2 Corinthians - Lesson 4A

• This morning turn with me if you will to the 4th Chapter of the book of 2 Corinthians. We will continue our journey through Paul’s letter, which some might call a letter of ‘desperation’, a letter born out of stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety over how this church was being swayed by false teaching, ancient mysticism, and a host of other things.

  • Last week, we ended our teaching with Verse 18, where Paul wrote the following, and I will just read it for context, and here’s what Paul wrote in verses 16-18:

2 Cor. 3:16 but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 
2 Cor. 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, is freedom.
2 Cor. 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

• Paul says, now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. This is a simple statement at its core, and if someone heard this, it should prompt a question in the mind of the individual. And that question would be:

  • If ‘The Spirit of The Lord’ brings freedom, then how do I get the Spirit of the Lord and what kind of freedom are we talking about?

    • The answer is, when a person turns to God, turns to Christ Jesus, and accepts the ‘free’ gift of Salvation, and repents (asks for forgiveness), and asks God into their heart, they will be saved.

    • That salvation, or just knowing they are saved, brings freedom. A freedom that no man has ever known. But, why? Why does it bring such freedom? Because it is a fact that 100% of people die. Every individual on planet earth dies 100% of the time.

• Depending on our individual situation and our phase of life, we wake up at some point with fear of the unknown, and Paul says, once we turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Meaning, once we realize our position in life, when immortality sets in, at that point, fear of the unknown becomes a reality, and we realize our plight and turn to God

John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

• And attached to that forgiveness is freedom, which brings about Peace. That’s really all it is, an eternal peace that comes from knowing you’re saved, that there is more after this life.

  • This past week I lost a dear friend to cancer. He was a very confident man, a funny man, an intelligent man. He was my kind of guy. He was 72 years old and was given a death sentence diagnosis last year sometime.

  • A few weeks ago, he was doing quite well, but this past week he took a turn for the worse. I went to his home this past Tuesday and spent a little time with him. The best way I believe I could describe him was he lived life to the fullest.

    • I never met a man with more stories, and that’s saying something coming from me. But anyway, as I sat there and prayed with him and laughed with him, he said to me repeatedly, ‘I’m ready. God has given me a good life and I am ready’.

    • You see, because he knew Jesus he had a peace. Was he nervous? Yes. But he wasn’t scared or fearful. He was looking forward to Heaven and seeing his mother. He was at peace. That is the freedom that Paul is talking about, and it’s the freedom available to every one of us sitting here today.

  • Those were Paul’s words at the end of verse 17, and those words still hold truth for anyone who will call upon the name of the Lord.

• Moving on, Chapter 4:1-6. The translators entitle this chapter ‘Paul’s Apostolic Ministry’.

2 Cor. 4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
2 Cor. 4:2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in trickery nor distorting the word of God, but by the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God.
2 Cor. 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
2 Cor. 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Cor. 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants on account of Jesus.
2 Cor. 4:6 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.

• There is so much being said in these verses, and a lot to break down; some of which brings about controversy within the Church. But, before getting to the controversy, let’s start with verses 1&2, and deal with those verses first.

  • Paul begins by using the word “therefore” again, and when we see that word, we ask ourselves, what’s the therefore there for? It’s there based off his previous statements in the previous chapter, where he says we have freedom because we are saved. Because we have the Spirit of the Lord living inside us.

  • Then the next thing, therefore, ‘since we have this ministry’. In other words, since we know this, and since we have received this mercy, we do not lose heart.

• Guys, this is so important. If we are believers, we should never lose heart. Never get down about our life situations. Instead, because we are saved, when life hits us in the face we should reflect on this very fact, and ‘never lose heart’.

  • Now that sounds simple, but is that the way it always is? I would ask, is that the way it ever is for you? Yes – No – Maybe. Paul says they don’t lose heart because they have received salvation, and by extension, the exact same thing is true for us as well. But what if that’s not the case. What if we do lose heart, then what do we do?

  • Well first let me clarify what Paul is talking about before dealing with this issue. And I can’t do that unless I ask myself the question, what does Paul mean when he says, ‘they don’t lose heart’?

• To get to the bottom of his statement we must ask ourselves, what is this ‘losing heart’ thing tied to? It’s tied to the topic of Salvation, because that’s what he just got through writing about. The Spirit of The Lord – Freedom.

  • So, with that thought in mind, losing heart must be related to their faith or mission or calling from God. Paul says, because we have this ministry and because we received mercy (salvation), we do not lose heart.

  • That does not exclude us from worry, but we stay the course, press on in the face of adversity, because we know God is in control.

2 Cor. 4:2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in trickery nor distorting the word of God, but by the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person’s conscience in the sight of God. 

• Now this can be a little confusing. The first thing to ask is, what are these things hidden (renounced because of shame) and why? We find the answer in the context - with Paul responding to his critics trying to undermine his efforts, he continues on in his self-defence. Paul was ashamed of the things he had done and who he was prior to Christ. He has repented and now stands firmly on the pure truth of God’s Word.

  • Paul is saying the lives of those in the Corinthian church are witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. God uses their witness to grab the attention of the unbelieving world, to prick their conscience. What is different about them?

  • The church needs to hear that as believers, our lives are a living testimony. It doesn’t require words. God can use our lives to convict others, draw people to Himself. And that’s important to hear because its a different version of witnessing we may have been brought up under.

  • Most of us have been taught to go tell people about Jesus - the Great Commission. But as I’ve previously taught you, that’s not the case.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

• The key to the Great Commission lies in how we make disciples. But let’s first clarify what a disciple is.

