The Poverty That Made Us Rich
8: 9

The poverty that made us rich DIG: In what ways did Yeshua become poor? In what ways has He made us rich? What does Messiah’s eternity have to do with our eternity?

REFLECT: What about Yeshua’s example motivates you to be generous with your money, time, and energy? What inhibits you? How are you rich spiritually? Impoverished?

Messiah did not make us materially rich, but gave us all the blessings of salvation.

In encouraging the Corinthians to bring their contribution to the collection for the poor believers in Jerusalem to a satisfactory completion (8:6a), Paul has thus far appealed to the example of the Macedonians (8:1-5), to the Corinthians’ own promising beginning (8:6b), to their desire for spiritual excellence (8:7), and again to the eagerness of the Macedonians (8:8b). Now he turns to the supreme example of Yeshua Messiah. The transition from 8:8 to 8:9, expressed by the word for, is revealing because it suggests that Paul saw in Messiah the finest example of One who showed eagerness and generosity in giving as a demonstration of His love (8:8a). If the sacrificial giving of the Macedonians did not stimulate the Corinthians to give to the collection, surely the example of Messiah’s selflessness would. For you know how generous our Lord Yeshua the Messiah was (8:9a).¹⁸⁷

The poverty of Messiah (8:9b): Although Yeshua possessed all the riches of ADONAI from all eternity, yet for our sakes He became poor. Some have understood that statement as a reference to Messiah’s financial poverty during His earthly life. However, the Lord’s true impoverishment did not consist of the lowly circumstances in which He lived, but in the reality that though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force. On the contrary, He emptied Himself, in that He took on the form of a slave by becoming like human beings are (Phil 2:6-7). In other words, the Lord Yeshua Messiah became poor in His incarnation, when He was born of woman (Gal 4:4), as a human being with a nature like our own sinful one, but without sin (Romans 8:3), a descendant of David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3), and made . . . for a little while lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7 and 9). He left heaven’s glory (John 17:5) and laid aside the free use of His divine prerogatives.

Though He existed in the form of God, possessing all the riches of deity, Yehsua emptied Himself by become poor by taking the form of a slave. He suffered human weakness and limitations, becoming hungry (Matthew 4:2, 21:18), thirsty (John 4:7, 19:28), and tired (Mark 4:38, John 4:6). In addition, He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). So completely did Yeshua identify with His people as their faithful High Priest (see the commentary on Hebrews, to see link click Ay – Messiah’s Qualifications as our Great High Priest), that He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on the cross. By doing so, He defeated the powers of hell, accomplished the work of redemption that God the Father had assigned to Him, and gave His people the priceless riches of salvation.

The riches of Messiah (8:9c): Though as God, Yeshua owns everything in heaven and on earth (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 10:14; Job 41:11; Psalm 24:1, 50:12; First Corinthians 10:26), His riches do not primarily consist of what is material. The riches in view here are those of Messiah’s supernatural glory, His position as God the Son, and His eternal attributes. Our eternal life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer) is tied to His eternal life. If He is not eternal, He must have had a beginning, and would therefore be a created being. The fact that Messiah is eternal offers clear, powerful, and irrefutable proof of His deity, for it is an attribute that only God can possess.

Despite the false claims of heretics throughout history, the Bible teaches that Yeshua Messiah is not merely preexistent to human history, but eternal. He does not depend on anything outside of Himself for His existence, nor was there ever a time when the Second Person of the Trinity came into being. Yeshua is not an emanation, a demigod, Michael the archangel, a spirit created by God, or an exalted man; He is the Creator (John 1:3 and 10; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2), not a creature.

As the Second Person of the Trinity, Yeshua is as rich as God the Father. To the Colossians Paul wrote: For in Yeshua all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9), and He is the radiance of the Sh’khinah glory and the exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:3). Arguments for Messiah’s eternity and deity are inseparable. Since the Scriptures reveal Him to be eternal, and only God can be eternal; thus, Yeshua must be God. As a result, He owns the universe and everything in it, possessing all power and authority (Matthew 28:18), and is to be glorified and honored (John 5:23; Philippians 2:9-11).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for how great and deep Your love is! You willingly wrapped Your arms around the limitations of a human body (Phil 2:5-11). You focused on the eternal joy of bringing many into heaven by humbly enduring a shameful death, for the joy set before You, You endured the cross, disregarding its shame (Heb 12:2b). Your loving arms welcome into Your family all who receive You as their Lord and Savior. But whoever does receive You, those trusting in Your name, to these You gave the right to become Your children (John 1:12). It would have been fair if You made us Your servants, but You gave those who love You the privilege of being Your children.

The gift of Messiah (8:9d): The purpose of Messiah’s taking on human flesh was so that by means of His poverty, poor sinners might become rich. He did not make us materially rich, but gave us all the blessings of salvation – forgiveness, joy, peace, eternal life, light, and glory. Peter described those riches as an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for us (First Peter 1:4). This was not the first time Paul had described the riches in Messiah to the Corinthians. In First Corinthians 1:4-5a he wrote: I thank my God always for you because of God’s love and kindness given to you through the Messiah Yeshua, in that you have been enriched by Him.

The glorious truth that believers have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah (Ephesians 1:3) through His self-emptying, self-sacrificial love should cause us to be grateful. More than that, however, it should motivate us to give freely, sacrificially, and generously to others. We must follow the example of our Lord who became poor to make others rich. How can we receive all the riches of Messiah and yet be unwilling to meet the needs of others (James 2:15-16)? John wrote: If someone has worldly possessions and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how can he be loving God (First John 3:17). Some may view Paul’s inclusion of this verse, with its profound theological truth, in the context of giving as odd. But that loses sight that theological truth does not exist in isolation from every life. The seemingly mundane issue of the collection was, in reality, connected to the central truth of our faith, namely, that Yeshua Messiah’s voluntary poverty makes the spiritually destitute rich.¹⁸⁸

A Biblical Model for Giving
8: 1-8

A biblical model for giving DIG: From First Corinthians 16:1, written about a year earlier, and Romans 15:25-27, written shortly after Paul had revisited Corinth, what is this collection all about? What do you learn about the Macedonians from their giving? In light of some of the struggles in Corinth, why would Paul call their attention to the Macedonian example?

REFLECT: What motivates you to give money? What motivates you not to give? What does it mean to give ourselves to God? Does the Bible say that you should tithe ten percent? How do you determine the difference between your “wants” and your “needs?” Were you taught about giving to the Lord when you were growing up? How can you teach your children now?

It is impossible to outgive God.

How people view money is an effective barometer of their spirituality. Money is neither good nor bad in itself; corrupt people can put it to evil uses, while godly people can put it to righteous uses. Though it is morally neutral, what people do with their money reflects their internal morality. In the words of Yeshua: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Luke 12:34). So, while the Bible doesn’t forbid possessing money, it does forbid loving it, warning that the love of money is a root of all evils (First Timothy 6:10). Loving money makes people forget God (Deuteronomy 8:11-14; Proverbs 30:9), trust in their riches rather than Him (Job 31:24-28; Psalm 52:7; Proverbs 11:28), steal from God (Malachi 3:8), and ignore the needs of others (First John 3:17; Proverbs 3:27).

The Bible also gives guidelines on how to spend money. It is to be used to provide for the needs of one’s household (First Timothy 5:8), pay debts (Romans 13:8), and save for the future (Proverbs 21:20 and 30:25). Having met those basic obligations, believers are ready to give money to further the Kingdom, which results in greater giving from God. It is impossible to outgive Him. The promises associated with giving should stimulate believers to be sacrificially generous givers. Sadly, the powerful lure of the world’s advertising, slick appeals from purportedly godly ministries, self-indulgence, and lack of faith all hinder believers from experiencing the full blessing of giving.¹⁸²

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for not only giving us the wonderful gift of salvation, but also giving us joy on earth as we lovingly give back to You! Two wonderful gifts that you have given to us are prayer and giving. In prayer we enjoy the pleasure of fellowship with You, and in giving we enjoy pleasing You. It is true that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Giving takes our eyes off our own circumstances and it reaches out with a helping hand to love and to comfort someone. What a great example, giving of Yourself to rescue mankind! You left heaven’s glory, humbled Yourself, took on the form of a servant and became obedient, even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-11). What great love and mercy You showed!

Giving is a pleasure as we offer our love back to You. It is a blessing to give; yet when we give, You return a greater blessing back on us, by Your loving approval. Thank You that it is not the size of the gift that gets your biggest approval; rather it is the size of the love from our heart that gets Your biggest approval. It is always a great joy to please You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

In these verses Paul used the example of the Macedonian’s remarkably generous response to the collection appeal to motivate the Corinthians to carry out what they had previously shown themselves ready to do. In doing so, Paul gives thirteen examples of godly giving.

1. Giving is motivated by God’s grace (8:1): Now, transitioning to a new subject, brothers, their relationship restored, we must tell you about the grace God has given the congregations in Macedonia, whom we use as an example of giving (8:1). The three churches Paul had in mind here were Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Macedonia was a terribly poor region, ravaged by wars and plundered by the Romans. But despite their deep poverty, the Macedonian believers were amazingly generous (2 Corinthians 11:9; Philippians 2:25, 4:15 and 18). The Corinthians were apparently unaware of the magnitude of the Macedonians’ generosity, prompting Paul to tell them about it. Their giving was not motivated primarily by philanthropy or human kindness, but by the grace of God at work in their hearts. One of the effects of saving, transforming, sanctifying grace is a longing to give generously and sacrificially to those in need, especially to other believers.

2. Giving transcends difficult circumstances (8:2a): Paul’s strong language vividly depicts the Macedonians’ great ordeal (Greek: dokime, referring to a trial) of affliction (Greek: thlipsis, literally, it refers to pressure, as in crushing grapes; figuratively, it describes the spiritual pressure the Macedonians endured from their poverty and persecution). Scripture repeatedly describes the suffering endured by the Macedonian churches (Acts 17:5-8; First Thessalonians 2:14-15; Second Thessalonians 1:4; Philippians 1:29). But the Macedonians rose above their difficult circumstances. They did not allow their situation to have a negative effect on their giving. In the midst of their trials, they put the needs of others, whom they had never met, ahead of their own. Though their poverty may have limited the amount they could give, it did not diminish their love. Devout believers give no matter what the situation, because the worst circumstances cannot hinder their devotion to Yeshua Messiah.

3. Giving is not hindered by poverty (8:2b): To express how little the Macedonians actually had, Paul described their impoverishment in strong language. Even though they were desperately (Greek: bathos, meaning extremely deep) poor. Or you could say, “They had hit rock bottom.” The poverty (Greek: ptocheia, meaning having almost nothing, or being forced to beg to survive) they experienced is likened to Messiah’s poverty when He emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant (Philippians 2:7). A related word, ptochos, is used to describe the blind and the lame (Luke 14:13 and 21), a destitute widow (Mark 12:42), and Lazarus the beggar (Luke 16:20). The Macedonians’ confidence that God would supply all their needs freed them to give generously. Devout believers do not wait until they have more money; they give despite their poverty (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Je – The Widow’s Offering). Giving is not a matter of how much one possesses, but is an expression of an unselfish and loving heart. The Macedonians’ refusal to allow their poverty to stifle their generosity made them models for biblical giving.

4. Giving is with abundant joy (8:2c): The Macedonians did not give grudgingly, reluctantly, out of a sense of duty of duress. They gave out of an abundance (Greek: perisseia, meaning a surplus or an overflow) of joy. They were never motivated by fear of divine punishment or of Paul’s displeasure. They gave gladly, freely, and joyfully, knowing that God loves a cheerful giver (9:7). In other words, the Macedonians’s joy transcended their pain, sorrow, and suffering. Paul wrote the Thessalonians, “You, indeed, became imitators of us and of the Lord; so that even though you were going through severe troubles, you received the Word with joy from the Ruach Ha’Kodesh” (First Thessalonians 1:6, and also see Acts 5:41). Their giving reflected that reality, as they joyfully gave of what little they had. They rejoiced at storing up wealth in heaven (Matthew 6:20, 19:21; Luke 12:33), knowing that the greater blessing is to the giver, not the receiver (Acts 20:35), and that ADONAI will give back in greater measure, give and it will be given to you (Luke 6:38).

5. Giving is generous (8:2d): Paul now explicitly states what has been implied throughout the passage, piling up words to express the profound generosity of the Macedonians. They overflowed in a wealth of generosity. Overflowed translates perisseuo, the verb form of the noun translated abundance above. Scripture uses it to describe the surplus goods of the rich (Mark 12:44), an abundance of material possessions (Luke 12:15), God’s saving grace that abounds in sinners (Romans 15:15; Ephesians 1:7-8), the abundant hope produced by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Romans 15:13), the abundant comfort that believers have in Messiah (1:5), and God’s abundant grace toward believers (9:8). Though they were not rich in material possessions, the Macedonians did possess a wealth of generosity (Greek: haplotes, meaning liberally, but can also be translated simply or sincerely). It is the opposite of being double-minded whose ability to give is crippled because of selfishness. But the Macedonians were rich in single-mindedness, giving no thought to themselves or to the world.¹⁸³

6. Giving is proportionate (8:3a): Paul had first hand experience of the Macedonians’ generosity (Philippians 4:15-18). I tell you they have not merely given according to their means. The Bible sets no fixed amount or percentage for giving (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Do – When You Give to the Needy, Do Not Do It to be Honored by Others). That would prove sacrificial for some but inconsequential for others. However, many churches can get pretty legalistic about giving ten percent. Taken from the TaNaKh (the Old Testament) they declare that it is the “biblical mandate for giving.” But if they really want to follow the biblical mandate of the “Old Testament,” they should encourage their members to give much more. In the Torah there are three main tithes, which equaled about twenty-five percent (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Cx – Do Not Neglect the Levite)!

7. Giving is voluntary (8:3b): The Macedonians giving was on their own initiative and of their own free will. They were not coerced, manipulated, or intimidated. It is possible that Paul, aware of their deep poverty, had not even asked them to contribute to the destitute Jews in Jerusalem. It is evident from 8:10 and 9:2 that about a year had passed since he first told the Corinthians about the collection. When Paul told the Macedonians about the zeal of the Corinthians to contribute, the Macedonians were also moved to give (9:2). Events had then come full circle. The Corinthians’ zeal had initially prompted the Macedonians to give, now Paul held them up as an example of sacrificial giving for the lagging Corinthians to imitate.

8. Giving is sacrificial (8:3c): The Macedonians gave according to what they had, but in proportions that were sacrificial. In other words, they have given beyond their means; beyond what could reasonably be expected of such poor congregations. Life was difficult for them. They faced extreme poverty and persecution. Yet, despite their desperate circumstances, they joyfull gave with no regard for themselves, compelled by the needs of the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. They believed God’s promise to supply all their needs (Philippians 4:19), and refused to worry about them (Matthew 6:25-34), gladly placing themselves in deeper dependence on Him. Like David, who would not give the Lord something that cost him nothing (see the commentary on the Life of David El – David Builds an Altar), and the poor widow who gave all she had (Mark 12:42-44), the Macedonians gave with selfless abandon.

9. Giving is a privilege, not an obligation (8:4): Paul once again stressed that he in no way pressured the Macedonians to give. Instead, they begged and pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service for God’s people. The Greek word begged is deomai, and is a strong word meaning to implore. It is used in Luke 5:12 of a leper who implored Yeshua to heal him, in Luke 9:38 of a father’s desperate plea for Messiah to cast a demon out of his son, and in Second Corinthians 5:20 begging sinners to be reconciled to ADONAI. The Greek word for privilege is charis, which is commonly translated grace. They literally begged for the blessing of helping to meet the needs of believers they had never met. They did so, not out of a sense of obligation, but out of the generosity of their transformed lives.

10. Giving is an act of worship (8:5a): Also introduces the next feature of the Macedonians’ giving. They didn’t do this in the way Paul had expected. He had hoped for an offering, which they did give freely, but they first gave themselves to the Lord. The Greek word for first (protos) has the meaning here not of first in time, but of first priority (Mark 6:21; Luke 19:47; Acts 13:50, 16:12, 17:4, 25:2, 28:7 and 17). The Macedonians’ first priority was to give themselves wholeheartedly to the Lord, and giving financially to the church followed. The supreme act of worship is not giving money, attending services, or singing worship songs, but giving oneself (Romans 12:1-2). As a holy priesthood, believers are to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Yeshua Messiah (First Peter 2:5), the most important of which is themselves. Only when a devout life, given to Messiah wholly, does financial giving become an acceptable act of worship.

11. Giving is submitting to biblical authority (8:5b-6): Having given themselves to the Lord, the Macedonians also gave themselves to Paul, Titus, and Timothy. In fact, it was their devotion to the Lord which led them to submit to the leadership of their pastors. It is God’s will (8:5) that believers submit to those over them in the Lord. Hebrews 13:17 instructs believers, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your lives, as people who will have to render an account. So make it a task of joy for them, not one of groaning; for that is of no advantage to you. Confident that the Corinthians would follow the example of the Macedonians and submit to their pastors’ direction, Paul urged Titus to bring this same gracious gift to completion among you, since he has already made a beginning of it about a year earlier (First Corinthians 16:2) when he brought the severe letter to them. So, Paul through his letters and Titus through his visit had both informed the Corinthians about what they encouraged them to do.¹⁸⁴

12. Giving is closely tied to other godly virtues (8:7): Giving does not take place in a vacuum, isolated from other godly virtues. It cannot be done contrary to what is in the heart, for that would be hypocrisy. Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthians, “Just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in diligence of every kind, and in your love for us – see that you excel in this gift too (8:7). The Macedonians had shown by their astonishingly generous response to Paul’s appeal for the collection. When he likewise urged the Corinthians participate, it was an opportunity for them to demonstrate the genuineness of their own godly virtues. True love never leaves us content merely to talk; it has to be expressed through our actions (Luke 19:1-10; First John 3:16-18).¹⁸⁵

13. Giving is proof of love (8:8): As he concluded his discussion of a biblical model for giving, Paul reminded the Corinthians that he was not issuing an order. That emphasized yet again the fundamental principle that giving in the church is voluntary, freewill giving. Had Paul prescribed an amount or a fixed percentage, the Corinthians’ giving would have been in obedience to an order. Rather, Paul challenged the Corinthians to prove the genuineness of their love against the diligence of the Macedonians. The true test of love is not feelings, but actions: If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if a person does not love his brother, whom he has seen, then he cannot love God, whom he has not seen. Yes, this is the command we have from Him: whoever loves God must love his brother too (First John 4:20-21). The voluntary, generous, sacrificial giving modeled by the Macedonians was an example not only for the Corinthians, but also for all believers. It is the path to experiencing the rich blessings of ADONAI in this lifetime and for eternity.¹⁸⁶

The Call to Complete the Collection
8:1 to 9:15

Having spoken of his great joy and relief at the news Titus brought of the Corinthians’ response to his severe letter, Paul proceeded to take up with them the matter of the collection which was being made among the Gentile churches to assist the poor Jewish believers of Jerusalem. Those Jewish believers had been hit hard by the outbreaks of famine during the reign of Emperor Claudius (41-45 AD) and the largely Gentile church in Syrian Antioch had responded quickly by sending relief by the hand of Barnabas and Paul (Acts 11:27-30). In Galatians 2:10 Paul told how the leaders of the Messianic community in Jerusalem, having recognized that he was the apostle to the Gentiles, urged him to continue remembering their poor, which Paul said he was eager to do. By the time First Corinthians was written (55 AD), the apostle had already begun seeking aid from the churches in Galatia, and the Corinthians had heard about it and asked to be allowed to share in his ministry (see the commentary on First Corinthians, to see link click Dz – Giving to God’s Work). By the time Second Corinthians was written (56 AD), Paul had contacted the Macedonian churches and they begged and pleaded with Paul for the privilege of sharing in this service for God’s people (8:4). Now he was using the example of their generosity to stimulate the Corinthians to complete the collection which they had previously shown themselves ready to do.¹⁸¹ Paul based his appeal on a fairly straightforward line of reasoning: The Gentiles, who have been blessed spiritually by the Jews, should help them and bless them financially.

The Effects of the Severe Letter
7: 5-16

The effects of the severe letter DIG: Paul picks up the account of his travels which he left off in 2:12-13. How does his account in 7:5-7 illustrate why he began this letter with thanks to God for his comfort (1:3-7)? What was the result of Paul’s previous letter to them? What intentions does Paul clarify here? What tone of voice do you hear in verse 16? In light of the previous severe letter, why did Paul emphasize his present joy and confidence?

REFLECT: Have you ever been confronted about a wrong by someone who loves you? How did you feel toward that person at the time? How are godly sorrow and worldly sorrow different? What determines which type of sorrow a person has? When is it more loving to confront someone with their sin than to ignore it? What attitudes are needed to keep loving confrontation from becoming judgmental? How do you see those attitudes in Paul?

Confrontation of sin leads to pain and sorrow, which leads to repentance, which leads to salvation.

There are few things in life more painful than broken relationships. This is especially true in ministry. Difficult relationship between the sheep and the shepherds. As he wrote Second Corinthians, Paul nursed a broken heart over the church he founded, loved, and served. The church in which he had invested nearly two years of his life had repaid him with disloyalty. They had allowed false apostles (to see link click Af – The Problem of the False apostles) to come into their assembly and attack Paul’s character and ministry. One of them had apparently verbally assaulted Paul (2:5-10) during the apostle’s painful visit to Corinth (see Ao – Paul’s Painful Visit). That the majority of the church had not defended him from those attacked wounded him greatly. The visit was so discouraging that he didn’t want to return to Corinth and expose himself to more pain (2:1). As a result of the visit, he had written a sternly worded letter, rebuking the Corinthians for their disloyalty and lack of love toward him. Paul sent the letter to Corinth with Titus, who was to bring the Corinthians response back to him. At that point the narrative broke off, and Paul entered into a prolonged digression about his ministry (see Ar – Paul Reflects on His Ministry). Here, in 7:5, the apostle returned to the effects of that severe letter.

When Paul came into Macedonia from Troas in search of Titus, his body had no rest. Nothing had changed, he had no relief from his concern over the situation in Corinth. On the contrary, he had new concerns. What if the severe letter had made things worse? Was the breach with the Corinthians now irreparable? How would they treat Titus? Instead of hope, Paul found himself faced with all kinds of troubles – altercations without, apprehensions within. But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us with the arrival of Titus, which brought joy to Paul’s heart (7:5-6)! The report was good. There were still some unresolved problems (which Paul addressed in Chapters 10-13), but the majority of Corinthian believers had repented and reaffirmed their loyalty to the apostle and the truth he taught, which brought him immense relief.

