PARAPHRASE. 'A further reason for my courage in presence of difficulty and affliction consists in my knowledge that if my body undergo the dissolution of death, I shall be endowed by God with an imperishable heavenly body. (2) My hope, however, and desire is that while still alive and in possession... [ Continue Reading ]
The subject of 2 Corinthians 4 is continued. St. Paul has been pointing out that amid bodily weakness and decay he is encouraged by the thought that the temporal is transient, while the spiritual is eternal. He now goes on to speak more particularly of the great prospect that sustains him—the replac... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR] introduces an additional reason for courage. Even if his earthly tent be taken down, if his body be broken up by death, God has prepared a heavenly mansion for him, a resurrection body which IS eternal. TABERNACLE] rather, 'tent.' BUILDING] contrasted with the temporary tent to which the earthl... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THIS] i.e. in this present body. CLOTHED UPON] St. Paul's idea was that the heavenly body would be superimposed upon the earthly one, at the same time transforming it. Conybeare and Howson render thus: 'Desiring to cover my earthly raiment with the robes of my heavenly mansion': cp. 1 Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
IF SO BE, etc.] This is a parenthesis explaining CLOTHED UPON in the previous verse. AV and RV are both rather obscure: better, 'Since, once this heavenly body is assumed, we shall be in no danger of being found disembodied by death.' NAKED] i.e. disembodied spirits. The shrinking of the ancients, b... [ Continue Reading ]
BURDENED] by the anxiety of uncertainty. NOT.. UNCLOTHED] The Apostle's desire was to gain the resurrection life without dying. He looked on Christ's coming as comparatively near at hand: cp. 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH WROUGHT US] St. Paul here argues for immortality and the resurrection life from the instinctive longings of the human heart. God has planted these longings there; He has confirmed them by the pledge of His Spirit in conscience, aspiration, and all spiritual blessings; and He will not in... [ Continue Reading ]
PARAPHRASE. 'With this hope in our hearts we are always courageous. We know that while we live in this mortal body we are away from the Lord, and that when we put off this body we shall be in His presence; (7) (for we live in anticipation, not yet having realised the vision of Christ.) (8) We are co... [ Continue Reading ]
ABSENT FROM THE BODY] St. Paul here grapples with the possibility of death before the second coming of Christ. To die was 'to be with Christ which is far better' (Philippians 1:23). Even death could not separate him from the love of Christ. If he did not then gain the full resurrection life, he woul... [ Continue Reading ]
PRESENT OR ABSENT] i.e. living or dead. ACCEPTED] RV 'well-pleasing.'... [ Continue Reading ]
APPEAR] RV 'be made manifest'; our conduct and character being disclosed. RECEIVE THE THINGS] i.e. the recompense of them: cp. Matthew 16:27; Revelation 22:12. _(IV) 5:11-19. THE LOVE OF CHRIST THE APOSTLE'S INSPIRATION_ In the recollection of this judgment the Apostle preaches. His motive is whol... [ Continue Reading ]
TERROR] the reverence or fear inspired by the thought that Christ is judge (2 Corinthians 5:10). WE PERSUADE MEN] i.e. of our sincerity, with a view to winning them. IN YOUR CONSCIENCES] The Corinthians as a Church believed in the Apostle.... [ Continue Reading ]
PARAPHRASE. 'Seeing, then, that we realise the awe inspired by Christ our judge, we try to convince men of our faithfulness and unselfishness: to God, indeed, our sincerity is already manifest, and also, I trust, to you in your secret thoughts. (12) Do not think that this is mere self-commendation.... [ Continue Reading ]
GLORY IN APPEARANCE] The false teachers boasted of external advantages (perhaps of having seen the Lord), which were no evidence of character and spiritual life.... [ Continue Reading ]
BESIDE OURSELVES] His enemies declared that he was mad; probably owing to his enthusiasm and vehemence in preaching: cp. Acts 26:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LOVE OF CHRIST] i.e. the love Christ has shown towards us. JUDGE] i.e. have come to this conclusion. ONE DIED FOR ALL] i.e. as the head and representative of the race. 'In Christ's saving death the moral transformation of all, which I may call death to sin, was included, and his saving death had... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THE FLESH] i.e. have regard to what is outward rather than to what is inward, to circumstances and position rather than to character and personality. KNOWN CHRIST AFTER THE FLESH] St. Paul once looked for a Messiah as a Jewish conqueror, and in the light of this expectation regarded Jesus as ... [ Continue Reading ]
PARAPHRASE. 'Since, therefore, it is holiness alone that is of importance, we, unlike our opponents, pay no attention to men's outward appearance and circumstances; even in the case of Christ, though I once regarded Him as merely a man and a Jew, yet I look at HIM in this way no longer, but rather a... [ Continue Reading ]
A NEW CREATURE] or, as we would say, a new man. He looks on things from a different standpoint, tries them by a different standard, because he is united to Christ in such a way that he lives always under Christ's indwelling, purifying, and transforming influence. ARE BECOME NEW] A new world opens to... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THINGS] i.e. all these changes. THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION] the whole message of the gospel conveyed by preaching, teaching, the sacraments, and the example of Christians, assuring men of God's love and leading them to accept the will of God as revealed in Christ as their own.... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD WAS IN CHRIST, etc.] When we see Christ teaching, healing, forgiving, comforting, and dying for men, we are to see there the expression of God's love and deep desire. In this atoning work Christ was 'the express image of His Person.' RECONCILING THE WORLD UNTO HIMSELF] The desire for reconciliat... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD] It is not God who needs to be reconciled to man, but man who needs to be reconciled to God.... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE HIM _to be_ SIN FOR US] Christ had to bear not the guilt, but the burden of sin. He bore its penalty not as a punishment, but as the innocent suffers for the guilty; feeling all its shame and horror, but free from the sense of guilt and degradation. Hence St. Paul says not, 'He hath made Him to... [ Continue Reading ]