden of Eden (cf Ge 3:1-4, 13+) so we do well to remain on "high alert" (1Pe 5:8+ cf 2Co 2:11 "we are not ignorant of his schemes") for his nefarious schemes. As Moses declared "the serpent was (still is) more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made" (Ge 3:1).
2 Coríntios 4:1-2
Hughes writes that...There is a higher scrutiny than that of the human conscience: it is to God that every minister of the gospel is ultimately and eternally answerable. (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word) Paul's adversaries and critics could hardly have accused him of arrogant self-commendation for not only was his ministry an "open book" to the consciences of all men, but more important he constantly conducted himself with a strong sense that God was continually watching his ministry (cp Paul's statement "I [continually] serve [God] with a clear conscience" - 2Ti 1:3+).
2 Coríntios 4:3-4
Hughes has an encouraging illustration of Guzik's point "Recently I heard a member of my congregation tell how she had repeatedly explained the gospel to another woman who simply did not get it, though she apparently wanted to. So finally she said to the woman, “You have a veil over your heart. And you need to pray that God will remove it.” A few weeks later the woman called, elated, as she explained that she had gone to bed the night before perplexed, but when she awoke that morning everything was clear. The veil was gone forever. Nothing had been wrong with the gospel. The gospel had been veiled to the woman because it was veiled in her. The veil was in her heart and mind, not over the gospel. (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word) Color Blind - The famous agnostic Thomas Huxley was once lovingly confronted by a very sincere Christian. This believer stressed to Huxley that he was not in any way impugning Huxley’s sincerity. Nevertheless, might it not be possible that mentally the great scientist was color blind? That is, some people cannot see traces of green where other people cannot help but see it. Could it be that this was Huxley’s problem—that he was simply blind to truth that was quite evident to others? Huxley, being a man of integrity, admitted that this was possible, and added that if it were, he himself, of course, could not know or recognize it. SO THAT THEY MIGHT NOT SEE THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST, WHO IS THE IMAGE OF GOD: eis to me augasai (AAN) ton photismon tou euaggeliou tes doxes tou Christou, os estin (3SPAI) eikon tou theou: That they might not: 2Co 4:6+ 2Co 3:8,9,11+, 2Co 3:18+ Jn 8:12 12:35 Ac 26:18 Col 1:27 1Ti 1:11 Titus 2:13 2 Corinthians 4 Resources- Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL: THE GLORY OF CHRIST John
2 Coríntios 4:5-6
Hughes has a wonderful comment “Paul was a minister, not a master; a servant, not a lord” (Hughes). Truly, no man can fancy himself great and at the same time declare that God is great. The proclamation that “Jesus Christ is Lord” is the province of the humble alone. (Ed: Amen!) Paul’s proverbial declaration stands as a rebuke to any minister of the Gospel who aspires to greatness or fame. Any preacher who fails to preach “Jesus Christ as Lord” or fails to be a servant “for Jesus’ sake” has forsaken the apostolic ministry of the new covenant. (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word) James Denney makes an interesting observation on this text noting that "This is probably the simplest and most complete directory ("collection of directions") for preaching the Gospel. The preacher is to make the truth (cp Jn 14:6) manifest. It is implied in what has just been said, that one great hindrance to its manifestation may easily be its treatment by the preacher himself (Ed: I am primarily a teacher and this struck a convicting cord in my heart for I love to use lots of "power point" slides!). If he wishes to do anything else at the same time, the manifestation will not take effect. If he wishes, in the very act of preaching, to conciliate a class, or an interest; to create an opinion in favor of his own learning, ability, or eloquence; to enlist sympathy for a cause or an institution which is only accidentally connected with the Gospel,--the truth will not be seen, and it will not tell. (The Expositor's Bible) NOT SELF BUT SAVIOR!