This very personal section offers profound insights into restoring broken relationships. It lists seven signs of a genuine desire for real restoration. And though the context is the relationship between a pastor and his congregation, these principles are vital for restoring any broken relationship.¹⁷⁷

1. Loyalty (7:7): As noted above, Titus’ return encouraged Paul. However, the apostle was not only comforted by his arrival, but also how encouraged he was by the Corinthians. Titus shared Paul’s concern over the Corinthians’ rebellion and no doubt viewed his mission to Corinth with some anxiety, not knowing what to expect. But the Corinthians brought him comfort and joy by their repentant attitude. They had responded properly to the severe letter. Specifically, Titus told Paul how the Corinthians longed to see him, how distressed they were over his situation, and how zealous they were for his defense. Taken all together, this points to their loyalty to Paul. Their attitude was not one of grudging acceptance of Paul’s apostolic authority. They longed to see him. Realizing that their sin had caused him pain, they were distressed over the breach in their relationship. They also expressed zeal, both to restore their relationship with Paul and to defend him against any further attacks. Their loyalty encouraged Paul so much that the news made him even happier than Titus’ return!

2. Repentance (7:8-10): The Corinthians not only responded correctly to Paul but also to God. They reaffirmed their loyalty to the apostle and acknowledged their disloyalty to him as a sin against God. That recognition is essential to restoring broken relationships. Paul knew that he had caused the Corinthians pain by the severe letter that he had sent them. And, as his parenthetical statement: I do not regret it. Even if I did regret it before reveals, he did experience temporary remorse over writing that letter. While he anxiously waited for Titus to return with the Corinthians’ response, the apostle worried that the letter might have made things worse. That letter did in fact cause them distress, though only for a short time (7:8).

Sometimes confronting sin requires going beyond what love and compassion might be comfortable with. But it is necessary to do so, because sin is a deadly killer. Paul was not an abusive, harsh disciplinarian, but a reluctant one, and he took no joy in causing temporary pain to the Corinthians. He was like a father with mixed feelings about disciplining a beloved child. But what motivated him to write the severe letter was his love for them, the truth, and his fear of the consequences of their sin. Despite his temporary regret, Paul knew that discipling the Corinthians’ sin had to be done.

There are times in the ministry when strong confrontational words are necessary. Sin crouches at the door; false apostles are everywhere, Satan constantly seeks to destroy the work of God. The faithful shepherd must not shrink from calling his sheep to obedience to Scripture. Therefore, Paul could rejoice, not that the Corinthians were pained, but because the pain led them to turn back to God. His regret vanished when he saw the fruit of their pain. For you handled the pain in God’s way, so that you were not harmed by us at all. Pain handled in God’s way produces a turning from sin to God which leads to salvation, and there is nothing to regret in that (7:9-10a)! The progression is obvious: confrontation of sin leads to pain and sorrow, which lead to repentance, which leads to salvation.¹⁷⁸

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being such a wise Father! Thank you for Your perfect love and holiness. You are never cruel in correcting, but You always discipline lovingly. You seek to bring me to joy, when I walk in obedience and fellowship with You. “My child, do not take lightly the discipline of ADONAI or lose heart when you are corrected by Him, because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every child He accepts.” (Hebrews 12:5-6). You have the perfect balance of punishment for sin in Your correction and loving forgiveness upon repentance. May You guide me to follow Your example of not avoiding discipline when it is needed, but in doing it with love and kindness. In your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

But pain handled in the world’s way produces only death (7:10b). There are two ways of handling pain. Ungodly, worldly sorrow, merely being sad or experiencing pain, has no virtue in it. It is concerned with self, not ADONAI or others who have been harmed; and it leads to self-hatred, self-pity, depression, despair and death. Godly sorrow, on the other hand, leads to repentance (Hebrew: t’shuvah), turning from sin to God, making restitution for wrongs, and resolving to act righteously. Ha’Shem is not interested in one’s merely feeling sorry for having sinned, but in one’s resolute, turning from sin and not doing it again when tempted with a similar situation in the future.¹⁷⁹

3. Purity (7:11): To Paul’s greal relief, the Corinthians proved themselves blameless (Greek: hagnos, meaning innocent or free from sin) in the matter. They demonstrated the genuineness of their repentance by their purity. This verse lists seven characteristics of purity that true repentance produces, and it provides the clearest definition of repentance found anywhere in the Bible. Paul introduced those characteristics with the emphatic phrase for just look, which indicated his overwhelming joy. The apostle was excited by Titus’ report of the improved situation at Corinth. The repeated use of the comparative word what in the Greek before each characteristic underscored the intense emotion felt by Paul.

First, what handling the pain God’s way produced in you! What earnest diligence. Their godly sorrow produced an eagerness for righteousness on their part. It ended the indifference toward Paul and their complacency about their sin. They were eager to make things right, and to restore their broken relationship with the apostle.

Second, what eagerness to clear your name (Greek: apologia, meaning vindication or a speech in defense of). It describes Paul’s vindicating himself before the mob at Jerusalem (Acts 22:1 and 25:16), his defense of his rights as an apostle (First Corinthians 9:3), his defense of the Gospel (Philippians 1:7 and 16), and his defense before the Roman authorities (Second Timothy 4:16). The Corinthians had a strong desire to clear their name, remove the stigma of their sin, rid themselves of their guilt, and prove themselves trustworthy. Therefore, they made sure that all who had known of their sin then knew about their repentance.

Third, what indignation. The Corinthians were outraged over their sin; they were angry that they had brought shame on themselves, offended Paul, and sinned against God. Now they hated the sin that they had previously cherished (Romans 6:21).

Fourth, what fear. The Corinthians’ fear proved the genuineness of their repentance. They had humble fear and awe of ADONAI as the One who disciplines (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Their brash, bold sinning had turned into a respectful concern that they no longer disobey and dishonor Him.

Fifth, what longing. The Corinthians’ repentance resulted in a longing or yearning to see their relationship with Paul and the Lord restored.

Sixth, what zeal. The Corinthians experienced a renewed zeal for holiness. Zeal is a combination of love and hate. It produces a strong love that hates anything that would harm the object of love. Yeshua Messiah expressed both aspects of zeal when He cleansed the Temple (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Iv – Jesus Entered the Temple Area and Drove Out All Who Were Buying and Selling). It was His passionate love for His Father’s House that caused Him to hate the terrible sin that defiled it.

Seventh, what readiness to make things right! This was the evidence of their repentance. Truly repentant people have a strong desire to see justice done and to make restitution for the wrongs they have committed (2:6-7). Instead of making excuses, the Corinthians accepted the full responsibility of their sins. Therefore, repentance had brought purity to the sinning believers in the Corinthian church, and every aspect of their lives reflected it.

4. Devotion (7:12): Because of the Corinthians’ immaturity and sinfulness, they were worldly and living by merely human standards (First Corinthians 3:3). As a result, they had lost touch with how they truly felt about Paul. So one of the apostles’ goals was to strip away their sinful, wordly attitudes and reveal to the Corinthians their real attitude toward him. Paul led up to his point by first eliminating other potential reasons for writing. This roundabout approach served to heighten the dramatic effect of his words. When he wrote the severe letter, it was not for the sake of either the one who did the wrong. He did not write primarily to condemn the man who had caused him so much grief during his painful visit. Nor was his main concern for himself as the one wronged. In other words, he was not seeking personal revenge. The most important reason Paul wrote the severe letter was so that before God you could see for yourselves how deep is your devotion to us. His letter peeled back the layers of deceit that had encrusted their hearts and let them see Paul as the trusted servant of God they had always known him to be.

5. Unity (7:13): The Corinthians repentance, purity, and renewed loyalty to Paul were reason enough for him to be encouraged. But besides his own encouragement, Paul received even greater joy of seeing how happy Titus was over the Corinthians’ repentance and obedience. Because of their repentance, his mind had been set at rest Greek: anapauo, meaning temporary relief as opposed to a permanent peace). Though he was overjoyed at the good news from Corinth, he was wise enough to realize that pockets of dissent still existed. Their many factions (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ak – Splits and Division in the Church at Corinth) had resulted in the most chaotic church in the B’rit Chadashah. But now they had come together, seeking to restore their relationship to Paul and his teaching.

6. Obedience (7:14-15): As a result of their repentance, many of the Corinthians who had rebelled against Paul now submitted to him (Hebrews 13:7). He had been confident that they were genuine believers and would repent when confronted with their sin. Therefore, he had boasted somewhat to Titus before sending him to Corinth that the Corinthians would respond obediently. Paul, in a sense, staked his reputation on the outcome, and now, after hearing the positive report from Titus, was relieved that he had not been made to look foolish. On the contrary, just as everything Paul had said to them was true (2:17, 4:2, 6:7), so too our boasting in front of Titus has proved true (7:14). His truthfulness and discernment were vindicated by the Corithians’ obedient response. It meant that his integrity, and thus his usefulness to them as a servant of God remained intact.

The Corinthians’ received Paul’s representative, Titus, with reverence and respect (First Corinthians 2:3; Ephesians 6:5; Philippians 2:12). This had calmed Titus’ fears and caused his affection for them to be all the greater as he remembers how ready you were to obey (7:15). Their willing obedience to the Word of God proved the genuineness of the Corinthians’ repentance. When people are truly repentant, they submit to the commands of Scripture without hesitation. To have a congregation of such obedient people brought joy to the hearts of Titus and Paul.

7. Trust (7:16): I am glad that I can have such complete confidence (Greek: tharreo, means to be courageous or to dare) in you. Paul’s reaffirmation of his trust in the Corinthians brought closure to the issue. Paul had the courage to entrust himself to the Corinthians once again and dare to believe that they would not fail him. This is a fitting climax to the second section of the book, Chapters 1-7 (see Ak – Paul Defends His Ministry). The Corinthians’ repentance encouraged Paul to share with them a project that was dear to his heart, the collection for the needy Jewish believers in Jerusalem (see Bm – The Call to Complete the Collection). It also gave him the boldness to confront the last remaining pocket of resistance to his apostolic authority (see Br – Paul Defends His Apostolic Authority).¹⁸⁰

Titus Brings Good News from Corinth
7:5 to 9:15

The location of this section in the structure of the letter should be noted. These verses pick up the personal defense of his ministry broken off at Troas (2:12-13) to develop Paul’s lengthy digression of his B’rit Chadashah ministry (to see link click Ar – Paul Reflects on His Ministry). It is likely that Paul delayed the expression of confidence in his “severe letter” (see Bl – The Effects of the Severe Letter) until he had completed the defense of his ministry in the extended digression. This section resumes that personal defense from Macedonia (see Aq – Paul’s Anxiety in Troas). It is not merely a review, but serves to lead the reader through the remainder of the letter. In Chapters 9 through 13, Paul repeatedly speaks of his intention to come to Corinth (9:4, 10:2 and 6, 12:14 and 20-21, 13:1-2 and 10, 11:9). The joyous confidence expressed in the positive response to Paul and to Titus as a result of the “severe letter” laid the pastoral foundation from which to address matters that the Corinthians needed to rectify.¹⁷⁵

The first of which was the collection. This was not the first time the Corinthians had heard of the collection for the poor Jews in Jerusalem (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dz – Giving to God’s Work). Paul gave them certain information and directions about the project they had probably requested in their earlier letter. First Corinthians 16:1 points to a topic discussed in the Corinthians’ letter to Paul. Therefore, when the apostle sent Titus to deliver and reinforce the effects of the “severe letter,” Paul probably requested that he attempt to revive the languishing collection if the Corinthian church responded favorably to the letter (8:6a). No significant progress seemed to have been made, although there had been some giving (8:10). Now, with the firm evidence from Titus of the Corinthians’ loyalty to him, Paul could discuss the project again and press for its early completion.¹⁷⁶

Can Believers be Demon-Possessed?

God’s Word is our only reliable source of truth about Satan and demons. 

Princeton theologian and scholar Dr. Charles Hodge rightly warned, “No amount of learning, no superiority of talent, nor even the pretension to inspiration, can justify a departure from the truths taught by men to whose inspiration God has borne witness. All teachers must be brought to this standard; and even if an angel from heaven should teach anything contrary to the Scriptures, he should be regarded as anathema (see the commentary on Galatians, to see link click Aj – No Other Gospel). It is a matter of constant gratitude that we have such a standard whereby we test the spirits (First John 4:1-6) to see whether they are from God.

What does God’s Word, the benchmark of truth, say? Can demons inhabit a true believer? Can demons walk through an open door and become a squatter? Proponents of today’s spiritual warfare movement say yes, but they base their answer on subjective experience, not on God’s Word. The Bible makes it clear that such a claim has no justifiable basis.

There is no clear example in the Bible where a demon ever inhabited or invaded a genuine believer. Never in the books of the B’rit Chadashah are believers warned about the possibility of being inhabited by demons. Neither do we see anyone rebuking, binding, or casting demons out of a true believer. The epistles never instruct believers to cast out demons, whether from a believer or unbeliever. Messiah and the apostles were the only ones who cast out demons, and in every instance the demon-possessed people were unbelievers.

The collective teaching of Scripture is that demons can never literally indwell a true believer. A clear implication of Second Corinthians 6 (see Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers), for example, is that the indwelling Ruach Ha’Kodesh could never cohabit with demons, “What harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said: I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (6:15–16). Yeshua said: I am the light of the world (John 8:12) and His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5). In other words, the light drives out the darkness. At the moment you are saved, the Lord (along with the Ruach Ha’Kodesh and God the Father) takes up residence in you. You are the temple of the living God (First Corinthians 6:19). And since that light lives in you, and drives out the darkness, no believer can be “demon possessed.”

In Colossians 1:13, Paul says God “delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”  Salvation brings true deliverance and protection from Satan. In Romans 8:37, Paul says we overwhelmingly conquer through Messiah. In First Corinthians 15:57, he says God gives us victory. In Second Corinthians 2:14 he says God always leads us in triumph. In First John 2:13, John says we have overcome the Evil One. And, in First John 4:4, he says the indwelling Ruach Ha’Kodesh is greater than the Devil, Ruler of this world. How could anyone affirm those glorious truths, yet believe demons can indwell genuine believers?

Demon possession and true conversion: Many of the leading voices in today’s spiritual warfare movement are too quick to hail every profession of faith in Messiah as proof of salvation. That reflects the easy-believism that has swept this generation.

A thorough biblical understanding of the doctrine of conversion makes it clear that demons could never indwell or possess a believer. Jonathan Edwards (1703 to 1758), one of the chief fathers of the Great Awakening, wrote about genuine conversion, “Scripture describes conversion in terms which imply or signify a change of nature: being born again, becoming new creatures, rising from the dead, being renewed in the spirit of the mind, dying to sin and living to righteousness, putting off the old man and putting on the new, becoming partakers of the divine nature, and so on.”

“It follows that if there is no real and lasting change in people who think they are converted, their religion is worthless, whatever their experiences may be. Conversion is the turning of the whole man from sin to God. God can restrain unconverted people from sin, of course, but in conversion he turns the very heart and nature from sin to holiness. The converted person becomes the enemy of sin.”

“What, then, shall we make of a person who says he has experienced conversion, but whose religious emotions soon die away, leaving him much the same person as he was before? He seems as selfish, worldly, foolish, perverse and unbelieving as ever. This speaks against him louder than any religious experiences can speak for him.”

Speaking of those who had made a profession of faith only to end up back in the world, John writes: They went out from us, but they didn’t really belong with us (believers). For if they had belonged with us, they would have remained with us; but their going back into the world showed that none of them belonged with us (First John 2:19 NIV).

In Yeshua Messiah, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, neither a dramatic experience nor a quiet one, neither a wonderful testimony nor a dull one, counts for anything. The only thing that counts is being a new creation (see Bb – A New Creation).

In Matthew 12, Messiah rebuked those who were following Him just for the sake of witnessing great signs and wonders: When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came”; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation (Matthew 12:43–45).

Instead of responding with spectacular signs and wonders, Messiah addressed their need for salvation. Many people appear to have their lives in order. But in reality, they have not trusted Messiah as Savior and Lord. Their souls are “unoccupied” — that is, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh does not indwell them. Thus, they are open to demonic invasion. That cannot be true of those whose bodies are temples of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Second Corinthians 6:16).

According to First Peter 1:5 when Messiah reigns in a person’s life, that person is shielded by God’s power. As a result, the Evil One does not touch him (First John 5:18). When the Ruach Ha’Kodesh inhabits a person, no demon can set up a house as a squatter. Indwelling by demons is only evidence of a lack of genuine salvation.¹⁷⁴

Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers
6:14 to 7:1

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers DIG: What arguments did Paul present to convince the Corinthians not to have close partnerships with unbelievers? How are believers to rightfully relate to the unbelieving world? What do dating and marriage have to do with this principle? How can we “strive to be completely holy, out of reverence for God?”

REFLECT: Of the different relationships Paul has in view here, which one(s) apply to you? What does it mean that you are the temple of the living God? What unclean things might affect your body? Your spirit? Is there something contaminating you right now from which you should separate? How can you communicate to others the seriousness of this principle?

Believers and unbelievers live in two opposing worlds.

The principle: Do not be unequally yoked (Greek: heterozugeo) together with unbelievers (6:14a NIV). Actually, the command is even more pointed: Stop yoking yourselfs to unbelievers. Paul was not merely warning the Corinthians about a potential danger, but instructing them to stop an action already in progress. The command appears to come out of the blue. Has Paul not been lobbying strenuously for the Corinthians’ affection? Had he not just asked them, as his children, to open wide their hearts to him (to see link click Bh – The Characteristics of Love)? Moreover, he resumes his lobbying efforts in 7:2: “Make room for us in your hearts,’ he repeats. Then what are we to make of 6:14 to 7:1?¹⁶⁰ It seems that Paul is talking about being yoked together in a permanent arrangement like marriage, a business partnership, and the like. Paul is content to state a general principle that needs specific application under the guidance of the Ruach.

Believers and unbelievers live in two opposing worlds. In Messiah’s Kingdom, believers are characterized by righteousness, light, and eternal life. In Satan’s kingdom, unbelievers are characterized by lawlessness, darkness, and spiritual death. The saved and the unsaved have different affections, beliefs, principles, motives, goals, attitudes, and hopes. In short, they view life from totally opposing perspectives.

Consequently, relationships between believers and unbelievers are at best temporary and external. We must keep a light touch on this world. We may enjoy family ties, work at the same job, share in business relationships, live in the same community, experience the same hobbies and pastimes, and even agree on certain political and social issues. But on a spiritual level, believers and unbelievers are in two completely different worlds. Dating and marriage between a believer and unbeliever would certainly be a legitimate application of this principle.

It should be obvious that believers cannot live in both worlds. The apostle John clearly indicated that when he wrote: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of the natural man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world (1 Jn 2:15-16). James expressed that same reality in the forceful words: You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4). And Paul urged believers not be conformed to the standards of this world (Rom 12:2).

Dear Heavenly Father, Your awesome love is wonderful! Your love is not a privilege to bask in, but a joyful opportunity to show You how much You are loved. How important it is to realize that Your gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17) cannot be taken for granted. Your offer of love requires a loving response back to You, as You demonstrate by Your words: I never knew you, depart from Me (Matthew 7:23). You speak those words to those who look good outwardly, but their heart does not follow the greatest commandment – love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Matthew 22:37-38).

Receiving the righteousness of God (5:21) is so very wonderful! It is a relationship gift; receiving the Ruach as a life partner who lovingly guides and teaches us. Receiving this gift requires a break from old relationships and habits that are displeasing to the new Lord of one’s life. Though it is a great joy to have the Lord constantly by one’s side (Hebrews 13:5), effort is needed to rearrange one’s life to accommodate the new loving Partner.

The Corinthians had struggled greatly to make a clean break from the idolatrous and immoral lifestyle of their past. Despite having professed faith in Messiah and becoming part of the church, some in the congregation were still clinging to elements of their pagan religion. And though, like the Thessalonians, they had turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God (First Thessalonians 1:9), they still failed to make a clean break from their previous lifestyle. The lure of their former paganism, which permeated every aspect of their lives in Corinth, had proven too hard to shake, as First Corinthians makes clear.

Making matters even worse, the false apostles who claimed apostolic authority (see Af – The Problem of the False Apostles), brought with them a quasi-believing syncretism of gospel truth (see the commentary on Romans As – Paul’s Gospel), Jewish legalism and pagan mysticism. They were eager to stay connected to the Corinthians’ former behavior, to make themselves more popular, thereby, more prosperous.

So, Paul gave this mandate to separate.

However, as he did earlier in his discussion about eating a meal at an idol temple, Paul assumed that believers would socialize with their pagan friends and families. Clearly this is not a ban against all association with unbelievers. He encouraged the believing spouse to stay with the unbelieving spouse as long as possible (First Corinthians 7:12-13). He assumed believers would shop in the market (First Corinthians 10:25), and encouraged them to eat at a pagan’s home if they were invited and wanted to go (10:27). But he did want the Corinthians to be able to distinguish themselves from the pagan society around them and live accordingly.

Paul drew his analogy from Deuteronomy 22:10, where the Torah commanded the Israelites, “You are not to plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together” (22:10). One is stronger than the other, and one will work harder and tire very fast. The ox was clean, and the donkey unclean. It would be impossible for such a mismatched pair to plow together effectively. Paul uses this passage in a figurative way: the believer has been cleansed, while the unbeliever refused to be cleansed. What business did they have under the same yoke? You guessed it. None! It will always be the unbeliever’s yoke, namely the yoke of unbelief. Contrary to that, Yeshua said: My yoke of faith is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:30). The unbeliever would laugh at the suggestion of his taking on faith’s yoke; yet, strange to say, instead of equally refusing the unbeliever’s yoke, many a believer accepts it upon his neck and even imagines that he can still retain his yoke of faith.

Foolishness.

