II Corinthians 3:18-4:6: "The Glory of the Lord"
Unlike old testament believers, Paul points out that as new covenant believers, "we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord". Christ is God manifested in the flesh, and with Christ revealed to us in His Word, we get a perfect picture of the Lord. Paul has in mind, the veil that Moses had to wear before the people when he would speak with God. Instead, through God's revelation in His Word get the complete picture of Christ, and through this we recognize and get to fully understand the glory of the Lord.
As believers look to Christ they "are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit". As believers, we must continue to pursue Christ and as the Holy Spirit works in our lives we are constantly being made into the image of Christ. Philippians 3:12-14, "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". This is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit as the believer looks to the face of Christ through His revealed Word.
Paul continues, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart". The therefore brings us back to the new covenant that we have received, which was previously spoken of in chapter 3. Since Paul has been given the wonderful news of Christ revealed to us and the way of salvation through the mercy of Christ, they should not lose heart. God had revealed mercy to Paul in that despite his persecution of the church, God had divinely saved him, and through this Paul began his ministry of mercy and grace among the Jews and Gentiles. MacArthur writes, "Despite suffering and the savage attacks on him by the false apostles, Paul had not surrendered. His courage came from confident knowledge of the God of glory, whom he had perceived in the face of Jesus Christ".
Paul, remembering the purifying work of Christ in his life writes, "but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness". Paul renounced his former life of shame and craftiness in his own life, for the new purifying work of Christ. This was also an indictment against the false apostles who were accusing him. MacArthur points out, "The hidden because of shame could be the very things they were accusing him of. But in reality it was the false apostles, not Paul, who were guilty of them. It was they who had a secret life of shame and who brought a hidden agenda to Corinth". Paul wanted his readers to be discerning and understand that Paul's new covenant message was the truth, based on God's Word as opposed to the "craftiness" of the false apostles looking to discredit Paul.
As Paul continues to lift up the new covenant in Christ, he extols the virtue of truth, "or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God". Paul was in love with truth. As believers it is vital that we look to the truth and understand the truth. It is easy for someone to manipulate or adulterate the truth to tickle peoples ears. But Paul was not ashamed of the Word of God and spoke it for what it was. There was no trickery or deceit, Paul only spoke, "Christ and Him crucified". Again, this was used as an indictment against the false apostles who had come to corrupt the Corinthians. MacArthur writes, "The same could not be said, however, for the false apostles. They were busy adulterating the Word of God for their own purposes. In 2 Corinthians 2:17 Paul denounced them as being guilty of 'peddling the word of God'. They were con men, cheats, charlatans, and frauds, guilty of the same deception of which they falsely accused Paul". Paul's goal in ministry was manifesting the truth through the Word of God and all that had been revealed to him by God. This would have the effect of awakening the conscience of the sinner to see the truth of the gospel. This was Paul's conviction and he would do ministry no other way.
Paul, desiring the Corinthian believers to understand their privileged estate in knowing the truth writes, "and even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 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". Only those who have had the spiritual veil removed by Christ can look upon His glory and accept his sacrifice. Paul recognized that no matter how elegant or persuasive he made his argument it was only the power of God that could change hearts (Rom. 1:16, I Cor. 2:2) In I Cor. 2:4, Paul writes, "My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power". To the indictment against Paul that his message and method was ineffective, Paul retorted, "Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing". Regardless of what those who didn't agree with Paul's message, it was to their detriment, as they would be lost in their sins. It is God who can open their eyes, not Paul. MacArthur writes, "Fallen, dead in their sins, and spiritually blind, those who reject the gospel message are headed for eternal doom . . . the issue is not contriving nonthreatening church services or developing better marketing skill in pitching the gospel. The issue is that those who reject the gospel message do so because [they love] the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds [are] evil' (John 3:19)". A Christian must believe in Christ, and if he has not believed upon Christ he is dead in his sins. If you are not a child of God's you are His enemy and you are a friend of the world's. If you are a friend of the world's your master is Satan, and Satan has "blinded the minds of the unbelieving. MacArthur points out, "It is that massive and pervasive influence over society by which Satan deludes the unregenerate so that they might not see the light of the gospel. Except in rare cases, Satan and his demons do not directly indwell individuals. They do not need to. Satan has created a system that panders to the depravity of unbelievers and drives them deeper into darkness". Satan's job is not to have people believe in him, rather, it is to make sure that people don't look to Christ. Throughout the ages Satan has successfully kept man's mind focused on himself and blind to the wonderful glory of Christ who provided salvation to all who would believe. God's glory is revealed in Jesus Christ because He is the image of God. Paul's desire was to have his readers understand the wonderful privilege they had in knowing God's glory as it is only revealed to those whom God's mercy had granted the spiritual sight to see.
Paul had been accused of preaching for vain and selfish motives. To this Paul replies, "for we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake". To indict Paul with selfishness was ludicrous. Paul, with disregard for his life had faithfully preached the gospel to the Corinthians many times. Throughout all Paul did and said, never did he bring himself up. He did not preach some watered down human-centric gospel. Rather, he faithfully preached Christ Jesus as Lord. Never promoting himself, Paul had others in mind so they would not stay in their spiritually blind state. It was out of love for others that Paul became a bond-servant for them so they would not die in their sins, but rather, turn to Christ for eternal life.
In the last part of this section Paul extols God's sovereignty in our salvation. He writes, "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ". The God who created this world and the light in it, is the same God who illuminated our hearts to believe in Him. It is God's sovereign work in our lives that we must be grateful for. MacArthur writes, "Spiritual darkness envelopes the unredeemed until God shines the light of the gospel in their hearts; He alone can dispel the darkness of sin and ignorance. But at salvation God 'qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us form the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son' (Col. 1:12-13)". We must recognize that it is God in His mercy that he shines the "Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ". Paul has shown us the sovereignty of God, he has shown us we owe our salvation and everything we receive to God.
