2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER FOUR - Verse-by-verse



2 CORINTHIANS chapter four

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Summary verse 1

1. THIS MINISTRY REFERS BACK TO THE CONTEXT BEGINNING WITH VERSE SIX.

2. There are many pressures, both from within and from without, which can lead to soul fatigue.

3. The pressures on Paul and company in Macedonia were many.

4. But they refused to throw in the towel.

5. The temptations to deviate from the straight and narrow were many.

6. Yet they refused to give in to soul fatigue.

7. They leaned on the mercies of the past that had brought them thus far.

8. When they reflected on God's past mercies (ADR), they could not throw in the towel now.

9. Your tapping of the mercy pool in the past enables you to press on in the present.

Summary verse 2

1. PAUL SPEAKS OF HIS MINISTRY IN TERMS OF SCRUPLES.

2. The past to the present is characterized by a denial of STA influence.

3. In their ministry nothing is hidden.

4. “Hidden things” are the thoughts of men’s hearts which if revealed would expose their real designs and motives to their fellow man.

5. And hence to discredit them.

6. Hence, they are not now walking in unscrupulousness or misrepresenting Bible doctrine.

7. This they do to avoid the shame of exposure which will occur at the BEMA (believers)(1 JOHN 2:28).

8. Bible doctrine (truth) is overtly visible in the example the pastor-teacher sets for his flock.

9. Those, who like themselves are positive and with principle, will acknowledge the rightful place of their teachers.

10. This is the only commendation a pastor-teacher needs—a life that manifests Bible doctrine in and out of the pulpit.

11. “Every man’s conscience” is the positive, honorable believer.

Summary verses 3,4

1. ALL MEN ARE, PRIOR TO THE SAJG, PERISHING, BLIND, AND UNBELIEVING.

2. Satan, through the STA, places a veil over men’s hearts.

3. This veil is any doctrine which preempts the gospel.

4. One's STA posture has an affinity for a particular viewpoint.

5. The veil remains in place by negative volition at gospel hearing and is removed at gospel hearing (compare 3:16).

6. Satan can't keep the veil in place where there is positive volition.

7. God doesn’t remove the veil arbitrarily; He simply provides the gospel hearing as the only alternative to Satan's lies.

Summary verse 5

1. PAUL AND COMPANY DO NOT OBSCURE THIS GLORIOUS GOSPEL BY PREACHING THEMSELVES.

2. When confronting unbelievers, they don’t preach themselves like so many do.

3. This type of evangelism where you know at least as much about the evangelist as the Lord is misdirected.

4. Their personal testimony and experiences dominate the service.

5. Read Paul's message in Acts 13:16-41 to see the correct approach.

6. In the last half of the verse they do preach themselves.

7. As slaves to the congregation.

8. The emphasis isn't, “We have this authority and now we will lord it over you;” rather it is, “We are your servants (compare LUKE 22:24-27; the greatest pastor-teacher is one who is a servant to other pastor-teachers.

Summary verse 6

1. DAY +1 OF RESTORATION ILLUSTRATES OUR CONDITION BEFORE THE SAJG.

2. We were under the darkness of cosmos diabolicus.

3. Only God could dispel it.

4. The planet sat helpless Old Testament evolve light.

5. Light on day +1 is a picture of positive volition (earth) at gospel hearing.

6. Prior to this, the Holy Spirit incubated the ice pack; this is a picture of His common grace convicting ministry.

7. The light continues to shine—a picture of Ph2 enlightenment.

8. Knowledge of God's glory is the content.

9. Glory represents His essence and the plan (Ph1, Ph2, Ph3) flowing from it.

10. This plan centers in the person of Christ.

11. God's plan involves three steps:

a. Step one is positional sanctification.

b. Step two is experiential sanctification.

c. Step three is ultimate sanctification.

12. By making all three adjustments, we come face to face with God in the face of Christ.

13. Christ's face is His character seen in His word and in adjusted believers.

Summary verse 7

1. THIS INNER TREASURE IS BIBLE DOCTRINE IN OUR FRAIL, CLAY, HUMAN FRAMES. (THINK OF A FRAGILE, CHEAP VESSEL WITH TREASURE IN IT.)

