Today we celebrate the triumphal entry of the Lord Jesus Christ
into the city of Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The people
of Jerusalem sang from the Psalms: "Blessed is He who comes
in the name of the Lord..." (Psalm 118:26a). They shouted
for him: "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:15),
"Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:10). But the gospel
accounts tell us that by Friday morning the same crowds that shouted
"Hosanna!" were shouting "Crucify him!"
The apostle Paul reflects on the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ in 2 Corinthians 13:4, "...He was crucified because
of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God." God's
plan and purpose in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
is more powerful than the vacillating movement of public opinion
in Jerusalem. In some degree, the apostle Paul might identify
with Jesus in terms of his victimization by public opinion. He
experienced a similar reversal in his relationship with the church
he planted in the Greek city of Corinth. Their attitude toward
Paul was as fickle as the crowds in Jerusalem were toward Jesus
during Holy Week. Although Paul had brought the gospel to Corinth,
and the believers there were his spiritual children, seven years
later they challenged his credentials and qualifications for ministry.
Much of the 2 Corinthian letter addresses the painful issue of
their mistrust of Paul. In 2 Corinthians 13:3, Paul refers to
their demand for evidence that he represents Jesus among them:
"...since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks
in me,..."
Second Corinthians 3:1-6 addresses two specific issues. The first
three verses deal with the matter of Paul's for life and ministry.
Secondly, verses 4-6 cover the issue of adequacy or qualification
for life and ministry.
From our study of the 1 Corinthian letter (Discovery Papers #4508-#4541), we know that the church in
Corinth seemed to suffer from terminal adolescence. In this letter,
however, we find that their immaturity is reinforced by self-appointed
spiritual leaders, strangers who came to Corinth after Paul left.
They offered false options in terms of maturity and growth in
Christ. Paul mentioned them briefly in 2 Corinthians 2:17, "For
we are not like many, peddling the word of God...." In 2
Corinthians 11:4, he says that they preach another Jesus, encouraging
the believers to receive a different spirit and a different gospel.
The strangers apparently carried an impressive letter of introduction
from a member of the mother church in Jerusalem, so they were
received into the confidence of the church on the basis of that
letter. After ingratiating themselves to the church, they were
critical of Paul's lifestyle and approach to ministry. They asked
if Paul also carried a letter of recommendation with him when
he arrived seven years before, implying that Paul was an apostle
without proper credentials.
Credentials for life and ministry
Verses 1-3 deal with the issue of credentials for ministry.
Paul argues that the only credentials he needs is the undeniable
reality of the changed lives of the Corinthian believers:
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.
No self-condemnation
Paul asks two questions in 3:1. The first can be paraphrased,
"Does what I've written to you in this letter seem like I'm
bragging?" From 2 Corinthians 2:12-17 (Discovery Paper #4633),
it might seem that Paul commends himself because he says he is
always grateful for his circumstances. Paul lives out of great
optimism, confident that God leads him in triumph to impact people.
His life is like an aroma that makes a difference wherever he
goes because God works through him. He asks a question about resources
in 2:16b: "And who is adequate for these things?" Paul
replies that he does not trust his own resources, but only spiritual
resources available from God. He then gives the basis of his life's
commitment. It is a life built on integrity, lived with purpose
and focus. He is transparent and vulnerable before people. Finally,
he is confident about his authority to live, speak, and relate
to people because of his confidence in Jesus Christ.
What he says could be perceived as having a tone of self-congratulation.
The Message paraphrases the question as, "Does it sound like
we're patting ourselves on the back?..."(1) From the apostle
Paul's other writings we know that such an attitude would have
been abhorrent to him. Later he writes to the Corinthians, "BUT
HE WHO BOASTS, LET HIM BOAST IN THE LORD. For not he who commends
himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends" (2 Corinthians
10:17).
No letter of recommendation
The second question in 3:1 could be paraphrased, "Do
we actually need to show you an introductory letter of reference
so that we can now serve among you? Do you really mean that?"
