2 Corinthians 4:13-18

 

2 Cor 4:13 (KJB)

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

 

(Psa 116:10 KJV) I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: Paul quotes from a Psalm of David who also suffered persecution under King Saul. It was David’s faith in God that under girded him at those times and Paul is now transferring that principle to himself and his party. He states that we have the same spirit of faith as David did, and as David believed and wrote, Paul and his band also believed and that belief necessitated them to speak. This is how it should be with every believer. Just as these Bible Saints depended upon God, we need to do the same and when we depend upon God in different situations, we will realize that we have a great testimony of the faithfulness of God and therefore, as Paul and David did, we too will speak of the faithfulness of God.

 

2 Cor 4:14 (KJB)

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

 

Knowing - Know fully or understand

 

As Paul continued to suffer for the sake of the Gospel, he reminds himself and his readers that God raised the Lord Jesus Christ up from the dead and in like manner He will also raise him up from the dead. The persecution was probably so much at this time that he was thinking that maybe his death was near and looked forward to the time when he too would be resurrected. Paul also included the Corinthian Christians in that resurrection, as he stated that God would raise them up together. This, of course, was a promise made by the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 6:40 KJV) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. Jesus promised to raise every Christian on the last day of this world’s existence before He recreates it. Persecution need not get a Christian down because as Paul looked forward to his resurrection, the persecuted Christian also looks forward to theirs and that is why we can be bold in the face of persecution because beyond physical death, what else can the world do to us?

 

2 Cor 4:15 (KJB)

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

 

Redound - To have an abundance or to be more than enough

 

Paul reiterates that all his trials and tribulations were for the sake of the Corinthians. Any Christian who puts themselves in the marketplace of evangelism and discipleship will suffer some type of persecution and those things are endured to the benefit of the group that is being reached with the Gospel. The abundant grace of God had strengthened them in these persecutions and as a result the Corinthians were being evangelized and those who became saved had given much thanksgiving to God. Paul had always struggled to make sure he evangelized wherever he went so that many would become saved and true praises would then be multiplied to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31 KJV) Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. If we are to eat or drink to the glory of God, then our lives must also be dedicated to the glory of God by means of ministering to people to bring in the Elect unto salvation.

 

2 Cor 4:16 (KJB)

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

 

Faint - Lose heart or be despondent

Perish - Ruin, destroyed or brought to decay

Renewed - Daily acquires new strength which it previously had not

 

Paul’s life was dedicated to the glory of God and his desire was to bring as many souls as he could into the Kingdom of God and it was for this reason that he did not lose heart when he faced all the opposition. One thing about opposition, it also poses an opportunity to let the power of God work in our lives. Remember, the Scripture stated that we have this treasure in earthen vessels? Those vessels are weak and when faced with persecution it can weaken us to the point of despair. Many Christians feel this way when faced with almost constant persecution. However, the Scripture assures us that even though our bodies are growing weaker each day, which is a nice way of saying that we are slowly dying but we are also assured that the inner man is being strengthened a little bit more every day. The inner man is the real us and not the flesh. We become much stronger in the Spirit and even though our bodies are weaker, we can still be a strong testimony for Christ.

 

2 Cor 4:17 (KJB)

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

 

Light - Light as in easy to bear

Affliction - Tribulation

Moment - Momentary or for the present moment

Weight - Burden or load

 

Here Paul makes a comparison between the light afflictions that we face in this world and compares it to the weight of glory. Basically, he is stating that the light afflictions which are experienced by Christians now, will never outweigh the glory which lies ahead for every true child of God. In light of eternity, what are these few years on this earth? (James 4:14 KJV) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James states that our lives are but a vapour, we appear for a little while and then we vanish. This is what Paul had in mind that for the little time we are here and the tribulations we face, can in no way compare with the eternal glory we will experience in Heaven, which of course, will never end, unlike the persecutions we face here that do have an end.

 

2 Cor 4:18 (KJB)

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

Here is the great difference between the vision of the Christian and the vision of the world. Those who are unsaved and in the world only see the things of this world and those things are temporal. The Christian, because we are regenerated and God has placed the Holy Spirit in us, are able to look beyond this world. We can look forward to the eternal life which God has promised to us calling it the Blessed Hope. The unsaved man only sees the things in this world and that is why they try to get as much of it as they can, because for them, this is all there is. (Prov 11:7 KJV) When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth. The Christian sees the eternal things through spiritual eyes but the unsaved man does not see these things because they are spiritually dead and cannot see beyond the temporal, and when they die their death is complete waking up at the Judgment seat of Christ. For example, an unsaved person looks at a Bible church and sees only the building but the saved person looks at the Bible church and sees beyond it into eternity. If a Christian’s eyes are fixed on the things of this world, they miss out on many a blessing, for all they can experience is what the world has to offer them and they will go to Heaven without bringing a soul. May we all look beyond the temporal.

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