2 Coríntios 4:7-9
Hughes has an excellent description of jars of clay in ancient times writing that they "were the throwaway containers of the ancient world, so that their life spans were generally a few years at the most. They were used to store and transport water and olive oil and wine and grain and even family treasures. Earthenware jars were an anonymous part of everyday living as they were used for cooking and eating and drinking and storing leftovers. Every domestic archaeological excavation site contains their remains, called ostraca, from the Greek word for pottery. No one took note of clay jars any more than we would of a fast-food container. They were simply there for convenience. It was no great tragedy when such vessels were broken. They were cheap and easy to replace. As such, jars of clay provided Paul with a penetrating metaphor for his and his followers’ humanity. Indeed Adam was formed out of the dust of the ground, and to dust he returned (cf. Genesis 2:7; 3:19). As clay jars we are all frail, weak, transitory mortals. ( 2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Wordy) JARS OF CLAY GIVE GOD THE GLORY Why does God often choose the weak or those who are cognizant of their weakness and who cry out in their hearts “Who is sufficient for these things?” Part of the answer is given in 1 Corinthians 1:26–31. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, 29 that no man should boast before God. In short, God chooses the weak (in the eyes of men) so that “no flesh should glory in His presence” (1Co 1:29KJV). God will not share His glory with another. As Jehovah says through His prophet Isaiah… I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. (Isaiah 42:8, cp Is 48:11, Ex 34:14) The great Puritan pastor and author Richard Baxter (1615-1691) understood the Paul's concept of frail "jars of clay". As he lay on his deathbed, someone encouraged him with a reminder of the good so many had received from his preaching and writings to which Baxter replied "I was but a pen in God’s hand, and what praise is due to a pen?" Thomas Watson wrote that "Ministers are earthen pitchers. 2Cor 4:7. But these pitchers have lamps within them, to light souls in the dark." Read Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Personal Testimony about how God used a simple man, a nameless "jay of clay" (nameless on earth and in time but renowned in heaven and for eternity) to preach a simple message on Isaiah 45:22 which the Spirit used to save the man who would go on to be heralded as the "prince of preachers". How awesome are the "paradoxes" of God, Whose "foolishness… is wiser than men, and (Whose) weakness… is stronger than men." (1Co 1:25) Jamieson - God often allows the vessel to be chipped and broken, that the excellency of the treasure contained, and of the power which that treasure has, may be all His (2Co 4:10, 11; Jn 3:30). Jim Elliot martyred at age 29 clearly understood Paul's description of precious treasure in mere jars of clay when he described himself and his co-workers as a "bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody." Homer Kent - Valuables were stored in such jars. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in pottery jars after being hidden for nineteen centuries....Paul wants no one to mistake the true nature of the Christian message in comparison to the significance of the minister. The human instrument is weak and expendable; the message is vital and of inestimable value. By utilizing frail human ministers, God demonstrates that the “surpassing greatness of the power” that transforms men’s lives is from God and not from any preacher. (A Heart Opened Wide - Studies in 2 Corinthians; see also 2 Corinthians 2:14-4:18 The Glory of Christian Ministry - An Analysis) Francis of Assisi when asked how he was able to accomplish so much answered that "This may be why: The Lord looked down from heaven and said, ‘Where can I find the weakest, littlest man on earth?’ Then he saw me and said, ‘I’ve found him, and he won’t be proud of it. He’ll see that I am only using him because of his insignificance.’ John Piper in his book "Brothers, We Are Not Professionals- A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry" asks a convicting question "wonder of wonders, we were given the gospel treasure to carry in clay pots to show that the transcendent power belongs to God (2 Cor. 4:7). Is there a way to be a professional clay pot? We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus (professionally?) so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested (professionally?) in our bodies (2Co 4:9–11). Robert
2 Coríntios 4:10-12
Hughes adds "It is the unconquerable life of the risen Jesus within that enables His servants willingly and perpetually to be handed over to death for His sake, in order that the same life of Christ may be kindled in the hearts of others, enabling them to win others. This is the chain of faith … unbroken through the ages." (The Second Epistle to the Corinthians) Brian Bell - When we die He lives; when we lose He wins; when were weak He’s strong; when we are dependent He is powerful. This is paradox at its finest! (Earthen Vessels - older sermon; Earthen Vessels) Kent Hughes comments that "Paul concludes this astonishing paragraph with an unexpected twist because, by the way Paul has been structuring his thought, we would expect him to say something like, “So death is at work in us, but life is also at work in us.” But surprisingly, he says, “So death is at work in us, but life in you.” This is, of course, the great principle of the cross. Christ died that we might live. The great exchange of the gospel is: Christ’s life for ours. And those who are used most to spread the good news of Christ embrace death as the operational principle of ministry. When George Muller, pastor and provider for thousands of children, was asked his secret, he hung his head and said, “There was a day when I died.” Then he hung it lower and said, “Died to George Muller.” (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word) Adam Clarke paraphrases Paul as