The reality is that even legitimate letters of introduction have
their limitations. William Barclay's commentary on this passage
points out that in the ancient world, just as today, written testimonials
on somebody's behalf might not mean much. He gives an example
of the philosopher Diogenes, a cynic who lived in Corinth around
340 BC. When asked by one of his friends to write a letter of
recommendation for him, Diogenes wrote, "You are a man, he
will know at a glance. But whether you are a good or bad man,
he will discover if he has the skill to distinguish between good
and bad. And if he is without that skill he will not discover
the facts even though I write to him a thousand letters."
(2)
The Corinthians had not figured that out. Paul's clear statement
in these three verses is that no human letter of reference is
needed. Rather, he points them to the spiritual reality of their
own changed lives. J.B. Phillips calls them "an open letter."
As a church family, their lives, collectively, are a divine letter
of commendation.
Acts 18 recounts the incredible ministry God gave Paul when he
arrived in Corinth. In 1 Corinthian 6:9-11, he describes the change
that occurred in their lives through the power of the gospel:
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit
the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor
thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, not swindlers,
shall inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you [Corinthians];
but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our
God." He is clear that it is God who accomplished all the
changes they experienced. The freedom they enjoyed, the deliverance
from destructive lifestyles all happened because Christ had changed
them. The irony in 2 Corinthians is that the people want to discuss
Paul's position and authority, his apostolic office and ecclesiology.
While Paul is excited about changed lives, the Corinthians want
to play church.
The spiritual reality of changed lives
There are five images in verses 2 and 3 that show the absurdity
of requiring Paul, and others who ministered with him, to bring
letters of introduction whenever they visited:
"You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts."
The first image is the paper on which this divine letter is
written is hearts. Paul calls their changed hearts "tablets
of human hearts," a change that even affects Paul's heart:
"You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read
by all men." It is important to note that "heart",
used twice in the two verses, is used in a Semitic sense. It refers
to the inmost self or the center of the personality in contrast
to our popular English usage referring to the seat of emotion
or feeling. Biblically, the heart is the core of our spiritual
sensitivity, both rational and emotional. It is the place where
God begins his work of transformation and renewal. For us, the
test of any relationship or influence we might have is qualitative--whether
our hearts and lives are spiritually transformed.
Second, Paul says the change of heart will be observed by a watching
world. The second phrase in verse 2--"known and read by all
men"--literally means to know something well enough that
it is recognized, like reading words on a page. It is similar
to our modern expression, "You read me like a book. You know
what's going on in me." The changed lives of the Corinthian
believers were as easy to read as a letter left open on a table.
Their families, friends, and co-workers could see the difference
in them since they came to Christ.
The third image is in the first phrase of verse 3 in which Paul
says the writer of the letter is Christ. It is Jesus Christ who
changes lives. He is the one who reaches into our loneliness,
forgives our sinful past, and removes the burden of guilt. He
is the one who heals our aching heart no matter what the wounding.
Paul is clear that he did not write the letter, he is merely the
one who delivered it. The fourth image can be found in the middle
of verse 3 in which he says the letter is "cared for by us."
Other translations say "administered," or "delivered"
by us. This living letter in Corinth was a result of Paul's faithfulness
in preaching the gospel there.
It was difficult for Paul to carry the message to the people in
Corinth. The Acts 18 record tells us that as soon as he arrived
and started preaching, there was immediate opposition from Jewish
religious leaders and the threat of violence. But Paul says the
Lord Jesus himself appeared to him one night in a vision and said,
"...do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking, and
do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you
in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city"
(Acts 18:9, 10). It gave Paul the courage and confidence to continue
carrying the mail, to be a courageous postman in delivering the
letter. He stayed a year and a half, teaching the Word of God
and seeing many come to faith in Christ.
