2 Coríntios 4
Arthur Pink · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 4:1-2
Pink comments that "The ministers of the New Covenant are described as those who had "renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness." Christendom today is infested with men who are full of deceit and hypocrisy, trimming their sails according to whatever direction the breeze of public opinion is blowing. "Nor handling the Word of God deceitfully" (2Co 4:2). The true servant of Christ holds back nothing that is profitable, no matter how unpalatable it may be unto his hearers. He is one who does not magnify himself, nor his denomination—but Christ—His wondrous Person, His atoning blood, His exacting claims. (Ministerial Thieves) Paul passed on the unadulterated Word of God to the saints, writing in his first epistle... For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you (1Co 11:23a) Comment: What Paul heard, Paul preached, in purity and in power! How can we who preach and teach do any less in a day when God and His Word and prayer to Him are being systematically extracted from the heart of "In God we trust" America which is reaping the consequences of this evil seed in the form of a rapidly crumbling social fabric much like the days of the Judges (Jdg 21:25-+). We must become like the psalmist and cry out "My soul cleaves to the dust. Revive me according to Thy Word." (Ps 119:25-+) William
2 Coríntios 4:17
Pink - Should our afflictions continue throughout a whole lifetime, and that life be equal in duration to Methuselah’s, yet it is momentary compared with the eternity before us. At most our affliction is for this present life, a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away (Jas 4:14). O that God would enable us to examine our trials in their true perspective. (Affliction and Glory in his treatise Comfort for Christians) Peter uses the phrase "for a little while" to describe the transitory nature of present trials… In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary (indicating that they ARE necessary to purify us), you have been have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1Pe 1:6-note [some good illustrations on trials near bottom of page],1Pe 1:7-+) But resist (anthistemi [literally "stand against" ~ arrange in battle against] in aorist imperative = Do this now! Don't delay! It is urgent!) him (diabolos), firm (stable, immovable - this reflects the Spirit's enabling power!) in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being (passive = effect is from outside force, God's Spirit) accomplished (worked out to their intended goal of making us more like Christ) by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1Pe 5:9-+, 1Pe 5:10-+, 1Pe 5:11-+) Comment: Note the pattern in both these sections - first temporary trials and suffering and then glory forever. In Romans Paul says… For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18+) Comment: Note that the eternal praise from our sufferings will far exceed the temporary pain of our sufferings. Our sufferings now may be great, but they will not last for they will give way to a reward of glory that will never end! Can you hold on a little while longer beloved? Cry out for His enabling grace and Spirit and you will be able to hold fast until the end, which will really be just the beginning… of everlasting, unimaginably (I Can Only Imagine) magnificent glory as We Fall Down in the presence of the Indescribable Glorious One, the Beautiful One, the Everlasting God, the God of Wonders, our All in All! In the present passage the idea of "light" is that which is not oppressive and thus is easy to be suffered or endured. Other synonyms: lightweight, slight, easy, trifling, trivial (albeit when we are experiencing them, they are not "trivial" to us!), manageable, small, featherweight, "light as a feather" This is an interesting term, for a thing is light only comparatively. That which is light to a man, may be heavy to a child. A light burden for a camel, may be insupportable to a horse. Now read 2Co 11:23, 24, 25, 26, 27 to see what Paul calls "light affliction"! Paul's point is that they are light compared to what is coming (See Our Light Affliction where C H Spurgeon elaborates on this thought ). Compared to the weight of glory, his afflictions are like a feather on the scale (see Ro 8:18). This weighty glory is beyond all comprehension. In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul had written… that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him. (1Co 2:9) And remember it is not just that the momentary, light afflictions precede glory, but they also help produce glory as discussed more below. Hodge rightly says that "It is only by comparison with the eternal glory that it (affliction) seems insignificant." (2 Corinthians Commentary) Vance Havner on Suffering It won't last forever but we will! Now for a season… ye are in heaviness… (1Peter 1:6). After that ye have suffered a while… (1Peter 5:10). For our light affliction, which is but for a moment… (2Cor. 4:17). Thomas Watson… Consider that our sufferings are light. It is heavy to flesh and blood—but it is light to faith. Affliction is light in a threefold respect: 1. It is light—in comparison to SIN. He who feels sin heavy, feels suffering light. Sin made Paul cry out, 'O wretched man that I am!' (Ro 7:24). He does not cry out of his iron chain—but of his sin. The greater noise drowns the lesser. When the sea roars, the rivers are silent. He who is taken up with his sins, and sees how he has provoked God—thinks the yoke of affliction to be light (Micah 7:9). 