The Epistle of Second Corinthians
Lesson Number 19
TRANSLATION LEGEND: AMPLIFIED or AMP = 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, PHILLIPS = J B Phillips New Testament
LEXICON LEGEND: FRIEBERG=Friberg Lexicon, UBS=UBS Lexicon, LOUW-NIDA=Louw-Nida Lexicon, LIDDELL SCOTT=Liddell Scott Lexicon, THAYER=Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
THE SPIRIT OF FAITH
“ 4:13 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; 14 Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” (2 Cor 4:13-15)
INTRODUCTION
There are certain priorities in the Kingdom of God – matters that are preeminent in both heaven and earth. These are reflected in all inspired writings, and are to be embraced by those professing identity with the Lord. All of these involve personalities and glory – individuals and appropriate honor. The order of their precedence cannot become confused, for as soon as it does, the ministry and benefit of them all falls to the ground. The focus of our lives must reflect these priorities, else life becomes vain and pointless.
GOD THE FATHER
God the Father is the preeminent One, “greater than all” (John 10:29) . He is the Architect of salvation (Eph 3:11), the One who sent His Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14), and the One to whom Jesus will ultimately return the Kingdom (1 Cor 15:24-28). The Father is the One to whom we are reconciled (Rom 5:10), and we are His children (Gal 3:26). This is the One to whom Jesus is bringing us (1 Pet 3:18). He is also the One with whom the Lord Jesus is acquainting us, bringing to us the knowledge of God, which, together with knowing the Son, is eternal life (Matt 11:27; 1 John 5:20).
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
The Lord Jesus is the One through whom God made “the worlds” (Heb 1:3), the One who wrought what was necessary to deliver men from darkness (Col 1:13), and is the exclusive means by which men gain acceptance with God (Eph 1:6), are kept (Jude 24-25), and will eventually be glorified (Col 3:4). He alone is the One who reconciled us to God (2 Cor 5:18), made peace (Col 1:20), and cleared the way for us to come to God (Heb 10:20). He alone destroyed the devil (Heb 2:14), plundered principalities and powers (Col 2:15), blotted our the handwriting or ordinances that was against us (Col 2:14), and redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Gal 3:13). Jesus is the One into whose hands the Father has given all things (John 13:3; 1 Pet 3:22). His charge is to bring the Sons to glory (Heb 2:10), and through Him God will judge the world (Acts 17:31).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the One who empowers both the Gospel and those who believe and obey it (1 Cor 2:4; Eph 6:17; 1 Pet 1:12). He is the One who leads the saints in subduing the flesh and obtaining the promises of God (Rom 8:13; 1 Pet 1:22). The Spirit is the Distributor and Administrator of the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:3-11), and is the One who is changing us from one increasing stage of glory to another (2 Cor 3:18). We “abound in hope” through Him (Rom 15:13).
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
The Gospel of Christ is the purpose of God revealed in words (Eph 3:5-6). It is the means by which men are saved (1 Cor 15:1), and is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom 1:16). The message must never be sullied or demeaned by human conduct or speech (1 Tim 6:1; Tit 2:10). This is the message that conveys the knowledge of Christ, whose glory, when beheld, transforms the individual (2 John 1:9). It is the Word that has been delivered to the church, to be kept and faithfully proclaimed (1 Tim 3:15).
THE BRETHREN
The brethren are those in whom Christ dwells (Col 1:27), and, through the Spirit they are being conformed to His image (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18). They have been “begotten” or “born of God” (1 John 5:1,4,18), and are reconciled to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ (Col 1:21). These are “the church,” “the body of Christ” (Eph 1:23), and “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15). These are the ones for whom Jesus intercedes (Heb 7:25). They are the ones for whom the Holy Spirit also makes intercession from within them (Rom 8:26-27). Their names are written in heaven (Heb 12:23), and an eternal inheritance has been reserved for them (Heb 9:15; 1 Pet 1:4). They are also kept by the power of God through faith (1 Pet 1:5), and He works within them, both to will and to do of His own good pleasure (Phil 2:13; Heb 13:20-21).
