2 Corinthians 2:17 - For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God:
The word corrupt is a Greek word that would be equivalent to our term swap-meet. The word of God is not for a swap-meet. We don't merchandise it. We don't compromise to get something back, or trade. We are not those who peddle the word of God!
But as of sincerity, and again, that's the word transparency, but as of God, accountability, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Wow, what a statement to make! Whether a person receives or rejects, our conscience is that we're going to be transparent, we're going to be accountable to God, and we're going to represent Him properly in Christ Jesus to people. Wow!
2 Corinthians 3:5 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
The word sufficient means capable. Not that we are capable of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2 Corinthians 3:6 - Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; (in contrast): not of the letter, but of the spirit:
Now I think that's very interesting. A person can know the bible backwards and forwards but not have the ministry of God's Spirit ministering that word. For the letter killeth, or kills, literally Present Tense. The letter is killing, but the Spirit gives life.
He's making reference to the Old Testament law. He says you can keep it all you want to, but it's not going to give you eternal life. The law was given to show us our need for Christ. If somebody tries to keep the law in order to inherit eternal life, they will die in their sins, because only the Spirit of God can give life.
2 Corinthians 4:9 - Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
He says I'm persecuted. The word persecuted in the Greek means to chase or to pursue. When Satan persecutes a Christian, he chases that person. There's nothing Satan can do except chase people, which is why Paul goes out of his way to say "Stand in Christ. Don't run. You have the armor of God on!
2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
For our light affliction, again THLIPSIS/Stress, which is but for a moment. So, he says in this earthly life, I see that the hardships that we have to go through, it's like compared to eternity, it's just a minute.
It works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; So, when you compare this affliction, or stress for now, compared to the glory that we're going to experience in the future, there's no comparison!
2 Corinthians 5:1 - For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Interesting that he calls his body a tabernacle, or more literally a tent, SKENE in Greek. When this tent dissolves, and it is also interesting that he's a tentmaker. But when this tent dissolves, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Please catch this: It wasn't Satan that blinded their minds that made them unbelievers. It says Satan hath blinded the minds of those who believe not. So, the unbelief came first. And secondly, Satan comes, and he blinds their minds, and the word mind is not PSUECHE (the psyche), but the NOEMA, the perceptive processes of the mind. Satan made it so that they could not perceive the truth of Christ any longer.
And he does this, lest the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine in them. So, he prevents it. They disbelieved the word. They're in the process of unbelief and Satan comes and blinds their minds.
2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
But we have this treasure, and that would be God's Spirit, in earthen vessels, and the word earthen is making reference to dirt or clay. It's the same word is used for the potters that mix and make clay. But it's basically the word dirt.
2 Corinthians 4:8 - We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
We are troubled on every side, and that's the word THLIPSIS, which has to do with pressure and stress. We are pressured and stressed on every side yet not distressed. It's not the end!
Secondly, we are perplexed. The word perplexed means the sense you get when you come to a fork in the road and you don't know which way to go, left or right. You are perplexed. Which way do I go? I don't know! But then he says but not in despair. Despair means there's no way out. We might be perplexed but we know there's a way out. We just don't know what it is yet.
"It wasn't Satan that blinded their minds that made them unbelievers. It says Satan hath blinded the minds of those who believe not. So, the unbelief came first.
I believe Israel's "temporary blindness" as a nation is directed at the ministry of the Law. It wasn't meant to give life under the Levitical priesthood.
There is a lot packed into this verse ( 2 Corinthians 4:4), and much more can be said but I tried to keep it short. Yes, I agree, Israel's blindness is temporary. God has made a promise to Israel and when the Lord returns, that promise will be fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass, or mirror, the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory. The word changed is actually the word transformation, metamorphosis. It is a transformation that takes place, that when we're fellowshipping with the Lord, and we look into the mirror, or the glass, and we're looking into the glory of the Lord, is that we are changed into that image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. He performs a transformation in us, a change. And Paul describes that for us in Chapter 5 about a new creation.
2 Corinthians 4:2 - But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Where it says, "nor handling the word of God deceitfully," this is a good one. The word handling and deceitfully are all one word. It's actually a pharmaceutical term that means unmixed. You don't mix the word of God with something else.