As believers look to Christ they "are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit". As believers, we must continue to pursue Christ and as the Holy Spirit works in our lives we are constantly being made into the image of Christ. Philippians 3:12-14, "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". This is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit as the believer looks to the face of Christ through His revealed Word.
Paul continues, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart". The therefore brings us back to the new covenant that we have received, which was previously spoken of in chapter 3. Since Paul has been given the wonderful news of Christ revealed to us and the way of salvation through the mercy of Christ, they should not lose heart. God had revealed mercy to Paul in that despite his persecution of the church, God had divinely saved him, and through this Paul began his ministry of mercy and grace among the Jews and Gentiles. MacArthur writes, "Despite suffering and the savage attacks on him by the false apostles, Paul had not surrendered. His courage came from confident knowledge of the God of glory, whom he had perceived in the face of Jesus Christ".
Paul, remembering the purifying work of Christ in his life writes, "but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness". Paul renounced his former life of shame and craftiness in his own life, for the new purifying work of Christ. This was also an indictment against the false apostles who were accusing him. MacArthur points out, "The hidden because of shame could be the very things they were accusing him of. But in reality it was the false apostles, not Paul, who were guilty of them. It was they who had a secret life of shame and who brought a hidden agenda to Corinth". Paul wanted his readers to be discerning and understand that Paul's new covenant message was the truth, based on God's Word as opposed to the "craftiness" of the false apostles looking to discredit Paul.
As Paul continues to lift up the new covenant in Christ, he extols the virtue of truth, "or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God". Paul was in love with truth. As believers it is vital that we look to the truth and understand the truth. It is easy for someone to manipulate or adulterate the truth to tickle peoples ears. But Paul was not ashamed of the Word of God and spoke it for what it was. There was no trickery or deceit, Paul only spoke, "Christ and Him crucified". Again, this was used as an indictment against the false apostles who had come to corrupt the Corinthians. MacArthur writes, "The same could not be said, however, for the false apostles. They were busy adulterating the Word of God for their own purposes. In 2 Corinthians 2:17 Paul denounced them as being guilty of 'peddling the word of God'. They were con men, cheats, charlatans, and frauds, guilty of the same deception of which they falsely accused Paul". Paul's goal in ministry was manifesting the truth through the Word of God and all that had been revealed to him by God. This would have the effect of awakening the conscience of the sinner to see the truth of the gospel. This was Paul's conviction and he would do ministry no other way.
Paul, desiring the Corinthian believers to understand their privileged estate in knowing the truth writes, "and even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 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". Only those who have had the spiritual veil removed by Christ can look upon His glory and accept his sacrifice. Paul recognized that no matter how elegant or persuasive he made his argument it was only the power of God that could change hearts (Rom. 1:16, I Cor. 2:2) In I Cor. 2:4, Paul writes, "My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power". To the indictment against Paul that his message and method was ineffective, Paul retorted, "Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing". Regardless of what those who didn't agree with Paul's message, it was to their detriment, as they would be lost in their sins. It is God who can open their eyes, not Paul. MacArthur writes, "Fallen, dead in their sins, and spiritually blind, those who reject the gospel message are headed for eternal doom . . . the issue is not contriving nonthreatening church services or developing better marketing skill in pitching the gospel. The issue is that those who reject the gospel message do so because [they love] the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds [are] evil' (John 3:19)". A Christian must believe in Christ, and if he has not believed upon Christ he is dead in his sins. If you are not a child of God's you are His enemy and you are a friend of the world's. If you are a friend of the world's your master is Satan, and Satan has "blinded the minds of the unbelieving. MacArthur points out, "It is that massive and pervasive influence over society by which Satan deludes the unregenerate so that they might not see the light of the gospel. Except in rare cases, Satan and his demons do not directly indwell individuals. They do not need to. Satan has created a system that panders to the depravity of unbelievers and drives them deeper into darkness". Satan's job is not to have people believe in him, rather, it is to make sure that people don't look to Christ. Throughout the ages Satan has successfully kept man's mind focused on himself and blind to the wonderful glory of Christ who provided salvation to all who would believe. God's glory is revealed in Jesus Christ because He is the image of God. Paul's desire was to have his readers understand the wonderful privilege they had in knowing God's glory as it is only revealed to those whom God's mercy had granted the spiritual sight to see.
Paul had been accused of preaching for vain and selfish motives. To this Paul replies, "for we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake". To indict Paul with selfishness was ludicrous. Paul, with disregard for his life had faithfully preached the gospel to the Corinthians many times. Throughout all Paul did and said, never did he bring himself up. He did not preach some watered down human-centric gospel. Rather, he faithfully preached Christ Jesus as Lord. Never promoting himself, Paul had others in mind so they would not stay in their spiritually blind state. It was out of love for others that Paul became a bond-servant for them so they would not die in their sins, but rather, turn to Christ for eternal life.
In the last part of this section Paul extols God's sovereignty in our salvation. He writes, "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ". The God who created this world and the light in it, is the same God who illuminated our hearts to believe in Him. It is God's sovereign work in our lives that we must be grateful for. MacArthur writes, "Spiritual darkness envelopes the unredeemed until God shines the light of the gospel in their hearts; He alone can dispel the darkness of sin and ignorance. But at salvation God 'qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us form the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son' (Col. 1:12-13)". We must recognize that it is God in His mercy that he shines the "Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ". Paul has shown us the sovereignty of God, he has shown us we owe our salvation and everything we receive to God.
posted by amesfam | 7:45 AM
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