2. This treasure is in a common (indwelling STA) fragile container.

3. At its very best, the container is weak, and what it has going for it is the treasure.

4. God watches over the vessel and the treasure.

5. His power protects the vessel when it is vulnerable.

6. His power is God's willingness and ability to deliver and enable you to execute His plan.

7. To the adjusted believer it is apparent that the excess power is of God.

8. God's power to preserve the vessel with its treasure, transcends the threat against the vessel.

9. This transcending power has nothing to do with the strength of the vessel (money, muscles, credentials, etc.).

10. It is God's objective to bring us through situations which demonstrate to us the power is of God, not self.

11. God's power to preserve your spiritual integrity transcends any hopeless situation.

12. As you fill the vessel with wealth, you become a target.

13. So God, who has a vested interest in the vessel, must intervene.

14. The vessel remains intact (alive) so that it can fulfill its destiny (new vessel + SG3).

Summary verses 8-10

1. VERSES EIGHT AND NINE ILLUSTRATE THAT THE EXCESS POWER PURSUING THE ADJUSTED BELIEVER IS ALL OF GOD.

2. Those who possess inner wealth are led of the Holy Spirit into many pressure situations where they rely on this power to get them through.

3. They do not look to self.

4. Bible doctrine in them is the basis for the power of God to keep them going.

5. Situations Paul found himself in Macedonia were the consequence of applying Bible doctrine to providential leading.

6. These situations were, therefore, sanctification by the application of Bible doctrine and more often than not led him into suffering.

7. The power is Divine intervention to deliver him so he could complete his race.

8. This power which vindicates our doctrine applied, transcends human resources.

9. The purpose for this inner treasure is so that as we face suffering we can look to God and not self.

10. Contrary to all human probability, God brings us through.

11. The inner secret is Bible doctrine which enables us to trust God no matter how bleak the situation appears.

12. How little or how great our human resources are, we are not to look at them, but to God's resources (power).

13. Our vessel is placed under various pressures, but none crush us before our time and so cause the treasure to be stolen.

14. Bible doctrine has to remain there for a time so that it can be converted into SG3.

15. We are at times at the end of our rope, yet we don’t mentally abandon hope. (We don’t view it as a situation that is out of God's hands.)

16. When persecuted by men, we know that we are not abandoned and that the Lord does not let the vessel be taken before its time.

17. We may even suffer physical violence, but it can go no further than God allows.

18. It will never cut short our chance to finish our course.

19. The vessel is in a constant state of deterioration which comes from the death gene under our niche.

20. The dying of Jesus is a reference to His physical sufferings from the cosmos.

21. This dying involves our allotted suffering for righteousness.

22. The suffering that comes to us due to the treasure.

23. Jesus’ sufferings were the result of applying the doctrine of kenosis and enduring the sufferings of an antagonistic cosmos.

24. By taking up your cross daily, you apply Bible doctrine to the niche assigned to you.

25. The history of each vessel differs, but each treasure-laden vessel shares the fellowship of Christ's sufferings.

26. The dying of Jesus is reduplicated in His body, the adjusted church.

27. The history of each adjusted vessel differs, yet each contributes to a corporate suffering (COLOSSIANS 1:24).

28. Acclimation to our niche becomes a portrait of the life of Jesus.

29. We handle each situation as He did or would.

30. When people observe us, they witness the Ph2 treasure of Jesus.

31. Jesus’ life is re-duplicated in every believer who has this treasure.

32. The dying of Jesus is the body’s (vessels) normal and undeserved sufferings in each positive believer (compare 1:5; PHILIPPIANS 3:10;

COLOSSIANS 1:24; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:30 “I die daily.”).

Summary verse 11

1. THE SEED OF THE SERPENT IS CONSTANTLY SEEKING THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SEED OF THE WOMAN.

2. The Angelic Conflict is constantly desiring the death of all believers.

3. But is frustrated by the transcending power.

4. The result of this continual posture of persecution is that Jesus’ life is on display in the lives of positive believers.

5. We come under undeserved suffering and apply Bible doctrine and the life of Christ is a focal to the Angelic Conflict.

6. Satan hates it, seeks our death, but can't do it, tempts us and maligns us when we sin.

7. Martyrdom is permitted only when the believer is so designated and is ready in death to have a greater impact than if he lived longer.

Summary verse 12

1. THIS PRINCIPLE OF THE DEATH SENTENCE (COMPARE 1:9) IS GENERALLY MORE OBVIOUS IN THOSE WHO ARE COMMUNICATORS THAN IN THE CHURCH (COMPARE

COLOSSIANS 1:24).

2. Paul is not denying death in them or life in Paul.

3. His point is (implicit) that as he and company suffer it is for their life or Ph2 adjustment.

4. Paul is not speaking sarcastically here as in 1 Corinthians 4:8ff since they are now positive.

Summary verses 13,14

1. VERSE THIRTEEN AND PSALM 116 TEACH THAT THE BELIEVER WILL NOT DIE BEFORE HIS/HER TIME IF HE IS POSITIVE AND HAS NOT COMPLETED HIS COURSE.