THE REDEEMED INDIVIDUAL
Self is the redeemed individual – the one who has been reconciled to God. This is the one through whom Jesus is living, and in whom the Holy Spirit is working. The objective for the individual is to walk in the light (1 John 1:7), walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:25), and live by faith (Rom 1:17). Obtaining the promises (Heb 6:12), and participating in the Divine nature (2 Pet 1:4) are fundamental. In the individual both the “dying of the Lord Jesus” (2 Cor 4:10), and His “life” (2 Cor 4:11) are being expressed.
THE CRITICALITY OF THESE PRIORITIES
The maintenance of these precedencies is imperative. Lower priorities must not be allowed to overshadow, of even supplant, greater ones. If, for example, the Holy Spirit becomes the focus of our attention, and the heart of the message that we preach, we have departed from the highway that leads through the desert of this present evil world. Again, if the Lord Jesus is no longer seen as the appointed Means by which we come to God - “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” – He no longer has any redemptive significance to the individual. Even further down the ladder of erroneous emphasis, if the church becomes the focus of our attention, and the subject of our preaching, we do so at the expense of obtaining the blessing. Worst still, if the individual becomes the main thing, the glory of God, the salvation wrought by Christ, and the working of the Holy Spirit are all forfeited.
You can begin with Jesus and end up with God the Father because He and the Father are “One,” and He has been given to us for that purpose. However, if you view Jesus “according to the flesh,” or merely as a Man, or as someone who has been appointed to resolve your difficulties, He ceases to yield personal benefit. If He is the one into whose image God is conforming us, and if He is the One who has been appointed to “bring us to God,” woe to that person who thinks to use Him as a mere doctor or escape from temporary problems. No person should discourage another about seeking mercy and finding grace to help “in the time of need” (Heb 4:16), and that is not what these words are intended to do. Rather, for those who are in Christ Jesus, all such requests are to be made within the context of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Gospel of Christ, and the people of God. If we ask for health, it is that we might give it to the Lord. If we seek deliverance, favor with men, or relief from trouble, it is in order that we might serve Him.
All of this is wrapped up in a single expression of Scripture: “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's” (Rom 14:7-8).
WHY SAY THESE THINGS?
Why is it necessary to say such things. From one point of view, they should be so obvious they require no further affirmation. However, such lofty views are not as obvious as one might suppose. There is a phenomenal amount of religious activity in which men engage that takes no account of these things at all. Further, if we are not alert, we will find ourselves swept up in the contaminating tide of mere human motivation. The following is an example of ignoble motives that can drive religious activity.
☛ The promotion of a religious institution, church, or movement.
☛ Seeking recognition from men.
☛ Focusing on the fulfillment of personal objectives and desires.
☛ Working out of a sense of legal obligation, motivated by fear.
☛ A desire to be one of the group, and working without heartfelt involvement.
☛ Seeking one’s personal interests, without regard to Christ or His body, which is the church.
It will be apparent in this passage that Paul was driven by something greater than himself. He had adopted the agenda of Another, and sought the ultimate glory of Another. While it is true that the Lord will eventually receive all the glory, it will only advantage those who have diligently sought His glory in this world. As it is written, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). And again, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Cor 6:20).
In the work of the Lord, motivation is fundamental. If the work is done for the wrong reason, the work is voided, and only the honor that comes from men will be realized. Our blessed Lord spoke of this matter in at least three of His poignant sayings. “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward . . . And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward . . . Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward” (Mat 6:2,5,16).
WHY PAUL CONTINUED TO SPEAK
Paul will now declare what motivated him to speak – to speak candidly, faithfully, and in strict comportment with the nature and will of God. He delivered a message with which the Holy Spirit could work. He was not moved by a harsh mandate or heartless commandment, but by his “own will,” NRSV “willingly,” KJV or “voluntarily” NASB (1 Cor 9:17). Even though he was “troubled on every side,” “perplexed,” persecuted,” and “cast down” – he spoke anyway (2 Cor 4:8-9). Even though he was hounded and assaulted on every hand – beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, in constant peril, wearied, in pain, without food and water, and cold and naked – he spoke anyway (2 Cor 11:23-27). When every one “forsook” him, he continued to speak (2 Tim 4:16). When he was among people, he lifted up his voice and spoke. When he was bound with a chain and thrown into prison, he continued to speak with his pen.
