
2 Corinthians 4:1-12Â The Voice
Drawing from Exodus 32â34, Paul uses Moses as a model of one who has been transformed by Godâs glory, but in a limited way. Moses encountered God (the Lord) through the Spirit on that mountain, but the Spirit nowâas a fulfillment of the new covenantâdwells in the hearts of believers and continually transforms them. This transformation is based on a new way of understanding Godâs revelation: Jesus Himself, the One who reveals Godâs glory, is the very image of God. Through this Spirit-enabled encounter, believers experience a new way of living and therefore come to resemble the Anointed One as they reflect His glory.
Since we are joined together in this ministry as a result of the mercy shown to all of us by God, we do not become discouraged. Instead, we have renounced all the things that hide in shame; we refuse to live deceptively or use trickery; we do not pollute Godâs Word with any other agenda. Instead, we aim to tell the truth plainly, appealing to the conscience of every person under Godâs watchful eye. Now if our gospel remains veiled, it is only veiled from those who are lost and dying, because the evil god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers. As a result the light of the good news, the radiant glory of the Anointedâwho is the very image of Godâcannot shine down on them. We do not preach about ourselves. The subject of all our sermons is Jesus, the Anointed One. He is Lord and Master of all. For Jesusâ sake we are here to serve you. The God who spoke light into existence, saying, âLet light shine from the darkness,â[a] is the very One who sets our hearts ablaze to shed light on the knowledge of Godâs glory revealed in the face of Jesus, the Anointed One.
But this beautiful treasure is contained in usâcracked pots made of earth and clayâso that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us. We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair. We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed. We always carry around in our bodies the reality of the brutal death and suffering of Jesus. As a result, His resurrection life rises and reveals its wondrous power in our bodies as well. For while we live, we are constantly handed over to death on account of Jesus so that His life may be revealed even in our mortal bodies of flesh. So death is constantly at work in us, but life is working in you.
Jesusâ death is the means to new life for others. Similarly when believers suffer for others as Jesus did, their suffering is an avenue for Godâs life to transform situations.
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