The Epistle of Second Corinthians
Lesson Number 12
TRANSLATION LEGEND: AMPLIFIED = Amplified Bible, ASV=American Standard Version (1901), BBE=Bible in Basic English (1949), DRA=Douay-Rheims (1899), ESV=English Stand Version (2001), IE = International English, ISV = International Standard Version, KJV=King James Version (1611), LIVING = Living Bible, MONTGOMERY =Montgomery’s New Testament, NKJV=New King James Version (1982), NAB=New American Bible, NASB=New American Standard Bible (1977), NAU=New American Standard Bible (1995), NIB=New International Bible, NIV=New International Version (1984), NJB=New Jerusalem Bible, NLT=New Living Translation, NRSV=New Revised Standard Version (1989), RSV=Revised Standard Version (1952), TNK=JPS Tanakj (1985), Webster=The Webster Bible 1833, YLT=Young’s Literal Translation (1862). WEYMOUTH=Weymouth’s New Testament, WILLIAMS = William’s New Testament.
LEXICON LEGEND: FRIEBERG=Friberg Lexicon, UBS=UBS Lexicon, LOUW-NIDA=Louw-Nida Lexicon, LIDDELL SCOTT=Liddell Scott Lexicon, THAYER=Thayer’s Greek Lexcison
ABLE MINISTERS
“ 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.” KJV (2 Cor 3:4-6)
INTRODUCTION
How is it that men and woman of God can be effective in their labors for Christ? What causes genuine success in the Kingdom of the Lord and His Christ? Is it training? Or education? Or natural abilities? What are the objectives of real ministry in the name of Jesus, and how are those objectives realized? Are there certain approaches that are inherently defective and lead to death – regardless of who uses them? What is the secret to genuine spiritual life?
These, and more, are the questions that Paul addresses in this section. His answers will not mesh with the standard approaches of organized religion. They will not contribute to a religious career, or make a person famous among men. Our Father in heaven has no interest in such things. He already has a “Man” that fully pleases Him, and He has invested that Man with “all power in heaven and in earth” (Matt 28:18). He has shown “all things” to Him (John 3:35; 5:20), “given all things into His hands” (John 10:3), has “committed all judgment unto” Him (John 5:22), and “given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (John 5:27).
It is not possible to ignore the Son and, at the same time, be qualified or competent in any aspect of the Kingdom of God. There is no natural ability, or aspect of purely human endeavors, that can compensate for a lack of fellowship with Christ or a lack of personal acquaintance with, or knowledge of, Him. Academic expertise cannot offset a lack of familiarity with Christ Jesus. There is no religious routine than can make up for living at a distance from Him. It is not possible to have a religious affiliation that will counterbalance a fundamental ignorance of Christ Jesus’ person, accomplishments, present ministry, and revealed objectives. No man can be “trained” into a state of acceptance with God, so that God will more readily use him in the fulfilling of His purpose.
A NEW SOURCE OF COMPETENCE
Spiritual competence cannot be achieved by fleshly means. The Lord Jesus died to “deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father” (Gal 1:4). It is the epitome of ignorance to imagine that valuable assets, required for spiritual adequacy, can in any way be complemented by resources found in the realm from which we have delivered. That would be like Israel, after arriving in Canaan, returning to Egypt to obtain plants, grains, and animals with which to promote and enhance their lives in the promised land.
In every aspect of spiritual life, “the heavens do rule.” Our initiation into Christ is accomplished by the Lord. The Holy Spirit convicted and sanctified us (John 16:8-11; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:12). The Father Himself put us into Christ (1 Cor 1:30). Our hearts were opened to respond to the Gospel (Acts 16:14). Repentance was granted unto us (Acts 11:18). It is God who, through the Holy Spirit, “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified” us (1 Cor 6:11). We were placed into Christ’s body precisely where it “pleased Him” (1 Cor 12;18). He is the One who “delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col 1:13).
Grace has abounded toward us “by one Man, Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:15). It is He, and He alone, who “redeemed” us (Gal 3:13), “made us free”(Gal 5:1), “made peace” (Col 1:20), and “reconciled” us to God (Col 1:21). Jesus is the only “Head of the body, the church” (Col 1:18), and it is “of His fulness” that we have all “received” (John 1:16). If we are alive, it is only because Christ “lives in” us (Gal 2:20). Christ is, in every sense of the word, “our life” (Col 3:4). If we have any power, it is “His power” that is working in us (Eph 3:20).
Under such wonderful circumstances, how can any effectiveness in matters pertaining to life and godliness be traced to worldly resources, human wisdom, or natural abilities? The truth of the matter is that Christ is “the last Adam”. having borrowed nothing from him. Whereas Adam was made alive, Christ Jesus makes alive. Thus we read, “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening [life-giving NKJV] spirit” (1 Cor 15:45).
Purely human resources have no role in conforming us to the image of God’s Son (Rom 8:29). They have no part in the critical work of changing us from glory to glory(2 Cor 3:18). They cannot make us “meet” or qualified (Col 1:12), sanctify us (John 17:17), or cause us to be righteous before God (2 Cor 5:21). The well of nature has not merely been stopped up, it has run dry. There is no water in it, and God has no provision to fill it again. He has chosen to begin with a “new covenant” (Heb 12:24) and a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17).
THE NEW ORDER
The Lord has declared “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:9). He began by making a “new covenant,” sealed and ratified with the blood of Christ (Matt 26:38). Having taken away the sins of the world, Jesus is now enthroned in glory, invested with all power in heaven and earth, and is mediating this new covenant (Heb 9:15). In Christ Jesus a new generation is being created – a new people who are born “ not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). Individually they are a “new creature” (2 Cor 5:17). Collectively they are “one new man” (Eph 2:15). They each have a “new heart” an “a new spirit” (Ezek 36:26), which together constitute a “new man” (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10). They are coming to God by “a new and a living way” (Heb 10:20). As they live by faith, they are looking for “a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet 3:13).
True competence is the God-given ability to prepare men for the new heavens and the new earth by living in the “newness of life” (Rom 6:4). It is the ability to so declare the Gospel of Christ as to promote a withdrawal from the condemned realm, and an anticipation of, and preparation for, glory with Christ Jesus.