Paul uses few words to paint this picture; but they speak volumes. They strike at the heart of the whole danger that threatens believers. They drive home a timeless principle. What a picture: a believer with his neck under the unbeliever’s yoke! Why pull the plow of the unbeliever’s lack of faith? That yoke breaks the necks of those who bear it. Yeshua Messiah delivered us from it. How could we possibly think of going back to that dreadful yoke?¹⁶²

The principle of, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (6:14a NIV) is then backed up by five rhetorical questions which underline its importance, each of which assumes a negative answer: “None whatsoever!” They serve to stress the radical incompatibility of intimate relationships between believers and unbelievers (First Corinthians 10:21).

Question one: For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common (6:14b NIV)? In this first question the inner quality of believers and unbelievers is placed side by side. It is righteousness that determines its opposite, lawlessness, and not the reverse. Paul’s progression is orderly: first faith and unbelief, and now righteousness and its opposite. The righteousness of the believer is that which he has by faith, the imputed righteousness of Messiah (see Bf – Fifteen Words of Hope). Due to Ha’Shem’s verdict of acquittal, this inner quality belongs to the believer. But the unbeliever has no such acquittal, his inner quality is entirely lawless. God hates all who do evil (Psalm 5:5). All the unbeliever’s righteousness are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore, it is impossible that they have anything in common.

Question two: What fellowship can light have with darkness (6:14c NIV)? From the attributes of righteousness and lawlessness we are taken back to the powers which produce them. Just as lawlessness is the absence of righteousness, darkness is the absence of light. Like their attributes, they exclude each other by their very nature; where one is, it drives out the other. God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all (First John 1:5). This light has entered the believer and makes him a child of light (Matthew 5:14; John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8), and so the believer walks in the light (John 12:35-36; First John 1:7). Its opposite is darkness which is the fruit of the Adversary, his demons and the world. In the beginning YHVH separated light from darkness (Genesis 1:4), and this separation can also be seen in the spiritual sense. For you used to be darkness; but now, united with the Lord, you are light (Ephesians 5:8). Out of this spiritual darkness, God has called believers into His wonderful light (First Peter 2:9). Light brings life, darkness is death.

Question three: What harmony can there be between the Messiah and Belial (6:15a)? This question advances to the contrasting personal rulers that are behind the qualities and powers. The question is: do these ever agree? No! Messiah has transferred all of His righteousness to our spiritual bank account at the moment of faith (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith). He has become wisdom for us from God, and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well (First Corinthians 1:30b). As the Messiah, He is our Prophet, High Priest, and King (see the commentary on Hebrews Ai – The Superiority of Messiah to the Prophets). The term Belial is actually a Hebrew word that has been transliterated into Greek and means worthless. In the TaNaKh this term is like son or daughter. In later Jewish writings, the term was used as a proper name for Satan (see the book of Jubilees i.20). Paul used this term in this way.¹⁶³ Messiah came to destroy the works of the Devil; that is His agreement with him.

Question four: What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever (6:15b)? This advances us to the personal subjects involved. The believer is the one who is justified by faith (Romans 3:28), at peace with God (Romans 5:1), and assured of eternal salvation (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). The light of the Sh’khinah glory of God in the face of Messiah has shined in his heart (4:6); he no longer lives as the pagans live, with their sterile ways of thinking (Ephesians 4:17), but keeps pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s high calling in Yeshua Messiah (Philippians 3:14). The unbeliever has the very opposite of this. He has already been judged (John 3:18) and will not see life but remains subject to God’s wrath (John 3:26). He is not included among Messiah’s sheep (John 10:26b), he will not enter God’s rest (Hebrews 3:18-19); indeed, he will be condemned (Mark 16:16) and hurled into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). As subjects of their respective lords, what do they have in common? Nothing! These two differ at every point. What one has, the other has not.¹⁶⁴

Question five: We reach the climax in this final question. What agreement can there be between the temple of God and idols (6:16a)? All false religion is, in the final analysis, deceiving spirits and things taught by demons (First Timothy 4:1; Deuteronomy 32:17; Revelation 9:20), and hostile to ADONAI and His Word. There can be no agreement between the temple of God and idols. The TaNaKh graphically depicts the disastrous consequence of attempting to mingle idolatry with the worship of the One true God.

First Kings 12:25-33 illustrates the folly of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Isra’el. He thought to himself, “If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the Temple of ADONAI in Jerusalem, they will give their allegiance to their LORD. After the place of worship from Jerusalem to Dan and Bethel; changed the priests of worship from the Levites to all sorts of people; changed the date of worship of Sukkot from the seventh to the eighth month. This eventually resulted in the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC.

Second Kings 21:1-9 describes the reign of Manasseh, the most wicked of all the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah. He did evil in the sight of ADONAI by bringing idolatry back into Judah. Specifically, he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he erected altars for Ba’al and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of the northern kingdom of Isra’el had done. He worshiped all the hosts of heaven and served them by building altars in the house of ADONAI. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he put an idol in the Temple itself. That horrible insult to YHVH provoked His devastating judgment on the nation (Second Kings 21:10-15).

First Samuel 4 and 5 record another incident that illustrates the incompatibility of the true God and idols. Isra’el was at war with the Philistines had lost four thousand men in one skirmish. Dismayed at ADONAI’s failure to help them in battle (which was due to their sin and apostasy), the Israelites brought the ark from Shiloh. Thinking themselves invincible, they fought the Philistines again and lost 30,000 men and the ark. The triumphant Philistines brought the ark to the temple of their god Dagon. The next morning, much to their surprise, they discovered that the idol of Dagon had prostrated itself before the ark. They put the idol back in its place, only to have the same thing happen the next day – but this time Dagon’s head and hands were cut off. The message was clear, the true God has no rivals.

Ezekiel 8 further demonstrates that reality. ADONAI took Ezeki’el (who was exiled in Babylon) by means of a vision to Jerusalem to witness idolatry in the Temple. Shockingly, the apostate Israelites had carved idolatrous graffiti on the walls of the Temple. Not only that, but women were worshiping the god of fertility Tammuz, and about twenty-five men were worshiping the sun with their backs to the Most Holy Place. God’s reaction was to promise judgment: Therefore, I will deal with them in My anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they cry in My ears, I will not listen to them (Eze 8:18). Rather than share His own Temple with pagan idols, ADONAI chose to abandon it (Eze 10:18). The result was the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC). Paul’s fifth rhetorical question provided a transition to his citing several verses from the TaNaKh.

The reason: Paul repeatedly symbolizes both the individual believer (First Cor 6:19) and the Congregation of believers (First Cor 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:22) as the temple of God with the Ruach dwelling within (6:16b). Peter also uses the “living temple” analogy (First Peter 2:5). As we begin to understand the Tabernacle and Temple as the dwelling place of YHVH, we can see how apt this metaphor was to describe the believers. Just as the Ruach dwelt in the Tabernacle and Temple, so too His Spirit had come to dwell in believers.

Understanding this, we can better appreciate the significance of the First Century Shavu’ot. On the anniversary of the day on which ADONAI had entered into a covenant with Isra’el at Sinai, the believers gathered together in the Temple, the Dwelling Place of God. There, in the Temple courts, the Spirit of God descended just as at Sinai and came upon individuals. The believers became dwelling places, little tabernacles inside of the Temple itself. This is a good picture of the People of God. We are temples within the Temple, members of His Body.¹⁶⁵

Having reminded the Corinthians that they were temples of the living God, Paul introduces an extended quotation from Scripture to substantiate what he has said. Although the quotation consists of several texts from the TaNaKh, Paul introduces it as if it were a single quotation, without identifying the specific verses in which it was found.¹⁶⁶ These passages bear every sign of having been chosen to address specific dangers of idolatry that lie at the heart of Paul’s distress with the Corinthians and the cause of much of their conflict.¹⁶⁷ As God said: I will house Myself in them, . . . and I will walk among you. I will be their God, and they will be My people (Second Corinthians 6:16c; Leviticus 26:12; Exodus 6:7; Jeremiah 31:33, 32:38; Ezeki’el 37:27). As the temple of God, the people of His B’rit Chadashah, His precious possession, and His dwelling place, believers cannot join forces with false religion. To be so unequally yoked for the purpose of serving God has always been unacceptable and blasphemous.¹⁶⁸

The result: On the foundation thus laid, Paul makes his appeal. But in a most striking manner he clothes it in words from the TaNaKh as though God Himself is addressing His readers.¹⁶⁹ Therefore, ADONAI says: Go out from their midst; separate yourselves. Just as it was inconceivable that idols would be brought into the Temple of God (see Question five above), so it is impossible for the temples of God, members of the holy congregation (First Corinthians 1:2) to go to, or share in the cultic worship of idols in Corinth (First Corinthians 10:14-22 and 8:10-13), idolatry (First Corinthians 5:10-11, 6:9, 12:2; Galatians 4:8, 5:20; Colossians 3:5; First Thessalonians 1:9), or the fornication – either casual or cultic – with which it was often associated (First Corinthians 10:7-8, 6:15 and 18), were utterly abhorrent to both God and Paul; believers were to have no direct association with them.¹⁷⁰

The thought of this verse points back to Isaiah 52:11, where God commanded His people, “Don’t even touch (Greek: hapto, referring to a harmful touch) what is unclean” (6:17a). Believers, like the time of Isra’el’s national salvation (see the commentary on Isaiah Ix – ADONAI Will Lay Bare His Holy Arm), must make a clean break with all false religion to avoid its contaminating influence (Second Timothy 2:16-17). The children of light must not have anything to do with the deeds produced by darkness. They must be concerned with pleasing the Lord, not sinful mankind (Ephesians 5:5-11). The Church’s goal is not to make unbelievers feel comfortable and non threatened. On the contrary, it is to make them feel uncomfortable with their sins and threatened by God’s judgment and the terrors of hell that they face.¹⁷¹ Yeshua Himself said: Do not fear those who kill the body but are powerless to kill the soul. Rather, fear the One who can destroy both body and soul in Gei-Hinnom (Matthew 10:28).

Then I Myself will receive you, which is based on God’s Word given to the people in exile through another prophet in exile, Ezeki’el (Ezeki’el 20:34 and 41). Through Ezeki’el, ADONAI promised to welcome home and receive His people from the Gentile nations in which they were dispersed. Through the words of the apostle Paul – who is citing Ezeki’el – ADONAI is calling His people out of the cultic uncleanness of the Gentiles. He promises to receive them as they come out.¹⁷² Not only that, God declares: I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says ADONAI-Tzva’ot” (Second Corinthians 6:17b-18; Second Samuel 7:14, Isaiah 43:6). As believers, we are adopted into the family of God (Galatians 4:1-7 and 6:10; Ephesians 1:5; First Peter 1:23 and 4:17; First John 3:9).

Paul now concludes the appeal he began in 6:14. Therefore, my dear friends, since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves. The promises refer to God’s assurances of His presence (6:16) and fellowship (6:17b-18) to those who obey Him. This obedience requires purification, which here implies separation from everything that can defile either body or spirit, and from every person who pollutes the truth (2:17 and 4:2). Paul encouraged the Corinthians to strive to be completely holy, out of reverence for God.¹⁷³ In the whole letter we find what 7:1 again reveals. Paul joins the Corinthians to himself, “Let us purify ourselves.” He does not pose as a saint who rebukes them because they are unclean. But like all great leaders, he won them over by doing himself what he asks them to do. Leading, as it were, by example. The hearts of the Corinthians must have been stirred when they read those words.

The Characteristics of Love
6:11-13 and 7:2-4

Characteristics of love DIG: Why did Paul mention some of the sacrifices he had made? What is Paul asking the Corinthians (and us) to do? Why did some of the Corinthians question Paul’s love for them?

REFLECT: For whom in your life have you failed to show appreciation? How can you show it now? What do you want to incorporate into the way you live from Paul’s perspective? Which of these ten characteristics of love are you best at? Which one(s) do you need to work on?

These characteristics of genuine love are reflections of God’s love for believers.

The most difficult, painful experience for a faithful shepherd is to be misrepresented, to be falsely accused, and to have one’s integrity unfairly attacked. Such assaults have the potential, by destroying people’s trust and confidence in him, of devastating his ministry. Such slanderous attacks are hard to retrieve and correct because those making the claims are not interested in the truth. Nor are they motivated by virtue, love or righteousness; rather, by hatred, revenge, bitterness, jealousy and self-promotion. Gossip mongers of such lies do not seek the unity and blessing of the congregation, the glory of God, or the good of those they attack irregardless of the false claims of piety they profess.

No one endured a more vicious, relentless, and unjust attack than Paul. The Adversary constantly assaulted him. At Corinth, false apostles (to see link click Af – The Problem of the False Apostles) slandered him by spreading lies about him. They sought power, money, prominence, and the opportunity to supplant the truth with their demon doctrines. To accomplish those goals, they had to destroy Paul’s character and teachings by falsely accusing him of being a lying, self-serving hypocrite. The confidence of many of the Corinthians in Paul was affected.

Profoundly concerned, Paul vigorously defended his integrity, not for his own sake, but for the Corinthians’ sake. He was ADONAI’s personally chosen channel through which divine truth flowed to them. To allow the false apostles’ lies to go unchallenged would allow that flow of divine truth to be stopped. Worse, it would allow it to be replaced with false doctrine. Again, here, he reminded them of the integrity he had shown during his long stay with them (Acts 18:11); thus, defending his love for them.

Heading the list of false accusations against Paul was the charge that he had no real affection for the Corinthians. The apostle, according to the false apostles, was abusive, manipulative, and dictatorial; he was merely using the Corinthians to further his own personal agenda. Therefore, Paul repeatedly affirmed his love for the church (2:4, 7:1, 12:15 and 19), and defined the character of his love for them by his actions toward them. In doing so, he provided a clear-cut description of love in action (First Corinthians 13:4-8). As Paul described the essence of what real love is like, he expressed ten characteristics of love.¹⁵⁷

1. Honesty (6:11): O Corinthians, we have spoken frankly to you, we have opened our hearts wide. Paul had spoken frankly (candidly or honestly) to the Corinthians because love holds back nothing from the one it loves (Acts:20 and 27; Mt 12:34). First, Paul spoke honestly about God’s Word and God’s standards. Earlier in his letter he defended his truthfulness, reminding the Corinthians, “For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God (1:13 and 4:2). In 4:13 he noted that he spoke the truth because he believed the truth, while in 13:8 he declared: For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.

Secondly, Paul spoke honestly about sin. Some argue that it is unloving to comfort people about their sin, but Scripture affirms that truth and love are inseparably linked (Ephesians 4:15). Paul lovingly and truthfully presented the gospel to the Corinthians, fully expounding the realities of sin and righteousness. He preached Messiah crucified and all that that implied. He also confronted sin and called for their repentance, and in this letter warned them that he would not spare disciplining them (12:18-13:3). He even challenged them to test the genuineness of their faith (13:5). In 2:9 he explained his motive in writing the painful letter (2:4) that he sent them between First and Second Corinthians, “For to this end I also wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things” (7:8-10 NASB).

Finally, Paul spoke honestly about his affections toward the Corinthians. He loved them intensely, as the eloquent expression O Corinthians indicates. Paul’s heart was open wide (Greek: peplatuntai, meaning to make broad) to them (6:11); he had been open, candid and vulnerable (4:2). The expression also means that there was plenty of room in his heart for them; in 7:3 he told them, “You are in our hearts.” That Paul could have them in his heart after all the sorrow they had caused him proved his love was genuine (12:14-15).

2. Affection (6:12): Any restraint you feel has not been imposed by us, but by your own inner selves. Paul had not done anything to cause any estrangement or hinder the relationship between them. On the contrary, they had restrained their affections towards him. A number of them had shut the apostle out of their lives and closed their hearts to him. They had believed the lies about Paul and turned away from him to follow the false apostles. Consequently, they had left their affection for him.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your love that is always so very deep and caring for me. How wonderful that Your love opens the doors of heaven to all who choose to love You as Lord and Savior, for there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female, for in union with Messiah Yeshua, you are all one (Galatians 3:28). Even the angels in heaven rejoice when they see how great Your love is to forgive repentant sinners. In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). Thank You, for the demonstration of great love that the father shows to his prodigal son when the son returns home in repentance. And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran and fell on his neck and kissed him (Luke 15:21).

How hard it must be for You dear Father, when people choose to love things more than You. You have such a gracious and generous heart and so want to reward your children. It is so important to spend time worshiping and praising You. It must hurt you when those who call themselves your children spend so little time talking to You and so much time busying themselves with other things. I choose to show You my love by praising You often and using my time, money and thoughts to honor You. In the holy name of Your Son, Yeshua and the power of His resurrection. Amen

The Corinthians’ rejection hurt Paul deeply. Yet, despite that, he never lost his affection for them because true love covers all things (see the commentary on First Corinthians Df – Love Covers All Things) and endures all things (see the commentary on First Corinthians Di – Love Endures All Things). That does not mean, of course, that Paul tolerated their sin and error. He disciplined and corrected them when necessary, but that reflected his true love for them. Love and discipline are inseparable even with ADONAI (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children).

3. Fellowship (6:13 and 7:2a): In like exchange, (I speak to you as children) open wide your hearts too . . . make room for us in your hearts. Few things in life are more painful than unanswered love, because love longs for a response. Paul’s words here express the penetrating sadness he felt over the Corinthians’ failure to return his love. Though they broke his heart, Paul’s love for the Corinthians would not allow him to abandon them. Instead, he pleaded with them, using the phrase in like exchange (Greek autos, literally in an exchange that is exact). Paul begged them to love him as he loved them – sacrificially, consistently, and permanently. He could speak to them as children because they were spiritual children (First Cor 4:14-15). Here is a tender, almost melancholy scene. The noble apostle did not hesitate to plead for the love of the most troubled of his churches. He was not too proud to open up his heart and let them see that he was hurting.

Then he reached out to them again, pleading: Make room for us in your hearts (7:2a). Having reminded them that his heart was wide open to them, Paul begged the Corinthians to make room in their hearts for him. The apostle knew that as long as they clung to their sinful associations with his enemies, their love relationship with him could not be restored. That made it all the more urgent for them to follow his instructions and sever all ties with the false apostles (see Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers).

4. Purity (7:2b): We haven’t wronged anyone, we haven’t corrupted anyone. Paul’s claim is especially appropriate in light of his call to separate from unbelievers. Despite the false charges leveled against him (4:2), Paul had wronged no one. Those who made that charge may have had in mind Paul’s turning the incestuous man over to Satan (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ba – Failure to Discipline an Immoral Brother). But the apostle didn’t mistreat him, but rather properly dealt with his sin. Actually, it was the Corinthians who had wronged Paul; he had neither wronged nor corrupted any of them. Again, it was not Paul, but his opponents who were guilty of ruining the Corinthians’ morals (11:3). Paul’s love for the Corinthians expressed itself both in his own purity and his concern for theirs.

5. Humility (7:2c): We haven’t exploited anyone (Greek: pleonekteo). Love necessarily involves humility, for only humble people can love unselfishly. Proud people who love themselves cannot love others. Pleonekteo refers to defrauding others by selfishly using them for gain. Specifically, it conveys the idea of manipulating people for financial gain as its use in 12:17-18 indicated. Neither Paul nor anyone associated with him took advantage of the Corinthians financially, despite the repeated accusations by the false apostles.

In fact, the opposite was true. Rather than using the Corinthians for personal gain, Paul sacrificially endured suffering and hardship for them, “For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. Thus death is at work in us but life in you” (4:11-12). Paul’s love for the Corinthian believers was so great that he was willing to risk his own life for them (John 15:13). His humble, self-sacrificing love was not selfish (see the commentary on First Corinthians Db – Love is not Selfish). He did not merely look out for his own personal interests, but for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).¹⁵⁸

6. Forgiveness (7:3a): I am not saying this to condemn (Greek: katharsis) you. Paul didn’t want the Corinthians to interpret his strong defense of his integrity as an attack on them. Catharsis refers to passing final judgment. Paul was not passing a final verdict on them; he was not giving up on them. He did not want to sever his relationship with them, but restore it. So he rebuked their sin and rebellion and called for them to repent and reaffirm their loyalty to him, and thus to the Lord. Paul knew the truth that Solomon expressed: Faithful are the wounds of a friend (Proverbs 27:6). Paul was an example of genuine biblical love, which keeps no records of wrongs (First Cor 13:5d), because love covers a multitude of sins (First Peter 4:8).

7. Loyalty (7:3b): For I have already said that you have a place in our hearts, whether we live together or die together. Paul’s declaration: you have a place in our hearts repeats his thought from 6:11. The phrase whether we live together or die together reflects Paul’s undying loyalty to the Corinthians. The idea is that their friendship would last throughout this life and keep them together even through death because their relationship would transcend death and last forever in the glory of heaven. Paul’s love was loyal to the death, like that of Ruth, who said to Naomi, “Don’t press me to leave you and stop following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die; and there I will be buried. May ADONAI bring terrible curses on me, and worse ones as well, if anything but death separates you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17).

8. Trust (7:4a): I am very confident in you. At first glance, this is an astonishing, even shocking statement. The Corinthian church was a mess. More than any other church in the B’rit Chadashah. Certainly, then, Paul’s great trust and confidence in the Corinthians was not based on their track record. In fact, their actions called for cautious scrutiny, not open confidence. But true love covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things (1 Cor 13:7). That does not, of course, reflect the modern myth that positive thought makes good things happen. Paul’s hope was not that a positive attitude would change the Corinthians. True biblical love does not make good things happen, but it believes and hopes for them. Therefore, despite their unfaithfulness, disloyalty and sin. Paul maintained his confidence in the Corinthians – not because of them, but because he knew that ADONAI would complete the saving work He had begun in them (Phil 1:6).

9. Praise (7:4b): Great is my boasting (Greek: kauchesis) on your behalf. That Paul would engage in boasting on behalf of a church filled with immaturity, disloyalty, doubt, and disaffection is amazing. Nevertheless, he praised them. Though kauchesis can have the negative connotation of pride (Romans 3:27; James 4:16), it more often has the positive connotation of praise, as it does here (Second Corinthians 7;14; 8:24, 11:10; Romans 15:17; First Corinthaisn 1:31). Proper boasting is that which is done in the Lord (Second Corinthians 10:17; First Corinthians 1;31), and Paul’s praise was of what the Lord was doing in the Corinthian church. He boasted about the Corinthians to other churches (8:24). Paul was eager to praise the Lord for them in spite of their shortcomings. That’s true love.

