_THE HIDDEN GOSPEL_ ‘But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.’ 2 Corinthians 4:3 If the Gospel be hidden, why is it hidden? A thing may be ‘hidden’ and made invisible to the eye from one or other of three causes: the organ of vision may be weakened or destroyed, or there may co... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL_ ‘The glorious gospel of Christ.’ 2 Corinthians 4:4 Why is it so hard to convince the world of this truth, that the Gospel of Christ is a ‘glorious’ Gospel? I. THE WORLD MUST SEE ITS OWN DEPRAVITY.—It might surprise us that the world is so slow to believe in its own depravit... [ Continue Reading ]
_CHRIST FIRST_ ‘We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord.’ 2 Corinthians 4:5 The Apostle not satisfied with convincing his countrymen and others that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was a good man, nor with enforcing the lessons of heavenly wisdom which proceeded out of His mouth. The Gospel h... [ Continue Reading ]
_YOUR SERVANTS FOR JESUS’ SAKE_ ‘We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.’ 2 Corinthians 4:5 Such is this great clergyman’s central and ultimate conception of the Christian ministry. He has much to say about it, elsewhere, from other sides;... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST_ ‘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.’ 2 Corinthians 4:6 A look is older than a word. You understood your mother’s looks before you under... [ Continue Reading ]
_TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS_ ‘But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.’ 2 Corinthians 4:7 This metaphor of the Divine treasure in earthen vessels sums up in a picturesque and easily remembered form much of the Apostle’s teaching... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE MARKS OF A CHRISTIAN_ ‘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.’ 2 Corinthians 4:10 We cannot reasonably suppose that it is necessary or desirable to aim at a literal interpretation of these words, as far as... [ Continue Reading ]
_AN ESTIMATE OF SUFFERING_ ‘Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 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 no... [ Continue Reading ]
_PERSONAL EXPERIENCE_ ‘While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.’ 2 Corinthians 4:18 The Apostle is here engaged with a matter of personal experience. He is explaining to his converts, as a true pastor will sometimes care to do, certain secrets of his a... [ Continue Reading ]