2 Corinthians 4:1 Since we are employed by the mercy of God, and not by our own qualifications, quitting is not an option. 4:2 We have renounced hidden agendas (employing a little bit of the law in an attempt to “balance” out grace); we have distanced ourselves from any obscure 1craftiness to manipulate God’s word to make it mean what it does not say! With truth on open display in us, we highly recommend our lives to every one’s 2conscience! Truth finds its most authentic and articulate expression in human life. This beats any doctrinal debate! (It is our passion for all to see what is so completely obvious in the mirror of our redeemed likeness and innocence! The word translated craftiness, is the word 1panourgia from pas and ergon, all manner of wearisome labor! 2Conscience in Latin means to know together; in the Greek, 2suneido, translates as joint seeing; which is the opposite of hades, not to see.) 4:3 If our message seems vague to anyone, it is not because we are withholding something from certain people! It is just because some are so stubborn in their efforts to uphold an outdated system that they don’t see it! They are all equally found in Christ but they prefer to remain lost in the cul-de-sac language of the law! 4:4 The survival and self-improvement programs of the 1religious systems of this world veil the minds of the unbelievers; exploiting their ignorance about their true origin and their redeemed innocence. The veil of unbelief obstructs a person’s view and keeps one from seeing what the light of the gospel so clearly reveals: the 2glory of God is the image and likeness of our Maker redeemed in human form; this is what the gospel of Christ is all about. (The god of this 1aion, age, refers to the religious systems and governing structures of this world. The unbelief that neutralized Israel in the wilderness was the lie that they believed about themselves; “We are grasshoppers, and the ‘enemy’ is a giant beyond any proportion!” [Num 13:33, Josh 2:11, Heb 4:6] “They failed to possess the promise due to unbelief.” The blueprint 2doxa, glory of God, is what Adam lost on humanity’s behalf. [See Eph 4:18]) 4:5 Even though we recommend ourselves with great confidence, it is not with arrogance; we do not preach ourselves! We preach Christ Jesus the Lord; we are addicted to this gospel; employed by Jesus for your sakes. 4:6 The light source is founded in the same God who said, “Light, be!” And light shone out of darkness! He lit the lamp in our understanding so that we may clearly recognize the features of his likeness in the face of Jesus Christ reflected within us. (The same God who bade light shine out of darkness has kindled a light in our hearts, whose shining is to make known his glory as he has revealed it in the features of Jesus Christ. — Knox Translation) 4:7 We have discovered this treasure where it was hidden all along, in these frail 1skin-suits made of clay. We take no credit for finding it there! It took the immense power of God in the achievement of Christ to rescue our minds from the lies it believed. (Greek word there for “earthen” 1ostrakinos, where we get our English word for “Oyster.” It is a great visual picture of how we carry a very valuable pearl within us. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in an agricultural field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” [Mt 13:44] God invested all that he has in the redeeming of our original value! He rescued the life of our design. Our inner life hosts the treasure of the life of our design. Jesus said in John 7:37,38, “If you believe that I am what the scriptures are all about, you will know that you are what I am all about and rivers of living water will gush out of your innermost being!”) 4:8 We often feel completely hemmed in on every side but our inner space remains unrestricted; when there seems to be no way out, we escape within! 4:9 At times we are persecuted to the extreme but we are never abandoned. We are knocked down but not knocked out. 4:10 Wherever we go, whatever we encounter in our bodies, we bear witness within us of the fact that Jesus died our death; in this same body, we now exhibit his life. The fact that we co-died in his death confirms that we now co-live in his resurrection! 4:11 Our day-to-day experience continues to exhibit that even in the face of death, our association with the death Jesus already died remains the inspiration of his life made so clearly visible within us. This is in such contrast to the circumstances that we are often faced with. 4:12 Living aware of our co-crucifiction with Christ (the thought of our mutual death) in the face of death threatening circumstances 1inspires life in you! (The word, 1energeo, translates as energy trigger.) 4:13 We 1echo the exact same spirit of faith David had when he wrote: “I believe and so I speak!” We too believe and so we speak! Our persuasion is our conversation. (The word, 1echo, means to hold or to embrace. Paul quotes David here in Psalm 116; sometimes one’s soul wants to gallop away into distraction like a wild horse; David speaks to himself and reminds himself to, “Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you!” [RSV] “I believe, and so I speak!” God’s bountiful dealings with us in Christ is our only valid rest; Sabbath celebrates perfection! And remember God does not employ circumstances to teach us something! The finished work of Christ teaches us; his work on the cross rescued us!) 4:14 The resurrection life we enjoy in Jesus fully includes you. 4:15 Whatever we go through in the gospel is to advantage you! We live for you! As grace abounds in more and more people so does the volume of gratitude in the accomplished mission of Jesus break through the sound barrier to exhibit the 1heart dream of God. ( The word, 1doxa, means glory, from dokeo, meaning intent opinion, the heart dream of God is his image and likeness redeemed in man.) 4:16 We have much reason to be brave! There might be a lot of wear and tear on the outside; but don’t be distracted by that! On the inside we are celebrating daily revival! 4:17 We are fully engaged in an exceedingly superior reality; the extent and weight of this glory makes any degree of suffering vanish into insignificance! The suffering is fleeting and ever so slight by comparison to the weight and enduring effect of this glory we participate in for all eternity. (In Afrikaans: Ons is totaal oorweldig deur die verbysterende ewige dimensies van heerlikheid wat reeds ons deel is en nooit onderskep kan word deur hierdie kortstondige ligte verdukking nie.) 4:18 We are not keeping any score of what seems so obvious to the senses on the surface, it is fleeting and irrelevant; it is the unseen eternal realm within us which has our full attention and captivates our gaze! (See John 1:18 Until this moment God remained invisible to man; now the 1authentic begotten son, (1monogenes, begotten only of God) the blueprint of man’s design who represents the innermost being of God, the son who is in the bosom of the father, brings him into full view! He is the 2official authority qualified to announce God! He is our guide who accurately declares and interprets the invisible God within us. (Official guide, 2eksegesato, from ek, preposition denoting source, and hegeomai, the strengthened form of ago, to lead as a shepherd leads his sheep; thus hegeomai means to be officially appointed in a position of authority. 2 Cor 3:18 The days of window-shopping are over! In him every face is unveiled. In gazing with wonder at the blueprint likeness of God displayed in human form, we suddenly realize that we are looking at ourselves! Every feature of his image is mirrored in us! This is the most radical transformation engineered by the Spirit of the Lord; we are led from an inferior mind-set to the revealed endorsement of our authentic identity.) Mirror Bible
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:06:47 +0000
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