Everything that grows old will pass away, and therefore is not a suitable object for our affection. Whatever one may think of the natural order, it has, in its totality, been consigned to “the bondage of corruption” (Rom 8:21). While the temporal realm is presently governed by the exalted Christ, and provision for His people carefully and lovingly administered, that is not the domain of our Lord’s primary work. Nature is not the focus of Divine activity. It has already been consigned to death, and nothing can reverse that decree. Those who attempt to anchor the faith of God’s people in the here-and-now, promising them health and wealth, and worldly abundance, are not supported by the Lord. They are declaring an “old covenant” view of things – a view which cannot prepare a person for eternity.
Whatever is ultimately traced to Adam is forthrightly rejected. Only what is traced specifically to Christ Jesus is accepted – and there are no exceptions. Paul will not only declare his competence to minister these things, he will demonstrate it in this very text. He will confirm the folly of a covenant that is rooted in this world. He will show the danger of becoming attached to things that pass away. He will confirm why it is essential to be equipped by God to do the work of God among the people of God.
SUCH TRUST WE HAVE
“ 3:4a And such trust have we.”
Paul now explains how he can speak with such obvious confidence – a requisite for effectively laboring in the Kingdom of God. He lived out the affirmation the Spirit moved him to make concerning those who are in Christ Jesus: they “have no confidence in the flesh” (Phil 3:3). Although Paul had a remarkable Jewish pedigree, yet he refused to base his confidence on such shifting sand. Contemplate again what he said of his past – something that would have given rise to boasting in most anyone else. The world would account of Paul as having a reason to boast. As he himself said, “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more” (Phil 3:4).
☛ Circumcised the eighth day.
☛ Of the stock of Israel.
☛ Of the tribe of Benjamin.
☛ A Hebrew of the Hebrews.
☛ Concerning the Law, a Pharisee.
☛ Concerning zeal, persecuting the church.
☛ Touching the righteousness of the Law, blameless.
☛ Of the seed of Abraham (2 Cor 11:22).
☛ He profited in the Jew’s religious above his peers (Gal 1:14a).
☛ He was more zealous for the traditions of his fathers (Gal 1:14b).
☛ Brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, distinguished teacher of the Law (Acts 22:3a).
☛ Taught according to the perfect manner of the Law (Acts 22:3b).
☛ Was zealous toward God (Acts 22:3c).
☛ Was a member of the strictest sect of the Jew’s religion (Acts 26:5a).
☛ Lived as a Pharisee (Acts 26:5b).
☛ God separated him from his mother’s womb (Gal 1:15).
☛ Jesus appeared to Him after He had been enthroned in glory (Acts 9:17).
☛ Jesus personally commissioned him (Acts 26:15-18).
☛ Jesus personally taught Him after He had ascended back into heaven (Gal 1:12,16; Eph 3:1-6; 1 Cor 11:23-29).
☛ Jesus personally put him into the ministry (1 Tim 1:12).
☛ Jesus considered him to be a faithful man (1 Tim 1:12).
☛ He was more of a minister of Christ than others (2 Cor 11:23).
☛ Her labored more abundantly than others (2 Cor 11:23; 1 Cor 15:10).
☛ He experienced more extensive sufferings for Christ (2 Cor 11:23b-28).
☛ He received an abundance of revelations (2 Cor 12:1,7).
☛ He was caught up into paradise (2 Cor 12:4).
☛ He wrought the signs of an Apostle (2 Cor 12:12).
If it was possible for anyone to have a legitimate confidence in the flesh, Paul would have been the man. He had a proper birth among a proper people who had the proper religion. He excelled in a revealed religion, both in understanding and in participation. He was a member of the most disciplined section of a God-chosen people. He received more. He did more. He suffered more. He experienced more. He saw and knew more. Surely, if anyone could have “confidence” in himself, this is the one who could do it!
How do you suppose the religious achievers of our day would appear if they stood next to Paul before the Lord? How would a degree, or two, or three, appear then? How would an accomplished orator appear? Or a person who had organized a large and successful religious institution? How would someone with expertise in the Greek or Hebrew language appear? Or someone who was an expert in church history?
It is not that any of these things are wrong, and God forbid that anyone should think so. The point is that none of them truly distinguish a person before God. Confidence cannot be placed in them, for they are not what makes a person competent in Kingdom labors. This is the point that Paul is making, and we do well to take hold of it.
A system of religion that teaches its constituents to rely upon natural abilities and advantages, or human accomplishments, is flawed to the core. The truth of the matter is that, of himself, man can do nothing that can gender legitimate self-confidence. Nor, indeed, can true qualification to labor in the kingdom of Christ be achieved in such a manner.
SUCH TRUST
“And such trust . . . ” Other versions read, “we have such trust,” NKJV “such confidence,” NASB ““such is the confidence,” NRSV “this is the certain faith,” BBE “Such is the reliance and confidence,” AMPLIFIED and “only because of our great trust.” LIVING
“Such”
The word “such” is translated from a word meaning, “such as this,” LIDDELL-SCOTT “of this kind or sort,” THAYER and “like that.” LOUW-NIDA
The statement to which this word refers the previous statements:
☛ THEY WERE THE RESULT OF THE APOSTLE’S WORK. “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts.” verse 2a
☛ THEY WERE IN THE HEART AND CONSCIENCE OF THE APOSTLE. “Ye are . . . written in our hearts.” verse 2a
☛ THEY WERE LIKE A MESSAGE THAT COULD, IN SOME WAY, BE DECIPHERED BY MEN. “Ye are our epistle . . . known and read of all men.” verse 2b
☛ JESUS PRODUCED THEM THROUGH THE APOSTLE’S MESSAGE. “Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us.” verse 3a
☛ THEY WERE THE PRODUCT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. “Written . . . with the Spirit of the living God.” verse 3b
☛ THEIR CHARACTER HAD BEEN CHANGED. “Written . . . in fleshly tables of the heart.” verse 3c
Ordinarily, these are all matters on which men tend to speculate. They do not tend to be areas of strong confidence. Men might conjecture that they really had nothing to do with the transformation of the people. They might hesitate to confess there was an intimacy between the people and themselves. There would be an inclination to say it was not possible for them to be perceived by others. Men might express a hope that they were the product of Jesus’ own work. It might be conceded that the ideal situation would be that they were the product of the Spirit’s own work, and that their character had really been changed.
