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Spiritual Treasure in Clay Pots
2 Corinthians 4.13 to 5.1
Good News Translation (GNT)
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13 The scripture says, "I spoke because I
believed." In the same spirit of faith we also
speak because we believe.
14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus
to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and
take us, together with you, into his presence.
15 All this is for your sake; and as God's grace
reaches more and more people, they will offer
to the glory of God more prayers of
thanksgiving.
Living by Faith
16 For this reason we never become
discouraged. Even though our physical being
is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is
renewed day after day.
17 And this small and temporary trouble we suffer
will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory,
much greater than the trouble.
18 For we fix our attention, not on things that are
seen, but on things that are unseen.
What can be seen lasts only for a time, but
what cannot be seen lasts forever.
2 Corinthians 5
1 For we know that when this tent we live in -
our body here on earth - is torn down, God will
have a house in heaven for us to live in, a
home he himself has made, which will last
forever.
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Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)
Spiritual Treasure in Clay Pots
2 Corinthians 4.13 to 5.1
Here Paul quotes from Psalm 116:10.
Psalm 116 is a hymn of thanksgiving to God
for deliverance from death.
Even when death is near,
Paul's faith in God remains strong.
Paul always speaks with boldness
no matter what his circumstances.
Paul able to speak with such boldness because
he knows that the one,
who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead,
will also raise us with Jesus.
All Paul's trials and suffering
are for the benefit of the Corinthians.
Paul is a minister of the grace of God,
and that grace has been reaching
more and more people.
This means that there will be more and more
people giving thanks to God.
Although Paul's body outwardly is wasting away -
growing old and tired and weak -
his spirit inwardly is being
renewed daily by the Holy Spirit within him.
Compared with the inheritance stored up for us in heaven,
our suffering and troubles in this world are light and momentary.
Paul is not saying here that we receive eternal glory through,
or because of our sufferings.
Salvation can only be received by grace through faith.
Trouble and persecution will come upon all who follow Jesus.
We must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God.
If we look only at what can be seen,
we will quickly become discouraged.
Look at Paul's outward life.
In the world's eyes, it was completely unsuccessful.
In the beginning Paul was a well known and influential Jew,
but he gave up his position and reputation.
After that, he spent his life enduring
all sorts of suffering and hardship.
All his friends abandoned him.
He had no home or property.
He spent the end of his life in prison,
and was finally put to death because
of his faith in Jesus.
Such is the description of Paul's outward
visible life Let us look at Jesus and remember that
if we share in his suffering,
we shall also share in his glory.
Let us press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called [us]
heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Our Heavenly Dwelling
Here Paul calls our body an earthly tent
that will one day be destroyed by death.
But we know that even if our earthly body is destroyed,
we will receive an a new body,
our resurrection body.
Notice that Paul calls our earthly body a tent.
A tent is not a permanent dwelling.
In this world we men are merely aliens
and strangers.
We are waiting for the time when we shall dwell
in our permanent house,
our eternal house in heaven,
which has been prepared for us.
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