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In all things we would show ourselves to be the ministers of God
The message of 2 Corinthians letter is very rich in spiritually and deep to every servant of God. For that reason I try to dig in to its roots. The message of this chapter is for you, who are Jesus’ disciple. Come along and get to know its very rich message.
2 Cor 6: Verses 1,2: Paul was as an apostle co-worker with the Lord and in this work connection He calls believers to receive the grace of God, but not in vain. In an acceptable time God will hear the people, and He will also help the people in the day of salvation. The Bible says: “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”. In Greek text words workers together are one word sunergeo, which means to work together, help in work, be a partner in labour, to put forth power together with and thereby to assist. Apostle Paul was called to work at connection with God and His congregation, and also every believer get same calling as Paul got. Of course there are different ministries, someone is evangelist, someone is one of the elders and so on. However, all believers get same calling to same work connection with the Lord and congregation, and you can work together with Him in that calling, which He has given for you. The most important goal of this work connection is to call the people into salvation, which is in Jesus Christ. Goal of Jesus’ disciple is also equipping servants of God through God’s Spirit and word. Each born again God’s child is a servant of God, this part to be His servant belong to every believer also for you. Verse 3: In text being
word offence is in Greek proskope, which means an occasion of stumbling and to
do something, which causes others to stumble. Word ministry is in Greek
diakonia, which means service, ministry and ministering. Initially, diakonia
meant service of those who prepare and present food, and later it generalized
to mean all kinds of serving. Every Jesus’ disciple gets from God his/her own
ministry. Verse 4: With all different life situations and phases Jesus’ disciples would show themselves to be the ministers of God. Patience is fruit of the Spirit. If we allow that God can affect in us patience, so in that way we show ourselves that we are ministers of God in afflictions, in necessities and in distresses. Patience is in Greek hupomone, which means enduring, patience and patient continuance (waiting). Hupomone also means that somebody has remained under burden or sufferings. The Spirit of God effect in the hearts of the believers patience and endurance. Although believer would be under heavy burden or in great suffering, so he/she is nevertheless a servant of God. In every suffering and hard situations, we must live by righteous attitude, because in that way we show ourselves to be the ministers of God, and not ministers of sin. Accept to suffer (when comes suffering into your life) with righteous heart, because in that way you will show yourselves to be minister of God. Word afflictions is in Greek thlipsis, which means afflicted (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble. Even if somebody tried crushing you, so nevertheless you are His servant. Although you are in oppression, or you are in some trouble, so nevertheless you are His servant. Although you are in some pain and trouble, so nevertheless you are His servant. The Bible teaches that we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God, Acts 14:22. In that verse is also word thlipsis. Servant of God must face many temptations and tribulations before he/she can enter into the kingdom of God. James wrote that count it all joys when you fall into various temptations. However, why the Bible teaches like this way? Temptations and trials achieve patience in believers life and patience bring about a perfect work that we may be perfect, complete and entire and lacking nothing, Jas 1:2-4. We can’t be perfect in this time, but we can grow to make perfect works by grace of God. Satan tries to ruin believers through temptations, but God raise and strengthen believers through temptations. Believers must learn to separate temptations and sin from one another, because otherwise on to our life comes bad problems. Temptation is enticement making of sin and temptation is not yet sin, but making according to temptation is a sin. Believers can’t get free about temptations. However, remember this that God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able. However, with the temptation, He will also make the way out, so that you may be able to bear it, 1 Cor 10:13. You don’t have to fall into temptations, because you can win temptations with help of God. The Bible teaches that there is the powerful weapon against sin, and it is that Christ having suffered for us in the flesh, also you arm yourselves with the same thought, that he who has been suffering in the flesh has ceased from sin, for him no longer to live in the lusts of men, but to live the remaining time in the flesh in the will of God. For the time of life having passed is sufficient for us to have worked out the will of the nations, having gone on in wantonness, lusts, drunkenness, parties, carousing, and unlawful idolatries; in which they are surprised, you not running with them into the same overflow of unsavedness, blaspheming, 1 Pe 4:1-4. What then means suffering in the flesh and has ceased from sin? When lusts of sin are teasing you, so turn to God and let Him affect through the Holy Spirit righteous life in you, and so you can suffer in your flesh. Your flesh loves sinful lusts and suffers when it can’t carry out sinful lusts. The Spirit of God set you free from sinful lusts and set you free to live according to measure of righteousness, Romans 8:13. When you don’t accept to make sin your flesh starts to suffer, but if you accept to suffer, so through that suffering you can receive righteous power and let it affect in your heart righteous life. Like this way you don’t make sin, but have ceased from sin. However, remember that we are not perfect in this time, but are growing towards it in this current world by the grace of God, Phil 3:12. Furthermore, through health grow you learn to choose and live according to will of God also without suffering of the flesh; you don’t have to suffer with all temptations when you achieve more mature in your faith life. However, we never can’t get totally free from suffering of the flesh, when we are ceased from sin. Serving of God is not slackness