2. Affliction is light—in comparison of HELL. What is persecution, compared to damnation? What is the fire of martyrdom, compared to the fire of the damned? It is no more than the pricking of a pin, compared to a death's wound. 'Who knows he power of your anger!' (Psalm 90:11) Christ himself could not have borne that anger, had he not been more than a man. 3. Affliction is light—in comparison of GLORY. The weight of glory makes persecution light. 'If,' says Chrysostom, 'the torments of all the men in the world could be laid upon one man, it were not worth one hour's being in heaven!' And if persecution is light, we should not be overly downcast by it. Let us neither faint through unbelief, nor fret through impatience. Consider that our sufferings are short. 'After you have suffered a little while' (1 Peter 5:10). Our sufferings may be lasting, not everlasting. Affliction is compared to a 'cup' (Lamentations 4:21). The wicked drink of a 'sea' of wrath which has no bottom. It will never be emptied. But it is only a 'cup' of martyrdom, and God will say, 'Let this cup pass away'. 'The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous' (Psalm 125:3). The rod may be there, it shall not rest. Christ calls his sufferings 'an hour' (Luke 22:53). Can we not suffer one hour? Persecution is sharp—but short. Though it has a sting to torment—yet it has a wing to fly! 'Sorrow shall fly away' (Isaiah 35:10). It is but a little while when the saints shall have a writ of ease granted them. They shall weep no more—and suffer no more. They shall be taken off the torturing wrack—and laid in Christ's bosom. The people of God shall not always be in the iron furnace; a year of Jubilee will come. The water of persecution like a land-flood, will soon be dried up. (Beatitudes) TWO MAJOR STAGES OF CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE STAGE 1 THE PRESENT STAGE 2 THE FUTURE In the World In Christ's Presence Temporary Eternal Humility Exaltation Cross-bearing Cross-wearing Suffering Glory Describable Incomparable Trials Triumph Understanding Christian Theology - C R Swindoll & Roy Zuck Light (1645) (elaphros) means not heavy, easy to bear (as in Mt 11:30+, the only other NT use), not burdensome, not difficult to bear, having little weight, easy to be lifted, borne or carried by physical strength. Affliction (2347) (thlipsis from thlibo = to crush, press together, squash, hem in, compress, squeeze in turn derived from thláo = to break) originally expressed sheer, physical pressure on a man. Thlipsis is a strong term which does not refer to minor inconveniences, but to real hardships. As discussed elsewhere but worth repeating, afflictions of life are intended by God to make us better not bitter! They are for our good and His glory (and our glory!). Medically thlipsis was used of the pulse (pressure). It is a pressing together as of grapes. It conveys the idea of being squeezed or placed under pressure or crushed beneath a weight. When, according to the ancient law of England, those who willfully refused to plead guilty, had heavy weights placed on their breasts, and were pressed and crushed to death, this was literally thlipsis. The iron cage was stenochoria. Thlipsis thus refers not to mild discomfort but to great difficulty. The picture of thlipsis is of one being squeezed. When you squeeze something, what comes out is what is on he inside. What comes out of you when you are experiencing "thlipsis"? Remember believers have Christ in them the hope of glory and therefore have the potential to exude the fragrance of His life when crushed. Remember that because of his faith every genuine child of God will experience tribulation during his or her life on earth (Jn 16:33; 2Ti 3:12, Php 1:29). Paul understood the truth that "if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with" Christ (Ro 8:17). Afflictions for Christ's sake produce spiritual strengthening in this present life and eternal reward in the future life. Butler - This verse has encouraged many suffering saints over the ages. Paul noted the perspective of his trials in a threefold way here. First, the difficulties of the afflictions. "Our light affliction." Paul says his trials were "light" in spite of the fact that they involved stoning, prison, shipwreck and other great problems. But in view of eternity, the heavy seems light. Second, the duration of his afflictions "For a moment." In spite of the fact that his life was filled with trials, Paul says they are only a moment. When one has eternity in view, he can say that. Third, the dividends of his affliction. "Worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Afflictions bring great blessings. During the time of the affliction it is difficult to realize that truth, however. Note how Paul contrasted the dividends with the difficulties. The difficulties were "light" but the dividends heavy ("exceeding… weight"). The difficulties were short ("moment"), the dividends long ("eternal"). The difficulties were grievous ("affliction"), but the dividends were glorious ("glory"). (Analytical Bible Expositor - 1 & 2 Corinthians)