What can move a man to speak so powerfully, so consistently, so faithfully? You may rest assured, self-motivation cannot accomplish such a thing.
My Own Experience
I well remember my time in the business world. We managers were often subjected to various motivational programs. They were quite similar to a high school pep-rally. We would be given notebooks, and a speaker would tell us the secrets of the routine that he was peddling. Eventually, we would all break up into smaller groups, and use the secret routine on each other. In that environment, everything seemed to work very well. People seemed to be able to do what they were otherwise incapable of doing. At the end of the session, often lasting several days, we would all return to our regular work, armed with our notebooks and the knowledge that was imparted to us.
This time, however, the routine was not as exciting as it was before. It soon broke down, the notebooks were stored in one of our cabinets, and we had to wait for the next motivational workshop. The difference was that now we were in a very real work-environment. We were not in a philosophical environment where we faced no real threats. Besides that, everyone was amiable in the made-up environment.
The Worldly Manner Duplicated in the Church
I have found exactly the same kind of environment in the religious world. Especially in our day, all manner of motivational speakers and routines are being hawked among the people of God. There are workshops, clinics, symposiums, retreats, and the likes – all designed to motivate preachers and leaders to do their work. Of course, this whole approach was borrowed from the world. That is why it bears such a remarkable resemblance to the experiences some of us had in the world. Leaving these times of motivation, the individual finds a certain freshness in his work. Hope seems to be rekindled, and what appears to be a very real desire to please the Lord is experienced. But it is not long, until everything is “normal” once again. The routine cannot hold up in challenging surroundings, where the people are not cooperative, enemies surface, and personal weaknesses leap out at us with intimidating reality.
If you are not able to attend these motivational gatherings, there are plenty of materials in the religious book stores to get you started. However, you will find they will not be able to produce faithfulness, consistence, and constancy. They cannot compensate for the effects of being rejected, opposed, and even thrown out of certain environments. That is precisely why countless men who once determined to preach the Gospel have closed their mouths and are no longer involved in speaking the truth. The religious landscape is cluttered with the carcasses of quitters who were “wearied” when running with mere “footmen,” and could not “contend with horses” (Jer 12:5). Like Demas of old, they have forsaken the more noble work, having “loved more this present world” (2 Tim 4:10). Like the fickle multitude that once followed Jesus, they “went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). Inferior motivation always produces inferior results.
The Manner of the Kingdom
Even though these conditions are found within the “church” environment, and among those professing to be “laborers together with God,” they do not represent the manner of the Kingdom. These are NOT the results that are found where Jesus is at work! These are NOT the effects of knowing the truth, which makes men free – free from a defeated spirit, as well as all other forms of bondage (John 8:32). In Christ Jesus a new and consistent principle of life comes into play. He not only makes men “free,” but “free indeed” – “really and unquestionably free” AMPLIFIED (John 8:36). By faith, they are lifted in an environment that stifles discouragement and suffocates the quitting spirit. Those who live by faith become superior to circumstance – even though it looks as though they are in the very midst of its overwhelming presence.
This is precisely what Paul will now explain. He will tell us why he was able to continue speaking, even though he was often surrounded by trouble, bewildered, painfully persecuted, and thrown down to the ground. There was a higher motivation at work in him that cannot be duplicated, or even feigned, by the world. It was a principle that Satan himself, together with his hosts of wickedness, could not negate or diminish. As those who are acquainted with the kingdom know, this has to do with faith.
THE SAME SPIRIT OF FAITH
“ 4:13a We having the same spirit of faith . . . ”
One of the unique distinctions of the New Covenant is its association with life. One of the very first things John affirms of Jesus relates to the giving of life. “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus Himself said that His coming into the world was related to the obtainment of “eternal life” (John3:15,16,36). He said He would give men “living water” (John 4:10) that would spring up within, issuing in “everlasting life” (John 4:14). He said that those who heard His voice would “live” (John 5:29). He came that men might “have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). He said He came to give His sheep “eternal life” (John 10:28).