But this is not how Paul speaks. He speaks with a certitude that is almost staggering. There is not the slightest tone of doubt in his words. In fact, they even have a ring of authority in them. It is as though he leaves the Corinthians with no alternative but to accept what he has said as the total truth.
How is it possible for a mortal to speak with such certainty? That is what Paul is going to explain in this passage.
“Trust”
The word “trust” is translated from a word meaning “trust, confidence, reliance,” THAYER “to believe in something or someone to the extent of placing reliance or trust in or on - ‘to rely on, trust in, to depend on, confidence, trust,” LOUW-NIDA and “trust, confidence, boldness.” LIDDELL-SCOTT
The previous words were actually an expression of trust or godly confidence. They were not a surface assessment, or the expression of a fervent desire – as though he said, “I certainly do hope this is true of you.”
The precise word that is here translated “trust,” is used only one other time in Scripture. This word is also translated “confidence,” KJV “faith,” BBE “trust,” DARBY and “rely.” NJB “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more” (Phil 3:4). Other forms and tenses of the word appear in the following verses. I have underscored the translation of those various forms.
☛ “And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit” (2 Cor 1:15).
☛ “And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you” (2 Cor 8:22).
☛ “But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh” (2 Cor 10:2).
☛ “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him” (Eph 3:12).
The “trust” of which he speaks is the aspect of faith that emphasizes reliance on or confidence in. We will find that this trust is toward God through Christ. That assumes familiarity with the one trusted.
HAVE WE
“ . . . have we . . . ” Other versions read, “we have,” NKJV “ is ours,” NASB and “We dare to say these good things about ourselves.” LIVING
What follows is an expression of what Paul himself possessed. It was not a statement of a creedal position he had embraced. It was not a statement of how things ought to be. It was not the iteration of a goal toward he strived.
His words have been motivated by “the spirit of faith.” Later he will confess, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” (2 Cor 4:13). That “spirit of faith” not only moved him to declare the Gospel of Christ, but to correctly assess those who had embraced that Gospel as well.
His faith had given him to see the real situation – the reality of God, Christ, his personal labors, and those who were in Christ. He was thus enabled to make proper assessments without boasting or taking glory to himself. Faith comes with remarkable peripheral vision!
THROUGH CHRIST TO GOD-WARD “ 3:4a . . . through Christ to God-ward . . . ”
In a sense “trust” is not simplistic. There is a technical aspect to it as well as a practical one. Here we will see how trust bears upon our assessment of the very people to whom we have ministered. As we trace this matter, it will become evident that it represents an area in which most of us can make some decided improvement.
There comes a point where we must trust in God that the results of our work are genuine, and that the people will do what is right.
☛ “And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you” (2 Thess 3:4).
☛ “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” (Rom 15:14).
☛ “I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be” (Gal 5:10).
☛ “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6).
☛ “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also” (2 Tim 1:5).
☛ “Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say” (Phile 1:21).
In all of these instances, it is evident that confidence was not in the people themselves. The confidence, or trust, was in the Lord, that He would do the work. Now Paul elaborates on this, teaching us to think precisely on this matter of trust or confidence.
THROUGH CHRIST
“ . . . through Christ.” Other versions read, “through the Christ.” DARBY/YLT
Whether we are speaking of benefits received from God, or effective associations with God, the solitary means of appropriating that association is “through Christ.” It is essential that this be perceived and embraced. It is precisely true, as Jesus said, “no man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). This is not as mere formality. The Lord Jesus must Himself be active in our association with God – in this case, in the “trust.” We can neither come to Him or receive from Him independently of our faith in and fellowship with His Son.
Jesus is not like a secret password that opens the door to the Throne room. Rather, there is a very real connection with Him that is forged in the new birth. We “joined to Him” (1 Cor 6:17) in His death (Rom 6:8), burial (Rom 6:4), resurrection (Col 2:12), and life (Gal 2:20). This joining is so precise and living that believers are said to be “of His flesh and of His bones” (Eph 5:30), paralleling the relationship of Adam to Eve (Gen 2:21-23). That is, this is not an association by mere profession, or by identity with a religious organization.
Paul Transfers the Glory to God
In this passage, Paul is transferring the glory of his labors to God. He is doing so in a spiritually intelligent manner, through which we are instructed more perfectly in the manner of “the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph 5:5).
The assessment of his own work, and the state of the Corinthians in Christ Jesus, is based upon his faith in God, not in the work that he has accomplished, or his own natural abilities. His efforts were not the result of learning a technique from a Jerusalem workshop, but of trusting in the living God through Christ Jesus.
However close we may be to God, Jesus remains between us and Him – the “one Mediator between God and man” (1 Tim 2:5). God speaks to us “by His Son” (Heb 1:2), and our associations with Him are through the Son. This even involves having confidence that our assessments are correct – which is a most remarkable circumstance. Admittedly, this has a strange sound within the context of contemporary Christianity. Nevertheless, this is the way in which Paul is speaking.
Christ Living Within
This circumstance postulates that Christ is living within. As it is written, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Later Paul will acknowledge that “the life of Jesus” is being made manifest in his own “body” (2 Cor 4:10). He will also declare his own teaching to be “Christ speaking in me” (2 Cor 13:3).
Christ living within is not a mere platitude – a dull and lifeless saying. The Spirit says of the body of Christ, Christ is “IN all” (Col 3:11). He also reasons, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Rom 8:10). Further, this indwelling involves certain advancement, in which we are become more precisely like Jesus. Thus Paul wrote, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Gal 4:19).
The point here is that Paul’s “trust” is flowing out of this reality – that Jesus has taken up residence in Him, and is manifesting Himself to him (John 14:21). He is also being so “conformed” to Christ’s image that he is able to speak with a confidence that transcends any ability of the flesh or nature.
