{"id":4948,"date":"2021-05-09T10:23:53","date_gmt":"2021-05-09T16:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=4948"},"modified":"2022-05-02T17:02:32","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T23:02:32","slug":"2-corinthians-41-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=4948","title":{"rendered":"2 Corinthians 4:1-2"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 <\/span>Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

2\u00a0<\/sup>But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man\u2019s conscience in the sight of God.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

craftiness (v.2) = cunning, stopping at nothing to achieve a selfish goal<\/h3>\n

deceitfully (v.2) = (lit.) to lure by using bait, to ensnare<\/h3>\n

manifestation (v.2) = disclosure, coming to light<\/h3>\n

conscience (v.2) \u2014 with the idea of innate discernment, self-judging<\/h3>\n

In other words, Paul said he wasn’t using Scripture to manipulate anyone. He was just speaking the truth and allowing his hearer’s innate discernment (and the Holy Spirit) to convince them of the truth.<\/h3>\n

Resuming the subject of his office as a minister of the Gospel of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, the Apostle points out that, before receiving this ministry, the mercy which it proclaims must be received\u2014that is, that the preacher must have first himself consciously accepted as a sinner God’s pardoning mercy in Christ before he can announce it to others; and he adds that the doctrine of a risen Savior makes the preacher victorious over all the fear of death, and over all the sufferings possible of infliction upon the “earthen vessel” in which the gospel treasure is carried. \u2014 Williams, page 900.<\/span><\/h3>\n

________<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

There was much now to cause the apostle to faint and to tempt him to give up. Turn to 2 Corinthians 11:23-29<\/span><\/a> and note the fearful persecutions which he had already by then endured.<\/span><\/h3>\n

There is a great lesson for us here, for Satan hates grace and does all in his power to oppose it. Indeed, 1 Corinthians 15:58<\/span><\/a> deals directly with this tendency on our part to become discouraged and give up: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, by ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”<\/span><\/h3>\n

We find more such encouragement in Galatians 6:9<\/span><\/a>, where the apostle urges us: “Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”<\/span><\/h3>\n

Notice carefully: “We shall reap if we faint not<\/em>.” Often, to be sure, one sows and another reaps, and both will be rewarded for their labors, but often Christians fail to reap the spiritual fruit of their labors because they have become discouraged and faint. But here we have God’s unfailing promise that “we shall reap if we faint not.” \u2014 Stam, pages 72-73.<\/span><\/h3>\n

__________<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Craftiness: [In today’s church] interdenominational boards must have at least an understanding among them that it is best not to discuss certain Bible subjects. This policy of tacitly classing such subjects as water baptism taboo is thought necessary simply because “an interdenominational organization is impossible without compromise.” There are many more forms of this sin, but this is one that has gained respectability and is widely defended. \u2014 Stamp, page 74<\/span><\/h3>\n

__________<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Paul got his message across by “manifestation of the truth.” There was no human philosophy, no psychological approach, no sophistry, no appeal to tradition. he simply related to his hearers what God says and as the Holy Spirit applied the Word, hearts were convicted and souls saved. \u2014 Stam, page 74.<\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2\u00a0But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2-corinthians"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4948"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7006,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4948\/revisions\/7006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}