2 Corinthians 4

2 Corinthians 4:1

“By God’s mercy, we walk in integrity,” says Paul. “We’re not using deceitful means to do something in the name of ministry.” This is where Saul made such a mistake and where David did so well. Saul used the things of God to glorify himself, while David used his life to glorify God.

2 Corinthians 4:3

“Those who say the gospel we preach is shallow and unworkable in an attempt to ensnare you in legalism are blinded by Satan,” says Paul. So, too, when we tell people the good news that their past, present, and future sins are paid for if they’ll embrace the free gift of salvation; that in this life they will have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother, a Warrior-King who will give them victory, a Bridegroom who will truly love them; that when they die they will be ushered into heaven where they will live eternallywe wonder why wouldn’t everyone become a believer? Paul answers this question when he says the god of this world blinded the eyes of those who don’t believe. This happened when Adam and Eve chose to believe the lies of the Serpent rather than to walk in obedience to the Father (Genesis 3). That is why Paul would tell Timothy that the servant of the Lord must “be gentle to all men, apt to teach and patient, in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves…that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who were taken captive by him at his will” (2Ti_2:24-26). What does it mean to “oppose oneself”? It means to do that which is contrary to one’s good. Thus, the reason we can witness until we’re blue in the face and debate endlessly with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor only to have them look at us with a blank stare is because they are held hostage, bound up, and blindfolded by Satan. Thus, they are unable to do that which would be to their eternal benefit. So what should we do? We find the cure for spiritual blindness in a statement Jesus made after healing one who was physically blind… Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.Mat_12:29 The real issue is that Satan must first be bound before those who are held hostage can be set free. How does this happen? A few chapters later, Jesus said that whatever we bind on earth would be bound from heaven, and whatever we loose on earth would be loosed from heaven (Mat_16:19). Therefore, before my neighbor, my loved one, my friend who’s spiritually bound and blinded can ever see clearly enough to make a choice, Satan, the strong man, must be bound and the blindfold lifted. How does this happen? The Old Testament picture of this New Testament principle is found in 2 Kings… With the enemy soldiers drawing near to capture him, Elisha prayed… And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.2Ki_6:18 Was Elisha being vindictive or hateful? No, as we will see, Elisha’s prayer was not for the purpose of retaliation, but for their salvationsimilar to Hosea’s prayer when he asked the Lord to put a hedge of thorns in front of his wife to keep her from pursuing adulterous relationships (Hos_2:6). Like Elisha, like Hosea, we must pray that the Lord would bind the steps of those who don’t know Him in order that they wouldn’t be able to continue in their path of destruction. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.2Ki_6:19-20 After binding the Syrians, Elisha loosed them by asking the Lord to open their eyes in order that they might see that he had led them to the king of Israelthe very one they sought. And that’s exactly what we need to do. First, we need to pray that the work of Satan would be bound. Then we need to pray that God’s power would be loosed in order that people might see the One they were seeking all along. The result? And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.2Ki_6:23 As changed men, the Syrians no longer attacked the people of God. So, too, the answer concerning the people we care about who don’t know Jesus lies in prayerin binding the work of the Enemy and releasing the power of God; in blinding their eyes to sin, and opening their eyes to the Savior. Without this, we witness in vain. The key is prayer. Oh, we know we should pray. But until we take seriously the necessity of Spirit-filled, intensive, persevering prayer, we’ll never be as fruitful in evangelism as we would have had we prayed.

2 Corinthians 4:5

The Greek word translated “servants” is actually “slaves.” Thus, Paul says to the Corinthians, “We preach not programs, not principles, not procedures, not ten steps or fifteen ideasbut Jesus Christ singularly. And we’re simply your slaves to help you in your understanding of Him.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

Unlike the light on the face of Moses, the light of the glory of God as seen in the face of Jesus is a light that never fades. How do I know what God is like? How do I know He’s not vengeful and vindictive, angry, and upset? After all, I have certainly given Him plenty of reasons to be. But the face of the One who freed the woman taken in adultery and who, despite her reputation, commended the woman who washed His feet with her tears tells me differently. “Show us the Father and it will suffice us,” Philip said. “He who hath seen Me hath seen the Father,” Jesus answered (see Joh_14:9). Both the face and the grace of God are revealed in the Person of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:7