saying "We apostles are in continual danger, and live a dying life." (2 Corinthians 4) Jesus spoke of the paradoxical principle of death birthing life in John 12 (speaking of His crucifixion) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. (Jn 12:24-26) "Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing." -- J H Jowett Beet explains that death is personified in a sense "In the plots and attacks of enemies Death was active, stretching out its hand to take them. And in their spared life, preserved by God’s power and spent in proclaiming the Gospel, the abstract principle of Life was at work among their hearers. The preachers daily felt themselves sinking into the grave: and their daily deliverance was daily working eternal life among their converts. (2 Corinthians 4) In allowing death to work in him, Paul was living out John's exhortation in his first epistle "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1Jn 3:16+) Kruse explains that "Daily exposure to forces leading to death is Paul’s experience, but accompanying that is a continual manifestation of the life of Jesus in the apostle, here not only to sustain him, but to work through him, bringing life to others. (Full text of the Tyndale NT Commentary on 2 Corinthians)
2 Coríntios 4:10-12
Hughes comments that the manifestation of the life of Jesus "refers both to the here and now and to the life hereafter. Those who observed Paul saw the life of Jesus in the amazing power that was displayed through Paul’s weakness as he was “not squashed” and “not befuddled” and “not abandoned” and “not knocked out.” (2Co 4:8,9) In the same way, the life of Jesus is manifested in the lives of those who truly follow Him. And ultimately these realities will be full-blown in our final deliverance from mortality in the great resurrection of the dead. (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word) John
2 Coríntios 4:10-12
Hughes comments that "This weakness-power principle was, in effect, the life-death principle of Christ himself—so that Paul was carrying in his body the dying of Jesus with the result that the life of Jesus was manifested in his mortal flesh. The effect was that as death was at work in him, life was at work in his hearers. Paul’s weakness was definitely the ground of God’s power. (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word) KJV Bible Commentary - Through a ministry of weakness and suffering Paul was able to accomplish a very positive ministry in Corinth (cf. 1Cor 2:1 2 3 4). (KJV Bible Commentary:)
2 Coríntios 4:13-15
Hughes adds that: Psalm 116 describes a time when the writer (King David) almost died (cf. Ps 116:3, 8, 15-see note), but God delivered him from death (cf. Ps 116:8 9 10). David “believed” that God had delivered him and therefore “spoke”of it (Ps 116:10). As this statement in verse 10 is the center and pivot of the Psalm, it places faith at its very heart. (Hughes, R. K. 2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word. Crossway)
2 Coríntios 4:16
Hughes writes that Paul "experienced daily renewal of his inner man, though his outer man was decaying (4:16). That amounted to a startling description of resurrection taking place within a decaying corpse. Paul’s critics, and the Corinthians as a whole, shared an all-too-high regard for physical status and well-being. How could he ever have hoped to warm their hearts to viewing the outer person as quite secondary to inner renewal? Because, second, he also had a world view that linked affliction to eternal glory. According to Paul’s view, the one who loses heart is the one who sees suffering as an end in itself, rather than as a means to glory. He did not look at "things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen" (2Co 4:18). That was the very perspective he labored to instill in the Corinthians throughout this section (see 2Co 5:12). The various strands of Paul’s thoughts were controlled by the central concept of what is unseen and eternal: the glory of the Spirit (chap. 3), the pledge of resurrection (2Co 1:22; 5:5), and the new creation of the believer in Christ (2Co 5:17). (Everyman's Bible Commentary Series ) How does this supernatural renewal take place? As the believer chooses to saturate his or her mind with the abiding seed, the living and active Word of God (and obey the truth imbibed), the Holy Spirit progressively "renovates" the mind (not like remodeling of a house but generating a brand new way of thinking) so that the way we see, think and feel lines up more and more with the mind of God. We begin to see with eyes of faith the eternal significance of temporal events. The crucial ingredient in this mind renewal process is regular ingestion of "everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD" (Dt 8:3, "every word" in Mt 4:4, Why? see Lk 1:37ASV), cultivating an "infant like" attitude (see 1Pe 2:1-+ for what you need to do to cultivate this desire and give you an "appetite".) If you do not have an appetite for God's Word, do a personal inventory with 1Pe 2:1 (Be honest) so that you will… like newborn babes long for (epipotheo - earnestly, intensely crave a command in the aorist imperative = indicates this is NOT optional! Do this now. Without delay. It is vitally important!) for the pure ("no additives", unadulterated, nothing that would cause decay!) milk of the work, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (1Pe 2:2-+). Every believer needs to cultivate a heart attitude like Job who affirmed… I have not departed (withdrawn, ceased, removed myself) from the command of His lips; I have treasured (laid up, concealed or hidden = same Hebrew verb used in Ps 119:11 - Spurgeon's note) the words of His (God's) mouth more than my necessary food"! (Job 23:12-+). Question: Could Job's attitude toward the Word in any way explain how he was able to persevere in the face of such incredible testing?! Look at the context - specifically notice the confidence Job expressed in the preceding passage - Job 23:10-+. How could he be so sure? Could Job 23:12 be the answer! Job's outer man was wasting away and yet with eyes