And, the fifth image in verse 3 is the ink with which the letter
is written. Paul says it is "written not with ink, but with
the [Holy] Spirit of the living God." Paul appeals to the
indelible reality of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers.
Any kind of ink on any kind of writing surface will blur and fade
with time. But the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit inside
a believer in Jesus Christ guarantees the indestructibility of
the Christian life. In his letter to the Ephesians the apostle
states, "It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth
and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves
home free--signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This
signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder
that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and
glorious life (Eph 1:13-14, as paraphrased in The Message).
(3)
Did Paul need letters of commendation? Did he need to pump himself
up, to congratulate himself in the presence of these people? Absolutely
not! Their changed lives are the only commendation, the only credentials
the apostle needs. A powerful example of this way of living can
be seen in the life of Azad Marshall, a friend of ours from Pakistan.
Azad is the Anglican Bishop of the Gulf States in the Middle East.
There are churches in several nations under his care, and he is
also the director of a nationally known Christian foundation in
Pakistan. I have been with him in several large gatherings both
here and in Pakistan, and have heard him introduced in terms of
his institutional connections and professional degrees. But I
saw the legitimacy of his life and ministry in the Middle East
when a team of us was visiting his home in Lahore, Pakistan. At
a literacy center and experimental farm he helped build and now
helps operate outside Lahore we talked with several folks who
have been personally affected by Azad's life. They are men and
women who have come to faith in Jesus Christ out of Islam, and
are now being protected from angry family members and religious
leaders. I spoke with one woman who had been saved out of prostitution
in the inner city. There are men who are being retrained vocationally,
who have been relocated with their families to another part of
the country for the sake of safety. All of the people gave testimony
to Azad's faithfulness in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
They are Azad Marshall's "living letters of commendation,"
his real credentials for life and ministry rather than his degrees
and institutional titles. That is what really matters, and we
are called to the same thing.
Qualification for life and ministry
Verses 4-6 answer Paul's question, "And who is adequate
for these things?" (2:16). Where do we get the ability for
the spiritual impact that Paul or Azad Marshall seem to have?
Do we have to go to Bible college or seminary? Do we have to attend
special workshops, the right seminars, or the right conferences?
Do we need to listen to the right tape series, read certain books,
or listen to Christian radio a certain number of hours a week?
Paul addresses the issue personally and in terms of his own sense
of adequacy for life, his confidence, and empowerment. Notice
that the summary is wonderfully Trinitarian. It speaks of the
ministry of Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit:
And such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Paul is confident through Christ. He has learned that sufficiency comes from God, and if his life makes a difference, it will be empowered by the Holy Spirit within him.
Confident through Christ
The trust or affirmation that Paul felt in the commendation
of his lifestyle and ministry was not based on self-confidence
or natural instincts, or on his innate abilities or the good reputation
he might have gained through the years. His effectiveness was
due only to the activity of the risen Christ Jesus within him.
Paul's writings in the New Testament attest to his honest confession.
He wrote to the Christians in Philippi, "I can do all things
through Him who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13). To the church
in Galatia, he said, "I have been crucified with Christ;
and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..."
(Gal 2:20). He encouraged the Colossian believers with the reality
of Christ in them, the hope of glory (Col 1:27). He says of the
Lord Jesus, "...I labor, striving according to His power,
which mightily works within me" (1:29). Paul's basis for
living is not self-confidence, but Christ-confidence.
Sufficient from God
Next Paul deals with the issue of sufficiency from God. He
makes an absolute statement that cannot be twisted (verse 5):
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves...
Paul says there is nothing from himself. It is an amazing admission
since Paul was a brilliant Jewish rabbi, an Old Testament Bible
scholar with an incredible mind and a great facility with words.
He tells the Philippians where he placed his confidence before
he became a Christian: "...although I myself might have confidence
even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence
in the flesh, I far more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the
nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews;
as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church;
as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless"
(Phil 3:4-6). His ancestry was the best, his orthodoxy was impeccable,
and he knew and believed his Bible. Paul was a religious activist.