10. Joy (7:4c): You have filled me with encouragement; and that in spite of all our troubles, I am overflowing with joy. Even more surprising that Paul’s trust and praise for the Corinthians was that they brought him joy. Despite all the problems they caused him, Paul used the perfect tense of a verb (meaning an action in the past with continuing results) to say that he had been, and still was, filled with encouragement. No amount of troubles could stem the overflowing joy he felt.

These ten characteristics of genuine love are reflections of God’s love for you. He loves you enough to be honest and has a deep affection for you so that He is grieved when sin disrupts our fellowship with Him. His love for you also causes Him to desire your purity (Titus 2:14). Because of that, the Lord Yeshua Messiah humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8), so you could be forgiven. His love also ensures God’s eternal loyalty to you (Hebrews 13:5), and causes Him to trust you with the Good News (1 Thessalonians 2:4). And ADONAI loves you, takes pride in you, and takes joy in you (Psalm 149:4; Zeph 3:17). And taking Paul as our model, you are to love others the way God loves you.¹⁵⁹

Living as a Servant
6: 1-10

Living as a servant DIG: How does Paul defend the authenticity of his ministry here? How does this differ from the ways the false apostles asserted their authority (3:1, 4:2, 5:12, 11:23-29)? By appealing to his servanthood rather than his supernatural conversion or to the miracles that he performed, what is Paul saying about the true test of faith? What does it mean to receive God’s grace in vain? How does Paul’s willingness to endure suffering for the sake of Messiah prove that he tried not to put obstacles in anyone’s path? What are some of the ways that Paul and his fellow ministers of the gospel commend themselves to the people they served? Paul notes that the role of a servant of God is to preserve and endure even in the midst of struggles. But what internal qualities does a servant also need to possess? How does living a blameless life before God give a believer freedom?

REFLECT: What are some of the reasons people may give for waiting to accept the gospel? What can you do to emphasize to others the urgency for accepting Messiah? Why do you think many believers are reluctant to roll up their sleeves and minister to others? What ironies and paradoxes does Paul cite as he describes his complicated, roller-coaster life as a committed servant of God? Some people protest that Paul’s words only apply to “full-time Messianic rabbis and ministers” and that the average believer can’t be expected to live like that. How do you respond to this claim? Paul was devoted to living in such a way that his life did not contradict the gospel. What attitudes, values, actions, or habits can tarnish the reputation of Messiah or His Church? What link did Paul see between undergoing affliction and developing into a productive servant of God? What did Paul learn through his trials? Why does being a servant of God matter so much?

Shepherds don’t produce sheep; sheep produce sheep.

Earlier, Paul began a defense of his ministry (to see link click Bd – A New Creation), which, in turn, led to an explanation of his message. Now he returned to the topic of his ministry and its difficulties, mirroring that of his Lord. During His earthly ministry, Yeshua faced the extremes of being adored and despised. While some acclaimed Him as the Lord of heaven, others despised Him as a demon-possessed counterfeit Messiah. Since Yeshua was treated in such completely opposite ways, His followers can expect no less (John 15:18-20).

As ambassadors (see Be – The Ministry of Reconciliation), believers bring the message of reconciliation to an alienated world. Those who hear the message embrace the truth of it and cherish the messengers or reject both the message and those who proclaim it. Thus, Messiah’s messengers are the aroma of the Messiah, both among those being saved and among those being lost; to the latter, we are the smell of death leading only to more death; but to the former, we are the sweet smell of life leading to more life (2:15-16a). Those who proclaim the true gospel from the pulpit or the pew with power and conviction cannot expect to be popular with everyone. To be honored and dishonored, respected and reviled, is their lot; to experience the most profound blessing and at the same time suffer the most severe disappointment usually comes to the most faithful and zealous believers.

None is a better example of this than Paul, who was caught up in those conflicting realities when he wrote Second Corinthians. Despite their shortcomings, the Corinthians were still a blessing to him. Earlier in his letter he wrote of the love which he had especially for them (2:4); later he added: I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together (7:3). His heart was filled with joy because many of them had believed the gospel. Yet, the Corinthians had also caused Paul much pain. He had been savagely attacked by false apostles who had infiltrated their church (see Af – The Problem of the False Apostles). And a trip to Corinth had not gone well for Paul, turning into a painful, sorrowful visit (see Ao – Paul’s Painful Visit). He experienced the full range of emotions, from the heights of joy to the depths of sorrow in his dealing with them.¹⁴⁸

Paul the evangelist (6:1-2): It was Paul who had gone to Corinth with the good news of the gospel; and through his ministry, the church had been founded. Many of the believers in Corinth were new creations in Messiah all right, but they were not living like it. This sad reality really saddened Paul more than we could ever know. Just as he did throughout First Corinthians, Paul now urged his readers to live up to the grace they had received.

As God’s fellow-workers [with Him] we also urge you not to receive His grace and then do nothing with it, literally receive His grace in vain, that is, then not to live for Him (6:1). There is a line that needs to be rubbed out, and that is the line between the pulpit and the pew. There are certain believers who have been given certain spiritual gifts (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ch – Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts). So there shouldn’t be the distinction between the pulpit and the pew that is so prevalent today. We are all fellow-workers [with Him]. If you are one who sits in the pew, may I say that you are as responsible to give out and live out the Word of God as those in the pulpit. You may be a bank president or the president of a large corporation, a truck driver, or a mother and housewife (the toughest job description of all), but you are responsible today to get out the Word of God. Remember: Shepherds don’t produce sheep; sheep produce sheep. You may not have the gift of evangelism, but you need to evangelize.

I want to raise the issue again, and I know I am being very personal about it. What are you doing today to get the Word of God out to others? You can do something that your Messianic rabbi or your pastor cannot do. There are people that only you can reach. They trust you. They have confidence in you. They will listen to you. Therefore, as God’s fellow-workers [with Him], do not wait. Get started today.¹⁴⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, You are a wise and wonderful Heavenly Father! Praise You for making an eternal home of peace and joy for Your children. You are a loving and patient God. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). My heart is heavy for family and friends who know about You, but do not yet have a relationship of love with You. They are nice people, but being nice cannot get anyone into heaven. You opened the door to heaven by giving Your righteousness to all who love and follow you as their Lord and Savior. For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever trusts in Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:9-11).

Please give me the words, opportunity, and heart of compassion to share the old, old story with them about You and what You have already done for them. Help me to tear down the lies and unbelief that have held them captive for too long. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds. We are tearing down false arguments and every high-minded thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (Second Corinthians 10:4-5a).  Thank You for helping me. I look forward to praising Your name forever in heaven! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

To underline the gravity and urgency of his appeal, Paul introduces, with the words: For He says, “At the acceptable time I heard you; in the day of salvation I helped you” (6:2). Isra’el’s release from exile in Babylon was the original context of these words; however, Paul made his own application. If the time of the exiles’ return was a day of salvation, then the time when ADONAI has acted in Messiah to reconcile the world to Himself is an even greater day of salvation!¹⁵⁰ Thus, the apostolic herald of a new era (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace) that stood before the Corinthians. As ADONAI had raised up Isaiah as a prophet to speak through Him to comfort, comfort God’s people (Isaiah 41:1), so within this new Dispensation, God had called Paul to be His coworker and instrument to reconcile the world to Ha’Shem. This statement, therefore, must take its place with others (1:1, 3:12, 4:1, 2 and 6) through which Paul makes the highest claims for his apostleship. He was claiming an authority similar to that of the prophets of the TaNaKh who spoke for God. The LORD made one appeal through His prophet Isaiah (see Ac – Second Corinthians from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: The Background of Isaiah 40-55); now He was making another appeal through the apostle Paul (5:20).¹⁵¹

Paul the example (6:3-10): We try not to put obstacles in anyone’s path, so that no one can find fault with the work we do (6:3). One of the greatest obstacles to the progress of the gospel is the bad example of people who profess to be believers. Unsaved people like to use the inconsistencies of believers – especially Messianic rabbis and pastors – as an excuse for rejecting Yeshua Messiah. Paul was careful not to do anything that would put a stumbling block in the way of either sinners or the righteous (Titus 2:1-10). He didn’t want his ministry to be discredited in any way because of his life.¹⁵²

Paul reminded his readers of the trials he had endured for them. On the contrary, we try to commend ourselves in every way as servants of God by continually enduring troubles, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, overwork, lack of sleep and food (6:4-5). When Paul says that he and his fellow-workers were commending themselves, he picks up a vitally important thread that had been woven throughout the letter (3:1, 4:2, 5:12, 7:11, 10:12 and 18, 12:11), one that lies at the heart of the apostle’s intentions for writing Second Corinthians in the first place. It played an important part in commending Paul’s mission to them, arguing for their full affirmation of the apostle, his ministry, and his gospel (see the commentary on Romans As – Paul’s Gospel).¹⁵³ He had been a man of endurance and had not quit when things got tough. Paul’s remarkable endurance manifested itself in nine positive qualities he had used in his ministry. We commend ourselves by our purity, knowledge, patience and kindness; by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh; by genuineness of love and truthfulness of speech; and by God’s power (6:6-7a). Paul depended on the power of the Spirit of God so that he might manifest the fruit of the Spirit, such as kindness and love.

Finally, he reminded the Corinthians of the testimony he bore, listing the paradoxical character of the ministry in a series of contrasts. We commend ourselves through our use of righteous weapons, whether for pressing our cause or defending it. Faithful ambassadors of the LORD can expect to be honored and dishonored, praised and blamed, considered deceptive and sincere, unknown and famous (6:7b-9a). Paul’s enemies gave an evil report of him as a man who was a dishonorable deceiver; but God gave him a good report of Paul as a man who was honorable and true. He was famous, and yet at the same time, unknown.

What a price Paul paid to be faithful in his ministry! And yet, the Corinthians really didn’t fully appreciate all he did for them.¹⁵⁴ And we commend ourselves as God’s workers headed for death, yet look! we’re alive! as punished, yet not killed (6:9b). They brought sorrow to his heart; still, even though he had a reason to be sad, he was always filled with joy in Yeshua Messiah. Paul had a deep, unfailing joy because of God’s grace, power, and goodness. Therefore, he could write: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice (Philippians 4:4), and frequently ended his letters with doxologies of praise. Life for Paul was a seeming paradox of unending sorrow mingled with continual joy.

Paul was undeniably poor in terms of his worldly possessions. Some have speculated that his family disinherited him after he became a believer in Yeshua. Certainly, he had no large bank account to fall back on, but had to rely on financial support from churches (Philippians 4:16) and his own hard work (First Thessalonians 2:9) to support himself. Yet, he made those people who believed his message eternally rich with an eternal inheritance (Second Corinthians 8:9; Ephesians 1:11 and 3:8; Colossians 1:12; First Peter 1:4). But making himself poor and others rich didn’t bother Paul in the least. Though it appeared that he had nothing, in reality he possessed everything that really mattered (6:10)!¹⁵⁵

The more Adam and Eve pondered the lies of the Evil One, the more they doubted the goodness of ADONAI. Finally, declaring their independence, they struck out on their own to try to find “life” – to make it work on their own terms without God. They would do this by trying to control things. Aren’t we chips off the old block? Don’t we approach life the same way? Enter Yeshua, who says: Whoever wants to save their own life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for My sake will find it (Matthew 16:25). In other words, the path to joy and fulfillment isn’t found in control . . . but in surrender. Those who choose to be servants of God, giving up control and yielding fully to His will and His work, are those who find true life – now and forever.¹⁵⁶

Fifteen Words of Hope
5: 21

Fifteen words of hope DIG: How can an absolutely and infinitely holy God be reconciled to sinners? Who is the only One who could make the first move in the process of reconciliation? On what basis is Yeshua guilty? Who benefits from this process? What is the benefit?

REFLECT: When you think of your life before being saved, what are you most grateful for now that you are a new creature in Messiah? How are you growing in your relationship with the Lord? Healthy things multiply. Who are you discipling? What gives you hope?

Yeshua gave up everything so you could have everything.

There have been many plagues in human history, but there is one plague that is more widespread and deadly than all the others combined. It is, as the Puritan writer Ralph Venning called it, “the plague of plagues.” It affects every person who ever lived – and is one-hundred percent fatal. Unlike other plagues, which cause only physical death, this plague causes spiritual and eternal death as well. It is the plague of sin.

But the Good News is that there is a cure for the sinner infected by the deadly sin epidemic. ADONAI, in His mercy and love, provided a remedy for sin – the sacrifice of His Son. And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to Himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making his appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God” (5:18-21)! But this reconciliation raises some profound questions. How can an absolutely and infinitely holy God be reconciled to sinners? How can His just and holy character, which demands the condemnation and punishment of all who violate it, be satisfied? How can those who deserve no mercy receive it? How can God uphold true righteousness and at the same time give grace? How can the demands of both justice and love be met? How can God be righteous Himself and also the One who makes sinners righteous (Romans 3:26)?

As hard as those questions seem, one brief verse answers them all and resolves the seeming paradox of redemption. With a consciousness that is reflective of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, this one brief sentence, fifteen Greek words, carefully balanced, almost chiastic, resolves the dilemma of reconciliation. It reveals the essence of the atonement, expresses the heart of the gospel, and articulates the most glorious truth in Scripture – how fallen mankind’s sin-surrendered relationship to ADONAI can be restored. Like a cache of rare jewels, each word deserving careful examination under the magnifying glass of Scripture, it yields truths about the benefactor, the substitute, the beneficiaries, and the benefit.

The benefactor: He made (5:21a). The end of 5:20 reveals the antecedent of “He” to be God the Father. Reconciliation is His plan, and it could not occur unless He initiated and sustained it. Sinners cannot devise their own religious approach to God, because they are dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). The damning lie of all false religions is that mankind can reconcile themselves to God by their own efforts. All attempts to do so are futile. The righteous deeds of sinners are like a filthy garment; and all of them wither like a leaf, and their iniquities like the wind, take them away (Isaiah 64:6). As a result, there is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).

The only way reconciliation can take place is if ADONAI reaches out to sinners, as He did by the sacrifice of His Son. It flows out of God’s love; it was because He so loved the world that He gave His only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in Him may have eternal life (John 3:16). God demonstrates His own love for us, wrote Paul, in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us (Romans 5:8); though we were His enemies we were reconciled with God through the death of His Son (Romans 5:10). Because God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, He brought us to life along with the Messiah (Ephesians 2:4-5). It is this emphasis on a loving God reaching out to lost sinners that sets those who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob apart from all the false religions in the world.

Yeshua did not go to the cross because fickle people turned on Him, though they did. He did not go to the cross because demon-deceived false religious leaders plotted His death, though they did. Messiah did not go to the cross because Judas betrayed Him, though he did. He did not die because an angry, intimidated a Roman governor into sentencing Him to crucifixion, though they did. The Son of God went to the cross as the outworking of God’s plan to reconcile sinners to Himself. In Peter’s first sermon, he declared to the nation of Isra’el that Yeshua was delivered over [to death] by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23, 3:18, 13:27; Matthew 26:24; Luke 22:22; John 18:11; Hebrews 10: 5-7). Only God could author and execute the plan of redemption and reconcile sinners to Himself. That plan is so utterly beyond the comprehension of the lost that it seems like foolishness to them (see the commentary on First Corinthians to see link click An – The Foolishness of Worldly Wisdom). No religion of human design has seen anything like it.

The substitute: This sinless man be a sin offering (5:21b). This description points unmistakably to the only possible sacrifice for sin. It eliminates every human who ever lived for there is no man who does not sin (First Kings 8:46), since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Only one who was sinless could qualify to bear the full wrath of God for the sins of others. The perfect sacrifice for sin would have to be a human being, for only a man could die for other men and women. Yet, He would also have to be God, for only God is sinless. That narrows the field to one, the God-man, Yeshua Messiah.

After presenting Yeshua as the absolutely holy substitute for sinners, Paul, prompted by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, makes the remarkable statement that God made Him a sin offering. That is an important phrase and requires a careful understanding. It does not mean that Yeshua became a sinner. As God in human flesh, He could not possibly have committed any sin or in any way violated the Torah of ADONAI. It is equally unthinkable that YHVH, whose eyes are too pure to approve of evil (Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13), would make anyone a sinner, let alone His own holy Son. He was the unblemished Lamb while on the cross, personally guilty of no evil. Isaiah 53:4-6 describes the only sense in which Yeshua could have been made sin: In fact, it was our diseases He bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded Him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet ADONAI laid on Him the guilt of all of us.

Messiah was not made a sinner, nor was He punished for any sin of His own. Instead, the Father treated Him as if He were a sinner by charging to His account the sins of everyone who would ever believe. All those sins were charged against Him as if He had personally committed them. It was at that moment when Yeshua cried out in a loud voice, saying: My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me (Matthew 27:46)? It is crucial, therefore, to understand that this was the only sense in which Yeshua was made sin. He was personally pure, yet officially guilty; personally holy, yet criminally responsible. But by dying on the cross, Messiah did not become evil like we are, nor do redeemed sinners become inherently as holy as He is. ADONAI credits believer’s sins to Messiah’s account, and His righteousness to our spiritual bank account. Were it not for this fact, no one could be reconciled to God.

The beneficiaries: on our behalf (5:21c). The word our refers back to the phrase ambassadors for Messiah in 5:20; to those to whom the message of reconciliation was given (5:19), who have been reconciled to God (5:18), and are new creations (5:17). Although Messiah died for the whole world, His substitutionary death was only effective (resulting in eternal life), for those who would believe in Him (Jn 1:12, 3:16-18; Rom 10:9-10), all those whom the Father gives Him and draws to Him (John 6:37 and 65). The fact that ADONAI raised Yeshua from the dead is proof that God accepted His sacrifice in order to make us righteous (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Bf – The Means of Justification).

The benefit: So that in union with Messiah we might fully share in His righteousness (5:21d). When we believe that Messiah died for our sins, in accordance with what the TaNaKh says, and that He was buried, and He was raised on the third day (First Corinthians 15:3b-4a), then all the righteousness of Messiah is transferred to our spiritual bank account. At that moment we are just as righteous as Messiah, minus His deity. The very righteousness that God requires before He can accept us, is the very righteousness that Messiah provides.

Because Yeshua paid the full penalty for the sin of the world on the cross, the wrath of God was fully satisfied so that He was free to act positively on behalf of sinners. The psalmist declared: O LORD, if you kept a record of sins, who, ADONAI, could stand? But with You there is forgiveness so that You will be feared (Psalm 130:3-4). In metaphorical pictures of forgiveness, God is said to have removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12); threw all our sins behind His back (Isaiah 38:17); promised never to remember them (Isaiah 43:25); hidden them from His sight behind a thick cloud (Isaiah 44:22); and threw them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

On the cross Ha’Shem treated Yeshua as if He had lived our lives with all our sin, so that God could then treat us as if we lived Messiah’s life of pure holiness. Our sinful life was legally charged to Him on the cross, as if He had lived it, so that His righteous life could be credited to us, as if we lived it. This is the doctrine of imputation, where Messiah imputed, or transferred, His righteousness to us at the moment of faith (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God does for Us at the Moment of Faith). That truth, expressed so concisely and powerfully in these fifteen words of hope, is the only cure for the plague of sin.¹⁴⁶

Remember what God has already done for you. If ADONAI never did anything else for you, He would still deserve your continual praise for the rest of your life because of what Yeshua did for you on the cross. God’s Son died for you! This is the greatest reason for worship. Unfortunately, we forget the cruel details of the agonizing sacrifice God made on our behalf. Familiarity breeds complacency. Even before His crucifixion, the Son of God was stripped naked, mocked, crowned with thorns, and spit on contemptuously. Abused and ridiculed by heartless men, He was treated worse than an animal.

Then, nearly unconscious from blood loss, He was forced to drag a heavy and cumbersome crossbeam, weighing from 75 to 125 pounds, up a hill to the waiting vertical post. It was placed across the nape of Messiah’s neck and balanced along the shoulders. Its splinters quickly found their way to open wounds on His shoulders. Then He was nailed to it and was left to die a slow, agonizing death. While His lifeblood drained out of Him, hecklers stood by and shouted insults, making fun of His pain and challenging His claim to be God.

Next, as the Lamb of God took all of mankind’s sin and guilt on Himself, God the Father looked away from that ugly sight, and Yeshua cried out: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Messiah could have saved Himself – but then He couldn’t have saved you.

Words cannot describe the darkness of that moment. Why did God allow and endure such ghastly, evil treatment? Why? So you could be spared an eternity in hell, and so you could share in His glory forever. Forever is a long time. The Bible says: Messiah was without sin, but for our sake God made Him share our sin in order that in union with Him we might share the righteousness of God (5:21 TEV). Yeshua gave up everything so you could have everything. He died so you could live forever. That alone is worthy of your continual thanks and praise. Never again should you wonder what you have to be thankful for.¹⁴⁷

Dear Heavenly Father and Savior, Praise Your great love that offered the wonderful gift of Yeshua’s righteousness to all who love and follow Yeshua as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). Some are laughed at, mocked or beaten, but soon they will be with you in your eternal home of joy and peace. Life’s trials will be over – replaced by an eternal life in heaven filled with great joy and perfect contentment.  For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18).

It will be worth it all, when we see Yeshua! Life’s trials are gone forever – instead life will be so wonderful, far exceeding anything we have ever known! He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Rev 21:4). I worship You now and love to put You first in my life in everything I do, say and think. I love You dear Father and I look forward to worshiping and praising You thru all eternity! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen.

The Ministry of Reconciliation
5: 18-20

The ministry of reconciliation DIG: What does reconciliation mean? Who has to take the first step in the process of reconciliation? Why? What story from your life might illustrate this? What does God do through Messiah (verse 18)? Through us (verse 20)? For us? What is propitiation? What is the relationship between propitiation and reconciliation?

REFLECT: Knowing what it is like to be alienated and reconciled in other relationships, how is it going with God at this point in your life: still a family feud, a truce, or have you made up? If you embraced your role as an ambassador for Messiah, how might it change your life? Who can you tell about the reconciliation of their life to Yeshua this week?

All who are in Messiah become ambassadors of Messiah.

Today’s Church is confronted by a seemingly endless variety of ministry methods, strategies, and styles. But there is no confusion in Scripture about what the Church’s mission is to be, and that is evangelism. This passage clearly presents the heart and soul of the Church’s responsibility as it represents Yeshua in the world. ADONAI has called all believers, especially Messianic rabbis and pastors, to proclaim the message of reconciliation.