In fact, Paul in his first letter, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, he says when I came to you, my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. He didn't use any human manipulations. He just preached and it was the demonstration of Spirit and power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.
Paul says I minister so that your relationship with the Lord will be on the basis of faith, not human manipulation. And so, he says here, we have not handled the word of God deceitfully. We haven't mixed it with anything else. We just give you straight word.
2 Corinthians 3:13 - And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
Now in that last little phrase "Look to the end of that which is abolished," in the Greek, it basically tells us something that the Old Testament doesn't tell us.
If you remember Moses, actually seven times went up and down the mountain and conversed with God about various things. And when he would come down, his face was radiating because he had been conversing with God. And so, he put a vail over his face so that the people wouldn't be distracted or could see this glow.
This text tells us that the vail was put over his face so the people could not see the glory fading off of his face and become disheartened. But it faded away. The Greek text says so that the people could not see it fading away. After a while it went away. He put the vail over his face so that they couldn't see it disappear.
But he says we're not like Moses. We're very bold. Moses was very withdrawn and had to hide it so the people wouldn't get discouraged and wonder what was going on when the glow went away. Paul says very clear, very open, very bold, you know exactly what the gospel is. It isn't hidden. It's not behind a vail. It's out in the open.
2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: The word "that" is literally the. The Lord is (the) Spirit. Talk about deity! We're not talking about oneness in person. We're talking about oneness in essence. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they are all one God, equal.
2 Corinthians 3:15-16But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
( The it mentioned here is their heart!)
It is Israel that was blinded because they sought righteousness by the Law. Romans 9:31-32 and other places.
Also Romans 11:6-11 reads
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the ELECTION hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
A temporary blindness! Romans 11:25-26.
Quoting you!
Paul says very clear, very open, very bold, you know exactly what the gospel is. It isn't hidden. It's not behind a vail. It's out in the open.
That's very clear. The Gospel, "The Good news, or A good message "
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; Romans 9:30-32.
2 Corinthians 2:17 - For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God:
The word corrupt is a Greek word that would be equivalent to our term swap-meet. The word of God is not for a swap-meet. We don't merchandise it. We don't compromise to get something back, or trade. We are not those who peddle the word of God!
But as of sincerity, and again, that's the word transparency, but as of God, accountability, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Wow, what a statement to make! Whether a person receives or rejects, our conscience is that we're going to be transparent, we're going to be accountable to God, and we're going to represent Him properly in Christ Jesus to people. Wow!
2 Corinthians 3:5 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
The word sufficient means capable. Not that we are capable of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2 Corinthians 3:6 - Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; (in contrast): not of the letter, but of the spirit:
Now I think that's very interesting. A person can know the bible backwards and forwards but not have the ministry of God's Spirit ministering that word. For the letter killeth, or kills, literally Present Tense. The letter is killing, but the Spirit gives life.
He's making reference to the Old Testament law. He says you can keep it all you want to, but it's not going to give you eternal life. The law was given to show us our need for Christ. If somebody tries to keep the law in order to inherit eternal life, they will die in their sins, because only the Spirit of God can give life.
2 Corinthians 4:9 - Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
He says I'm persecuted. The word persecuted in the Greek means to chase or to pursue. When Satan persecutes a Christian, he chases that person. There's nothing Satan can do except chase people, which is why Paul goes out of his way to say "Stand in Christ. Don't run. You have the armor of God on!
2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
For our light affliction, again THLIPSIS/Stress, which is but for a moment. So, he says in this earthly life, I see that the hardships that we have to go through, it's like compared to eternity, it's just a minute.
It works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; So, when you compare this affliction, or stress for now, compared to the glory that we're going to experience in the future, there's no comparison!
2 Corinthians 5:1 - For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Interesting that he calls his body a tabernacle, or more literally a tent, SKENE in Greek. When this tent dissolves, and it is also interesting that he's a tentmaker. But when this tent dissolves, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Please catch this: It wasn't Satan that blinded their minds that made them unbelievers. It says Satan hath blinded the minds of those who believe not. So, the unbelief came first. And secondly, Satan comes, and he blinds their minds, and the word mind is not PSUECHE (the psyche), but the NOEMA, the perceptive processes of the mind. Satan made it so that they could not perceive the truth of Christ any longer.