He threw himself into being good for God, and lived absolute moral
perfection. As far as his own conscience was concerned, he was
blameless as to what the Bible said about personal lifestyle.
In Philippians 3:8, Paul says he eventually learned to count his
credentials as worthless rubbish compared to drawing on the resources
of God in Jesus Christ for his adequacy. His success in life and
ministry would not be based on natural gifting, talent, training
and effort, but solely on the grace of God. It was a long and
difficult struggle for the apostle to realize this. It did not
happen immediately at his conversion. For probably 14 years Paul
tried to be good for God and serve Jesus, but he finally quit
trusting his abilities and training, and let God work through
him. If nothing is coming from Paul, then the phrase at the end
of verse 5 is important: "...but our adequacy is from God."
I heard Norman Grubb4 say many years ago, "God alone can
do God's work." Paul summarizes this reality in 1 Corinthians
15:9, 10: "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not
fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward
me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them,
yet not I, but the grace of God with me." If there is no
awareness or sense of dependence on God to graciously express
his life through us, then all of our efforts to live spiritually
commendable lives are wasted and useless. It is an internal issue,
a heart issue that has to do with spiritual resources.
To the Corinthians who watched Paul through the years, it would
have looked like Paul was mobilizing his natural abilities and
serving God with all his heart. But if they asked Paul, he would
not agree. Paul says that spiritual effectiveness or impact on
individual lives is completely dependent on God, and not about
our natural skills or resources. Influence that is of eternal
value in our families, the workplace, our community, and at church
comes from God at work in us. If I didn't believe that, I would
resign from the pastoral staff at PBC tomorrow morning. I would
despair in terms of my calling to be a loving husband, a godly
father, and good friend to people around me. I have learned through
the years that my best efforts and natural instincts are not enough.
Whatever good happens in terms of spiritual results is due to
God at work.
At the end of verse 5 to the beginning of verse 6 Paul says that
our sufficiency has been given on the basis of a new arrangement
for living: "...but our adequacy is from God, who also made
us adequate as servants of a new covenant." Paul offers a
new viewpoint for life that God has provided for his people. It
is the new covenant which was promised by the prophets Jeremiah
and Ezekiel 600 years before Jesus came into the world. Jeremiah
31:33 says, "'But this is the covenant which I will make
with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the Lord,
'I will put my law within them, and on their heart I will write
it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'"
This new arrangement for living is contrary to anything our world
understands, and is based solely on Jesus' shed blood on the cross.
He said the night before he was betrayed; "...this cup which
is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Luke
22:20). In 2 Corinthians 2:12-17 (Discovery
Paper #4633), Paul introduces the radical nature of the new
covenant in our lives, and draws a contrast between the two conflicting
lifestyles. Later in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, Paul compares and contrasts
the new covenant lifestyle with what he calls the old covenant.
In verse 14, he refers to the Jewish people whose minds are hardened:
"...for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant
the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ."
Christ is the one who lifts the veil of old covenant living so
we can see the reality of new covenant living.
I will briefly introduce what Paul has to say about the old covenant
in this passage. Verse 1 says the old covenant is based on self-commendation.
In verse 3, Paul says it was carved on tablets of stone, bringing
to mind the Ten Commandments given to Moses at Sinai. In verses
4 and 5, the old covenant is based on self-confidence, the opposite
of God-confidence. Everything depends on us and our best effort
to be good. In verse 6, the old covenant is based on keeping the
letter of the Old Testament Law, which is legalism. And, the old
covenant is somehow death dealing, "...for the letter kills."
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Paul deals with the final Trinitarian basis for our adequacy
from God through the Holy Spirit in verse 6. He has made us
...servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The two phrases of this closing section can be put side-by-side.