The glorious good news of the gospel is that the sin-devastated relationship between lost sinners and the holy God of the universe can be restored. At first glance that seems impossible. Ha’Shem’s perfect, infinite, righteous justice demands the punishment for sin. And standing before the bar of His justice we are helpless, guilty sinners, unable to either satisfy Him, or to change our condition. But through YHVH’s plan of reconciliation, all the hostility, animosity, and alienation separating the Holy One and sinners vanishes, and those who were once His enemies (James 4:4) become His friends (John 15:15). The high calling and noble privilege of preaching this message of reconciliation is the most important duty in the world, since it deals with eternal destinations.¹⁴³

Reconciliation is by the will of God (5:18): Like the first Creation of the universe (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ag – In the Beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth), the new creation (see Bd – A New Creation) is initiated by God. And all these things are from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to Himself and has given us the message of that reconciliation (5:18). Both the verb katallasso (reconciled) and the noun katallage (reconciliation) appear in the B’rit Chadashah only in Paul’s writings (Romans 5:11; Ephesians 2:13-16; Colossians 1:20-22). Sinners cannot be reconciled to God on their own terms. Unregenerate people have no ability to appease the anger of Ha’Shem against sin, satisfy His holy justice, or conform to His standard of righteousness. They are guilty of violating God’s Word and face eternal banishment from His presence. The deadly deceptive premise of all false religions is that sinners, based on their own moral and religious efforts and achievements, can reconcile themselves to God. But God alone designed the way of reconciliation and only He can take the first step in drawing sinners close to Him. The fact that God has reconciled us to Himself is precisely the good news of the gospel (John 3:16).

Thus, reconciliation is not something mankind does but what they receive; it is not what people accomplish but what they embrace. Reconciliation does not happen when we decide to stop rejecting God, but when God decides to stop rejecting us. It is a divine provision by which Ha’Shem’s holy wrath against alienated sinners is appeased by the death of Messiah, satisfying every claim His holiness and justice so that He is free to act on behalf of sinners (propitiation). Reconciliation occurs because ADONAI was graciously willing to design a way to have all the sins of those who are His removed from them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), throw all their sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19b), and threw all their sins behind His back (Isaiah 38:17b).

Reconciliation is by the act of forgiveness (5:19): Which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation (5:19). The phrase reconciling mankind must not be understood as teaching universalism, the false doctrine that all people will be saved. If God reconciled the world, Universalists simplistically argue, then the barrier between God and mankind has been removed for all, and everyone will be saved. Wrong! Scripture does teach that there is a sense in which Messiah died for the whole world (John 1:29, 4:42, 6:51; 1 Tim 2:6; Hebrews 2:9). Everyone reaching the age of accountability has an opportunity for salvation and eternal life in heaven. But because of our free-will in Messiah, we can say no to God and make it stick. Those who choose to believe in Yeshua take advantage of His gracious offer, while those who reject Him do not (see the commentary on Romans Al – The Evidence Against the Pagan Gentile). But to all those whom He has reconciled, ADONAI has given us the message of reconciliation. All who are in Messiah become ambassadors of Messiah.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for so graciously making reconciliation possible by the suffering of Your Son as the sacrificial lamb of God (John 1:29). You are so overly generous in giving Yeshua’s righteousness to all who love and trust Him as their Savior (Second Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:9-10). When I focus on the joy of eternity with You in heaven forever, I have overflowing joy and contentment! When I realize that some of my family and friends have not made the personal decision to follow You – I am so heart broken and anxious for their salvation. Heaven is real and so is Hell. My family and friends know about You and think Your love is wonderful, but they have not made the important personal decision to follow you as their Lord and their Savior.

Please work in their hearts to want to seek you. May you show them that while you are so very loving, you are also holy and can tolerate no sin in your holy heaven. It is their pride that is keeping them from bowing before You. Please allow situations, friends or whatever it takes to get them to want to be part of Your family by loving you as their Lord, Master and Father. May they use their free will to turn away from earthly short-lived happiness and to run hard after the eternal joy of loving and serving you forever! In Your holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Reconciliation is by the obedience of faith (5:20): Therefore, Paul now summarizes his message, we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making His appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God” (Second Corinthians 5:20)! This is equal to the Great Commission (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mo – The Great Commission). Because believers are His ambassadors, it is though God the Father makes His appeal to the lost on behalf of the Son, Yeshua Messiah, to be reconciled to the Triune God.¹⁴⁴ This appeal for people to be reconciled makes it clear that the sinner is never delivered from wrath and judgment to blessing and reward without a personal response to the truth of the gospel through the means He provided: We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Messiah alone (see the commentary on Galatians Bc – We are Not Justified by Deeds of the Torah). When our sins are forgiven, we get a new purpose driven life, and we are promised an eternal home in heaven.

You were made for a mission. God is at work in the world and He wants you to join Him. This assignment is called your mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Messiah and a mission to the world. Your ministry is to believers, and your mission is to unbelievers. This is God’s purpose for your life. The English word mission comes from the Latin word for sending. Being a believer includes being sent into the world as an ambassador, a representative, of Yeshua Messiah. The mission Yeshua had while on the earth is now our mission because we are the Body of Messiah. What He did in His physical body, we are to continue as His spiritual body, the Church. What is that mission? Introducing people to the Lord! The Bible says God is making His appeal through us.

ADONAI wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to Himself (at His expense) so we can fulfill the purposes He created us for: to love Him, to be a part of His family, to become like Him, to serve Him, and to tell others about Him. Once we are His, God wants us to reach others. He saves us and then sends us out. We are ambassadors of the Messiah. We are the messengers of God’s love to the world.¹⁴⁵

A New Creation
5: 11-17

A new creation DIG: What does the fear of the Lord mean to you? If you defend yourself against lies, does that mean you lack faith? Why? Why not? What does integrity look like? What story in your life might illustrate your integrity? What are you most grateful to the Lord for? What examples can you give that you are a new creation after you were saved?

REFLECT: How have you changed since being saved? How did your family, friends, and co-workers take the change? What has been the cost of your faith? If you were arrested and tried for being a believer would there be enough evidence to find you guilty? How so? Why not? When have you had to defend your integrity? How is your walk with the Lord going?

If anyone is in Messiah, they are a new creation,
the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new!

Although there is a variety of leadership styles, several common qualities are indispensable, especially for effective leaders (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah, to see link click Bt – The Third Return: Nehemiah – A Manual for Leaders). But the basic common characteristic is integrity. Without it, all of the supposed leadership qualities add up to nothing more than hot air. Integrity solidifies and unites all the other qualities; it is the glue that holds all attitudes and actions together.

True spiritual leadership belongs to those whose lives are pure, blameless, and above reproach (First Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6-7; Psalm 101:6). But leaders must also protect their integrity against false accusations that could destroy it. This is what prompted Paul to write. He knew the importance of not only guarding his life against sin, but also guarding his reputation against lies. Actually, the central theme of Second Corinthians is Paul’s defense of his integrity. The apostle’s integrity was under attack from the false apostles who had infiltrated the church at Corinth (see Af – The Problem of False Apostles). Before they could get people to listen to them, they first had to tear down Paul’s credibility. Although their accusations were false, they were nonetheless dangerous; if the Corinthians believed their lies, confidence in the Word of God through Paul would be destroyed.

But Paul was on the horns of a dilemma. If he didn’t defend himself, the Corinthians might abandon him in favor of the false apostles. Yet, if he did defend himself, he left himself open to the charge that he was pridefully puffing himself up. To refute the false accusation that he was guilty of being prideful and conceited, Paul was forced to defend himself.

The key to understanding this passage rests in the meaning of the word persuade (Greek: peitho). It does not refer to persuading people of the truth of the gospel as it does in Acts 17:4, 18:4, 19:8, 26:28 and 28:23-24. The gospel is not the issue in Second Corinthians, it is not an evangelistic letter. Paul was not trying to persuade the Corinthian believers of the truth of the gospel, but rather of the truth of his integrity. Therefore, peitho could better be interpreted to seek the favor of. Paul sought a favorable judgment from the Corinthians in the matter of his integrity. Therefore, as he defended his integrity against the vicious liars who were attacking him, Paul gave six motives for his defense.

Reverence for the Lord (5:11a): Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord (5:11a). To fear ADONAI is to have reverence, awe, and respect for Him resulting in worship, adoration, and service (Job 28:28; Psalms 19:9, 22:23, 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 8:13, 9:10). Acts 9:31 states that the Messianic community throughout Judea and Galilee and Sumaria enjoyed peace and was built up. They lived in the fear of the Lord, with the comfort of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, and their numbers kept multiplying. Thus, the fear of the Lord does not refer to dread or terror, since that type of fear would not result in peace and comfort.

Paul was deeply disturbed that anyone would think that he misrepresented the Lord whom he loved and served with reverence. He was appalled to be viewed by some as dishonoring the name of Yeshua Messiah. It was unacceptable that people would think he was living a lie, opposite of his real reason for living – to glorify God (First Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1). Nor could Paul remain silent while he was falsely accused of dishonoring the Lord, for such slander would result in his ministry being useless and unfruitful. As a result, he was obligated to defend his own integrity, though he did so with humble reluctance (10:12-18).

Concern for the Church (5:12): Paul not only defended himself for God’s sake, but also for his concern for the Church. The assaults on Paul’s integrity threatened not only to split the church in Corinth, but also to stunt its spiritual growth. Thus Paul declared: We are not recommending (Greek: kauchaomai, meaning to take pride in ) ourselves. Paul had stated previously how he and his co-laborers didn’t need to recommend themselves, as the changed lives of the Corinthians was the evidence that their ministry was genuine (3:1). Actually, Paul was the last person to boast about himself (First Corinthians 4:4). The only boasting he did was about his weakness (see Ca – Foolish Boasting).

Further clarifying his motives, Paul said that the reason he wrote this defense of his integrity was to give the Corinthians a reason for them to be proud of him in the right sense. Proud can refer to sinful boasting, but here it refers to their confidence in his spiritual integrity (Galatians 6:4; Hebrews 3:6). Rather than respond to their accusations himself, Paul wisely chose to arm his friends to defend him. He knew that replying directly to his enemies was pointless because they would merely twist his words to fit their own evil purposes (Proverbs 26:4, 29:9). Therefore, it was more effective for him to equip his supporters in Corinth so that they would be able to answer his detractors (Proverbs 27:2).

Turning the tables on his accusers, Paul denounced them as those who boast about a person’s appearance rather than his inner qualities (5:12). Because their outward religious appearance didn’t match the corruption that was in their hearts, they, and not Paul, were the hypocrites lacking integrity. They were like those Yeshua denounced as whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness . . . who outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Mt 23:27-28). With Paul, however, there was no difference between what he appeared to be on the outside and what he really was on the inside. That truth was evident not only to God, but also to the Corinthians’ consciences as they responded to what they knew to be true of Paul.¹⁴¹

Devotion to the truth (5:13): One of the false apostles’ slanderous charges against Paul was that he was a fool who had lost his mind (Greek: existemi, meaning to stand outside oneself). Existemi is the root verb translated lost his mind is used in Mark 3:21 to describe Yeshua’s relatives’ mistaken belief that He was out of His mind. Paul was so devoted to the truth that his enemies thought that he was fanatical to the point of being crazy. Incredibly, instead of being immediately rejected, those false and outrageous allegations generated a debate in the Corinthian church with those who insisted that he was merely zealous. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted zealous, I did it for you (5:13 The Message).

The world often looks unfavorably on people who are dogmatic and zealous about the truth, like John the Baptist, who denounced the hypocritical Jewish religious leaders in no uncertain terms. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who had been sent by

the Great Sanhedrin to observe John, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come” (Mark 3:7 NASB)? As a result, in predictable fashion, they ridiculed him, claiming: He has a demon (Matthew 11:18)!

And as far as Paul was concerned, this wasn’t the only time that his commitment to the truth had caused someone to question his sanity. After he gave a dramatic testimony of his conversion and a powerful, straightforward presentation of the Good News before King Agrippa, that the Roman governor Festus shouted at the top of his voice, “Paul, you’re out of your mind! So much learning is driving you crazy! But Paul was not insane, as his calm, dignified reply demonstrated: No, I am not crazy, Festus, your Excellency; on the contrary, I am speaking words of truth and sanity (Acts 26:24-25).

If Paul acted zealous, he did it for the Corinthians. They were his sheep and he was their shepherd (see Au – A Competent Shepherd). If other people thought he was acting far too zealous, it was of no consequence to him (see Ax – Light out of Darkness). The issue for Paul was that ADONAI be honored by him proclaiming the truth. So that’s what he did. Faithfully. For the sake of the Corinthians, however, he was at the same time, gentle, humble, and patient (Second Corinthians 10:1 and Second Timothy 4:2).

Gratitude to the Savior (5:14): For the Messiah’s love controls us, because we are convinced that one man died on behalf of all mankind (see the commentary on Romans Ae – My Position on T.U.L.I.P. or Calvinism: Limited Atonement). While Paul’s love for his Lord certainly compelled him, the phrase Messiah’s love is best seen in this context as Messiah’s love for Paul – a love most certainly seen in His sacrificial death, which is the subsequent theme. Paul never lost his sense of the wonder of Messiah’s love (see the commentary on Romans Cm – The Certainty of Redemption). Messiah’s incomprehensible, unbreakable, unconditional love overwhelmed him. But more than that, it controlled (Greek: sunecho, meaning a pressure that produces action) him. The magnitude of Messiah’s love for believer’s like Paul compelled him to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, as an act of grateful worship. If he were discredited and his ministry lost, he would lose the opportunity to express his gratitude to Messiah through his ministry. That threat was a key factor that compelled Paul to defend his integrity.

Desire for righteousness (5:15): This point is inextricably linked to the previous one. The reason that Messiah died on behalf of all mankind was so that those who live should not live any longer for themselves but for the One who on their behalf died and was raised (5:15). The marvelous miracle of salvation includes not only believers’ union with Messiah in His death, but also in His resurrection (see the commentary on Romans Bp – The Messianic Mikvah). Therefore, in Messiah, believers experience not only death to sin, but also resurrection in righteousness. As a result, we are no longer to live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14; First Peter 2:24).

To be viewed as one who dishonored Messiah would have devastated Paul, for the most important thing in his life was to live for Him. Paul also defended his integrity so that he could continue to be a role model for what it meant to live for Messiah. In his previous letter, Paul urged the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, just as I am of Messiah” (First Corinthians 4:1 and First Thessalonians 1:6). If he allowed his integrity to be destroyed by lies, the Corinthians would not follow him, but the false apostles instead. Such a situation was intolerable to Paul and prompted his vigorous defense of his integrity.

Burden for the lost (5:16-17): The overarching reason Paul defended his integrity, the one that incorporated all the rest, was so that he could continue to reach the lost. He was passionate to see people come to saving faith in Yeshua. In fact, as he wrote in his first letter: Woe is me if I don’t proclaim the Good News (First Corinthians 9:16). But perhaps the most emotional glimpse of Paul’s burden for the lost come in a shocking statement in his letter to the Romans: I am speaking the truth – even as the apostle to the Gentiles, as one who belongs to the Messiah, I do not lie; and also bearing witness is my conscience, governed by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Since Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles, perhaps some thought he would no longer be interested in the Jews. In this verse he affirms the sincerity of his grief over Isra’el’s failure, as a people, to honor their Messiah. My grief is so great, the pain in my heart so constant, always in the back of my mind, that I could wish myself, if it were possible, to actually be under God’s curse (Greek: anathema) and separated from Messiah, if it would help my brothers who have rejected Him, my own flesh and blood (Romans 9:1-3), the people of Isra’el! The Greek word anathema corresponds to the Hebrew word cherem, meaning, set apart for destruction. Paul’s burden for the lost moved him to defend his integrity, lest he lose his credibility and with it his ability to effectively preach the gospel.

These next two verses define when Paul’s burden for the lost began. The conjunction therefore, points back to verses 14 and 15. Therefore, from now on, we do not look at anyone from a worldly viewpoint as the false apostles did. After his conversion, the way Paul viewed people changed radically. Not only did Paul’s view of people change, but also his view of Messiah. The apostle stated: I once regarded the Messiah from a worldly viewpoint (5:16a). He had made a human assessment of Him, concluding that He was merely a man. Worse, he had decided that Yeshua was a false messiah; a heretic and an enemy of Judaism, one worthy of death. As a result, Paul dedicated his life to persecuting His followers (Acts 26:9-11).

Yet after Paul’s conversion he no longer viewed Yeshua as an itinerant Galilean rabbi and self-appointed messianic imposter who was the enemy of Judaism (5:16b). Instead, he saw Him for who He really is, God incarnate, the Savior, the Lord of heaven, the true Messiah who alone fulfills all the promises of the TaNaKh, and provides forgiveness for sin. The transformation in Paul’s view took place in one blinding moment when he met the risen Lord on the road to Damascus (see the commentary on Acts Bc – Sha’ul Turns from Murder to Messiah). And when his assessment of Yeshua changed, so did his assessment of everyone else. He knew that the same profound change that took place in his life also took place in the lives of all those who put their trust in Messiah.

Therefore, in a conclusion also deriving from verse 15. Like the radical transformation of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, Paul wrote about this metamorphosis, saying: If anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation (5:17a). God’s grace and mercy are wide enough to encompass anyone, even the most vile, wicked sinner – even the foremost of sinners, as Paul described himself (First Timothy 1:15-16). But ADONAI is the One who makes people righteous on the basis of Yeshua’s faithfulness (Rom 3:26; Galatians 3:26). His substitutionary death becomes their death, and His resurrection life their life.

Paul’s familiar expression united with the Messiah (CJB), or in Messiah (NIV) succinctly and profoundly summarizes all the rich blessings of salvation (Romans 8:1, 16:3, 7:1; First Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1, 4:21; Colossians 1:2 and 28; Philemon 23). The word new (Greek: kainos) means new in quality, not just in sequence. The believers’ old self was crucified with Him (Romans 6:6 NIV), and thus have laid aside the old self and put on the new self (Eph 4:22 and 24; Colossians 3:9-10 NASB).

The transformation brought about by this new birth is not only an instantaneous miracle (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith), but is also a lifelong process of sanctification. For those so transformed, everything changes . . . the old has passed away. Old values, ideas, plans, loves, desires, and beliefs will vanish. Fresh and new values, ideas, plans, loves, desires and beliefs have come (5:17)! The perfect tense of the verb have come (Greek: ginomai) indicates a past act with continuing results in the present. ADONAI plants new desires, loves and truths in us so that we can live in the midst of the old creation with a new creation perspective (Galatians 6:14). It is true, of course, that for the time being our old sin nature still persists and the new has not fully come (Romans 8:18-25; Galatians 5:15-26). That perspective takes a lifetime, but as it is nourished and developed, it helps us gain victory in the battle against sin and conforms us into the likeness of Messiah (Romans 8:29a).

So Paul defended his integrity in order to preach with boldness, knowing that he was a new creation. In addition, his reverence and gratitude to the Savior who had done so much for him, his deep concern for the church, passionate devotion to the truth, desire for righteousness, and longing to see the lost come to the Savior compelled him to maintain his integrity. Because he did so, he could confidently challenge the Corinthians, “So don’t pronounce judgment prematurely, before the Lord comes; for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness; He will expose the motives of people’s hearts; and then each will receive from God whatever praise he deserves” (First Corinthians 4:5).¹⁴²

Let’s be very practical about this. You may ask, “I know that this is a wonderful verse, but how do I know absolutely that I am a new creation in Messiah? Listen to what the Lord Yeshua says about this: Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever hears what I am saying and trusts the One who sent me has eternal life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer); that is, he or she will not come up for judgment but has already crossed over from death to life (John 5:24)! Have you believed in the Lord Yeshua Messiah? Do you believe that He died for your sins and He was buried; and He was raised on the third day, in accordance with what the TaNaKh says (First Corinthians 15:3-4)? If you do, He assures you that you have eternal life and will not come into judgment; you have passed from death to life.

This makes you a new creation.

For We Must All Appear Before the Bema of Messiah
5: 9-10

For we must all appear before the bema of Messiah DIG: Will you make pleasing ADONAI the goal of your life? Believers are never judged. How do these verses confirm that truth? What is the bema? Who is it that appears before the bema of Messiah? On what basis are the crowns rewarded? When does this take place? Who is the Judge?

REFLECT: The bema of Messiah will be a place of eternal reward for faithful believers. What kind of reward(s) should you expect? Every believer receives at least one crown. Which crown(s) could you possibly receive? What purpose do these crowns serve? What are you doing with the gifts God has already given you? What will He say to you at the bema?

Believers will receive crowns for works done in the Body of Messiah after salvation.

With remarkable clarity Paul gives us a basic chronology of what happens the moment we die. Here’s how it works. First, while we are at home in our earthly bodies (our temporary tents), we are absent from the Lord (5:6). Sure, we can talk to Him in prayer, but we cannot see Him, we cannot visit Him, we cannot cry on His shoulder or sit at His feet and learn from Him. But, secondly, the moment we fold our tents, when the moment of death comes, when we lay our bodies down and are absent from our bodies, we will immediately be transported into the presence of Yeshua. Then Paul said: We are confident, then, and would much prefer to leave our home (in our earthly bodies) and come to our home in heaven to be with the Lord (5:8).¹³⁷

Therefore, whether at home on earth or away from home in heaven (to see link click Bb – Going Home), regardless of our location, we try our utmost to please Him (5:9). ADONAI is looking for people like Noah in the twenty-first century – people willing to live for the pleasure of God, not the pleasure of this world. For the eyes of ADONAI move here and there throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those who are wholehearted toward Him (Second Chronicles 16:9). From heaven ADONAI observes people to see if anyone has understanding, to see if anyone seeks after Him (Psalm 14:2). Are you one of them? Your wisest moments will be those when you say “Yes!” to God.¹³⁸

For all believers must all appear before the bema of Messiah, that each one may receive what is due them for the things done while in the Body, whether good or bad (5:10). This is a place of reward in heaven after the Rapture of the Church. In the synagogue, the bema is the raised platform where the Word of God is read and the service is conducted. It is a place of honor and blessing. There is no fear at the bema. For believers, this should not be confused with the judgment of unbelievers (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment). There is no fear at the bema. John spoke of the bema when he wrote: In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (First John 4:17-18).