Faithfulness in Ministry
The “trust,” or confidence, of which Paul speaks also presumes his faithfulness to the commission given to him by Jesus. The Lord summarized that commission in these words, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18). Faithfulness to that charge was the soil out of which Paul’s “trust” grew. His was a living trust from a living faith.
Newness of life has certain traits that cannot be emulated or fabricated by the wisdom of man. One of them is this: Faithfulness to God produces a strong confidence that empowers the individual to fulfill his ministry. No person can labor confidently who is slothful and disloyal in the work the Lord has given to him. Such servants are forced to rely upon the wisdom of men because they do not possess “the full assurance of understanding” (Col 2:2).
In this way, the work of the Lord is protected. There is a kind of fence around valid kingdom labors, so that imposters cannot enter the sacred citadel of working together with God. Those who do not live with the Lord are really not able to work for or with Him. Those who have stifled the life of Christ within, will not be able to labor in the harvest fields of the Lord.
Thus we see that having “trust through Christ” is a most essential aspect of effective ministry. Paul is not confessing to an extraordinary situation, but is acknowledging his participation in the manner of Christ’s kingdom.
Stated in yet another way, it is not possible for confidence, qualification, or competence to be realized apart from personal identity and fellowship with Jesus Christ. This also is the manner of the Kingdom, and it is not possible for any degree of real success to be realized apart from that association.
GOD-WARD
“ . . . to God-ward . . . ” Other versions read, “toward God,” NKJV “before God,” NIV “in God,” BBE “to God,” GENEVA “facing God.” NJB and “in the presence of God.” WEYMOUTH
The term “God-ward” is translated from a three-word Greek expression: pro.j to.n qeo,n. Literally translated it read, “towards, or with regard to, the God.” The Greek word pro.j is a preposition “denoting direction toward a thing, or position and state looking toward a thing.” THAYER Other lexical meanings are, “looking toward the end point . . . up to the point of, ending up in,” FRIBERG “toward . . . Pertaining to, with reference to,” UBS and “extension toward a goal, with the probability of some type of implied interaction or reciprocity.” LOUW-NIDA
“Trust,” like its mother “Faith,” faces toward God, rests in Him, looks to Him, and anticipates from Him. Faith, together with all of its subsidiary components, focuses upon “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:3). It is fundamentally “God-ward.” If our religion does not bring us to have faith in God, and to the point where our “trust” is toward Him, it has totally missed the mark! There is no point to a relinio in which men are not “with God.” This is made clear in Apostolic doctrine.
☛ Glory is given “to God” (Rom 4:20).
☛ We were reconciled “to God” (Rom 5:10).
☛ In Christ we “live unto God” (Rom 6:10).
☛ Salvation makes us “alive unto God” (Rom 6:11).
☛ In Christ we are summoned to yield ourselves “unto God” (Rom 6:13).
☛ We have become “servants unto God” (Rom 6:22).
☛ The objective for becoming “dead to the law by the body of Christ,” is that we might “bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom 7:4).
☛ Believers are a “sweet savor of Christ unto God” (2 Cor 3:4).
☛ The saved have turned “unto God” to serve Him (1 Thess 1:9).
☛ In Christ, and by means of the New Covenant, “we draw nigh unto God” (Heb 7:19).
☛ We “come unto God” through Jesus Christ (Heb 7:25).
☛ One of the fundamental facets of faith is coming to Him (Heb 11:6).
☛ Our spiritual sacrifices are made “acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:5).
☛ Jesus “suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18).
The fundamental thrust of the entire salvational enterprise is toward God. That is what the Lord Jesus is all about – bringing fallen man back to God. His death, resurrection, present life, and coming again have to do with bringing us to God. In the end, after all enemies have been openly and apparently placed under His feet, and the sons are safely gathered into the presence of the Lord, “then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (1 Cor 15:28). It is all about God!
Believing through Jesus
There is a poignant statement made concerning our belief in God that ought to be noted. Peter makes this statement in the midst of a marvelous declaration of our redemption. He affirms that we have been “redeemed” from the “futile way of life” NASB inherited from our fathers. That redemption was accomplished “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet 1:18-9). Tracing our salvation back to the council chambers of heaven itself, Peter adds: “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Pet 1:20).
The Apostle then makes this arresting statement concerning the ones who are redeemed: “Who BY HIM do believe in God” (1 Pet 1:21). Other versions read, “who through Him believe in God,” NKJV “through Him are believers in God,” NASB “Through Him you believe in God,” NIV “Through Him you have come to trust in God,” NRSV “Through Him you have confidence in God,” RSV “through Him have faith in God,” BBE “Through Christ you have come to trust in God,” NLT and “Through Him you believe in (adhere to, rely on) God.” AMPLIFIED
In the strictest sense of the word, believing on God and trusting in Him, are not the result of human reasoning. It is not that we have been presented with the facts, thought upon them, and concluded that it is reasonable to trust in, or depend upon, the Lord. Faith involves our cognition, or mental processes – but it is not the result of those powers of reason! Faith is not the result of intellectual activity. It is not based upon empirical knowledge, or things that can be observed through the natural senses. Faith cannot be produced by studying the orderliness of nature, or by pondering some archeological find. It is not based upon ontological evidence – things that exist within the realm of nature. It cannot be brought into existence by some teleological argument that points to the precision and orderliness of nature. Such approaches to convincing men there is a God may appear excellent to the scholar, but they are all miserable proofs to the angelic hosts, as well as those who have been brought into their fellowship through Christ Jesus.
Men believe in God “through Christ.” They come to trust in God “by Him.” That is the clear affirmation of Scripture. Jesus said that believing “on” God followed hearing His Word – that is, hearing it with as discerning ear, an ear that God alone can give (John 5:24; Deut 29:3; Prov 20:12). Believing “on” God necessarily follows believing on Christ. As Jesus said, “He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me” (John 12:44). Any approach to God, whether initial faith or drawing nigh unto Him as one who has been “made accepted in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6), is by means of Jesus Christ. In the most precise sense and extent of the word, we “come unto God BY Him” (Heb 7:25). In the words of our text, “such trust have we through Christ to God-ward.”
Why Say These Things?