☛ Jesus is “the Prince of life” (Acts 3:15).
☛ The Gospel is referred to as “the words of this life” (Acts 5:20), and “the word of life” (Phil 2:16).
☛ Repentance is said to be “unto [in order to] life” (Acts 11:18).
☛ The life of faith is described as a “reign in life” (Rom 5:17).
☛ Rising from the waters of baptism, we “walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4).
☛ The “law” which we now enjoy is “the law of the Spirit of life” (Rom 8:2).
☛ The Spirit, with which the New Covenant is associated, is declared to be “life” (2 Cor 3:6).
☛ The “life of Jesus” is manifested in our bodies (2 Cor 4:10,11).
☛ True living is said to be Christ living in us (Gal 2:20).
☛ The “way” in which Jesus is leading us is a “living way” (Heb 10:20).
☛ Those in Christ Jesus are described as “living stones” (1 Pet 2:4).
☛ Those in Christ have been “quickened,” or made alive (Eph 2:1,5; Col 2:13).
Being alive has to do with response, accord, unanimity, fellowship, and alertness. That is why the life of faith is depicted as walking (2 John 1:4), running (Heb 12:1), fighting (1 Tim 6:10), looking (2 Pet 3:12), and wrestling (Eph 6:12). It is associated with “calling” upon the name of the Lord (1 Cor 1:2), “seeking” (Col 3:1), “watching” (Eph 6:18), and “desiring” (2 Cor 5:2).
For this reason, holy men had much to say about the “spirit” of this or that. All of this pertains to the LIVING aspect of life in Christ Jesus. There is “the spirit of meekness” (1 Cor 4:21), “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Eph 1:17), and “the spirit of your mind” (Eph 4:23). These all have to do with LIFE! This text will address “the spirit of faith” – something that is living, animating, and motivating.
New Covenant life must never be associated with lifeless routines, empty procedures, and fruitless disciplines of life.
It was not long until the church drifted into mere religious routine. Early on, the Apostles began to deal with this dreadful tendency. Paul spoke to the Colossians about routines that looked very good, having the appearance of wisdom, yet which were profitless and useless in spiritual life. “ . . . human precepts and doctrines. Such [practices] have indeed the outward appearance [that popularly passes] for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh (the lower nature). [Instead, they do not honor God but serve only to indulge the flesh]” (Col 2:22-23). AMPLIFIED
Where people are not duly motivated to live for Christ, there is a tendency within men to induce godly living by routine, habit, or some other form of fleshly discipline. There are occasions, such as during the period of youth or spiritual novicehood, when some measure of value can be seen in this approach. Paul alluded to this when he wrote to Timothy, “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance” NASB (1 Tim 4:7-9). Paul was not comparing a physical exercise program with godliness. Such a comparison would have declared “bodily exercise” to be totally profitless. There is no real comparison between a physical workout and being godly. That certainly ought to be apparent. Paul is rather speaking of a regimented approach to being religious versus actually becoming God-like. The “inward man” cannot be improved or matured by means of a bodily, or external, procedure. It simply is not possible. If such a thing was, indeed, attainable, it would have been realized under the Law, or First Covenant, which was the ultimate routine. It was a covenant that was “concerned with food and drink, various washings and rules for bodily conduct, and were only intended to be valid until the time when Christ should establish the truth” PHILLIPS (Heb 9:10).
Let us now behold the manner of the New Covenant, and how the redeemed are motivated. This text will address the matter of speaking, but also pertains to every aspect of spiritual life.
WE HAVING
“We having . . . ” Other versions read, “And since we have,” NKJV “But having,” NASB “with,” NIV “But just as we have,” NRSV “And because we have,” GENEVA “Since, then, we have,” NAB “But as we have,” NJB “because we have,” NLT “But possessing,” WEYMOUTH and “Yet we have.” AMPLIFIED
For those with any measurable degree of spiritual perception, it is apparent that much of the Christian community is noticeably deficient in Divine provisions. In an inordinate number of professed believers, there appears to be an overwhelming sense of spiritual lack or need. While there is certainly a sense in which we are keenly aware of much that remains to be appropriated, no person in Christ is totally lacking in matters pertaining to life and godliness.