2 Coríntios 4:17
Pink reminds us that the "Afflictions are not light in themselves, often they are heavy and grievous; but they are light comparatively! They are light when compared with what we really deserve. They are light when compared with the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. But perhaps their lightness is best seen by comparing them to the glory awaiting us. As the same apostle said in another place, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Ro 8:18). (Affliction and Glory in his treatise Comfort for Christians) Thomas Watson… Affliction is a means to make us happy. It seems strange to flesh and blood—that affliction should make us happy. When Moses saw the bush burning and not consumed, he said, "I will turn aside and see this strange sight!" Exod 3:3. Likewise, here is a strange sight—a man afflicted, and yet happy. The world counts them happy—who can escape affliction; but truly happy is the man whom God corrects. How do afflictions contribute to our happiness? Afflictions make us happy—as they are a means of bringing us nearer to God. The loadstone of prosperity does not draw us so near to God, as the cords of affliction. When the prodigal was pinched with need, he said, "I will arise—and go to my father!" Luke 15:18. As the deluge brought the dove to the ark—the floods of sorrow make us hasten to Christ, our ark! Afflictions make us happy—as they are safe guides to glory. The storm drives the ship into the harbor. Blessed storm—which drives the soul into the heavenly harbor! Is it not better—to go through momentary affliction to eternal glory—than to go through momentary pleasure to eternal misery? The wicked must drink a sea of wrath; but the godly have only a cup of affliction. Think, O Christian—what affliction leads to! It leads to paradise, where rivers of pleasure are always running! Joseph Alleine - Times of affliction are usually gaining times to God's people. William Dyer - Oh Christians! under your greatest troubles—lie your greatest treasures! By the greatest affliction—God teaches us the greatest instruction. When a believer lies under God's hand which afflicts him—he lies in God's heart which loves him! Afflictions are good—but not pleasant. Sin is pleasant—but not good. There is more evil in a drop of sin—than there is in a sea of afflictions! God by affliction, separates the sin He hates so deadly—from the soul He loves so dearly! The believer studies more how to adorn the cross—than how to avoid the cross! Tell me, oh believer, is not Christ with His cross—better than the world with its crown? Suppose, Christian, that the furnace is hot, seven times hotter—it is but to make you seven times more holy! Fiery trials—make golden Christians! Sin has brought many a believer unto suffering—and suffering has kept many a believer from sinning! It is better to be preserved in brine—than to rot in honey! Amen! Fiery trials make golden Christians (William Dyer, "Christ's Famous Titles") "For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory." 2 Corinthians 4:17 Oh Christians! under your greatest troubles, lie your greatest treasures. "It is good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes." Psalm 119:71 By the greatest affliction, God teaches us the greatest instruction. When a believer lies under God's hand which afflicts him, he lies in God's heart which loves him. Afflictions are good, but not pleasant. Sin is pleasant, but not good. There is more evil in a drop of sin, than there is in a sea of afflictions. God by affliction separates the sin He hates so deadly, from the soul He loves so dearly. The believer studies more how to adorn the cross, than how to avoid the cross. Tell me, oh believer--is not Christ with His cross, better than the world with its crown? "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness." Hebrews 12:10 Suppose, Christian, that the furnace is hot, seven times hotter, it is but to make you seven times more holy. Fiery trials make golden Christians. Sin has brought many a believer unto suffering, and suffering has kept many a believer from sinning. It is better to be preserved in brine, than to rot in honey. "I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me." Psalm 119:75 Thomas Watson - Affliction is like throwing a bag of money at another person; it may bruise him—but it enriches him. So affliction may bruise us but it enriches us, and this works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. In short, the black rod prepares for the white rod. O Christian! You who are now humbled by some sharp affliction—shall shortly wear a garland made of the flowers of paradise. You shall have your soul set thicker with the jewels of heaven—than the sky is with the stars. (The Comforting Rod) Afflictions are often God's best blessings sent in disguise because affliction, like the iron-smith, shapes as it smites. Affliction is also God's shepherd dog to drive us back to the fold (Ps 119:67, 71). As someone has well said "The darker the night, the brighter the stars; the hotter the fire, the purer the gold." And so it is with afflictions. David