Is it really necessary to say such things – to spend time establishing the Source of our faith, the cause of our trust, and the direction and focus of believing? Indeed it is! This truth has been greatly obscured by the Christian academic community. With its emphasis on logic, the original language, proofs external to Scripture, “higher reasoning,” and the likes, it has diverted the attention from Jesus Christ – the sole means of gaining access to God. By accenting man, the findings of man, and the reasoning of man, Jesus has been shoved into the background. In His place, an army of psychiatrists and counselors have surfaced to usurp leadership in His church. The result is that faith can hardly be perceived in the average Christian congregation. The kind of trust that is declared in our text is strange to the modern church – and there is a reason for the condition. Faith can neither come into being nor be sustained independently of personal identity with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Trust Is Fundamentally God-ward
Our text affirms that “trust” is fundamentally “God-ward.” It is not self-ward – that is, it is not being self-confident. It is not church-ward. This kind of “trust” has nothing whatsoever to do with, what is called, “the power of positive thinking.” It is not the result of respecting yourself or having a good self-image. Like all human efforts, these are “cisterns” hewed out by men – “broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer 2:13). They are like “a bag with holes” that cannot keep what is put in them (Hag 1:6). These cannot generate the confidence to which this text refers.
By saying his trust is “God-ward,” Paul has expressed a facet of knowing whom he had believed, and being “persuaded that He is able to keep that which” he had “committed unto Him until that day” NKJV (2 Tim 1:2). In so doing, he has actually articulated the very nature of true spiritual life. Life – true life – is the result of being in fellowship with the Source of life. Wherever that fellowship is found, spirituality and life are present.
NOT SUFFICIENT OF OURSELVES
“ 5a Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves . . . ”
Because of the strong tendency of flesh to trust in self, Paul elaborates on this subject. Although “the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63), the “natural man” is unwilling to accept that circumstance. Even though “a good man shall be satisfied from himself” (Prov 14:14), what is within him did not have its origin in self or in nature. It is only as we believe that effective resources are deposited within us that they become effective. Jesus made two statements that especially confirm the truth of this observation. To the Samaritan woman who came in contact with Him at Jacob’s well Jesus said, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). The source of the flow of life is “the water” that Jesus gives, which comes in the container of His Word. Again, Jesus traced this life back to the Holy Spirit, whom He would give. “He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). John goes on to say that Jesus said this word in reference to “the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39).
Whether, therefore, we are speaking of the refreshment and satisfaction realized by the believer, or the effectiveness of their labors, the source does not come from themselves, but from a gift that has been given to them by Christ Jesus. That is the point that is being made by this text, and it is a critical one.
NOT THAT WE ARE SUFFICIENT OF OURSELVES
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves . . . ” Other versions read, “not that we are adequate in ourselves,” NASB “not that we are competent in ourselves,” NIV “not that we are competent of ourselves,” NRSV “not as if we were able of ourselves,” BBE “not that of ourselves we are qualified,” NAB “It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value,” NLT “Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments.” AMPLIFIED
The word “sufficient” has a large meaning. It is translated from the Greek word i`kanoi, (hik-an-os), which means “sufficient . . . having enough, or large enough, fit, worthy or able for something,” THAYER “sufficient, enough, adequate, qualified, competent,” FRIEBERG “with sufficient power to, a match for, and equivalent to.” L,IDDELL-SCOTT
In the work of the Lord, qualification, or competence, is essential. The laborer must be “able to finish” the work he has been given to do (Lk 14:29-30). He must be equal to the task that is assigned to him.
This is involved in the distribution of “a measure of faith,” as taught in Romans 12:3: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Rom 12:3). This does not mean, as some erroneously teach, that every mortal has received faith, and that it only has to be aerated within by acting upon it.
The Spirit is speaking about the body of Christ, not the mass of humanity. A “measure of faith” refers to the aptitude to fulfill the ministry to which one has been assigned. The verses that follow make this clear: “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness” (Rom 12:4-8). Peter uses the same form of reasoning, referring to “the ability” that is given by God. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Pet 4:11).
In Christ there is no such things as a ministry for which the minister is not made capable. There is not a stewardship for which the steward is not made sufficient! The Divine placement program (1 Cor 12:18) makes no provision for a worker without competence. When God puts the various members in the body as it has pleased Him, He always provides the abilities required to function acceptably in the role in which the members are placed.
Spiritual Babylon has inducted an era of incompetence. That is why there is such an accent on “how-to” methodologies. The amount of time that is devoted to supposedly producing effectiveness is staggering. Sometimes it appears to be the major activity within the professed church. All such activity is nothing more than a profession of incompetence, or insufficiency.
Let it be clear, there are certainly areas in which the children of God sense they possess no genuine competence – and honest people are keenly aware of these areas. If, in fact, it is proper for us to be sufficient in these areas, that sufficiency must come from God. That is the point that must register upon our conscience.
Now Paul speaks of his own “sufficiency.” He has assessed the Corinthians, and his own labors as well. How was he able to do this? Was he merely prattling on in the energy of the flesh? Were these self-assessments that were birthed out of a sort of self-diagnosis? Had he taken a kind of self-assessment test that had caused him to speak confidently? He will dogmatically affirm this is not the case.
TO THINK ANYTHING AS OF OURSELVES
“ . . . to think any thing as of ourselves . . . ” Other versions read, “to think of anything as being from ourselves,” NKJV “to consider anything as coming from ourselves,” NASB “to claim anything for ourselves,” NIV “to claim anything as coming from us,” NRSV “to account anything as from ourselves,” ASV “to do anything for which we might take credit,” BBE “claim any credit for ourselves,” NJB “do anything of lasting value by ourselves,” NLT and “or to claim or count anything as coming from us.” AMPLIFIED
Paul is affirming that he possesses no natural ability to form the judgments that he has given – whether of himself, or of the Corinthians. Paul knew what Jesus had affirmed to the other Apostles on the night of His betrayal: “without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Our ultimate example, the Savior Himself, frequently spoke of His own words and work as not coming from Himself. His affirmations are carefully and insightfully crafted.
☛ “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do” (John 5:19).
☛ Jesus confessed, “I can of Mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30).