of faith, his inner man envisioned not the temporal but the eternal purposes of God (cp Job 42:5, 6). Lord give us "Job like" vision to see the eternal in the temporal. Amen If your mind is to be renewed… this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate (meditation = same Hebrew word in Ps 1:2-+) on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to ALL that is written in it (When you study the Bible "hit or miss," you miss more than you hit) , for then you will make your way prosperous (referring to spiritual wealth [~renewal of the inner man] not necessarily fiscal prosperity) and then you will have success" (because your mind is renewed) (Joshua 1:8-+). (Related resource- Inductive Study on the Power of God's Word) Joshua 1:8 (+) is a passage which was God's call to Joshua (and all believers) to think "Biblically", reading, assimilating, reflecting on and obeying the Word of God, so that might we live "Biblically" in all we say and do. As clearly stated in Joshua 1:8 (+) a key element in this process is meditation which is so crucial to mind renewal but unfortunately is a spiritual discipline which is seldom practiced by Christians today. Now think with me for a moment. Is meditation optional? Not really because reading the Bible without meditating on it is like eating without chewing! It's not how many times you "go through" the Bible, but how many times the Bible "goes through" you! One of the most productive ways to study the Bible for yourself is to learn to read it inductively (see Intro to Inductive Bible Study). In Isaiah 40 we see another passage that alludes to the renewal of the inner man… He (Jehovah) gives strength to the weary (cp outer man decaying), and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait (see word study) for the LORD will gain (Hebrew conveys idea of changing clothes, taking off the old weaknesses and putting on the new inner strength from God) new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary. (Isa 40:29, 30, 31-see commentary) In Ephesians Paul exhorts the saints at Ephesus to lay aside the old and to… be renewed (word study) in the spirit of your mind (Ep 4:23+) Comment: Renewed is in the passive voice indicating the effect is from an external source (the Spirit) and the present tense indicating that this renewal is an ongoing or continual process (cp, progressive sanctification, growth in Christlikeness, growth in holiness). Paul exhorts the believers in the church at Ephesus (and you and I in the Body, the Church of Jesus Christ) to the lofty goal of continually allowing the Spirit of God to renew the way they (we) think. This renewal is not only in what one believes (which is vitally important), but is a belief which transforms feelings, attitudes and behavior. Paul desires that we all partake of this miracle of inner renewal which enables us to have a divine perspective on this temporal, transient, visible, passing world (1Jn 2:17-+) and the (spiritually) dead people (Ep 2:1-+) passing their lives in emptiness and vanity (Ec 1:2, cp Ec 12:13,1 4). This inner renewal is calculated to help us not grow weary and lose heart (Gal 6:9, 2Th 3:13, He 12:3-+), even though our body is growing old and the spiritual battle rages fiercely all around, even in our mind (cp Gal 5:16-+, Gal 5:17-+). Beloved, let us press on… pressing ever upward (Php 3:14-+) Peter Martyr dying, said, "My body is weak, my mind is well, well for the present, and it will be better hereafter." This is the godly man's motto. (John Trapp)
2 Coríntios 4:16
Hughes notes that "It’s axiomatic: our future hopes determine how we live in the present. The question is: how are our "futures"? What are you living for? It’s never too late to get it right. Don’t waste your life. Aging and decay can be disheartening, and especially so for those without hope of resurrection and transformation. The Greco-Roman culture of Paul’s day gave voice to remarkable expressions of despair. The Greek poet Aeschylus declared, "there is death once and for all and there is no resurrection." The Roman Marcus Aurelius held that at death all that is left is "dust, ashes, bones and stench." Very contemporary expressions, are they not? (2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word) Robert
2 Coríntios 4:17
Hughes has an interesting illustration… When Spain had extended her conquests to the ends of the then-known world and controlled both sides of the Mediterranean at the Straits of Gibraltar (the fabled Pillars of Hercules), her coins proudly pictured the Pillars framing a scroll inscribed with the Latin words Ne Plus Ultra—"No More Beyond." The Pillars gated the end of the earth. But "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue" and discovered the New World. The proud nation then admitted her ignorance and struck the negative Ne from her coinage, leaving the words Plus Ultra—"More Beyond." The change from the myopic "No More Beyond" to the expansive "More Beyond" effected a revolution in world culture, global economy, and geopolitics. The change also serves as a handy example of what is needed in the spiritual geography of modern men and women, because so many live in the stifling delusion that there is no more beyond. Most, including many Christians, live as if "this is it"—as in the Looney Tunes finis, "That’s all, folks!" At the same time, Plus Ultra perfectly describes the Apostle Paul and the ultimate focus of the whole of Scripture and the intensive focus of this section of 2 Corinthians. We will see that 2Co 5:1-10 is in driving continuity with 2Co 4:13-18, where we saw that Paul’s confidence in future resurrection and transformation was what enabled him to minister with such resiliency and steadfastness (cf. 2Co 4:7-12). Again we must emphasize that our "futures" (what we focus on) determine the way we live. The ongoing challenge is to embrace the Plus Ultra of future resurrection life with everything that is in us. (2Corinthians Power in Weakness) Looking back, it seems to me All the grief which had to be Left me, when the pain was o'er, Richer than I'd been before. --Anon. Adam