2 Coríntios 4:17
Pink comments on 2Cor 4:17… Afflictions are not light in themselves, often they are heavy and grievous; but they are light comparatively! They are light when compared with what we really deserve. They are light when compared with the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. But perhaps their lightness is best seen by comparing them to the glory awaiting us. As the same apostle said in another place, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Ro 8:18)… The present is influencing the future. It is not for us to reason and philosophize about this, but to take God at His Word and believe it. Experience, feelings, observation of others, may seem to deny this fact. Often afflictions appear only to sour us and make us more rebellious and discontented. But let us remember that afflictions are not sent by God for the purpose of purifying the flesh: they are designed for the benefit of the “new man.” Moreover, afflictions help prepare us for the glory hereafter. Affliction draws away our hearts from the love of the world; it makes us long more for the time when we shall be translated from this scene of sin and sorrow; it will enable us to appreciate by way of contrast the things God has prepared for them that love Him. Here then is what faith is invited to do: to place in one scale the present affliction, in the other, the eternal glory. Are they worthy to be compared? No, indeed. One second of glory will more than counterbalance a whole lifetime of suffering. What are years of toil, of sickness, of battling against poverty, of persecution, even a martyr’s death, when weighed over against the pleasures at God’s right hand, that are for evermore! One breath of Paradise will extinguish all the adverse winds of earth. One day in the Father’s House will more than balance the years we have spent in this dreary wilderness. May God grant us faith that will enable us to anticipatively lay hold of the future and live in the present enjoyment of it. (Comfort for Christians) Robert
2 Coríntios 4:17
Pink - The sufferings of God’s people in this world are, considered in themselves, often very heavy and grievous, and in many cases long protracted. If, therefore, they be “light” when set over against their future bliss, how great that bliss must be! The paucity of human language to express it is seen in the piling up of one term upon another: it is a “weight,” it is an “exceeding weight,” even a “far more exceeding weight,” yea, it is an “eternal weight of glory.” Henry Scudder - And as for the time to come, when you think upon all your crosses and sufferings of this present time, yet reckon, that “they are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in you.” For they are but short for time, and light for weight, being compared with the everlasting weight of glory which they will work for you, if you endure them patiently. I will say nothing of the shortness and lightness of your afflictions, in comparison of the far more intolerable and eternal weight of torments in hell, which you escape: and in comparing afflictions with glory, I will point out to you only the apostle’s gradation; you shall have, for affliction, glory, for light affliction, weight of glory; for short affliction, an eternal glory; for common and ordinary affliction, excellent glory. And although it might be thought that he had said enough, yet he addeth degrees of comparison; yea, goeth beyond all degrees, calling it more excellent, far more excellent: for thus he saith, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory.” Indeed, you must not look at the things which are seen with the eye of sense, but at things which are not seen, which are spiritual and eternal, seen only by the eye of faith. (Scudder, Henry. The Christian's Daily Walk) Caribbean pine trees routinely withstand fierce hurricanes, long periods of drought, and even fire. But one thing they cannot tolerate is cultivation. In a well-kept yard with plenty of water and fertilizer, they often die. We tend to be like those pine trees. During good times we may grow complacent and lose our effectiveness for Christ. But blasts of trial remind us of our need to depend on Him. When we feel our weakest, we can actually be the strongest (2Cor 12:10+). A tourist in Maine was watching a farmer build a stone wall. After a few moments, he inquired