In contrast to the beauty and grace of Jesus, Paul was earthy, indeedas we all are. But this should not be surprising, considering the dust of which we’re made (Psa_103:14). Our dustiness and earthiness serve to cause people to be just that much more impressed with the treasure of the beauty of Jesus inside of us. Cracked Pots A Topical Study of 2Co_4:7 Having initially been brought to an awareness of Jesus by a light that shone so bright it stopped him in his tracks, Paul shines a light on three important understandings for anyone who desires to shine brightly in the dark days that seem ready to engulf our culture… Light Reflected from Us Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world.Joh_8:12 Ye are the light of the world.Mat_5:14 “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said. Then He said to you and me, “You are the light of the world.” Was He confused? Are there two lights? No. Think of it this way: Jesus is the Sun, the source of light. We are like the moon. We live in dark times. Yet, as we walk with Jesus, we reflect His light. The moon is not visible during a lunar eclipse because the earth comes between the sun and the moon. In other words, when the world gets in the way, the “ministry” of the moon can no longer be seen. How about you and me? We are to be the light of the world. Yet the degree to which we allow the pleasures, pursuits, and passions of the world to creep into our lives will be the degree to which the Light is eclipsed. On the other hand, if we look at Jesus without allowing the world to creep in, His reflection will be clear in our lives. That is why Paul tells us to behold the Lord with an open faceto remove anything in our life that comes between the Son and us. If we do, we’ll shine not with the fading light of legalism, but with the glow of the liberty in the Spiritwhich never fades. Light Imparted to Us For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.2Co_4:6-7 By His Spirit, God places the treasure of His Son into the clay pots of our lives. This is like placing the Hope diamond in a Glad trash bag. After all, it’s only logical that if one has a thing of beauty and value, he would have a gold-covered box or something exquisite to contain it. Therefore, it’s a mystery, indeed, as to why God would place the treasure of His Son in clay pots like usuntil we realize that God does this so that the excellency of the treasure would be that much more brilliant. Light Shining Through Us We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.2Co_4:8-10 Finally, Paul says that whenever we go through hard times, there is opportunity for the light to shine forth through the breaking of the vessel… As they charged oppressive taxes and plundered their cities, the Midianites provoked the children of Israel mercilesslyuntil God called a reluctant Gideon to deliver His people. When Gideon blew the trumpet and called men to march with him into battle against the Midianites, thirty-two thousand men responded. “There are 145,000 Midianites, and only 32,000 of us. I don’t like the odds,” said Gideon. “Neither do I,” said God. “There’s too many of you.” So He instructed Gideon to tell anyone afraid of the battle to go home. Twenty-two thousand walked way. “Ten thousand is still too many,” God said, and weeded out an additional ninety-seven hundred men who drank face-first from the river rather than keeping an eye out for the enemy. The three hundred remaining menthose who didn’t spend unnecessary time doing necessary tasks, those who realized the seriousness of their call and the reality of the enemywere the men who accompanied Gideon into battle. Following the strategy given him by God, Gideon gave each man a trumpet and a torch within an earthen vessel. Then he positioned them on the hills surrounding the valley of Jezreel, where the Midianites lay sleeping. On a given signal, they blew their trumpets, broke the clay pots, and shouted, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” Hearing the sound, the men of Midian stumbled out of their tents, saw the lights surrounding them, and no doubt assumed that each torch represented not a single soldier, but an entire division. “We’re surrounded by thousands!” they cried. In their confusion, the Midianites began attacking one another (see Judges 7). Thus, there was victory in the dark night because the light caused the enemy to be confused and beaten back. But the light could only be seen when the earthen vessels were broken. This is why Paul could say, “Yes, we are persecuted; yes, we are crushedbut it doesn’t bother us because through this, the light of the Lord comes flooding out of us in ways that beat back the darkness and deception of Satan.” As I ponder Paul’s words, two things happen. First, the light goes on within me. I understand that the Lord allows me to go through times of breaking so that those around me might see His reality shining forth from me. Second, I lighten up as I realize that, because I’m just a clay pot, I don’t have to put on an act or come across as a “religious” person. As a result, all glory goes to the power and mercy, the greatness and kindness of God, who placed in me the unspeakable gift, the incredible treasure of His Son.

2 Corinthians 4:8

It was piano craftsman Theodore Steinway who said that it is the forty thousand pounds of pressure exerted on the two hundred forty-five strings of a piano that creates beautiful harmony. Sometimes, it is only the pressure, the persecution we undergo that causes a song to resonate in the hearts of those with whom we share. Paul knew this. That is why he could say, “Good things are happening even in our tribulation and difficulty, for through our hard times, Jesus shines brighter.”

2 Corinthians 4:13

Quoting Psalms 116, Paul says, “I speak that which I believethat the Lord will raise us up, that all things will work out for His glory.” This same concept is present in the Book of Hebrews… Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.Heb_13:5-6 “He hath said…that we may say…” To speak out words of faith in the time of difficulty is so important in the life of the believer. If all we talk about is our frustration, pain, and sadness, we will faint. But if we speak that which He hath saidthat He is with us always (Mat_28:20), that all things work together for good to those who love God (Rom_8:28), that greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world (1Jn_4:4)we will be renewed day by day. In Hebrews 11, we read that the worlds were framedas a carpenter frames a houseby the Word of God. So, too, we frame the world in which we live by the words we speak. Speak words of grumpiness, doubt, fear, cynicismand that’s the world you and your family will inhabit. But speak words of faith, hope, and joy even when you’re going through hard timesand such will be the characteristics of your world. Paul could have been murmuring and complaining, doubting, whimpering, and crying. But that’s not what he chose to do. “Yes, we’re going through tough times,” he said, “but we have the spirit of faith.”

2 Corinthians 4:17

Paul refers to his afflictions as light. Light? He was stoned, beaten, shipwrecked, thrown out on the open sea, cast into dungeons. “No problem,” he says. “Those light afflictions are doing some heavyweight work in us.” Oh, to have the eyesight of Paulto see whatever it is that we endure presently as light compared to the weight of God’s glory.