☛ And again, “I do nothing of Myself” (John 8:28).
☛ And again, “I have not spoken of Myself,” or “on My own authority” NKJV (John 12:49).
☛ And again, “the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself,” or “on My own initiative” NASB (John 14:10).
Who is the fool who will dare to say the well of nature is sufficient for him? The Apostle is affirming that he was not capable of himself to have comprehended the marvelous things that had been revealed to him. He had no natural ability to effectively communicate the truth of the Gospel, being a “wise master builder” (1 Cor 3:10). He had no fleshly ability to convert sinners or build up saints. As a man, he was not capable of forming proper judgments concerning himself or those to whom he faithfully ministered.
Jesus affirmed he could not DO anything of Himself (John 5:19). He said He could not SPEAK of Himself (John 14:10). Now Paul says he is not able to THINK of anything as coming our of himself. That is, his faith had impacted the way that he thought! He was experiencing what David had fervently sought: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psa 19:14). Paul was not merely abasing himself, but had seen things as they actually were. He really had nothing – even godly thoughts – that he had not “received.” As he wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians, “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Cor 4:7). These were not mere words, but were his very real perception.
We have in this text a confirmation of something the Lord Jesus declared: “the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63). It is the condition to which Paul referred when he wrote, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not” (Rom 7:18). There is no spiritual aptitude in the flesh – not so much as a single weightless mote. The flesh, however much it is trained and disciplined, can rise no higher than the condemned order. Thus Paul confessed, “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Rom 7:25). The expression “I myself” refers to the regenerated part – “the new man” (Col 3:10). That is the part that has been made competent, or sufficient. Furthermore, it is the only part of us in which competence can be found.
OUR SUFFICIENCY IS OF GOD
“ 5b . . . but our sufficiency is of God . . . ”
The fact that nature has no Kingdom sufficiency by no means suggests the child of God is wholly inadequate. It is not the presence of sufficiency that is the issue, but the source of it. There is not a single aspect of spiritual adequacy that comes from the flesh or nature – either our own, or from our peers. However, there is a very real sufficiency that is possessed by those who are in Christ Jesus. Paul now elaborates on that sufficiency.
OUR SUFFICIENCY
“ . . . but our comes from God,” NAB “our only power and success comes from God,” NLT “our ability comes from God,” IE “our credentials,” ISV and “our power and ability and sufficiency.” AMPLIFIED
“Sufficiency” is like a multifaceted jewel: it has many sides. There is competence that qualifies one to do the work, and ability to complete that work. There is an equivalency to address the challenges of that work, and an adequacy to endure throughout those challenges. Sufficiency involves being qualified in God’s sight to do the work that He Himself has ordained.
Of course, it is one thing to have the ability – it is quite another to confidently recognize it. This text fairly exudes with Pauline confidence. It is to be acknowledged that such assurance is highly offensive to the flesh – particularly religious flesh. That is one reason why some of the Corinthians doubted the validity of Paul’s apostleship and message. Such people were “carnal” (1 Cor 3:1-4), and therefore balked at Paul’s person and message.
However, Paul possessed the confidence that comes from faith: “the full assurance of faith” (Heb 10:22). Speaking for himself and Timothy he refers to “OUR sufficiency.” Thus, they not only possessed the sufficiency of reference, but knew they did. This is not an uncommon manner of speaking for men of faith. For example, some of David’s confessions of adequacy are as follows:
☛ “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever” (Psa 52:8).
☛ “Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand” (Psa 73:23).
☛ “Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee” (Psa 86:2).
☛ “O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds” (Psa 116:16).
☛ “For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me” (Psa 31:3).
The sufficiency of which Paul speaks is the ability to so reason as to produce confidence. These are actually powers of reason – reason that leads a person to proper conclusions. These are valid conclusions that conform to the truth. They are judgments based upon the truth of God that lead to confidence and boldness. It is that confidence that makes the servant of God adequate for the work to which he has been called.
IS OF GOD
“ . . . is of God . . . ” Other versions read, “is from God,” NASB “comes from God,” NIV “are from God.” AMPLIFIED
Adequacy, or sufficiency, does not come from self, or from the reservoir of nature. It is rather a gift, or endowment, from God Himself. It is not the result of training, culture, worldly wisdom, or personal discipline.
Earlier, when delineating the reality of being “unto God a sweet savor of Christ” in both those who are being saved, and those who are perishing, Paul said, “And who is sufficient for these things?” That is, from a human point of view, how is it possible to be adequate for such an arresting responsibility? It should be evident that no natural aptitude can qualify a person for God-ordained and commissioned works. Yet, Paul affirms he is, in fact, sufficient, adequate, and fully able to confidently fulfill his calling.
That “sufficiency” came to him “from God.” That is, Paul’s intellect, sanctified and illuminated by the Spirit of God, enabled him to think and reason in a godly manner. This is precisely why Jesus forbade His disciples to go into all the world preaching the Gospel until they were “endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). They were to “wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4), which would make them adequate for the commission given to them. Acceptable fruitage in either thought or deed is not possible until “the Spirit be poured upon us from on high” (Isa 32:15).
THE EXTENT OF MINISTRY
We catch a glimpse in this text of the extent of valid ministries. Nor only are preaching and teaching required, there is also the necessity of correct thinking, proper assessments, and godly judgments. This is involved in being “sufficient” for the work given to us by the Lord. In the kingdom of God, a work that does not require thought is an absurdity. In Christ, there is no such thing. Rather, it is imperative that our thoughts produce sound conclusions – conclusions that will stand up in the heavenly court. That is one reason we are admonished, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil 4:8). It is why Paul admonished Timothy, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Tim 4:15).
Having spent more than half a century in Kingdom labors, I can tell you that it is exceedingly rare to find a religious leader that is strong in spiritual thought.
The individual who cannot arrive at proper conclusions or make valid assessments is not sufficient. Such a person must obtain an adequacy from God that permits a confident ministry. There is every reason to be optimistic about being given such sufficiency. The very fact that such competency is required is of itself proof that it will be supplied. In the heavenly Kingdom there is nothing required that is not supplied.