  • A disciple is a follower of Jesus Christ, they were His understudies if you will. And that’s gotta be someone who is saved. So is it even possible for us to “make them”?

  • Disciples are made when people are saved, and that can only take place when they are taught the word of God. And then, God, not us, convicts someone from His Holy Manuscript.

    • It’s not by giving our testimony, or a convincing argument. This prescribed (and outdated) method of the church is not what scripture is asking us.

    • Let me remind you of a statement by Dr. Chuck Missler: “Remember the Berean way”. For the Bereans were considered to be the most studious of people - they didn’t just take someone’s word for it. They would study the scriptures daily to find that these things might be true.

  • Can we think of a part of scripture in where someone becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ through the listening to another’s testimony? I can’t. The Apostle Paul had the greatest testimony anyone’s ever had, yet he never used it as a means of leading someone to salvation. In Acts, we can read Paul’s encounter with the Philippian jailer and how he lead that man and his family to Christ.

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

• If we want to see people saved, we must teach them the scriptures. And if we want spiritual maturity for them and us, we have to teach (and study) the scriptures.

This is further reinforced in Matthew 28:20.

Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

• So does this mean we never give somebody our testimony? Of course not, no. But we don’t do it as a means of convincing someone to salvation but rather for encouragement. As a means of thankfulness for all God has done.

  • Our testimony should be viewed like that of an altar in the Old Testament - as a marker of where God has brought us. People pass by and see it.

  • Paul is saying our lives our actions, who we are, is what God uses to draw men to Himself. Not words. Words are easy, actions are hard and come by way of time and study and spiritual maturity.

    • So our actions matter a lot, because people are watching!

• We move next into these controversial verses 3-4. If you gloss over them you might miss the controversy. I feel it is important to teach you exactly what Paul is saying, and I think it’s important for me to point out the apparent conflict. And why? Well, for two reasons.

  • First, so that you are prepared to give a defense of the scriptures. There are many people out there, Bible nay sayers, who live to point out what they believe are inconsistencies in the scriptures. We need to be prepared to answer their objections.

  • The second reason is to understand what Paul is saying, especially as it relates to the doctrine of salvation - soteriology. It matters, because it influences how you approach another person with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how you view your responsibility in the process - and that result is not on you.

    • And so, with that thought in mind, let’s re-read verse 16:

2 Cor. 3:16 but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 

• This statement is a 100 % true statement. If someone turns to the Lord and asks the Lord to forgive them (they repent), He will save them, and that holds true 100% of the time.

2 Cor. 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 
2 Cor. 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.

• In Chapter 3 we are told that as soon as someone believes this veil is taken away. Then in Chapter 4 we are told the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing. So on the one hand, anyone who turns to God will be saved. But on the other hand, there seems to be a group of people who are in a state of perishing - with no hope. This is where conflict can be envisioned.

• How could some people never have an opportunity to turn to the Lord? This statement has been the topic of many a theological debate, boiled down to two camps of people.

  • Armenians, who believe all people are given the opportunity to be saved and therefore it is up to us to provide them that opportunity. There’s a sense of stress and anxiety that “it’s on us”. That idea has fuelled the evangelical church movement which does whatever it can to draw people in - church services turn into rock concerts.

    • Originally, the intention was pure but then over time it began to waver. They failed to recognise how someone is actually saved. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that preachers moved away from bible teaching, introduced the altar call (which has no base in scripture) and saw an increase of numbers. But sound doctrinal teaching gave way to emotional storytelling, topical messages.

    • This leads to megachurches. Audience members enjoying the service, but not remembering the message or what bible was taught.

  • Now opposite the Armenian view is Calvinism which says God has predestined some for salvation and others to be left out. This view has lead some to become lazy as it relates to evangelism. “If God already knows who will be saved, what’s the point in wasting our time trying to reach people?”

    • This group of people tend to become scripture hounds. They may thirst for knowledge but they lose empathy.

• I can tell you with 100% certainty that we do not know who is going to be saved. But God does - he knows the beginning from the end.

  • But we are commanded to go and make disciples - we know how after this morning. We go not because we can influence the results but because we are bond-servants to the God Most High. And slaves don’t get rights or opinions! We simply obey the master.

• So what about these “conflicting” views? They are both 100% true! God is sovereign and knows all thing, and man has responsibility. And all those who turn to the Lord will be saved. God knows who will be saved and who will perish (some who will never turn to the Lord).

• God is the one who corrects the heart. Romans 3 tells us no man seeks God.

  • God has to lift the veil and open the eyes. Then man has to respond, but will he? The Armenians say there is no guarantee man will respond. The Calvinists say, no doubt he or she will respond because God will cause them to respond.

• Let’s digress for a moment and talk about God’s sovereignty. We might think we are in control, but God started this thing on time and will end it on time. He knew us before he formed us in our mother’s womb. He has appointed our time to day. And yet man has responsibility.

  • How do we reconcile it? It’s a futile effort. Instead we need to focus on obedience, and to serve the Lord without question. Who are we to question the Creator of the universe?

  • Pauls echoes this sentiment in Romans 9:20-21.

Romans 9:20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 
Romans 9:21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

• Remember there is no conflict in God’s word, only the lack of understanding Who God is. We have to study long enough, let His word penetrate our hearts and minds, to get a complete understanding of the whole counsel of scripture.

• If the plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense. If it doesn’t make sense, study some more!