The basis of blessing at the bema will be the believer’s works done in the Body of Messiah after salvation. This is illustrated in the parable of the Bags of Gold. Some were faithful and were rewarded, and some were not and lost their reward (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Jx – The Parable of the Bags of Gold) The believer’s sins will not be judged, because they have already been forgiven at the cross, and there is no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua (Romans 8:1). It will not be a question of the believer’s sins, but a matter of reward to determine degree of authority in the Millennial Kingdom.

What will we do with our crowns when we receive them? John tells us that believers will lay their crowns before the throne in heaven and proclaim: You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being (Rev 4:10b-11).

Paul gives us a more detailed passage dealing with the bema. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah. Paul again explains that the basis for judgment is the works of the believer. The foundation is Yeshua Messiah. In addition, their works will not be based on quantity, but quality instead. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. The question will not be how much gold, silver and costly stones or wood, hay or straw, but was it gold, silver and costly stones or was it wood, hay and straw? Thus, some believers will find their works burned up, while others will merely find them refined. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. Forgiveness does not exclude accountability. It’s just burning away the dross to purify the real stuff that is to be rewarded. Finally, the rewards are given. Those who have built with gold, silver and costly stones will find their works still remaining, but purified after the fire has been applied. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward (First Corinthians 3:10-14).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your wonderful love! Praise You that not only do You totally forgive the sins of those who love and fear You (Psalms 103:11-12), You also reward Your children. You are so wise to see each person’s heart attitude. People evaluate a deed by how much it accomplishes, but you God look into the heart. Thank You for looking into the heart of each person so that when you give a reward, Your reward is totally fair because it is based not on outward appearance but on their heart attitude. For man looks at the outward appearance, but ADONAI looks into the heart (First Samuel 16:7c). You are wonderful and it is a joy to serve You in good times and in hard times. We bend the knee to you and seek to bless you with all our thoughts and actions. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of resurrection. Amen

But if they have built with wood, hay and straw, they will be burned up. Therefore, he will suffer loss, in the sense of lost rewards and authority in the Millennium, nothing more. Lest anyone think that he lost his salvation, Paul says in no uncertain terms that he himself will be saved. His works do not determine salvation. Since we can do no works to earn our salvation, we can do no works to lose our salvation. His eternal relationship with the Lord is guaranteed because God has anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (1:21-22). Salvation equals faith . . . plus nothing. But he will spend a thousand years in the Messianic Kingdom as one escaping through the flames with nothing to show for his spiritual life (First Corinthians 3:15).

This passage says nothing about the nature of the reward; however, other passages do. They speak of these rewards as being crowns. The Greek language has two words meaning crown. The first word is diadem, which is a king’s crown. It is the crown of sovereignty and of a person who is royal by his nature and by his position – a king. This is the kind of crown that Yeshua wears. The second Greek word is stephanos, which is a crown given to an overcomer, a victor, one who has won a race. These are the kinds of crowns available to believers because they overcame in the spiritual warfare with Satan and are now crowned at the bema of Messiah. There are five such crowns mentioned in the Bible.¹³⁹

The first is called the incorruptible crown: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever (First Corinthians 9:24-25). This crown is given to believers who faithfully run the race, believers who crucify their selfish desires in the flesh and point people to Messiah. God calls some people to do things that will require some sacrifice in the way they live and conduct their lives. This verse also implies that these people will receive this crown for the sacrifices they were willing to make for ADONAI in order to successfully complete the call or mission God called them to do. They were faithful to that call.

The second crown is called the crown of rejoicing: For what is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Yeshua Messiah at His Second Coming? For you are our glory and joy (First Thessalonians 2:19-20). Paul asked rhetorically, what would be the greatest blessing he could possibly receive at the bema of Messiah. The Thessalonians were! They were everything that was worth anything to Messiah. They were His hope, crown, glory and joy. In essence, Paul said, “When life is over and we stand in the presence of our Lord Yeshua at His Second Coming, you Thessalonians will be His source of glory and joy, you mean that much to Him.” This is the soul winner’s crown. It is not hard to understand God’s eagerness to reward those who bring the lost to Him. Some have the gift of evangelism, but we are all to evangelize. We need to understand that a relationship with Yeshua is exactly what unbelievers are searching for, whether they realize it or not, and reaching out to them causes God to rejoice.

The third crown is the crown of righteousness: Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing (Second Timothy 4:7-8). Rabbi Sha’ul had stored up spiritual currency in heaven, and so can we. Yeshua Himself said: Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal it (Matthew 6:20). Yeshua tells us that there isn’t anything that you have suffered in this life that will not be rewarded at least a hundred times as much (Mark 10:29-30). This crown of righteousness describes itself. It is the crown of eternal righteousness – the very righteousness of the Redeemer granted in full perfection to the glorified believer. When we receive our glorified bodies, we will receive this crown. All believers will be rewarded.

The fourth crown is called the crown of life: In James, it is a crown for those people who remain faithful to the gospel even under persecution: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12). And in the book of Revelation, it is given to those who suffer martyrdom for their faith. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death (Revelation 2:10-11).

The fifth and final crown mentioned in the Bible is the crown of glory: To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Messiah’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed. There are glorious days coming when those who serve Yeshua with the right heart and in the right way will be rewarded. Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And then Peter makes an application: When the Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (First Peter 5:2-4). This is a crown for faithfully feeding the flock of ADONAI. It is available to those pastors, messianic rabbis, elders and other teachers who feed the sheep with the milk and meat of the Word of God.

There may be other crowns available, but these are the only ones referred to in the Bible. At least these five are available to those whose works remain, which are built of gold, silver and precious stones. These crowns are for the purpose of determining the degree of authority in the Messianic Kingdom and not for the Eternal State. In eternity, all believers will be equal, but not so in the Millennial Kingdom where believers will have different positions of authority (Luke 19:11-27).¹⁴⁰

Going Home
5: 1-8

Going home DIG: What does Paul mean by comparing an earthly body to a tent? What is he saying about the state of our life on this earth? How can you balance longing for heaven with the need to accomplish God’s purposes for you here on earth? What are some of the ways you seek to maintain an eternal perspective? How are you walking by faith and not by sight?

REFLECT: What is your attitude toward death? Not that you want to die, but does it feel like you would be going home, or are you, in some way, still clinging to this world? Are you looking forward to a trade-in on your used body for a new, eternal one? How so? What legacy has been passed on to you from your family regarding how their death is approached?

The day of our death will be better than the day of our birth.

As he wrote this letter, Paul was facing death on a daily basis. Hostility swirled around him, animosity was constant, and so was the reality and threat of opposition and deadly persecution. Both unbelieving Jews and Gentiles sought to take his life, viewing him as a danger to their religion (Acts 13:50 and 18:13), their economic prosperity (Acts 19:23-27), and even to their political stability (Acts 17:6). The apostle’s sense of imminent death comes through repeatedly in Second Corinthians (1:8-10 and 4:7-12). How did he face the reality that he, like a soldier in the front lines, constantly lived on the brink of death?

Some might have expected Paul to tone down his fearless preaching of the Good News, since it was his preaching that enraged his enemies and thus jeopardized his life. But the more hostility and persecution he faced, the bolder Paul became. He never wavered from proclaiming the truth. Because he faced death confidently, that triumphant outlook caused him to write: For me, life is the Messiah, and death is gain . . . I am caught in a dilemma: my desire is to go off and be with Messiah for that is far better (Philippians 1:21 and 23).

Knowing that, believers should not fear death. Death merely releases us from the relatively dilapidated tent, our earthly body (5:2), in which we now live and ushers us into a room in the house of the eternal Father in the heavenly city. That does not mean that we should be foolishly reckless or careless with our lives because our bodies belong to God (6:19-20). We should long for heaven like a prisoner longs for freedom, like a thirsty person longs for a drink, like a sick person longs for health, like a hungry person longs for food, like a poor person longs for a payday, and like a soldier longs for peace. Hope and courage in facing death is the last opportunity for us to exhibit our faith in ADONAI, to prove our hope of heaven is genuine and to further develop our confidence in the promises of God. From this passage four motives for facing death confidently emerge.¹²⁷

The next body is the best (5:1): For we know. How do we know? Because we trust the Word of God. No believer has to consult a fortune-teller, a Ouija board, a spiritist, or a deck of cards to find out what the future holds or what lies ahead on the other side of death.¹²⁸ This initial for points to the explanation this verse will provide for the implications of previous verses (to see link click Ba – Renewed Day by Day), which are closely connected. To know something, in the sense expressed here, means more than having information, or having a theoretical understanding of some concept. Rather, Paul knows about the resurrected body because he knew the resurrected Messiah.¹²⁹ Paul’s confident assertion for we know indicates that believer’s glorified bodies are not a remote possibility or a vague wish because the Ruach Ha’Kodesh has been given as a down payment, guaranteeing our future.

Paul longed for his glorified body not primarily because it would be free of physical weakness and defects, but because it would be free of sin. The tent of the body is sin’s home, causing Paul to lament: I am bound to the old sin nature, sold to sin as a slave (Romans 7:14); sin is housed inside me (Romans 7:17b and 20b); and What a miserable creature I am! Who will rescue me from this body bound for death (Romans 7:24)? The apostle longed to serve, worship, and praise ADONAI in absolute purity, freed from the restrictions of his fallen, sinful flesh. That is the best feature of the reality of the resurrection.¹³⁰

Paul was a tentmaker (Acts 18:1-3), and here he used a tent as a picture of our present earthly bodies. For we know that when the tent which houses us here on earth is torn down. The earthly tent is synonymous with our body (4:10), our mortal flesh (4:11), and our outer man (4:16), as well as the clay jar (4:17). Tent life is a ready metaphor for our brief sojourn in this world, and depicts the instability, and thus vulnerability, of our mortal existence. And the verb torn down is particularly appropriate for the image of striking a tent, or the reference to physical death.¹³¹

After death dismantles believers’ earthly tent, we have a permanent building from God (5:1a). The assertion “we have” brings up the question, “When do we have it and what do we have?” Do we receive an interim tent at death and have to wait for the coming of Messiah and the first resurrection before we receive our resurrection bodies? I think not. It is more likely that Paul understands the believer to receive the resurrection body immediately at death. It would be a small consolation to know that this heavenly dwelling is only another partial fulfillment of what is to come and that we must wait in limbo until the Second Coming. Kind of a “heavenly purgatory.” Such an interpretation seems to contradict Paul’s statements in Philippians 1:23-24. With the prospect of death looming over him, he confesses that his personal preference is for death (something far better) because he will be with Messiah. We can surmise that it is also better because it will bring an end to his earthly conflict (Philippians 1:29), sorrow piled on sorrow (Philippians 2:27) and affliction (Philippians 4:12). But he concludes that his personal desires will be overruled by Ha’Shem because of the necessity of him returning to the Philippians to strengthen their faith (Philippians 1:24-26). Therefore, “the present tense” we have means that there is no homeless interlude between the destruction of our temporary earthly tent and receiving our eternal heavenly Tent.¹³² Paul had only two conditions in view since 4:16, the temporary and the eternal.

A building not made by human hands, to house us in heaven (5:1b). Perhaps the most definitive use of the phrase not made with human hands is Hebrews 9:11, “When the Messiah appeared as the High Priest of the good things that are happening already, then, through the greater and more perfect Tent which is not not made by human hands.” The description implies “not made by human effort or ability,” and speaks of something only God can do. Paul gave a more extensive teaching on the resurrection of the dead in his previous letter (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dq – The Resurrection of the Dead).

The next life is perfect (5:2-4): But in the meantime, in this tent, our earthly body, we groan longingly with desire to have around us the home from heaven that will be ours (5:2). Those who love the Lord yearn for the next life when this perishable body must be clothed with imperishability and what is mortal puts on immortality (First Corinthians 15:54a). Paul was weary of the frustrations, disappointments, limitations, weaknesses, and sins of this present life and longed for the sons of God to be revealed (Romans 8:19). When we put on this new eternal body, we will not be found naked. To be naked, then, is to be only a soul without a resurrected body. Yes, while we are in this earthly, temporary body, we groan with the sense of being oppressed. It is the crushing burden of sin that we experience in our physical bodies that make us yearn for our spiritual bodies. Repeating his disdain for soul nakedness, Paul emphasized again that it is not so much that we want to take something off, but rather to put something on over it; so that what must die may be swallowed up by the fulness and perfections of eternal life (5:3-4).¹³³

The next existence fulfills God’s purpose (5:5): Moreover, what is yet the future was prepared by God in the past and unfolds according to His plan and will. In eternity past, ADONAI sovereignly chose believers for salvation (see the commentary on Romans Ae – My Position on T.U.L.I.P. or Calvinism); in time, He redeemed us and in the future He will give us resurrection bodies. The phrase for this very purpose (5:5a) emphatically states that we obtain our glorified bodies in fulfillment of God’s sovereign plan from all eternity past. Paul wrote similar words to the believers in Rome (see Romans Cl – Our Bodies and Redemption).

But how can we be sure that we shall one day have new bodies like the glorified body of our Lord? We can be sure because the Ruach lives inside of us. Further reinforcing the apostle’s confidence in facing death was the knowledge that YHVH has given us His Spirit as a pledge (5:5b). Paul mentioned the sealing of the Spirit earlier in his letter (see An – God’s Seal of Approval). Thus, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh dwelling the believer’s body is the “down payment” that guarantees the future inheritance, including a glorified body (Ephesians 1:13-14). In modern Greek, the word translated guarantees means “engagement ring.” The True Universal Church, made up of Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14), is engaged to Yeshua Messiah and is waiting for the Bridegroom to come and take her to the wedding (see the commentary on Revelation Fg – Blessed Are Those Invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb).¹³⁴

The next dwelling is with the Lord (5:6-8): Therefore, we are always confident when facing death, we know that so long as we are at home in the body, we are away from our home with the Lord (5:6), The people of God can be found in one of two places: either in heaven or on earth (Ephesians 3:15). None of them is in the grave, in hell, or in any “intermediate purgatory” between earth and heaven. Believers on earth are at home in the body, while believers who have died are absent from the body. Believers on earth are absent from the Lord, while believers in heaven are present with the Lord.

Just as the nine months you spent in your mother’s womb were not an end in themselves but a preparation for life, so this life is preparation for the next. If you have a relationship with YHVH through Yeshua, you don’t need to fear death. It is the door to eternity. It will be the last hour of your time here on earth, but it won’t be the last of you. Rather than being the end of your life, it will be the birthday into eternal life. In that sense, the day of our death will be better than the day of our birth, because the first time we were born into sin. But when we die, we will awaken into the glorious presence of Messiah.¹³⁵ The Bible says: This world is not our home; we are looking forward to our eternal home in heaven (Hebrews 13:14).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise you that our Hope of heaven is a for-sure hope. Heaven is certain for those who love and worship Yeshua as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). That is such a comfort. We know that we are going home to be with You. In this world of uncertainty, Your love is joyously certain. It is a solid hope, a rock of refuge. The truth of heaven is so strong that nothing that happens in this world can touch Your Almighty power to take Your children to their heavenly home to live with You forever! Messiah’s words are always true, for He is Truth (John 14:6). He said that He was preparing a home for those who love Him! I am going to prepare a place for you . . . I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be  (John 14:2c, 3b-c). Thank You for your great love. We love You and rejoice in serving You, even when it is hard, for our eyes are on You and our eternal home with You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The parenthetical statement: For we live by trust, not by what we see, explains how believers can have fellowship with and serve an invisible God in this life. Such trust is not a wishful fantasy or a vague superstition, but a strong confidence, grounded in the truth of Scripture (5:7). Trusting is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about things we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).

Paul concludes the passage with the triumphant declaration : We are confident, then, and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and come to our home with the Lord (5:8). He was always positive toward the future despite the constantly looming reality of death. To prefer to leave our home in the body and come to our home with the Lord is to understand the brief, temporary time we spend on earth only as alien’s and stranger’s experience, while heaven is our true and permanent home.

The reality of death faces every believer who dies before the Lord raptures His Church (see the commentary on Revelation By – The Rapture of the Church). Those who look forward to receiving their glorified bodies, to the perfections of heaven, to the fulfillment of God’s purpose for them, and to living forever in His presence, will be able to say triumphantly with Paul, “Death, where is your victory? Death where is your sting” (First Corinthians 15:55)?¹³⁶

Renewed Day by Day
4: 16-18

Renewed day by day DIG: What was Paul’s secret in getting through the hard times of life and ministry? Why did ADONAI allow Paul to go through them? What does it mean to “concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen?” How does the inner person get renewed daily? How does that daily renewal fuel and motivate the believer?

REFLECT: How do these verses challenge the idea of what makes a person “successful?” Why do some believers live with a deep-seated anxiety about eternity? What are your feelings about the end of your life and the next world to come? How does the glory reserved for us in the future serve as motivation in the now to be faithful and courageous in suffering?

For what is seen is temporary, but things not seen are eternal.

Life for believers in this fallen world is a mixture of joy and sorrow, of blessing and suffering, of triumph and tragedy. For all people, fulfilling relationships, pleasant times, and exhilarating experiences are tempered by the reality that people are born for trouble as surely as sparks fly upward (Job 5:7). Even believers are not exempt from normal human trouble. Yeshua warned: In this world you will have trials (John 16:33). And Paul reminded Timothy, “All who want to live a godly life united with Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted” (Second Timothy 3:12). Disappointment, discontent, pain, grief, loss, disasters of various kinds, unexpected turns, and persecution will mark life’s course. Those who are able to cope successfully with life’s difficulties are those who learn how to endure. This passage reveals the means for facing life like Paul did, of having all kinds of troubles. But we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed (4:8-9).

Because of the astounding realities of all that was his in Messiah and the B’rit Chadashah, Paul could not lose heart. No amount of trouble could make him neglect his calling, privileges, or duty. Based on the reality of ADONAI’s glory revealed in Yeshua Messiah and God’s mighty care in his life, Paul gives us three heavenly reasons for earthly endurance.¹²²

Value spiritual strength over physical strength: Therefore, pointing back to what just preceded it (to see link click Az – Priceless Treasure in Clay Jars), we do not lose heart. Paul repeats this same statement that he made in 4:1, but here he does so in view of the resurrection and the glory it will bring. Let the present afflictions be what they will, not only do they appear as nothing when compared with that glory, they are even instrumental in working our glory out for us during our brief stay on this earth.¹²³

Though outwardly we are heading for decay. Paul’s body was decaying not only because of the normal aging process, but also because of the extremely grueling life he led. The apostle was old before his time, worn out in the cause of Messiah. Nor was it merely hunger, sleeplessness, or illness that took its toll on Paul; it was the battering his body took at the hands of his enemies. He wrote to the Galatians, “I have scars on my body to prove that I belong to Yeshua” (Galatians 6:17b). His body bore the scars of beatings (Acts 16:22 and 21:30-32), whippings (2 Cor 11:24), even a stoning (Acts 14:19), as well as imprisonments (Acts 16:24).

But in direct correlation to Paul’s decaying outer man was the growth and maturing of his inner man. The expression inner man is synonymous with the heart for Paul, and implies the center of a person, the source of the will, emotion, thought and affection. Was Paul tempted to give up in the face of the brutal nature of his ministry? He answered, “Heaven forbid, even though we are wasting away, the real us, who we are on the inside, is being renewed day by day (4:16 NIV). Isaiah said it this way: Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard that the everlasting God, ADONAI, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow tired or weary? His understanding cannot be fathomed. He invigorates the exhausted, he gives strength to the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, even the fittest may stumble and fall; but those who hope in ADONAI will renew their strength, they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings; when they are running they won’t grow weary, when they are walking they won’t get tired (Isaiah 40:28-31). Our decaying bodies will eventually perish, but one day all believers will receive a new imperishable, eternal body (see Bb – Going Home). That recognition motivates us to value spiritual strength over physical strength.

Value the future over the present: It’s vital that you stay focused on God’s plan, not your pain or problem. That is how Yeshua endured the pain of the cross, and we are urged to follow His example: Keep your eyes on Yeshua, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be his afterwards (Hebrews 12:2a LB). Corrie ten Boom, who suffered in a Nazi death camp, explained the power of focus, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed; if you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Messiah, you’ll be at rest.” Your focus will determine your feelings. The secret of endurance is to remember that your pain is only in the present, but your future reward will be eternal. Moshe endured the problems of a life of problems because he was looking ahead to his reward (Hebrews 11:26). Paul endured hardship the same way. He said: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory whose weight is beyond description (4:17). So don’t give in to short-term thinking. Stay focused on the end result: If we are to share in His glory, we must also share His sufferings. What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later (Romans 8:17-18 NLT).¹²⁴

Value the eternal over the temporal: Compared to other centuries, life has never been easier for much of the Western world. We are constantly entertained, amused, and catered to. With all the fascinating attractions, mesmerizing media, and enjoyable experiences available to us today, it’s easy to forget that the pursuit of happiness is not what life is about. Only as we remember that life is a test and a temporary assignment will the appeal of these things lose their grip on our lives. We are preparing for something even better.

The fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why, as followers of Yeshua, we experience difficulty, sorrow, and rejection in this world (John 15:18-19). It also explains why some of God’s promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair. This is not the end of the story. In order to keep us from becoming too attracted to earth, ADONAI allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life – longings that will never be fulfilled on this side of eternity. We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be! Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20a), this earth is not our final home.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your deep and eternal love that desires to have me live with You forever in Your eternal home in heaven. Thank You that You are Almighty and nothing can stop me from spending eternity with You. Your power is so strong that nothing can keep me from your perfect love that you give me in Messiah Yeshua.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Thank You! Bless You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

A fish would never be happy living on land, because it was made for the water. An eagle could never feel satisfied if it wasn’t allowed to fly. You will never feel completely satisfied on earth because you were made for heaven. You will have happy moments here, but nothing compared with what YHVH has planned for you. Realizing that life on earth is just a temporary assignment should radically alter your values. Eternal values , not temporal ones, should become the deciding factors for your decisions. The Bible says: Therefore, we concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen. For what is seen is temporary, but things not seen are eternal (4:18). It is a fatal mistake to assume that the Lord’s goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it (First John 2:15-17). The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance. Never focus on temporary crowns, only seek after eternal ones (see Bc – For We Must All Appear Before the Bema of Messiah).¹²⁵ Paul was riveted by the reality of eternity. The promise of heaven gave him real hope when life’s circumstances turned unpleasant. By cultivating a mindset that continually recalls these easy-to-forget realities, we become the people ADONAI made us to be and our lives take on new power and purpose.¹²⁶

Priceless Treasure in Clay Jars
4: 7-15

Priceless treasures in clay jars DIG: Why is the picture of a clay jar a fitting one for describing believers in relation to their Lord? What qualities should we have as clay jars for God’s use? What is the treasure within the clay jar? What truths keep Paul going in spite of his hardships? Why does ADONAI call Paul to go through such hardships?