One of the unique conditions of life in Christ Jesus is that of possessing – of actually having something from God. Notice how strongly our text speaks of this circumstance: “having” – that is, we possess, or own, something. The Greek word from which “having” is translated is e;contej (ex-on-tes). As used here, the word speaks of something that is really and consciously perceived at the moment. Lexically, the word means “to hold, to have hold in the hand . . . to hold fast, keep . . . to own, possess,” THAYER “to have something within oneself,” FRIEBERG “have, hold, possess, keep,” UBS and “to have, to possess, to belong to.” LOUW-NIDA
Here, the word “having” does not speak of a mere legal right or opportunity. This is speaking of something that is possessed, and knowingly so. It is not only possessed, it is also being employed. Ponder some of the remarkable possessions that fall into this category: things that we “have.”
☛ PEACE WITH GOD. “Therefore being justified by faith, we HAVE peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1).
☛ ACCESS INTO GRACE. “By whom also we HAVE access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom 5:2).
☛ THE ATONEMENT. “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we HAVE NOW received the atonement” (Rom 5:11).
☛ THE SPIRIT. “Now we HAVE received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Cor 2:12).
☛ THE MIND OF CHRIST. “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we HAVE the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).
☛ A HEAVENLY TREASURE. “But we HAVE this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor 4:7).
☛ LIBERTY. “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we HAVE in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage” (Gal 2:4).
☛ REDEMPTION. “In whom we HAVE redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7).
☛ AN INHERITANCE. “In whom also we HAVE obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph 1:11).
☛ A GREAT HIGH PRIEST. “Seeing then that we HAVE a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession” (Heb 4:14).
☛ AN ANCHORING HOPE. “Which hope we HAVE as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Heb 6:19).
☛ AN ALTAR. “We HAVE an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle” (Heb 13:10).
☛ AN ADVOCATE. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we HAVE an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
We must do everything we can to steer away from a merely philosophical view of religion – one that speculates about what could be, or might have been. The fact of the matter is that in Christ Jesus we have “obtained” (1 Tim 1:13; 1 Pet 2:10; 2 Pet 1:1) or “received” (Rom 1:5; 8:15; Gal; 3:2) a plethora of “spiritual blessings.” It is only to the degree that this is perceived that we can labor for the Lord acceptably and confidently.
Paul will now speak of an exceedingly precious thing that can be possessed. This was even possessed by holy men prior to Jesus. However, the measure to which it may now be owned far exceeds that which was available in past ages.
THE SAME SPIRIT OF FAITH
“ . . . the same spirit of faith . . . ” Nearly all versions read the same: “spirit of faith.” The following are among the only exceptions I found to this rule. Other versions read, “same kind of faith,” NLT “trusting God to care for us,” LIVING and “Our faith is like that mentioned.” PHILLIPS
This Is Not A Creedal Faith
There is a “spirit” to faith – that is, it is alive. Faith is not mere intellectual acquiescence to some proposition. It is not the mental embrace of a creedal statement. What is even more, “faith” is not a set of doctrinal points, as many have concluded.
When some read of “the faith,” they conceive of the Spirit speaking of the teachings that are found in Christ. The following statements have been made by significant Scriptural commentators on the statement of Jude 1:3 – “the faith which was once delivered.” They are not right in these particular assessments.