about the wall's strange dimensions. It was 4 feet high and 5 feet wide. The farmer explained, "I'm building it like this so that if it ever blows over, it will be taller that it was before." No doubt the industrious fence maker said this with tongue in cheek, yet there is a good lesson to be drawn from this story. Even though the storms of trial may seem to blow us over, the Lord uses such experiences to make us "taller" than we were before. A Little Perspective - A college student wrote a startling letter to her parents: Dear Mom and Dad: I have so much to tell you. Because of the fire in my room set by rioting students, I suffered lung damage and had to go to the hospital. While there, I fell in love with an orderly. Then I got arrested for my part in the riots. Anyway, I’m dropping out of school, getting married, and moving to Alaska. Your loving daughter PS: None of this really happened, but I did flunk a chemistry class, and I wanted you to keep it in perspective. We might question this student’s method of breaking bad news to her parents, but her approach highlights a truth: Proper perspective is essential. When Paul encouraged the church in Corinth, he wrote a litany of his own very real trials and tribulations. To gain perspective, he shifted his focus to the eternal. “Our light affliction,” he said, “is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2Corinthians 4:17). He promised no immunity from “chance”; Instead, a cross with adverse circumstance; Yet we may toil with joy in all we do, For life is brief—eternity’s in view. —Gustafson The supreme need in every hour of difficulty is a vision of God. —G. C. Morgan Cure For Complainers: For years, the nearest I came to glorying in tribulations was to mutter, "Well, praise the Lord anyway!" I felt that my complaining was usually justified. After all, who needs pain and frustration? I certainly didn't, I thought. But God thought differently. The Lord knew that I needed to change and grow spiritually. In Ro 5:3+, Ro 5:4+, Paul taught that life's predicaments can produce godly character in us. Our complaining hinders God's work. Here are some suggestions for overcoming a complaining attitude: Remember that your troubles did not take God by surprise. He is still in control. Believe that God has a solution, a provision, or a gift of wisdom to match your difficulty. Pray, affirming your faith in God and expressing your confidence in His loving purpose for you. Wait with expectancy and availability, trusting God to work out His perfect will. Praise Him--even before He acts. Jesus Is Greater Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. —2 Corinthians 4:17 Today's Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 All the Ethiopian teenager had to do was tell the men who were beating her that she no longer believed in God, and they would have stopped. Yezeshewall was being detained and beaten because of her faith in Christ. But she told her tormentors, “Jesus is greater than all, . . . greater than Marxism, greater than anything.” According to an article in World Vision magazine, the torture continued as she was kicked, hit with an iron ball, and dumped unconscious on the prison floor. When the guards who had beaten her were asked by their supervisor why she had not given in, they replied, “We are dealing with a Christian who says she will not leave Christ.” What a remarkable testimony! This young woman endured brutal treatment because of her faith in Jesus Christ. Later, she was released without explanation. The apostle Paul described the incredible suffering he went through for the sake of the gospel as light and momentary when he considered the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” that awaited him (2 Cor. 4:17). Reflecting on our heavenly home And all that we'll have there Makes persecution by the world Much easier to bear. —Sper To be at peace with God is to clash with the world. In Light Of Eternity - After the 1991 military coup in Haiti, the international community imposed an embargo on the tiny Caribbean nation. Life for many Haitians became a daily struggle for survival. A missionary told me about a Christian woman who stood up in a meeting and prayed, “We thank You, Lord, for the embargo. It has taught us to depend more fully on You. And it has given us a greater longing for heaven.” Those believers were able to live joyfully, though weak and undernourished, because they kept their eyes of faith focused on the riches and glory they would one day receive in heaven. We who enjoy comfortable houses and have plenty of food could learn from our Haitian brothers and sisters who live in one of the poorest countries of the world. We need to look at life with an eternal perspective. I anticipate the time when all sin and pain and sorrow will have ended. I am troubled by all the suffering and evil in the world. But I’m sure those Haitian believers who were sick and hungry, and who sometimes lived under the fear of being killed, had a greater sense of anticipation than I do.