REFLECT: What does “death at work” and “life is in you” mean to you? Which is at work in your life? Why? How do these verses help you cope with your present difficulties and anxieties? How do these verses challenge the commonly held ideas of what makes a person a “success?” Is your jar broken? What price are you willing to suffer to follow the Messiah?

The ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing.

The gospel is a treasure. This treasure has been entrusted to us, men and women who are nothing more than clay jars. God did this on purpose because, given our human weaknesses, the impact of the Gospel is not evidence of human power, but of the power of ADONAI.¹¹²

When Paul wrote this letter, he was under furious attack in Corinth. False apostles (to see link click Aj – The Problem of the False Apostles) had infiltrated the church there, assaulting Paul so as to create an environment for spreading legalistic false doctrine. To gain a hearing for their demonic lies, they first had to destroy Paul’s apostolic authority and spiritual credibility in the eyes of the Corinthian Church. To that end, they launched an all-out blitz on the apostle’s character and ministry. Their attack was merciless, relentless, and petty. They even stooped so low as to criticize Paul’s personal appearance (10:10). The false apostles claimed the reason so many had rejected his message was that he was an unimpressive, common man.

Those hurtful, hateful attacks, moving people’s loyalty from divine truth to satanic lies, demanded a response from Paul. He was not necessarily interested in defending himself for his own sake, but for the sake of the Gospel. Paul knew that if the false apostles could discredit him, they could replace him as the apostles with authority in Corinth. Then, they would be free to deceive the Corinthians with their false teaching.

The false apostles’ attacks on him put Paul between a rock and a hard place. If he defended himself against their slander, which he had to do to hold the church to the truth (written and accurate), he risked looking proud. And, in truth, no one was more acutely aware of his shortcomings than Paul himself. In his first letter to the Corinthians he confessed: For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (First Corinthians 15:9 NIV). To Timothy he wrote: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to His service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief (First Timothy 1:12-13 NIV).

How could Paul remove himself from such a dilemma? How was he able to defend himself and the gospel he preached without seeming proud? Rather than deny the false apostles’ accusations that he was weak and imperfect . . . Paul embraced them! The apostle declared the timeless truth of the gospel was held in a humble container. In fact, his weakness, far from being a reason to reject him, he used the analogy of a precious treasure in a clay jar. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us (4:7).

Clay jars were commonplace in virtually every home in the ancient Middle East. They were inexpensive and easily broken. Unlike metal jars (which could be repaired) or glass ones (which could be melted down and reused), once broken, clay jars had to be thrown away.¹¹³ Yet, rather than being housed in a gilded box, God entrusts His treasure to these fragile containers . . . ordinary and disposable. However, the very weakness of the clay jars focuses attention on God’s extraordinary power. The redeemed of Messiah might not look too outwardly impressive at times (10:10), but inside we each contain the light and treasure of God.

The simile of the clay jars takes us back to the incident during the time of Gideon. In Judges 7 we read that Gideon took only three hundred men with him to free their land of innumerable Midianite invaders. Each man had a trumpet and a torch and an empty clay jar. They carried their torches in the clay jars so that the light couldn’t be seen from a distance. Then when they got among the Midianites, they broke their clay jars. It wasn’t until the clay jars were broken that the light could shine out. That is the thing which we need today. We need our jar to be broken. The apostle Paul was a man who knew what it was to be broken for Yeshua’s sake. With the “health-and-wealth” gospel that is so prevalent today, the trouble is that we don’t have enough who are willing to do that.¹¹⁴

Expanding upon his clay jar theme, Paul wrote one of his most transparent statements. Although Paul was a fragile clay pot of inferior quality, he was not broken. To illustrate this, he rehearses a list of hardships that he had endured as an apostle of Messiah. We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed (4:8-9). On first reading, it may appear that the list presents Paul in stoic-like terms as someone who bravely endures the sufferings that his ministry brought. However, his statement: so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us (4:7), clearly indicates that his purpose is to show that his hardships paradoxically display the power of God.¹¹⁵

Most people of average devotion would have been broken by such adversity. Yet devotion did not sustain Paul; it was the power of God at work within Him. The task demanded all he could give. And when he had given his all, and even that wasn’t enough, God’s power carried him through. This truth prevented him from thinking that he could do it all by himself. He knew that God was working even through his limitations and failures. As one controlled by the love of Messiah, he dared to reach beyond his limits because he trusted in God’s power to redeem what he did. Paul had become the suffering apostle of the suffering Messiah.¹¹⁶

In contrast to the false apostles in Corinth, Paul could say that he may have been knocked down, so to speak, but he wasn’t knocked out. The false apostles did not suffer. Instead of winning lost souls, they stole converts from Paul’s churches. Instead of sacrificing for the people, they made the people sacrifice for them (11:20). The false apostles did not have treasure to share. All they had were some museum pieces from the TaNaKh, faded antiques without the life-giving Ruach Ha’Kosesh.¹¹⁷

The suffering that Paul and his companions were experiencing was merely a continuation of the suffering endured by Yeshua. We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too (4:10). The word dying here does not translate thanatos, Paul’s usual word for death, but nekrosis. Thanatos speaks of death as a fact or a one-time event, while nekrosis describes the process of dying. It was not a matter of life after death or even life through death, but of death in the midst of life. What had been done to Messiah – the false accusations, the beatings, the mockery, His murder – was exactly what was being done to them. In that context, they felt privileged to suffer on their Lord’s behalf. As Paul wrote to the church in Colossae: Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Messiah’s afflictions, for the sake of His Body, which is the Church (Colossians 1:24). The ironic twist was this: Paul’s sufferings and eventual martyrdom at the hands of the enemies of Messiah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Fl – John the Baptist is Beheaded) actually resulted in a great multitude (including the believers in Corinth) receiving eternal life.¹¹⁸

The next verse restates the basic assertions of the previous one: For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal flesh (4:11). Handed over is from the Greek word paradidomi, the same verb used to describe Yeshua’s being handed over for crucifixion (Matthew 17:22; Acts 3:13; Romans 4:25). It’s as if Paul was saying, “facing death is part of life.” As Paul and his co-laborers proclaimed the Good News (in which the death of Messiah is primary), they suffer for it, sharing in the sufferings patterned after their Lord, as their story is patterned after His. Thus, on the one hand, Paul was daily subjected to death; but on the other hand, he was continually upheld, and made more than a conqueror by the experience of the risen Yeshua in his mortal body (Romans 8:35-39; Second Corinthians 1:8-10 and 2:14).¹¹⁹

Thus, death is at work in us but life in you, in other words, “We are dying, but you are living” (4:12). The apostle pointed out that his ministry was the reason the Corinthians had experienced the Good News of Yeshua Messiah. Paul’s suffering was not for himself, but for the building up of the Church. Like his Master, he came as a servant (Mark 10:45). He reminded the Philippians, “Indeed, even if my lifeblood is poured out as a drink offering over the sacrifice and service of your faith, I will still be glad and rejoice with you all (Philippians 2:17). To the Colossians he wrote: I rejoice in my present sufferings on your behalf (Colossians 1:24a). And he wrote to Timothy, “Why do I persevere through it all? For the sake of those who have been chosen, so that they too may obtain the deliverance that comes through Messiah Yeshua, with eternal glory (Second Timothy 2:10). It was Paul’s privilege to suffer in bringing the Gospel to others, who then became the fruit of his courageous endurance, an unbroken chain through the ages.

What enabled Paul to endure in the face of his suffering? The TaNaKh says: I trusted, therefore, I spoke. Paul identified with the righteous man who wrote Psalm 116:10. True witness for ADONAI is based on faith/trust/belief in ADONAI, and this comes from the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Paul could speak of his suffering and death because he was confident that YHVH would deliver him (1:9-10). This confidence was founded on the resurrection of Messiah, the Firstfruit of more to come for all those who place their faith for salvation in Him. Since we have that same Spirit who enables us to trust (1 Cor 15:35-52; Rom 8:17b-28), we also trust and therefore speak (4:13). Those who genuinely believe the truth cannot help but speak of that truth.

After citing Psalm 116:10, a hymn of praise for God’s deliverance of the psalmist’s soul from death, Paul asserted his unshakable confidence that even if they killed him, “Because we know that he who raised the Lord Yeshua will also raise us with Yeshua and bring us along with you into his presence” (4:14). Paul believed that with absolute confidence, he was able to speak on Messiah’s behalf with equal confidence. It’s as if he was saying to the Corinthians, “Hey, what’s the worst thing they can do to me? Kill me? Ha! Even if they do that, ADONAI will raise me from the dead and let me live with Him forever. So what have I got to lose?” His was truly an eternal perspective.¹²⁰

Clearly, Paul’s goal was never his own comfort, reputation, or popularity. All this is for your sake, so that as grace flows out to more and more people through the evangelistic efforts of both himself, as well as the Corinthian believers, it may cause thanksgiving to overflow and bring glory to God (4:15). In the words of Dani’el 12:3, “Those who can discern will shine like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. The astounding plan of ADONAI is to use common clay pots to carry the priceless treasure of the glorious gospel to needy sinners. As they humbly and faithfully serve Him, His power flows through them to others.¹²¹

Earlier Paul had said: But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us (4:7). But how do we do that? How do we live that way? We have to practice the presence of God when life hits us in the face. When the doctor across the table is talking about cancer and suddenly you realize she’s talking about you. When the phone rings and the police tell you that it’s your child . . . your spouse. When someone tells you they don’t love you anymore. They don’t want to live with you anymore. When the child that you’ve raised doesn’t believe what you’ve taught them; they believe what the world says. What do you do when life hits you in the face?

When Jacob was fleeing from Esau he reached a certain place he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which ADONAI spoke to him, reassuring him that He would be with him and gave Jacob many wonderful promises. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it” because life hit me in the face (Genesis 28:16). What do you do when life hits you in the face . . . you practice the presence of God in your life because He is still on the throne and He still loves you and cares for you?

Dear Almighty Heavenly Father, Praise Your Almighty power and Your faithful love. They are such a comfort. Thank You for entrusting us with such a great treasure as your Good News. Even though we are merely clay jars, help us to rely on Your Spirit and not to back down to the false apostles of our day. Help us to care more about Your Word than we do about ourselves. Praise You that not only is Your power eternal, so also is Your faithful and enduring love. How marvelous that nothing can separate us from Your love (Romans 8:38)! What a great and double bonus to have, and to live for, an eternal home with Almighty Father who always loves me. That is worth suffering any criticism and shame for! Praise and love You always! In your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Paul Describes His Apostolic Ministry
4:7 to 7:4

Now Paul turns to the paradoxical fact that the glory of the B’rit Chadashah Gospel moves out into the world via jars of clay, who are fragile and often suffer as they carry out their ministries (to see link click Az – Priceless Treasure in Clay Jars), Paul speaks of the troubles faced in ministry, but he insists that the suffering experienced by competent shepherds has a purpose: the advancement of the Gospel.

From a human perspective, it might seem that the intensity of suffering faced by Paul and his coworkers would be devastating. Yet, as Paul explains, rather than being destroyed, true shepherds experience renewal (4:16), and the suffering faced in ministry has a personal outcome: An everlasting glory whose weight is beyond description. Finally, the eternal glory brings to mind an eternal realm, on which true shepherds focus their attention (4:17-18).

Paul then explains the hope that competent shepherds have in the face of suffering and death. And he uses words such as house, tent, and building to talk about the contrast and relationship between the earthly body of suffering and the heavenly body that will be put on at the resurrection of the dead. Out of this discussion of death and resurrection, the apostle writes openly about his longing to be with Messiah and his desire to be pleasing to Him (5:1-10).¹¹¹

Paul then appeals to the Corinthians to be reconciled to God and to open their hearts to their apostle. He clears the ground for these appeals by declaring:

1. A New Creation – 5:11-17 (Bd)

2. The Ministry of Reconciliation – 5:18-20 (Be)

3. Fifteen Words of Hope – 5:21 (Bf)

4. Living as a Servant – 6:1-10 (Bg)

5. The Characteristics of Love – 6:11-13 and 7:2-4 (Bh)

6. Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers – 6:11 to 7:1 (Bi)

Light out of Darkness
4: 1-6

Light out of darkness DIG: In a world obsessed with image, it can be difficult to remain authentic. Why is absolute honesty essential for those who serve God? What shameful and underhanded methods are Messianics and Christian missions accused of using? What are some of the ways the Devil blinds people to God’s truth? Why does Paul compare himself (and all believers) to jars of clay? What enabled Paul not to lose hope? How could Paul say that everything he had endured was for the Corinthian believers’ benefit?

REFLECT: What things do you do that keep you from losing heart? What is the treasure you have from God? What are you supposed to do with it? How does knowing that you possess this ultimate treasure allow you to view your trials and struggles in a different light – as Paul was able to do? In this passage, Paul makes a big deal about speaking for and about God. How much do you do this in your life? How could you do more? What are some of the things you can do right now to shine Messiah’s glory into the world?

If one truly wants to encounter the God of Isra’el, then this has to be done via the Messiah He has sent.

Therefore, points back to Paul’s defense of his ministry (to see link click Ak – Paul Defends His Ministry). Since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Paul had no reason to lose heart (Galatians 6:9). He had been saved on the road to Damascas by Yeshua Himself (see the commentary on Acts Bc – Sha’ul Turns from Murder to Messiah), and called to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13, 15:16). He knew that he was running the race to win an eternal crown (First Corinthians 9:24). Even though it wasn’t an easy task, there was no reason to lose heart (4:1), no matter how much he was slandered by the false apostles back in Corinth (see Af – The Problem of the False Apostles).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are the constant companion of everyone who loves You from their heart. Thank You! Nowadays it is easy to lose heart. It is no longer allowed to speak up for Your truth. When You love someone as much as I love You, it’s so natural to want to talk about how wonderful You are, and the wonderful things You say in Your Word, but today, much of Your truth is twisted and many who follow You are denied the right to talk of You. Praise You that You are still in control, always with me, watching over every detail that touches my life.  For You have said, “I will never leave you or abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). Your presence and companionship is such a joy! No reason to lose heart when we can look into Your loving eyes and squeeze Daddy’s hand. Friends and family may not be nearby or they may fail us, but You are right by my side all the time! You are ever faithful! Love You so much, dear Daddy. In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

As David Stern describes in his Jewish New Testament Commentary of Second Corinthians, like Paul, Messianic Jews and Christian missionaries to Jews are frequently accused of using unethical and underhanded means to “win converts.” As a rule, the charges lack evidence and are based on misunderstanding; but since they are often believed anyway, they deserve to be examined and refuted. At the same time, it is good for us who are B’rit Chadashah believers to be reminded of the standards we can legitimately be expected to observe.

Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles (I consider myself a Messianic Gentile) and Christian missions should refer to 4:2 both in defending against charges of unethical methods and in guiding their own behavior. On the one hand, there is no guarantee the people who call themselves Messianic or Christian will in face behave ethically; but on the other hand, there is no reason to put up with unsupported charges and rumors of ethical misconduct designed only to discredit Messianic Judaism, Christian missions, and most of all, the Gospel!

But first, the problem, which is that many official and self-appointed spokesmen for the Jewish community and for some streams of Christianity circulate reports intended to insulate the Jewish people against the gospel by creating the impression that Messianic Jews and Christian missions use shameful and underhanded methods employing deception or distorting God’s message. More specifically, such charges have included the following:

1. Enticement to convert: Messianic Jewish congregations and Christian missions are accused of supplying money, food, clothing, and services like schooling or child care, making their receipt conditional upon the recipients’ converting to abandoning their Jewish faith without making it clear that the recipients (especially minors) will be exposed to hearing the Gospel and being encouraged to convert. The charge is so widely believed in Isra’el that from time to time Israelis will show up at the missions expecting help in emigrating to America in exchange for converting to Christianity. It produces such widespread fear of conversion that the unscrupulous can use it as a threat by saying something like, “Unless you [the Israeli authorities] do what I want [give me a house, a loan or a car] I will convert to Christianity.”

The Good News commands hospitality and kindness; therefore, believers can be expected to be friendly and give generously. But the friendliness and the giving are to be without expecting anything in return (Matthew 5:42 and 46-47), least of all anything so intangible as trusting in God and His Messiah. Only the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, not believers, can move an unbeliever to undergo this radical change of heart. Besides, it demeans the gospel to force it on anyone – the Good News either commends itself or it doesn’t (4:3-6).

2. Preying on the disadvantaged: Messianic Jewish congregations and Christian missions are accused of concentrating upon the disadvantaged – the young, the old, the poor, the physically handicapped, and the psychologically distressed – and tailor their techniques to them, rather than presenting their case openly and frankly in a rational manner that can either be accepted or rejected by an adult in full possession of their intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and financial powers.

When the Pharisees asked why Yeshua ate with “sinners” (the disadvantaged of their day), He answered: The ones who need a doctor aren’t the healthy but the sick (Matthew 9:12). The Good News is for everyone, including the disadvantaged. The real reason for this charge, then, is to discredit the gospel in the eyes of the very people likely to respond to it, namely, people who have come to the end of themselves. It is reasonable to proclaim the gospel to people likely to accept it. Accordingly, the Jews likely to accept it are students (because they are questioning their values), the elderly (because death is more of a reality for them and they want to be right with God before it happens), the poor (because the gospel can make them spiritually rich) and the depressed (because the gospel offers everlasting joy). In addition, there is no shortage of rational appeals to be made on behalf of the gospel. Messiah doesn’t ask anyone to check their brains at the door when following Him.

3. Deceptive misuse of Jewish sacred things and terms: Messianic congregations and Christian missions are accused of misusing Jewish sacred things such as kippah (yarmulke or skullcap), tallit (prayer shawl), phylacteries, Shabbat candles, Torah scrolls, Passover materials, and Jewish liturgies, in order to create a “false” impression that these groups are Jewish and not Christian, with the intention of luring Jewish people under the impression that they are not converting and believing in Yeshua Messiah as their Lord and Savior.

Messianic Jews are Jews also, and have as much right to use Jewish sacred things as non-Messianic Jews do. The latter do not have a patent on them. As far as deception goes, it is the responsibility of believers to inform inquirers that the gospel is the gospel. Messianic believers often use “Messianic” instead of “Christian,” “Yeshua” instead of “Jesus,” “congregation or synagogue” instead of “church,” “B’rit Chadashah” instead of “New Testament,” “TaNaKh” instead of “Old Testament,” and “Messiah” instead of “Christ.” The purpose is to steer clear of the negative connotations due to history. Not to the B’rit Chadashah.

4. Insincere Christian conversion to Judaism: A special case of deception is when Gentiles dress like Jews or even “convert” to Judaism while secretly remaining Christians with missionary intentions.

It is possible for a Gentile Christian to have, like Ruth, such a strong identification with the Jewish people that she wishes to be one of them, and for her to identify in this way despite the non-Messianic rejection to Yeshua. She could convert in all honesty if she makes known the fact that she continues to believe that Yeshua is the Messiah. Some have done that. But others have withheld that critical piece of information, and in doing so, have crossed the ethical barrier. Where conversion to Judaism is commonly allowed for such casual reasons as outward legitimization of marriage between a Jew and a Gentile, or, as in Isra’el, making it possible for a person to participate in the life of the State as a Jewish citizen, and the conversion process itself makes no demand that the convert deny Yeshua, then one is tempted to say that it is less critical for a Gentile Christian to volunteer that he remains faithful to Yeshua. Against this, it is up to the believer to uphold the highest ethical standards, regardless of how the world around him operates.

5. Distortion of the TaNaKh: Messianic Jewish congregations and Christian missions are accused of distorting the TaNaKh, the Christian Old Testament, by quoting verses out of context and even mis-translating or changing the text, in order to “prove” that Yeshua is the Messiah and that the Church is the New Isra’el.

It is important to understand that Paul was the target of the same accusations: he was said to be huckstering God’s message for a fee (2:17), being filled with pride (3:1a), that he lacked the proper official letters of commendation (3:1b), corrupting people and taking advantage of them (7:2), and misleading them with trickery (12:16). His answer to these charges was that God has shown us such mercy by changing us into His image (3:18) that we do not lose courage to conduct ourselves in an ethical manner as we do the work which ADONAI has given us, despite the accusations, temptations and adverse conditions. Therefore, Paul writes: Indeed, we refuse to make use of shameful underhanded methods, employing deception or distorting God’s message. On the contrary, we avoid unethical behavior we can hold our heads high in proclaiming the gospel, confident, like Paul, we can say: By making very clear what the truth is, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God (Second Corinthians 4:2; also see First Thessalonians 2:3-12 where Paul addresses similar accusations).¹⁰⁷

To those who criticized his preaching as irrelevant, offensive and ineffective, Paul replied: So, if indeed our Good News is veiled, it is veiled only to those in the process of being lost (4:3). Fallen, dead in their sins, and spiritually blinded, those who reject the Good News are headed for eternal doom (Second Corinthians 2:15; Luke 12:4-5; Romans 2:12; First Corinthians 1:18; Second Thessalonians 2:9-11). Therefore, the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are discerned through the Spirit (First Corinthians 2:14). They reject the gospel message because they love the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds are evil (John 3:19).

In addition to their own love of sin, unbelievers reject the Good News because Satan, who is the god of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11; Ephesians 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 5:19), has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, and the veil remains (see Aw – Veiling and Unveiling) as long as they do not turn to ADONAI (4:4a). The Serpent of Old controls the ideologies, opinions, hopes, aims, goals and viewpoints currently in the world (10:3-5). He is behind the world’s faulty systems of philosophy, psychology, education, sociology, ethics, and economics. But perhaps his greatest influence is in the realm of false religion. Of course, the Adversary is not a god, but a created being (with a choice). He is called a god because his deluded followers serve him as if he were one. The Evil One is the archetype of all the false gods in all the false religions he has spawned (see the commentary on Revelation Dd – I Saw a Woman Holding a Golden Cup).