MADE ABLE MINISTERS
“ 6a Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament.”
The importance of this line of reasoning is seen in extended manner in which it is addressed. It underscores the importance of kingdom competence. Knowing the nature of salvation, it ought to be obvious that no place has been provided for ministers who have no sufficiency, and therefore have no confidence.
WHO ALSO HATH MADE US
“Who also hath made us . . . ” Other versions read, “He has made us,” NIV “who has indeed qualified us,” NAB “who has given us,” NJB “He is the one who enabled us.” NLT “He is the one who has helped us,” LIVING and “[It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient].” AMPLIFIED
The word “made” comes from the Greek word i`ka,nwsen, which means “to make sufficient, render fit.” THAYER Other lexical definitions are, “make sufficient, qualify. Make adequate or competent for,” FRIBERG and “to cause someone or something to be adequate . . . to cause to be qualified.” LOUW-NIDA It is the same word used in Colossians 1:12: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col 1:12). It refers to something that can only be achieved by the Lord.
The Spirit now elaborates on the “God” from whom sufficiency is derived. It is important to note that the support of the “new creation,” as well as its beginning, is the result of God’s own work. There is no point in the salvation of God where the work is handed over to the ones who are being saved. Even though they extend themselves, working out their “own salvation with fear and trembling,” yet they do it knowing that it is God Himself who works in them “both to will and to do of His own good pleasure” (Phil 2:13).
The saved did not give themselves “newness of life” (Rom 6:4). They did not deliver themselves “from the power of darkness,” or translate themselves “into the kingdom of” God’s “dear Son” (Col 1:13). They did not become “dead to the law” through their own efforts (Rom 7:4). Nor, indeed, did they raise themselves up to “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6).
Therefore, it ought to surprise no one that the Lord authors Divine aptitude in His servants. That is, He is the one who causes their labors to be productive. This is involved in all increase coming from God. Men may plant and water the seed , but their efforts produce results only because of the Lord. As it is written, “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor 3:7).
ABLE MINISTERS
“Who also hath made us able ministers . . . ” Other versions read, “sufficient ministers,” NKJV “adequate as servants,” NASB “competent as ministers,” NIV “competent to be ministers,” NRSV “sufficient as ministers,” ASV “able to be his servants,” BBE “fit ministers,” DARBY “as ministers,” NAB “the competence to be ministers,” NJB “to represent,” NLT “to tell others,” LIVING “competent to serve Him,” WEYMOUTH and “as ministers and dispensers.” AMPLIFIED
“Able ministers” are ones who, as servants of God, dispense things with which the Lord is committed to work. For example, God has already written off the wisdom of this world, counting it to be foolishness. As it is written, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor 3:19). The Lord does not employ the world’s wisdom to accomplish His purpose. He does not use it to make His servants sufficient or able. Men may boast that God employs these means, but they have not spoken the truth when saying such things. No man is actually a better minister because of something given to him by other men. “Able ministers” are the result of Lord’s work, not man’s work: “God” has made men “able ministers!”
“Ministers” are those serving the interests of another – in this case, the Lord of glory. Concerning their effectiveness, and as used in this text, these are “ministers by whom ye believed” (1 Cor 3:5). If we consider the one whose interests they are serving, they are “ministers of Christ” (1 Cor 4:1) and “ministers of God” (2 Cor 6:4).
Concerning the agenda by which these ministers function, it is not the schedule of an institution. They are not the “servants of men.” They have been purchased, called, commissioned, and endowed by the Lord. Those who have been called into Divine employment are admonished, “be not ye the servants of men” (1 Cor 7:23). An “able minister” is, as Jesus said, “instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven” NKJV (Matt 13:52). They minister in strict accord with “the ability which God giveth” (1 Pet 4:11). These minister “according to the grace of God” that has been given to them (1 Cor 3:10). Their effectiveness is not the result of being self-taught or man-taught, but of being God-taught! They have been “made” able.
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
“ . . . of the new testament . . . ” Other versions read, “of the new covenant,” NASB/NIV/NRSV “His new agreement,” LIVING “a new agreement,” IE and “a new covenant [of salvation through Christ].” AMPLIFIED
Now we come to grips with the focus of real Kingdom ministry. Some of us have heard about “new testament Christians,” “new testament churches,” and “new testament commandments.” But what do we have to say about someone who is a “minister of the new testament?” Note, he does not say “new testament ministers,” but “ministers of the new testament.” That is, the thing they are ministering, or serving up to the people, is “the new testament” itself.
The Amplified Bible reads, “[It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ] . . . ” Jesus referred to His blood as “the blood of the New Testament” (Matt 26:28). He is presently “the Mediator of the New Testament” (Heb 9:15). Now Paul affirms they have joined in this grand work, being “made able ministers of the New Testament.”
The New Testament
Among the standard translations, only the King James and New King James versions use the word “testament.” The others use the word “covenant.”
The Greek word from which “testament” is translated is diaqh,khj (dea-thaa-kaas). The lexical meaning of the word is as follows: “a disposition, arrangement . . . a testament . . . a compact, covenant,” THAYER “a declaration of the will of God concerning His self-commitment, promises, and conditions by which He entered into relationship with man,” FRIBERG “covenant, will, testament,” UBS “to kake a solemn agreement involving reciprocal benefits and responsibilities,” LOUWS-NIDA and “an arrangement between two parties, covenant.” LIDDELL-SCOTT As used in Scripture, the word denotes a Divine commitment or promise. It also involves an agreement between two parties – an agreement that is initiated by God Himself.
God’s Covenant with Noah
The first mention of a God-initiated covenant is found in Genesis. God made the covenant with Noah. “But with thee will I establish My covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee” (Gen 6:18). This covenant was spelled out to Noah following the flood. Again the Lord stated, “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen 9:9-11).
The Lord also established a “token,” or “sign” NKJV of the covenant that there would never again be a flood that would “destroy the earth.” “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh” (Gen 9:15).
It is important to note the characteristics of this covenant, for it will assist us in comprehending the nature of the covenant, or testament, mentioned in our text.
☛ The covenant was made BEFORE the destroying flood.
☛ It was initiated by God Himself.