— by Herbert Vander Lugt Lord, help us view life in light of eternity, even when things are going well. We must walk in the light to keep eternity's values in sight. A Glimpse Of Glory - Age has its troubles-failing hearing and eyesight, forgetfulness, aching backs, arthritic hands. These are intimations that we are wasting away. Yet, Paul insisted, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2Co 4:16, 17). How so? The way I see it, aging and weakness focus our thoughts on God. We learn to fix our eyes on Him and on unseen realities; we learn to distinguish between the permanent and what is passing away. We are drawn by God’s love to set our affection on things above and not on things of earth (Col 3:1+, Col 3:2+, cp 1Pe 1:13+). And so we keep our eyes on “the things which are not seen” (2Co 4:18). We must look beyond our present frailty to what we will someday be-glorious creatures, bursting with radiant beauty and boundless energy! The future is seen in the Bible- This knowledge with us God has shared; By faith we can see the invisible, The glory that He has prepared. -Hess With nothing between us and God, our faces can reflect His glory. Storm Clouds And Blue Sky - I was feeling down about some circumstances the other day and wondering how I might lift my spirits. I pulled from my shelf the book Life Is Like Licking Honey Off a Thorn by Susan Lenzkes, and I read this: “We take the laughter and the tears however they come, and let our God of reality make sense of it all.” Lenzkes says some people are optimists who “camp in pleasures and good memories,” denying the brokenness. Others are pessimists who “focus on life’s losses, losing joy and victory in the process.” But people of faith are realists who “receive it all—all the good and bad of life—and repeatedly choose to know that God really loves us and is constantly at work for our good and His glory.” As I read, I looked outside and noticed dark clouds and a steady rain. A little later, a friendly wind came up and blew the clouds away. Suddenly the skies were bright blue. The storms of life blow in and out like that. The purposes of God are right, Although we may not see Just how He works all things for good And transforms tragedy. —Sper God promises a safe landing— but not necessarily a calm passage. Handcrafted by God - THE Steinway piano has been preferred by keyboard masters such as Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Cliburn, and Liszt— and for good reason. It is a skillfully crafted instrument that produces phenomenal sound. Steinway pianos are built today the same way they were 140 years ago when Henry Steinway started his business. Two hundred craftsmen and 12,000 parts are required to produce one of these magnificent instruments. Most crucial is the rim-bending process in which eighteen layers of maple are bent around an iron press to create the shape of a Steinway grand. Five coats of lacquer are applied and hand rubbed to give the piano its outer glow. The instrument then goes to the Pounder Room, where each key is tested 10,000 times to ensure quality and durability. Is God bending, shaping, or polishing me right now? What’s my attitude: Am I thanking and praising God, or am I complaining about the process? Trials are intended not to provoke us but to prove us. Tribulation, grief, and sorrow Are but heaven’s steppingstones To a bright and glad tomorrow Where no heartache can be known. —Glass We can endure this life’s trials because of the next life’s joys. True Victory - In 2005, the surprising Boys Town High School Cowboys carried a perfect record into a Nebraska state semifinal football game. But more important, the players had taken giant strides toward overcoming their family backgrounds of abuse, abandonment, and neglect that had brought them to the safe, caring environment of Boys Town. Their coach, Kevin Kush, believes that football is a way to build character, and says: “Victories at Boys Town are not won on a present-day athletic field. They are won years from now in cities and towns across this country when our players become productive citizens.” His team plays to win while pursuing higher goals of sportsmanship, discipline, and teamwork. Paul held a similar long-range view of our experience as followers of Christ. In the midst of personal setbacks, he urged the Corinthians not to lose heart (2Co 4:17). In spite of loss, we are to pursue the higher goals of God’s kingdom now, anticipating our eternal triumph in Christ. Come, Lord, and give me courage, Thy conquering Spirit give; Make me an overcomer, In power within me live. —Anon. Trials can be God’s way to triumph. Waiting For Joy - A large part of life centers around anticipation. How much we would lose if we were to wake up one day to the unexpected announcement: “Christmas in 10 minutes!” The enjoyment in many of life’s events is built on the fact that we have time to anticipate them. Christmas, vacations, mission trips, sporting events. All grow in value because of the hours we spend looking forward to them—eagerly running