☛ “The system of religion revealed in the gospel. It is called “faith,” because that is the cardinal virtue in the system, and because all depends on that. The rule here will require that we should contend in this manner for all ‘truth.’” BARNES
☛ “ . . . to hold fast the truth as it is in Jesus, revealed in the Bible, and preach it to all the world.” GODBY
☛ “‘Faith’ here is to be taken in the sense of that body of Christian doctrine which forms the substance of the truth concerning ‘our common salvation.’ It is used synonymously with Gospel.” GRAY
The particular Greek word used in Jude 1:3 is pi,stei(pis-tei). This word is used fifty-eight times in Scripture (Acts 3:16; 6:7;14:22; 15:9; 16:5; 26:18; Rom 3:28; 4:19,20; 5:2; 11:20; 14:1; 1 Cor 16:13; 2 Cor 1:24; 8:7; 13:5; Gal 2:20; Phil 1:27; 3:9; Col 1:23; 2:7; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Tim 1:2,4,7,15; 3:13; 4:12; 2 Tim 1:13; 3:10; Tit 1:13; 2:2; 3:15; Heb 4:2; 11:3,4,5, 7,8,9,11,17,20,21,22,23,24,27,28,29,3031; James 1:6; 2:5; 1 Pet 5:9; 2 Pet 1:5; Jude 1:3,20).
If you will examine these texts, you will not find so much as a hint of mere intellectual assent. All of them have the quality of life – spiritual life – about them. There is faith “in the name” of Jesus (Acts 3:16), continuing in the faith (Acts 14:22), and hearts being purified by faith (Acts 15:9). This use of the word “faith” is associated with sanctification (Acts 26:18), being justified (Rom 3:28), and being strong (Rom 4:20). There is also the matters of having access to God (Rom 5:2), standing (Rom 11:20), and self examination (2 Cor 13:5). In addition, this faith is connected with living (Gal 2:20), continuing (Col 1:23), and being established (Col 2:7). There are also the associations of boldness (1 Tim 3:13), love (Tit 3:15), and the hearing of the Word (Heb 4:2). “Faith,” as used in Jude 1:3, is also connected with understanding (Heb 1:3). Additionally, this is the very word used to describe the effectiveness of patriarchs of old, all of whom lived before the Gospel was written, and some of whom had not so much as a single word of Scripture in their hand (Heb 11:4,5,78,9, 1117,20,21,22,23,24,2728,29,30,31).
In other words, Jude used “faith” precisely as it is used throughout Scripture – as being “the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). When this word is used in the objective sense – accenting the Object of faith – that Object is not the Word of God, or the Gospel of Christ. While faith does, indeed, come “by hearing” [the Gospel in particular] (Rom 10:17), faith is not placed in the Gospel, but in the Christ that it proclaims. Faith is in the living God and the living Christ. We believe the Gospel, but we do not believe IN the Gospel – and there is a vast difference. Men are always said to “believe in” the Lord (Gen 15:6; 2 Chron 20:20; Dan 6:23; Matt 18:6; John 2:23; 3:18; 7:5; 14:1; Acts 9:12; Rom 10:14; Gal 2:16; Tit 3:8; 1 Pet 1:21).
All of this may appear to be a needless diversion from the text, but it is not. We are living in a day when human intellect has been emphasized above faith. It has produced a sort of sterile spiritual environment in which little is known of God, and less still is being accomplished for Him.
The Age of Reason
Between the English Revolution of 1688, and the French Revolution of 1789, the “Age of Reason” came into being. During this time “the power of the mind to liberate and improve” was exalted above revelation or illumination. This age was seen as a liberation from superstition and ignorance, most of which they associated with religion – particularly the Christian religion. The roots of this “age” are found in “the humanism of the Renaissance, which encouraged scholarly interests in texts and values.” BRITANNICA The rational and empirical were extolled above believing a word from God and trusting in the One who gave it – as compared with depending upon the human diagnosis of that word. Ideas and beliefs were now tested by the wisdom of men, and where there was a conflict, the beliefs were discarded. The wisdom and reasoning of the Greeks and Romans were exalted above the Scriptures themselves. Thus human reason toppled faith from the throne, and religion was largely driven from their civilization. Some who were involved in this professed “Age of Enlightenment” felt they had “found an alternative to Christian faith in the form of a neo-paganism. The morality was based on reason; the literature, art, and architecture were already supplying rules and standards for educated taste.” BRITANNICA
This new way of thinking (which was only the old unregenerate way garbed in a new dress) crept into the Christian world. It is the mother of all “higher criticism.” Here, the Scriptural text is weighed by criteria that are themselves external to the Scriptures. It may be language, history, culture, or some later manuscripts supposed to be superior. This is what has given rise to the multitudinous footnotes in contemporary versions of Scripture. Reference is made to “later and more reliable manuscripts,” or some similar thing. However, it all rises from dragging the Word of God into the academic arena, then attempting to confirm its truth and validity by sifting it through human understanding.