☛ It was unilateral – that is, it was one sided. God alone was the responsible party.
☛ There were no conditions that could void the covenant.
☛ God established a sign of the covenant that brought confidence the informed of the earth – a sign that would provoke God Himself to remember what He had promised.
Whatever we may think about a God-made covenant, here is one that is worthy of our consideration. It is an example of the kind of covenant God can make – a covenant between Him and a person that depends solely upon Him. The promise to never again destroy the world with a flood was not contingent upon the conduct or response of men. It was a Divine commitment – a promise that could not be voided and made ineffectual. Also, it was not a promise to never again destroy the world. Rather, it was a promise to never again destroy it with a flood. The present world is now reserved “unto fire” – that is, it will be destroyed by fire (2 Pet 3:7). That too is a covenant that cannot be voided.
God’s Covenants with Abraham
A Covenant of the Land
The next time we read of God making a covenant, it was made with “Abram,” whose name was later changed to “Abraham” (Gen 17:5). God covenanted to give the land of Canaan to the seed, or progeny, of Abram. “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites” (Gen 15:18-21). Once again, this took the nature of a promise. It also was a unilateral covenant that was not attached to conditions. The promise was not contingent upon Abraham’s works, or those of his “seed.” Later in Scriptural history we find that some of Abraham’s seed were, indeed, purged from the land. However, the promise itself was never abrogated. Once again, we see the kind of covenant God is capable of making.
The Covenant of Multiplication
The covenant made concerning Abraham’s seed, through whom the world would be blessed, is of particular relevance in our review of this text. The details of that covenant are given in the seventeenth chapter of Genesis. They are expounded by David in the 105th Psalm, and affirmed by Paul in the third chapter of Galatians. Some of the details are provided below.
Genesis 17
☛ God would multiply Abraham “exceedingly” (17:2).
☛ Abraham would be a “father of many nations” (17:4).
☛ His name would be changed from “Abram” to “Abraham,” which means “the father of a multitude” (17:5).
☛ Abraham would be fruitful, and nations and kings would come from him (17:6).
☛ A covenant was made with Abraham and his seed – an “everlasting covenant” – in which God promised to by a God to Abraham and his seed (17:7).
☛ All the land of Canaan would be given to Abraham and his seed, and God would be their God (17:8).
☛ God commanded the covenant of circumcision, which was a “token of the covenant” He had made (17:9-14).
☛ The name of Abraham’s wife was changed from “Sarai” to “Sarah,” for, though barren at the time, God would bless her, give her a son, and she would be “a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her” (17:15-16).
☛ The covenant would be through Isaac’s lineage alone (17:17-21).
A Covenant of Blessing
Genesis
☛ In Abraham, all “families of the earth” would be “blessed” (12:3).
☛ In Abraham’s “seed” all nations of the earth would be “blessed” (22:18).
☛ The promise of blessing “all nations of the earth” was confirmed to Isaac (26:4).
☛ The promise that “all families of the earth” would be blessed through Abraham’s “seed” was reasserted to Jacob (28:14).
Psalm 105
☛ It was a covenant of great duration – commanded to “a thousand generations” (105:8).
☛ Gods remembers this covenant (105:9a).
☛ It was made with Abraham and confirmed with an oath to Isaac (105:9b).
☛ It was confirmed to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an “everlasting covenant” (105:10-12).
Galatians 3
☛ The covenant to bless all nations through Abraham (Gen 12:3; 18:18; 26:4; 28:14) is referred to as “the Gospel,” which was preached before “unto Abraham” (3:8).
☛ A confirmed covenant cannot be disannulled or have additions made to it (3:15).
☛ The promises made to Abraham were also made to his ultimate Seed, “which is Christ” (3:16).
☛ The “covenant” made with Abraham was confirmed in Christ (3:17a).
☛ That covenant could not be disannulled, or cancelled, by the Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years after the covenant made with Abraham (3:17b).
☛ That covenant was a “promise” (3:18).
THE WORLD. This covenant made with Abraham was much more complex than the one made with Noah. Through Noah, God actually confirmed the world would not be destroyed before the coming of the Redeemer. He had affirmed in the Garden that the Seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Nothing would stop that Seed from being born and fulfilling that mission in this world. The ultimate reason for sparing the world from another destruction by water was the coming of the appointed Redeemer – the Seed of the woman.
A LAND. The promise was extended further to include a land – a place in which the Savior would be born. He would come forth from Bethlehem in the land of promise. The real purpose for giving Israel a land was in order to the appearance of the Savior of the world.
A PEOPLE. The promise was further extended to include a people, “of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came” (Rom 9:5). The purpose for the multitudinous offspring of Abraham was to provide God with a people to whom His Son would be given, and from whom He would spring forth (Isa 9:6; 65:9).
The covenant of which God had made Paul an “able minister” was the covenant that was traced back to Abraham – a covenant of blessing, for which the covenant made with Noah was a preparation.
Jeremiah’s Prophecy
The term “New Testament,” or “New Covenant,” relates to a certain prophecy made by Jeremiah. The term itself is one of comparison – comparison with a previous covenant that was made with Israel. That covenant is referred to as an “Old Testament” (2 Cor 3:14), or a covenant that was “made old” (Heb 8:13). Because an extensive comparison will be made later of the “Old” and “New” covenants, I will proceed to a consideration of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the “New Testament,” or covenant. This is the “Testament” of which Paul had been made an “able minister.” This is confirmed in the eighth and tenth chapters of Hebrews.
Jeremiah’s Prophecy. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer 31:31-34).
Several critical details are provided in this remarkable prophecy, confirming the nature of this covenant.
☛ This is a covenant that WOULD be made (31a).
☛ It would be made with Judah and Israel – the progeny of Abraham (31b).
☛ It would not be like the covenant God made with Israel when He brought them out of Egypt – a covenant THEY broke, although God was “an husband unto them” (32).
☛ God would MAKE the covenant with them (33a).
☛ He would put His law in their “inward parts” (33b).
☛ He would write His law upon their hearts (33c).
☛ He would be their God (33d).
☛ They would be His people (33e).
☛ Those within this covenant would no lon