The letter of the law, the old covenant, results in death, but
the Spirit gives life. It refers to the Holy Spirit of the living
God, introduced in verse 3, who is the basis of new covenant living.
The covenant that is letter in nature (some translations say "the
written code") kills. It crushes our spirit because it makes
external demands for obedience, but it does not give us the internal
power to obey. The nature of the old covenant is that we try our
best in our own power to do what God wants.
A covenant that is of the Holy Spirit in character gives life
because it works inside. It produces a change that is spiritual
in nature, so our hearts are softened and tenderized and made
receptive to God's influence in our lives. We live receptively,
accepting the grace of God and the resources of God. We do not
try to work out things on our own. If the old covenant is Paul
trying to do his best on God's behalf, then the new covenant is
God doing his best through Paul. Paul is confident through Christ,
sufficient from God, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is the
secret of Paul's adequacy and his sense of qualification in relationships
and ministry.
I would ask that you put yourself in the place of the apostle
Paul as you stand before the two issues of credentials and personal
adequacy. First, if someone asked you to offer your credentials
for a commendable life to what would you point? Secondly, how
would you respond if you were asked what you trust for sufficiency,
for adequacy, for competence in living effectively? What qualities
or characteristics would you describe? We can see the variety
of answers out of this passage, but what if you are not living
by the power of the Holy Spirit? What if you are living out of
your own resources? On what are you tempted to consciously or
unconsciously depend? Can you identify with any of the following
possibilities?
First, are you qualified because of what people say about you?
Is it because of your academic degrees, or religious certifications
you have earned? Is it about books or publications you have contributed
to? Are you confident in professional positions or job titles
or honors that may have been bestowed on you? Maybe it expresses
itself in how much you know educationally, how much informational
knowledge or biblical knowledge that you have. Maybe it is how
much you have accomplished in life.
Or, are you, like the apostle Paul, most excited about spiritually
changed lives because you have been a fragrance of Jesus Christ?
Most often, that sort of influence is not public. It will not
result in job promotions or pay raises or accolades. It will be
quiet, it will be secret. Nobody may know but God and the small
circle of people represented. But those are the credentials with
eternal significance.
Secondly, what do you trust for adequacy in life? Is it the fact
that you are good at interpersonal relationships? Are you naturally
charming and gregarious so that people respond well to you? Is
it about physical appearance or good health or athletic success?
Does it depend on your intelligence, or sense of humor, or creativity?
Maybe you are depending on your parents' or your spouses' reputation.
Are you known for being responsible, for following through on
tasks and projects? Do you have business success because you have
skills and aptitudes in that setting? Perhaps you are good at
making money and you can fall back on that to feel good about
yourself.
Most of these are not things to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.
If any of these good things are true about you, then thank God
for grace. He made you the way you are in terms of your positive
attributes. But, with the Apostle Paul, we must embrace the conviction
that our adequacy in life and ministry does not rest on our efforts
and activity. Whatever effectiveness we enjoy, the credit goes
to God in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our lifestyle
and ministry do not rest on our feeble efforts to do something
for God, but on our confidence that God will do something through
us. It is a matter of showing up, being faithful, and being responsive
and sensitive. Paul's liberating affirmation can be true of us
as well: "Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as
coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also
made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter
but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives
life."
Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ("NASB"). © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
NOTES:
(1) The Message: New Testament. © 1993 by Eugene H.
Peterson. NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. P. 439 (paperback edition).
(2) William Barclay. The Letters to the Corinthians. The Westminster Press, Philadelphia: 1954, 207-208.
(3) The Message, p. 474.
(4) Norman Grubb (1895-1993). Outstanding Bible teacher; expert
on Romans. Several of his books are still in print. Author of
the famous book Rees Howells Intercessor. For articles
written by Norman Grubb, see Lambert Dolphin's web site: http://ldolphin.org
Catalog No. 4634
2 Corinthians 3:1-6
5th Message
Doug Goins
April 16, 2000
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