One of the children of higher criticism is hermeneutics, highly touted in some conservative Christian circles. Like all forms of “higher criticism,” none of these approaches require faith. None of them can produce life. None of them can bring one into the presence of God, or enable one to obtain “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph 1:17). There is no “spirit” in them, and thus they cannot motivate the child of God to live in concert with the God of heaven.
Paul’s Manner
Paul did not speak because he had reasoned things out, but rather because he believed – and there is a difference. While flesh imagines that faith can come from understanding Paul’s understanding came from his faith. This is in strict accord with revelation: “Through faith we understand” (Heb 11:3). In the text just quoted, the creation of “the worlds” is under consideration. Here we are, in the massive and marvelously complex world which is said to have been created by the God in whom we trust. How is it that this can be confirmed to our heart and mind? Are we to spend time diagnosing and studying the creation in quest of this knowledge? Will our hearts finally be settled about the origin of the world when we have studied it thoroughly? Is that really the way to obtain enough confidence in the Lord to trust in Him, taking Him at His word?
Indeed, such an approach is pure and unadulterated folly. It will only push the soul further from the Lord of glory. That is not the way to arrive at faith. You cannot study rocks and lower forms of life and end up with living faith – “the spirit of faith,” or a faith that motivates and animates the one possessing it.
When accounting for his prodigious and faithful labors, Paul did not cite his research, but his faith! He said he had in possession “the spirit of faith.” His was not a pretended faith, like that to which James refers: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). Such a “faith” is no more real than a carcass is a real person. A body without a spirit cannot do anything. You cannot hold conversation with it. You cannot delegate responsibility to it. It cannot speak to you, or have it hold your hand, or minister comfort to you. If you are in a dangerous situation, a “body without the spirit” cannot warn you. If the eyes of that lifeless body are open, they cannot see anything. If you throw the body into the water, it will not struggle to get to the top. If you throw it into the fire, it will not scream with pain. It is not as person, and the attributes of a person cannot be found in it – no matter how much you look for them.
So it is with a person without real faith. You cannot make such an one talk like he is spiritual. He cannot venture into the work of the Lord as though he was alive. He cannot handle the Scripture with in any acceptable way. Such an one cannot draw near to God or resist the devil. He cannot walk in the Spirit, perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, or be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. Those are all qualities reserved for those with faith. They all have to do with being alive. That is why Paul speaks of “the SPIRIT of faith.”
Faith’s Origin
The term “spirit of faith” accents the origin of faith. Nothing that is preceded by the word “spirit” – whether good or evil – has its genesis with man. Man has no power to confer what is said to be “spirit.”
There are things originated by the devil, such as “the spirit of whoredoms” (Hos 4:12), “the spirit of bondage” (Rom 8:15), “the spirit of the world” (1 Cor 2:12), and “the spirit of fear” (2 Tim 1:7). In all of these, “the spirit” is what gives vitality to the thing dominating the individual – “whoredoms,” “bondage,” “the world,” or “fear.”
In this text, “the spirit of faith” sets faith before us as something that is effective for God. Just as surely as God breathed into Adam’s nostrils (Gen 2:7), thereby causing him to be alive, sensitive, and productive, so God has brought faith to us. That faith, because of its Source, can be described as “the spirit of faith.”
During my early years I was subjected to some teaching that derided the very thought that faith comes from God. This was a doctrinal point about which those among whom I had fellowship had much to say. They would often quote Ephesians 2:8, emphasizing that it was not talking about faith, but about salvation: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). With intellectually furrowed brows, they would say the antecedent of “that” was “saved,” not “faith.” Somehow they had concluded that the appointed means of obtaining salvation was actually separate from the salvation itself. Of course, this is completely erroneous reasoning, for faith is within the circumference of salvation, not outside of it. It is also within the perimeter of “grace,” and not external to it.
