Post by stephen on Aug 20, 2023 16:01:27 GMT
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day” (ch4 v16)
Paul is continuing to discuss the afflictions which he and the other apostles are experiencing in their work. So when he uses “we” in these chapters, he normally means the apostles. When he says “our outer nature is wearing away”, he must in the first instance be referring to the state of being afflicted, perplexed, and persecuted, being described earlier in the chapter. This momentary affliction is preparing for them an eternal weight of glory. It is a symptom of the fact that they are looking away from the visible and transient things of this world, and focussing on the eternal things which are unseen. At the same time, the renewing of the inner nature may be taken as a more general Christian experience and need not be limited to the apostles.
In the opening verse of the next chapter, he illustrates the point with an accommodation metaphor. The short-term earthly “tent” of our lives will be destroyed, but it will be replaced by a building “not made with hands”, one of the “many rooms” promised by Jesus (John ch14 v2). In v3 the “building” metaphor is switched over in mid-sentence to a “clothing” metaphor; “We long to put on our heavenly dwelling, so that by putting it on we may not be found naked”. There is a New Testament theme that we need to avoid “being naked” (that is, being vulnerable to God’s judgment, as Adam and Eve fond themselves). It is in Revelation ch16 v15, and the solution is to be “clothed in Christ” (see Galatians ch3 v27). We yearn to our present “clothing” in death, not to be left “unclothed”, but to be better clothed.
God had prepared all this for us, and has given us the Holy Spirit as a “guarantee”. It is the “first down payment” in the fulfilment of his promises (v5).
So we persecuted apostles are always of good courage, walking by faith, not by sight. We would welcome death, because we would rather by away from the body and at home with the Lord, the reverse of the present case. In the meantime, we must make it our business to please God, because we know that we must appear before the judgement seat of Christ. You see, Paul does not ignore good works any more than James ignores faith. But they both put good works in the same place, following on from faith instead of preceding it.
It is on that basis, in the fear of the Lord, that the apostles commit themselves to persuading men to the gospel. God knows that, and he hopes the consciences of his readers will recognise it. But this does not mean that “we are commending ourselves to you again” It is very hard for Paul to explain and defend his position without being conscious that he comes up against this charge. It’s just that he wants them to be proud of his work, so that they can answer those “who pride themselves on a man’s position and not on his heart” (those who claim authority on the basis of “letters of recommendation”).
“If we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right minds, it is for you” (v13)
Paul’s opponents accuse him of being “beside himself”. This must have been a frequent charge, because it comes up in Acts Perhaps it was usually prompted, as in the case of Festus, by the assertion that Jesus was raised from the dead. Paul’s answer here involves some word-play, because the two options are not exact opposites. In fact they are both true, if “appear to be” is understood to be added to the first half. The explanation of them both is that “the love of Christ controls us”.
Paul is continuing to discuss the afflictions which he and the other apostles are experiencing in their work. So when he uses “we” in these chapters, he normally means the apostles. When he says “our outer nature is wearing away”, he must in the first instance be referring to the state of being afflicted, perplexed, and persecuted, being described earlier in the chapter. This momentary affliction is preparing for them an eternal weight of glory. It is a symptom of the fact that they are looking away from the visible and transient things of this world, and focussing on the eternal things which are unseen. At the same time, the renewing of the inner nature may be taken as a more general Christian experience and need not be limited to the apostles.
In the opening verse of the next chapter, he illustrates the point with an accommodation metaphor. The short-term earthly “tent” of our lives will be destroyed, but it will be replaced by a building “not made with hands”, one of the “many rooms” promised by Jesus (John ch14 v2). In v3 the “building” metaphor is switched over in mid-sentence to a “clothing” metaphor; “We long to put on our heavenly dwelling, so that by putting it on we may not be found naked”. There is a New Testament theme that we need to avoid “being naked” (that is, being vulnerable to God’s judgment, as Adam and Eve fond themselves). It is in Revelation ch16 v15, and the solution is to be “clothed in Christ” (see Galatians ch3 v27). We yearn to our present “clothing” in death, not to be left “unclothed”, but to be better clothed.
God had prepared all this for us, and has given us the Holy Spirit as a “guarantee”. It is the “first down payment” in the fulfilment of his promises (v5).
So we persecuted apostles are always of good courage, walking by faith, not by sight. We would welcome death, because we would rather by away from the body and at home with the Lord, the reverse of the present case. In the meantime, we must make it our business to please God, because we know that we must appear before the judgement seat of Christ. You see, Paul does not ignore good works any more than James ignores faith. But they both put good works in the same place, following on from faith instead of preceding it.
It is on that basis, in the fear of the Lord, that the apostles commit themselves to persuading men to the gospel. God knows that, and he hopes the consciences of his readers will recognise it. But this does not mean that “we are commending ourselves to you again” It is very hard for Paul to explain and defend his position without being conscious that he comes up against this charge. It’s just that he wants them to be proud of his work, so that they can answer those “who pride themselves on a man’s position and not on his heart” (those who claim authority on the basis of “letters of recommendation”).
“If we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right minds, it is for you” (v13)
Paul’s opponents accuse him of being “beside himself”. This must have been a frequent charge, because it comes up in Acts Perhaps it was usually prompted, as in the case of Festus, by the assertion that Jesus was raised from the dead. Paul’s answer here involves some word-play, because the two options are not exact opposites. In fact they are both true, if “appear to be” is understood to be added to the first half. The explanation of them both is that “the love of Christ controls us”.