It is that massive and pervasive influence over society by which the Deceiver deludes the unregenerate so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Messiah, who is the exact likeness of God (4:4b NLT). Except in rare cases, the Ruler of this world and his demons do not directly indwell individuals. They don’t need to. The Old Serpent has created a system that panders to the depravity of unbelievers and drives them deeper into darkness. In addition to being dead in their sins and acts of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1); veiled from the truth (3:15); loved the darkness rather than the light (John 3:19-20); unbelievers follow the ways of this world and of the Prince of the Power of the Air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient . . . [living] in the lusts of the flesh, gratifying the cravings of [their] sinful nature and are by nature objects of wrath (Ephesians 2:2-3). They are of [their] father the devil, and [they] want to do the desires of [their] father (John 8:44). All the evil of the human heart – crime, hatred, bitterness, anger, injustice, immorality, and conflict between nations and individuals – is pandered to by the agenda of the Lawless One. The world system he has created inflames the evil desires of people, causing them to be willfully blind and to love their darkness.

The immeasurable privilege of proclaiming the glorious gospel of Yeshua Messiah might lead some to become proud and boastful. In fact, one of the slanderous accusations of the false apostles made against Paul was that he preached with selfish motives. They claimed that he was in the ministry for his own self-exaltation, self-promotion, self-aggrandizement, power, prestige, and prominence. But that could not have been further from the truth. By declaring: For what we are proclaiming is not ourselves, but the Messiah Yeshua as Lord, with ourselves as slaves for you because of Yeshua (4:5), Paul distinguished himself from the false apostles, who did, in fact, preach for themselves. Later in his letter he wrote: We don’t dare class or compare ourselves with some of the people who advertise themselves. In measuring themselves against each other and comparing themselves with each other, they are simply stupid (10:12). Thus, Paul’s disclaimer was both a denial of the false apostle’s charge and an indictment against them.

Far from being arrogant, proud, and self-assured, Paul ministered in Corinth in weakness and in fear, with much trembling (First Corinthians 2:3). Instead of boasting of his own abilities and successes, he wrote: On my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses . . . I would rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Messiah may dwell in me (12:5 and 9). Paul’s vision of the glory of Messiah dominated his life, and his love for Yeshua consumed the apostle.¹⁰⁸

Paul paraphrased Genesis 1:3, noting that God who once said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has done something additional in us through the gospel. Paul was making a connection between the creation and the recreation. Just as darkness covered the surface of the earth and God’s light overcame it, so also the darkness of sin covers our lives, but God overcame it. This had been Paul’s experience on the Damascus Road, when a light from heaven flashed around him (Acts 9:3). Confronted with the risen Lord, he became a new creation (5:17).¹⁰⁹ Therefore, Paul declared that through Yeshua Messiah, the light of the world (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gr – I AM the Light of the World), ADONAI has made His light shine in our hearts. What is God’s illuminating work in our hearts? It is bringing the light of the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of the Messiah Yeshua (4:6).

You can get attention by being slick and flashy and by cultivating a certain image, but you’ll never have a deep impact on others that way. The most powerful and eternally significant people are those who, like Paul, realize they are merely clay jars who have been filled with priceless treasure (see Az – Priceless Treasure in Clay Jars). They realize God is the point, not them. The Bible teaches that we exist to bring glory to ADONAI, to shine for Him, and point others to Him. Like John the Baptist, we need to say, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). Today we need to focus on the substance of our lives more so than on mere style. Spiritual depth, authenticity, integrity, faithfulness – these are the qualities that honor the LORD and cause others to stop and stare.¹¹⁰

Veiling and Unveiling
3: 12-18

Veiling and unveiling DIG: The Spirit of ADONAI brings freedom (3:17). Freedom from what? Freedom to do what? What is the basis of the hope for Jewish or Gentile unbelievers? What are the practical results of the New Covenant for Isra’el?

REFLECT: How is your ministry to Jews (Romans 1:16) assisting in their unveiling? When and how was your veil lifted? Can you tell of your unveiling in two minutes or less? Your testimony is very valuable? How can you cooperate with the Spirit’s work of transformation?

Whenever someone turns to ADONAI, the veil is taken away.

The historical event (3:12-13): Recognizing the great transformation that takes place as the Spirit energizes the lives of those who receive Yeshua (to see link click Av – A Glory Transformed), Paul declares that a new reality had dawned. A new hope. His ministry and the ministry of his co-laborers is contrasted with previous servants of God like Moses who put a veil over his face so that the people of Isra’el would not see the fading brightness come to an end (3:12-13). And why did Moses have to wear this veil or barrier? We can think of Moshe’s veil functioning in a similar way to the veil or curtain in the Tabernacle. Just as the common Israelite could not enter the Most Holy Place to behold God’s glory, now they could not behold the glory of God reflected in Moses. That brightness on Moshe’s face was to indicate something of limited value – as it was fading away – and that the veil placed over his face represents a barrier to be removed because of the greater glory inaugurated by Messiah who was yet to come. Paul makes the point that with such a veil on Moshe’s face, the ancient Israelites were unable to clearly see the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah (Romans 10:4b), the permanent atonement they needed, and hence a greater glory that would not fade away (3:11b).

The national application (3:14-17): The sad observation that Paul made, in the First Century, was that it was not merely the ancient Israelites in the wilderness who could not see the Redeemer’s ultimate ministry coming. There was, and is, a persistent stubbornness in their descendants, the majority of Paul’s contemporaries. What is more, the minds of the unsaved Jewish people were made stonelike (Romans 11:7). As Deuteronomy 29:4 reminds us: To this day ADONAI has not given you a heart to understand, eyes to see or ears to hear! Isaiah 29:10 also speaks of the reality of how ADONAI has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes to the prophets and covered your heads to the seers. And Psalm 95:8 cries out: Do not harden your hearts, as you did at Meribah, as you did on that day at Massah in the desert. This condition can be seen where sin has been perpetuated, not merely erecting an obstacle between YHVH and His people, but where the people themselves become increasingly calloused toward God and His intended ways and purposes.

To this day (Paul’s day), but still true in the present day, the same veil remains over them so that when they read the TaNaKh in the synagogue they do not see that it points toward Yeshua the Messiah as its goal and fulfillment. It has not been unveiled, because only by the Messiah is the veil taken away (3:14). When the TaNaKh, the ministry of death (3:7) and condemnation (3:9a), would be read, they would not be convinced to turn to YHVH in repentance – much less turn to the Lord in repentance and receive Yeshua as their Messiah!

Yes, till today, whenever Moshe is read, a veil lies over their heart (3:15), singular, referring to the community as a whole, which resists being open to the truth of Yeshua and exerts social pressure against searching the Scriptures to see if these things are true (Acts 17:9), although throughout history individual Jews have been open to the Gospel and received it. Therefore, the issue here is not that Isra’el cannot understand the implications of her history and her resulting need for her Messiah. Rather, the problem is that she will not accept it as true for her. Isra’el’s stiff-necked condition continues to veil her response to Jeremiah’s B’rit Chadashah and subsequent new life in the Spirit.

Dear Great Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your wisdom and love. Your love is so wonderful! How awesome that You offer Your love to all who choose to love You back as their Lord and Savior. You open the door to all, male and female, rich and poor, all skin colors, all ages. For all of you who were immersed in Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua (Galatians 3:27-28).

Praise you that Yeshua proclaimed a broad invitation spoken to the crowds: Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). How sad that though the invitation was given to a big crowd, yet only a few would choose the narrow path to love and follow Yeshua. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14).

Your invitation is so gracious. My heart is heavy for my family and friends who do not yet love you. Dear Father, please work mighty miracles in the lives of . . . and . . . May You guide even their sleep so that they see your great love and desire to respond back with their love for You. Please help them to realize that even if they will be laughed at for following You, it is well worth the great joy of living with you in heaven for all eternity. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). Thank You and loving you deeply. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

This passage is aimed directly at the resistance to Yeshua from non-Messianic Judaism. There is no criticism here against Jews, either ethnically, racially, biologically, culturally, nationally as a people; least of all is there any implication that Jews with stonelike minds have less inherent mental ability. Rather, it is a spiritual veil, not a lack of intelligence that prevents unsaved Jewish people from seeing that the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah (Romans 10:4). Yeshua Himself made the same point to the religious leaders in Jerusalem of His day when He said: You keep examining the TaNaKh because you think that in it you have eternal life, and it keeps bearing witness to Me! Yet you don’t want to come to Me in order to have eternal life . . . But don’t think that I will be your accuser before the Father. Do you know who will accuse you? Moshe, the very one you have counted on! For if you really believed Moshe (that is, the Torah) you would believe in Me, because it was about Me that he wrote. But if don’t believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say (John 5:39-40 and 45-47)?¹⁰²

But there is hope. In fact, Paul uses a verse from the TaNaKh itself, from the very passage that speaks of Moses’ veil, to point to what that hope is. It is the same hope that Paul wrote about in Romans 10:11, where he quoted Joel 2:32, “Everyone who calls on the name of ADONAI will be saved.” The Hebrew of Exodus 34:34 reads: But when Moses went in before ADONAI to speak to Him, he took the veil off until he came out. So Paul’s midrash applied this verse to anyone seeking the LORD.

In verse 15 it is Messiah who takes away the veil, and one is reminded of Luke 24:25-27 and 44-45 where Yeshua Himself explained to His companions how prophecies in the TaNaKh applied to Him (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mh – On the Road to Emmaus). Next we see that ADONAI is the cause of the veil’s removal. “But,” says the Torah, “Whenever someone turns to ADONAI, the veil is taken away” (3:16). Finally, we learn that “ADONAI” [in this text] also means the Spirit (3:17a). It is the Spirit who has the specific ministry of convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11). It is He who makes a Jew or a Gentile willing and able to see Yeshua in the Jewish Scriptures.¹⁰³ Thus, in the final analysis, it is the Trinity that takes away the veil.

When Moshe put the veil over his face, cutting off the Israelites from the glory manifested in His ministry, they were kept from perceiving God’s presence, and thus His glory. That would be the heart of the B’rit Chadashah, a covenant in which all of the covenant people would know the Lord and have their hearts transformed (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el), when all would be able to go boldly behind the inner veil of the Tabernacle (which also stands as a barrier) into the Most Holy Place of ADONAI because their sins have been forgiven forever (see the commentary on Hebrews Ch – Let Us Draw Near to God).¹⁰⁴

Where the Spirit of ADONAI is, there is freedom (3:17b). It is freedom from the condemnation arising from the inability to keep God’s Torah through the old sin nature (see the commentary on Romans Bz – Application to Believers in Yeshua). Furthermore, it is a Spirit-empowered freedom so that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us who do not run our lives according to what our old nature desires, but according to what the Spirit wants (Romans 8:4). The B’rit Chadashah as promised by the prophets was not a covenant of lawlessness, but a covenant under which people would be moved by the Spirit to follow God’s decrees and be careful to keep His mitzvot (Ezeki’el 36:27) and to have His Torah in their minds and written on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).¹⁰⁵

The personal application (3:18): The power of the B’rit Chadashah notably goes well beyond the Torah’s commandments being written on the heart, and even to the permanent peace believers have with YHVH. It enables the redeemed to fully see the Lord as any veil or barrier separating us from His presence, which existed over our hearts when we were unregenerate sinners is now gone! There is nothing between us and God, our faces unveiled, with open hearts, not stonelike, with the brightness of His face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gb – Jesus went up a High Mountain and was Transfigured), our lives gradually being changed into his very image (Romans 8:29b), from one degree of glory to the next by ADONAI [who is] the Spirit (3:18). This is how the Spirit gives life.

Once we become part of God’s family, He wants us to grow into spiritual maturity. What does that look like? Spiritual maturity is becoming more like Yeshua in the way we think, feel and act. The more you develop a Messiahlike character, the more you will bring glory to God. ADONAI gave you a new life and a new nature when you accepted Messiah. Now, for the rest of your life on earth, God wants to continue the process of changing your character. The Bible says: May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – those good things that are produced in your life by Yeshua Messiah – for this will bring much glory and praise to God (Philippians 1:11 NLT).¹⁰⁶

A Glory Transformed
3: 6b-11

A glory transformed DIG: What does Paul mean when he says, “the text brings death, but the Spirit gives life?” How does the written text bring death? In what four ways is the Torah an instrument of death? What distinction is being made here between the Torah and the Spirit? Is the Torah itself fading away and gone? How was its glory transformed?

REFLECT: Where does Paul say we can find the power to live as ADONAI expects? What have you been taught concerning the Torah? Is it “old and obsolete?” Only for Jews? Confusing? When was the last time your pastor taught through a book of the Torah? In what sense is the Torah still relevant? How is it a blueprint for living in your life?

The distinction Paul is making is between the Torah without the Spirit, and the Torah with the Spirit.

In these verses Paul is comparing and contrasting the Torah, which is a ministry of death (3:7) and declared people guilty (3:9a) to the ministry of the Spirit (3:8), which works to declare people innocent (3:9b). He pictures two different ministries, or modes of operation, as they involve the Torah of ADONAI in the life of an unredeemed person or a redeemed person. The Good News is to be personally received in a person’s life, which will result in forgiveness. But without the indwelling of the Spirit, then people are subject to their old sin nature which results in spiritual death and condemnation.

For the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life (3:6b). This passage is often understood to teach that the B’rit Chadashah is more important than the Torah, implicitly giving the impression that the Torah in particular, and the TaNaKh in general are “old” and irrelevant. However, the Greek word for “law” or “Torah” or “nomos” is not used at all here or anywhere in Second Corinthians; so that if one is going to make such a statement about the Torah on the basis of this passage, one must limit the meaning of Torah to the elements given in the passage. And here Paul talks only about a written text which was engraved on stone tablets, a perversion of the Torah, or legalism, which is a ministry of death, declared people guilty, and came with temporary brightness that was already fading away.

To illustrate the Torah’s glory, Paul turned to a familiar event in Isra’el’s history – Moses receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. Now if the perversion of the Torah, which is a ministry of death, by means of a written text engraved on stone tablets, following only legalism, came with glory – such glory that the people of Isra’el could not stand to look at Moshe’s face because of its brightness, even though that brightness was already fading away (3:7). It is clear that Paul found no fault with the Torah (Romans 7:12), but he knew from his own experience that without the power of the Spirit, the written text of the Torah provided no way to attain righteousness. The trouble lay with the old sin nature (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Cc – The Reality of the Inner Conflict), which can turn the Torah into a ministry of death.⁹⁸

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being so wise and wonderful. Praise You that our old sin nature is no match for You. You are so gracious to give Your holy righteousness to those who love You, then they are able to enter into Your holy heaven because of Your holiness.^. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). I praise and thank You for living within me to help and strengthen me to have the power to live for You. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). What a joy it is to know that Your Holy Rauch lives within me and is always available to guide the situation and to show me how to respond in all situations. You and Your kingdom are a treasure – a very valuable pearl worth more than all else (Matthew 13:45-46). In Your holy Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

It is this written text that Paul contrasts with the B’rit Chadashah, which is accompanied by the Spirit, who writes on human hearts. The B’rit Chadashah spoken of here is that of Jeremiah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el), and the distinction Paul makes is exactly the same that Jeremiah makes when he says that the B’rit Chadashah would not be like the Covenant which God made with their fathers when He took them out of Egypt, but ADONAI would put His Torah within them and write it on their hearts (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 8:6-13). Therefore, Paul cannot be saying that the B’rit Chadashah is more glorious than the Torah, because the B’rit Chadashah includes the Torah which God puts within them and writes on their hearts. According to Hebrews 8:6, the B’rit Chadashah itself has been made Torah (Greek: nomotheteo, meaning to make law, to ordain by law). Paul speaks of the Torah as upheld by Messiah (literally, the Torah of Messiah) in Galatians 6:2, and makes a similar allusion in First Corinthians 9:21; therefore, the Torah is still relevant to us today because it has been written on our hearts. The distinction Paul is making is between the Torah without the Spirit and the Torah with the Spirit.

Nevertheless, what Paul does say is startling enough. Now if that which is a ministry of death, by means of a written text engraved on stone tablets, came with glory – such glory that the people of Isra’el could not stand to look at Moshe’s face because of its brightness, even though that brightness was already fading away (3:7). How is it that the Torah is a ministry of death? Since Paul himself calls the Torah holy (Romans 7:12), how can he say that it kills? He does not answer this question here, but assumes the Corinthians are already knowledgeable on the subject (First Corinthians 9:19-23 and 15:56). But elsewhere, he explains that the Torah can be said to be a ministry of death in at least four different reasons:

1. It demands death as the penalty for sin (Romans 5:12-21).

2. In defining transgressions it increases sin (Galatians 3:21-23), which leads to death.

3. It provides an opportunity for sinful people to pervert God’s holy Torah into legalism, that is, a dead system of rules intended to earn God’s favor even when followed without faith (Romans 3:19-31, 7:1-25, 9:30 to 10:10).

4 It does not have in itself, by the fact that it is written on stone tablets, the life-giving power of the Spirit which alone can make people righteous (Romans 8:1-11; Acts 13:38-39).

One must understand the shock a non-Messianic Jew must experience in hearing the Torah called a ministry of death, since in Jewish understanding the Torah is an instrument of life. In the Midrash Rabbah Rabbi L’vi is cited as saying, “God sat on high, engraving for them tablets which would give them life (Exodus Rabbah 41:1). The prayer recited every time the Torah scroll is returned to the ark after being read in the synagogues all over the world quotes Proverbs 3:18, “It is a tree of life for those who take hold of it.” Proverbs is speaking about wisdom; but since the Torah contains God’s wisdom, the Siddur applies those words to the Torah itself.

Here is Paul’s explanation of how the Torah, which is a ministry of death, can at the same time be a tree of life. But the Spirit, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, the Holy Spirit of God, who lives in believers (see the commentary on Romans Ch – The Indwelling of the Ruach) gives life (3:6b) to sinners who are dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1 KJV). But for non-Messianic Jews it is critical to understand that only the Spirit of God gives life to the Torah itself, that is, to the written text. Or, more precisely, it is when the unredeemed are filled with the Ruach Ha’Kodesh given by Yeshua Messiah that the Torah becomes to them a tree of life and not a ministry of death.

Won’t the working of the Spirit be accompanied by even greater glory (3:8)? In these verses Paul defends his office as an apostle. He claims that as an apostle of Messiah, his ministry is more glorious than that of Moshe – and not only that, but more glorious than at the very moment of Moshe’s greatest glory, when his face shone so brightly as he descended from Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29-30; compare to Matthew 17:2) after seeing God’s glory (Exodus 33:18 to 34:8), that he put a veil over his face (Exodus 34:33 and 35). However, if one acknowledges that the B’rit Chadashah has come, bringing with it the Messiah Himself and the very Ruach Ha’Kodesh, whose glory obviously exceeds that of stone tablets, then one should see that the ministry of its workers has greater glory than that of Moshe’s ministry.⁹⁹ Unlike the written text carved in letters on stone, which could not enable a person to fulfill its own demands, the Spirit, given according to the B’rit Chadashah, actually enables people to walk in the way of God’s mitzvot.

For if there was glory in what worked to declare people guilty, how much more must the glory abound in the ministry that brings righteousness (3:9)! The Torah was never given for the purpose of salvation, for there is no salvation through works of righteousness. The Torah produces condemnation and is a mirror that reveals how dirty our faces really are. But we cannot wash our faces without the mirror. The ministry of the B’rit Chadashah produces righteousness and changes lives to the glory of God. Mankind’s greatest need is righteousness, and God’s greatest gift is righteousness through faith in Yeshua Messiah. For if the way in which one attains righteousness is through legalism, then Messiah’s death was pointless (Galatians 2:21b). The person who tries to live only by the written text of the Torah will find himself feeling more and more guilty, and this can produce a feeling of hopelessness. It is when we trust in Messiah, and live by faith in God’s grace, that we experience acceptance and joy.¹⁰⁰ Paul’s comparison of his ministry with Moses is mainly positive. His argument, in essence, is that one good thing was simply eclipsed by something better.

Given the transformative power of the working of the Spirit (3:8) or the works of righteousness (3:9), which supplies permanent atonement for and permanent forgiveness from sins, it is not a surprise for a figure like Paul to conclude: for even what was glorious is not glorious when compared to the glory that surpasses it (3:10 TLV). Ultimately, in view of what the B’rit Chadashah provides in terms of reconciliation, and the Spirit writing God’s Torah into a transformed person – there is no glory in seeing people condemned to death and ultimately exiled from the presence of YHVH, unless they are repentant.

The B’rit Chadashah, of which Paul was a minister, is something which has a permanence to it, which the previous ministry of condemnation does not have. For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which is eternal (3:11 BSB). The Torah and its ministry belonged to a vanishing order that began to fade immediately after its inception, as was typified by the Divine glory on the face of Moses – a glory that began to fade away as soon as he left the Divine Presence. On the other hand, the B’rit Chadashah and its ministry will always be glorious because it constitutes God’s final word to mankind.

While it is entirely proper to acknowledge how Yeshua’s sacrifice for sinful humans has nullified the ministry of condemnation . . . He has canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14 NLT), inaugurating the B’rit Chadashah with its permanent atonement and forgiveness. But too frequently what is overlooked here is what Paul actually describes as being brought to an end (ESV), in contrast to that which is permanent (ESV), is the ministry of death or condemnation apart from the indwelling of the Spirit. The standard of God’s holiness in the Torah is still with us.

To that end, it is important to recognize that Paul did not imply that the Torah itself was fading away. Torah as an expression of the will of YHVH for human conduct is still valid. It is our blueprint for living. It is the written text that Paul contrasts with the B’rit Chadashah, which is accompanied with the Spirit, who writes on human hearts, who gives life, who works to declare people innocent, and who lasts. A year later, Paul would write to the believers in Rome: Thus, my brothers, you have been made dead with regard to the Torah through the Messiah’s body, so that you may belong to someone else, namely, the One who has been raised from the dead, in order for us to bear fruit for God. For when we were living according to our old nature, the passions connected with sins worked through the Torah in our various parts, with the result that we bore fruit for death. But now we have been released from this aspect of the Torah, because we have died to that which had us in its clutches, so that we are serving in the new way provided by the Spirit and not in the old way of outwardly following the perversion of the Torah, or legalism (Romans 7:4-6). Therefore, Paul says the purpose of God in bringing the B’rit Chadashah of the Spirit was precisely that the righteous demands of the Torah might be fulfilled in those who walk by the Spirit (see the commentary on Romans Cg – The Walk with the Ruach).¹⁰¹