And he does this, lest the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine in them. So, he prevents it. They disbelieved the word. They're in the process of unbelief and Satan comes and blinds their minds.
2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
But we have this treasure, and that would be God's Spirit, in earthen vessels, and the word earthen is making reference to dirt or clay. It's the same word is used for the potters that mix and make clay. But it's basically the word dirt.
2 Corinthians 4:8 - We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
We are troubled on every side, and that's the word THLIPSIS, which has to do with pressure and stress. We are pressured and stressed on every side yet not distressed. It's not the end!
Secondly, we are perplexed. The word perplexed means the sense you get when you come to a fork in the road and you don't know which way to go, left or right. You are perplexed. Which way do I go? I don't know! But then he says but not in despair. Despair means there's no way out. We might be perplexed but we know there's a way out. We just don't know what it is yet.
"It wasn't Satan that blinded their minds that made them unbelievers. It says Satan hath blinded the minds of those who believe not. So, the unbelief came first.
I believe Israel's "temporary blindness" as a nation is directed at the ministry of the Law. It wasn't meant to give life under the Levitical priesthood.
Blessings
There is a lot packed into this verse ( 2 Corinthians 4:4), and much more can be said but I tried to keep it short. Yes, I agree, Israel's blindness is temporary. God has made a promise to Israel and when the Lord returns, that promise will be fulfilled.
Blessings to you also!
2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass, or mirror, the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory. The word changed is actually the word transformation, metamorphosis. It is a transformation that takes place, that when we're fellowshipping with the Lord, and we look into the mirror, or the glass, and we're looking into the glory of the Lord, is that we are changed into that image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. He performs a transformation in us, a change. And Paul describes that for us in Chapter 5 about a new creation.
2 Corinthians 4:2 - But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Where it says, "nor handling the word of God deceitfully," this is a good one. The word handling and deceitfully are all one word. It's actually a pharmaceutical term that means unmixed. You don't mix the word of God with something else.
In fact, Paul in his first letter, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, he says when I came to you, my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. He didn't use any human manipulations. He just preached and it was the demonstration of Spirit and power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.
Paul says I minister so that your relationship with the Lord will be on the basis of faith, not human manipulation. And so, he says here, we have not handled the word of God deceitfully. We haven't mixed it with anything else. We just give you straight word.
2 Corinthians 3:13 - And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
Now in that last little phrase "Look to the end of that which is abolished," in the Greek, it basically tells us something that the Old Testament doesn't tell us.
If you remember Moses, actually seven times went up and down the mountain and conversed with God about various things. And when he would come down, his face was radiating because he had been conversing with God. And so, he put a vail over his face so that the people wouldn't be distracted or could see this glow.
This text tells us that the vail was put over his face so the people could not see the glory fading off of his face and become disheartened. But it faded away. The Greek text says so that the people could not see it fading away. After a while it went away. He put the vail over his face so that they couldn't see it disappear.
But he says we're not like Moses. We're very bold. Moses was very withdrawn and had to hide it so the people wouldn't get discouraged and wonder what was going on when the glow went away. Paul says very clear, very open, very bold, you know exactly what the gospel is. It isn't hidden. It's not behind a vail. It's out in the open.
2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: The word "that" is literally the. The Lord is (the) Spirit. Talk about deity! We're not talking about oneness in person. We're talking about oneness in essence. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they are all one God, equal.
2 Corinthians 3:15-16But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
( The it mentioned here is their heart!)
It is Israel that was blinded because they sought righteousness by the Law. Romans 9:31-32 and other places.
Also Romans 11:6-11 reads
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the ELECTION hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
A temporary blindness! Romans 11:25-26.
Quoting you!
Paul says very clear, very open, very bold, you know exactly what the gospel is. It isn't hidden. It's not behind a vail. It's out in the open.
That's very clear. The Gospel, "The Good news, or A good message "
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; Romans 9:30-32.
Peter sums this up in Acts 15:5-11.
Great study!
God bless.
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