or pampering of the flesh, but it is following of Christ through patience of the faith, that we could inherit it. What has promised, Hebr 6:12. Will you allow that God can affect in you patience? Word necessities is in Greek anagke, which means distress, must needs, (of) necessity (-sary), needeth and needful. Ahead of force and necessities we show ourselves to be ministers of God. This world can’t force us to give up from serving of God, from that are as indication thousands death of martyrs. Not any distress can avoid us serving of God. Distresses word is in Greek stenochoria, which means anguish, distress, narrowness of place, a narrow place and metaph. dire calamity, extreme affliction. Stenochoria means such a kind of narrow place where suffering person feels him/herself as bound and harassed. Not any distress can’t shake a servant of God, if we live according to the will of God. Apostle Paul was in prison where he praised God despite his imprisonment. This world tries to bind a servant of God, but not any shackle can’t bind praising and love, which lives in the heart of God’s servant. If you understand and feel that you are bound in shackles and chains, so let God set you free praise and love Him. Remember that faith affecting by God is never bound surroundings circumstances. Faith is not needed for practising work of the flesh, but faith opens into your life those possibilities what God can do! Pages of the Bible are full of men and women who have seen through faith works of God. You have same possibilities like, they had been in theirs life. You have same Father, as they have! In your heart affects same Spirit, which affected in theirs hearts! Therefore, you have also equal hope to success in your life with God than they had! Verse 5: Stripes and imprisonment can’t avoid us serving God. Old covenant prophets, new covenant apostles and many martyrs are good examples from this. A word tumult is in Greek, akatastasia, which means commotion, confusion, tumult, instability, a state of disorder and disturbance. Deeply meaning about word akatastasia is such a kind of instability, which is rebellious and without order. This world sees believer who is devoted to God as rebel, who don’t act according to carnal flesh. Jesus’ disciple is spiritual man, and spiritual man doesn’t act according to carnal man. Difference between spiritual and carnal a man is so great, that this difference comes out very clearly. The Bible teaches that the people of this world are surprised, when believers are not running with them into the same excess of sinful riots, 1 Pe 4:4. If your desire is live godly in Christ so you will be persecuted and the world will taunt you. Persecution and mocking are so “wages paid in kind”, which every God loving believer get as his/her part. Therefore, brothers and sisters, I call on you through the compassion of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. Furthermore, be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God, Romans 12:1,2. I f you don’t accept that God can change you, so you must transform according to a sinful world. A Word labour is in Greek kopos, which means labour, trouble and weariness. Deeply meaning of word kopos is work that is very exhausting and taking troubles, which is either physical or spiritual. Servant of God may take trouble for the sake of the gospel, sometimes even so deeply that we exhaust physically and spiritually. Paul, Silvanus and Timothy worked in congregation of Thessalonica. They were gentle in a midst of Thessalonians, even as a nurse should warmly cherish her children. My wife and I have three children, and I know how gentle mother cherish her babies. Being a mother to an infant it is like four shift work, where mother must feed her baby in the mornings, by day, in the evenings and at nights. And so also apostles gentle cherished with a word of God congregation of Thessalonica, because they loved Thessalonians like mother loves her baby. They took trouble in love and worked in congregation by day and at nights, but they didn’t burden anybody. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy also exhorted, comforted and charged them like a father does to his children. They also taught Thessalonians to walk worthily in the Lord. This kind of self-sacrificing love God wants to affect in Jesus’ disciples. A word watching is in Greek agrupnia, which is sleeplessness and watching. God wants that His servant would be awake and not fell into sin or deceitful plots of Satan. It is very important that servant of God don’t fall asleep in the dark sleep of sin, but in this case would suffer “insomnia”. God has reserved to His servant also fast, which has meant to keep flesh in discipline. Fast has also important spiritual meaning. In the Bible also fasted Moses, David, Elijah, Daniel, Paul and Jesus. Verse 6: Word pureness is in Greek hagnotes, which means blamelessness and pureness. Grace of God is teaching us that we have denied ungodliness and worldly lusts, and we should live discreetly and righteously and godly in the present age, Titus 2:12. Word knowledge is in Greek gnosis, which means knowledge and science. Through faithfulness and love of the Holy Spirit servant of God learn to know Jesus Christ and Father God, Romans 16:25, 26; John 17:3 and Col 2:2. Word longsuffering is in Greek makrothumia, which means longsuffering and patience. Makrothumia means such a kind of long and patience mind. Which remains a long time as powerful and keep self-restraint. God affects that kind of mind quality mentioned above. Word kindness is in Greek chrestotes, which means gentleness, good(-ness) and kindness. Chrestotes means also useful and usable. Servant of God who dedicated him/herself to His Master (to God) smell good, gentle and kindness. This kind of servant is also useful vessel to His Master and prepared to every good work, through grace of God that glory of God would glorify to this world, 2 Tim 2:21. Servant of God has been meant to live in his/her life filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God kills our flesh that we can serve Him in the Holy Spirit. Believer who is ruled by his/her flesh can’t be acceptable to God, but Spirit of God will make from us acceptable to God through Jesus’ atonement work and through the death of our flesh that we can live according to righteous life. God has not saved us to live in sins, but He saved us that He could set us free from sins. Furthermore, He can do it through the power of