The Motives And The Message
THE MOTIVES AND THE MESSAGE
2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-6
Find out why Paul can write “We do not lose heart” (4:6).
“This ministry” looks back to the contrast with the Mosaic order which is superseded in Christ. It is committed to “us”—notice the link in thought with 2:17b—in the amazing mercy of God, as the writer had proved in his own case (1 Timothy 1:12-14). As a consequence, the apostle can exercise the work God entrusted to him with confidence, never losing heart. What would tempt Paul to grow discouraged? If he relied solely on human resources or was foolhardy enough to practice “disgraceful, underhanded ways” in order to gain some cheap victories, and secure some quick conversions which evaporate as soon as they are gained (4:2)? Opposition from his Judaizing enemies who accused him of trying to do exactly this (Galatians 5:11)? The hardness of the human heart which remains strangely stubborn and resistant (4:3), in spite of love’s appeal?
Paul’s unlimited confidence rests on the following grounds: first, the sincerity of the messengers should be obvious to all (4:2); secondly, the gospel itself which is God’s truth shines in its own light, but with an appeal enforced by the character of the messengers who convey it (4:2b); thirdly, the failure of many to respond is not due to any lack of adequacy or relevance of the message (4:3-4). Rather, the reason lies in the satanic grip on the human mind and heart (4:4); and fourthly, the sublime message is “Jesus Christ as Lord” (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3), by which it pleases God to illuminate the spiritually responsive and bring people out of the darkness as impenetrable as primeval chaos (Genesis 1:2; Jeremiah 4:23) into the marvelous light of reconciled fellowship with himself by the same authoritative, sovereign power which dispelled the world’s darkness and said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3; see 1 Peter 2:9).
Paul himself had known that “dark night of the soul” suddenly lifted by the radiant presence of God’s glory in Jesus’ face in his conversion experience (Galatians 1:15-16; Acts 9:3; 22:6,11; 26:13) and knew it as a reality in the lives of his Christian friends (see Philippians 1:6, where “good work” looks back to Genesis 1:31). Who else caught sight of the divine radiance in the person of Jesus (Acts 7:55)?
Meditation Think about some of the verses which speak of Christ as Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8; Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:6-11; Hebrews 1:1-4).