2. The psalmist was in imminent danger of physical death (verse 3) but reversion recovery gave him a new lease on life.

3. Paul faced the death test before his time (on numerous occasions).

4. Both were delivered.

5. The positive adjusted believer will die, but not before his/her time.

6. Blessed in the sight of the Lord are His godly ones.

7. Until that time, all death tests will leave us intact.

8. The ultimate deliverance of the body is the resurrection.

9. Jesus Himself was delivered from an untimely death, but eventually died (although no man took his life) only to be delivered via resurrection.

10. At the rapture, pastor and congregation will stand before the Lord.

11. Having experienced the ultimate deliverance from death.

Summary verse 15

1. “ALL THINGS” REPRESENT THE SUFFERINGS OF THE MINISTRY.

2. These sufferings are necessary for the congregation.

3. If these sufferings were avoided, then the pastors would be avoiding their niche, and believers would suffer spiritually.

4. Colossians 1:24 says, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,” (also compare 2 CORINTHIANS 1:6) as support for his interpretation.

5. When a pastor acclimates to his sufferings it benefits his congregation.

6. The increase or spread of grace to many people is the effect of the adjusted Christian ministry.

7. Paul's ministry has, in spite of opposition, resulted (ina hina) in Ph1 and Ph2 grace being increased by positive volition.

8. This increase in appropriation of grace will culminate in the abounding of thanks in the resurrection body.

9. Thanks for faithful ministers will be to God's glory.

Summary verse 16

1. “THEREFORE” SUMMARIZES THE DOCTRINE OF VERSES 7-15.

2. We willingly and joyfully endure our allotted sufferings on the glory road.

3. We do not enter reactor factors even though our outer man is under entropy.

4. We constantly refresh the inner or new man.

5. The daily emphasis on the new man even at the expense of the outer man is the experience of the adjusting believer.

6. The outer man with the indwelling STA longs for physical comfort and gratification.

7. The real you must overrule the afferent impulses to the brain computer to interfere with the MPR formula.

8. This acclimation to MPR refreshes the inner man.

9. The daily function of GAP renews the inner man.

10. The believer consists of:

a. The outer or old man, via procreation.

b. The soul via creation.

c. The Holy Spirit via regeneration.

d. The indwelling Holy Spirit via the SAJG.

e. The inner or new man via GAP.

11. Refreshment of the new man involves:

a. Positive volition overruling the indwelling STA leading to filling of the Holy Spirit.

b. Daily GAP leading to the MAJG (EPHESIANS 4:15 “we are to grow up in all respects into Him…”.

12. The importance of rebound:

a. The indwelling Holy Spirit isolates or “puts off” the old man.

b. It places the new man under the Holy Spirit as ruler of life.

1) Divine guidance (general)

2) The new man is built up.

13. GAP (reg) keeps us from becoming discouraged as we look to SG3.

we look to sg3

SUMMARY VERSE 17

1. VERSE SEVENTEEN FURTHER EXPOUNDS ON WHY WE ARE NOT DISCOURAGED IN THE FACE OF OUR COMMON HUMAN PROBLEMS.

2. One of the immediate benefits of the daily refreshment is that they are “light”.

3. What makes even the greatest of tests “light” is the doctrine of comfort (compare MATTHEW 11:30).

4. Furthermore, the present testing is seen to be brief and light when compared to the reward.

5. The test may be severe (Job) and for a lifetime, but when compared to SG3 it is both brief and light.

6. “Momentary” goes with “eternal”; “light” goes with “weight” and “affliction” goes with “glory”.

7. The accumulated silver, gold, precious stones and crowns so far outstrips the suffering in Ph2 and what the believer could have acquired by tubing the MPR formula that we lack an adequate frame of reference.

8. You cannot name a comparable human situation where so much was gained for so little.

9. “Far beyond all comparison” means that there is no comparable situation among men where the reward transcends the effort.

Summary verse 18

1. AS WE SUFFER, WE MUST AVOID PURSING THE DETAILS.

2. Paul and company were not pursuing them, but rather the kingdom of God.

3. The verb skope,w (skopeo) with the negative in context says that we don’t pace the details in priority one.

4. Family, marriage, health, job, social life, R and R, home, travel, money, status symbols, are the things we don’t skopeo.

5. Positive types consistently make decisions to pursue Bible doctrine under the MPR formula.

6. To successfully function under the MPR formula, one must:

a. Isolate the STA and its lusts.

b. Be led of the Holy Spirit to find a local church where your gift functions.

c. Where you identify your right pastor-teacher.

d. Where you can learn sound doctrine.

e. You must avoid the Demas syndrome (2 TIMOTHY 4:100.

7. The MPR formula will be challenged.

8. It is the only way to the things which are not seen.

9. We look at the things which are temporal as being that setting our sights on eternal things.

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