through our minds the fun, challenges, and excitement they’ll bring. I think about the value of anticipation and the thrill it can bring to the human heart when I read Psalm 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. The psalmist is declaring the comforting idea that our earthly sorrow lasts but a short time when compared with the anticipated joy that will begin in heaven and last forever. Paul pens a similar idea in 2 Corinthians 4:17, where we discover that our “light affliction” leads to a glory of eternal value. Tribulation, grief, and sorrow Are but heaven’s steppingstones To a bright and glad tomorrow Where no heartache can be known. —Glass We can endure this life’s trials because of the next life’s joys. FAR BEYOND ALL COMPARISON: huperbolen eis huperbolen: far beyond: 2Co 3:18 Ge 15:1 Ps 31:19 Ps 73:24 Isa 64:4 Lk 6:23 Ro 2:7 1Co 2:9 1Pe 1:7,8 5:10 1Jn 3:2 Jude 1:24 2 Corinthians 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” Psalm 31:19 How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men! Psalms 73:24 With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Luke 6:23+ “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. Romans 8:18+ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy (áxios) to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. "HYPERBOLE UPON HYPERBOLE" "PLUS ULTRA" = MORE BEYOND Wikipedia says "Hyperbole (adjective form hyperbolic) is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. In rhetoric, it is also sometimes known as auxesis (literally 'growth'). In poetry and oratory, it emphasizes, evokes strong feelings, and creates strong impressions. As a figure of speech, it is usually not meant to be taken literally." That last phrase catches my attention - "usually not meant to be taken literally." However Paul intends for this description to be taken literally, albeit admittedly clearly beyond the comprehension and imagination of our non-glorified cerebral cortex! Far beyond all comparison - The Amplified attempts (and even their description falls short of the Greek text "hyperbolen eis hyperbolen") to depict the incomprehensible truth = "beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!".
2 Coríntios 4:18
Pink on aionios - The connections in which the Holy Spirit has employed the word aionios leave no room whatever for any uncertainty of its meaning in the mind of an impartial investigator. That word occurs not only in such expressions as “eternal destruction” “everlasting fire,” “everlasting punishment,” but also in “life eternal” (Mt. 25:46), “eternal salvation” (He. 5:9), “eternal glory” (1Pe 5:10); and most assuredly they are timeless. Still more decisively, it is linked with the subsistence of Deity: “the everlasting God” (Rom. 16:26). Again, the force and scope of the word are clearly seen in the fact that it is antithetical to what is of limited duration: “the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2Cor. 4:18). Now it is obvious that if the temporal things lasted forever there could be no contrast between them and the things which are eternal. Equally certain is it that if eternal things be only “age long” they differ not essentially from temporal ones. The contrast between the temporal and the eternal is as real and as great as between the things “seen and unseen.” (interpretation of the scriptures) Alpha, Omega—our God we proclaim, Eternal, unchanging, always the same; He's the beginning and He is the end, He is our Savior, our Lord, and our Friend. —Fitzhugh For time and for eternity, Jesus is all we need. Illustration - Over the triple doorways of the Cathedral of Milan there are three inscriptions spanning the splendid arches. Over one is carved a beautiful wreath of roses, and underneath is the legend, “All that which pleases is but for a moment.” Over the other is sculptured a cross, and there are the words, “All that which troubles us is but for a moment.” But underneath the great central entrance to the main aisle is the inscription, “That only is important which is eternal.” If we realize these three truths, we will not let trifles trouble us, nor be interested so much in the passing pageants of the hour. We would live, as we do not now, for the permanent and eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Illustration - Over the entrance of Thornburty Castle there is a scroll upon which is inscribed "Doresenevant." This is an old French word which means "Henceforward," or "Hereafter." The builder was Duke of Buckingham, who in this manner expressed his hopes with regard to the English crown. As believers we may truly joyously say "Hereafter," and it should be our watch word which energizes and encourages us to endure the period of waiting for His kingdom to come and the day when we too shall be crowned but not with a temporal earthly crown but with an eternal heavenly crown. Lloyd-Jones says "the business of the Bible is to assert the reality of the unseen. Not only that, the Bible asserts the primacy, the all–importance, of the unseen. (Courageous Christianity)