the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:8-15. Word unfeigned is in Greek anupokritos, which means unfeigned, without dissimulation and without hypocrisy. Word love is in Greek agape, which means God’s love and that is love who isn’t in anybody else but in Him. Jesus’ disciples get as gift this love that he/she can love God and his/her neighbours. Love of God has been poured out in the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit, which He has given to believers, Romans 5:5. Love of God joined with truth of God’s word is the key that heart of the people can change towards will of God. Servant of God can’t pretend and not live collusively. Actors and actresses belong to theatres and not to congregation of God. God will make from His servant true and unfeigned servants. Verse 7: Word truth is in Greek aletheia, which means true, truly, truth and verity. Initially, aletheia meant opposite to a lie and that thing which was hidden is exposed. In the verse being word the word is in Greek logos, which means word, saying, account, speech, Word (Christ) and a thing. Servant of God will show him/herself as a servant of God by living in practise according to with will of God and through rightly dividing the Word of Truth and not twist and falsify it. Expression by the word of truth is very interesting expression, from which to my mind rise next kind of thought: Logos; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Furthermore, the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. The Lord Jesus is that Word, which is God and was made flesh. In the same way word will affect in us trough the power of the Holy Spirit and in that power we have ability to live according to what the word of God teaches us. Jesus as the Word exposes also sins and glorify the truth. You have also same task as a believer; expose sins and point out the truth to the people that people could be saved from the power of sin and Satan and enter into the kingdom of God. Weapons of righteousness are in both hands; we have the shield of faith and sword of the word in our hands, Eph 6. Use shield of faith to repression of fiery darts of wicked. Furthermore, use sword of the word as attack weapon towards evil spirits (For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places). You can as a servant of God raise up shield of faith to cover and protect you, but remember to stay behind the shield, because otherwise it won’t cover you. It means that you must live through faith as a servant of God, because otherwise the enemy will destroy you. Use sword of faith biblically; let God’s two-edged sword exposed to your heart and to this world sin and righteousness and a lie and the truth. Let two-edged sword point out to the Lord Jesus. Verse 8: A mature servant of God and his/her fruit of the life produce glory to God who has raised this life. Word dishonour is in Greek atimia, which means dishonour, reproach, shame and vile. In classical Greek atimia meant being outside of community and losing of civil rights. Servant of God will show him/herself to be minister of God, although some community will close him/her outside of community. Very often Jews and Muslims abandon such a person who receives salvation in Jesus Christ. Many Christian Arabs and messianic Jews are as proof to it, that isolation from own tribe can’t put down him/her who are Jesus’ disciple, but he/she can show that he/she is a minister of God. People often talk bad and false speeches about servants of God, Matt 5:11. Servant of God got into bad reputation through untruthful matters, but despite of it he/she is a servant of God and at the right time God will expose all lies for being untruthful. Good and clean wandering of God’s servant will make a great influence towards godless people. This appreciation brings good reputation to a servant of God. Word deceiver is in Greek planos, which means an impostor or misleaders, deceiver and seducing. People of this world keep believers often as instigators and deceivers, but despite of that Jesus’ disciples speak the truth and are servants of God. Verse 9: Servants of God are often unknown to this world, but God know His own nation. We can be as dying, but yet we live, because He who believe in Jesus Christ will never die. Somebody can chasten us, but they can ever kill our soul, because we serve God. Verse 10: Servant of God can be sorrowful, but nevertheless he/she rejoices in his/her heart God. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death, 2 Cor 7:10. Word poor is in Greek ptochos, which means penniless who don’t own nothing. This means that we are spiritually poor, and we don’t have in ourselves righteousness, but we get it as a gift from God through His grace, Matt 5:33. This free gift, our justification in Christ will make from us spiritually rich, we don’t own nothing, but in Christ, we get partition from all heavenly treasures. Verses 11-13: Apostle Paul’s heart was enlarged to receive righteousness of God. Many hearts of Corinthians were straitened to righteousness of God. Wed must enter the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are the ones who go through it. The way, which leads to destruction, is wide, because sin has broadened it. That gate which leads to the kingdom of God is narrow. That gate is narrow only relating to sin. However, when you have entered from a narrow gate, so inside are extensive and wide spiritual treasures. Remember this! God’s kingdom gate is narrow relating to sin, but inside in the kingdom of God all are wide and extensive in Christ. And in that kingdom Almighty, the Lord God shines grace and love. Verses 14-18: Servant of God can’t unequally yoke themselves with unbelievers. For what partnership does righteousness have with lawlessness? And what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God, even as God said, "I will" dwell in them and "walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. There is a powerful request that nation of God don’t mess up idol worshipping with worshipping of God. Servants of God have not any partition with idol worshipping, but we have to withdraw from such. Because God is our Father, and we are His sons and daughters and that is a will of Almighty God. This chapter has a lot of important teaching and part of its depth is yet covered from us. Let’s pray that it what we have examined would root into our heart and that, which is yet covered, will be open when the right time comes. Petri Paavola |
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