However, we are by no means confined to Ephesians 2:8 when considering the origin of faith.
☛ FAITH COMES. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal 3:25).
☛ GIVEN TO BELIEVE. “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Phil 1:29).
☛ FAITH IS OBTAINED. “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 1:1).
☛ GRACE IS ABUNDANT WITH FAITH. “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 1:14).
☛ BELIEVING THROUGH GRACE. “And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace” (Acts 18:27).
☛ FAITH FROM GOD AND CHRIST. “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 6:23).
It is this fact – faith coming from God and through grace – that allows for the expression “the spirit of faith.” Were it not for faith’s Divine origin, there could be no spirit or life in faith at all. Faith would, in such a case, be nothing more than mental acquiescence to the truth. However, this kind of response has no moral compulsion or spiritual power. A mere assent to the truth cannot compel a person to speak the truth of God – particularly under great duress and opposition. If this is not the case, then all life does not really come from God. That possibility, however, is violently thrown to the ground by both the content and the nature of Scripture. In every sense of the word “the Spirit of life” is “from God” (Rev 11:11). It is, after all, the Spirit that “giveth life” (2 Cor 3:6).
This circumstance – being compelled by “the spirit of faith” – accounts for much of the sterility that exists in the modern church. The condition is so common that people have grown accustomed to it and think it is part and parcel of life in Christ Jesus. The truth of the matter is that both life and faith are glaringly absent in much of the religion of our day. Meager and insipid speeches ooze from the pulpits of the land that offer no challenge to the lethargic. Those who are content to maintain a worldly mind-set are by no means intimidated when they “go to church.” It is quite easy to keep ones preferences for the fashions and fads of the world and still be readily received by the “church” folk.
Faced with such circumstances, the man of God would be speaking up, pointing out the essentiality of putting off the old man, putting on the new man, and perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. A trumpet sound would be emitting from the pulpits and classrooms of the land, warning people of the wrath to come, and that “the unrighteousness shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:9).
When this does not happen, it betrays the absence of “the spirit of faith.” It simply is not present, as our text will confirm. It is time for the saints of God to cease any attempt to explain the presence of non-preaching preachers and non-teaching teachers.
We will now see that faith has always had the same origin and quality, whether found in Abel or Paul, David or Timothy, Abraham or Peter. There is, after all, only “one faith” (Eph 4:5). In some ages, it was less matured than it can be now, since Jesus is enthroned in, and ministering from, heaven. Yet, it is the “same” faith – the same animating principle. It is still the solitary means of receiving from God participating in His good work.
The phrase “the spirit of faith,” refers to faith itself. This is faith in its working stance. It is faith moving and motivating the one possessing it to engage in the work of the Lord, and to do so fervently and confidently.
ACCORDING AS IT IS WRITTEN
“ 13b . . . according as it is written . . . ” Other versions read, “according to what is written,” NKJV “It is written,” NIV “that is in accordance with Scripture,” NRSV “as he who wrote,” RSV “as it is said in the writings,” BBE “as is described in Scripture,” and “like that mentioned in Scripture.” PHILLIPS
The apostle will now explain more fully what he has said. He will bring his words within our heart’s grasp by appealing to the one thing that can make us “wise unto salvation” – the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:15). That wisdom is not to be confined to initial salvation, when we are delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col 1:13). We are not finished with the appropriation of salvation at that time. There remains a salvation to be “revealed” at the coming of Christ Jesus (1 Pet 1:5). We are also in the process of working out our own salvation “with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:15). We are told that “our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Rom 13:11). This is a salvation that no one can afford to “neglect” – which means we are still actively involved in it (Heb 2:3).
The Scriptures clarify every aspect of salvation, from its appropriation to its culmination. Therefore, in order to clear up what he has said about “the spirit of faith,” Paul will now appeal to the Scriptures.
THE SUPERIORITY OF SCRIPTURAL EXPRESSIONS
Enough cannot said concerning the superiority of Scriptural expression. Sectarian men have a tendency to speak of religious experiences in a way that is not expressed in Scripture. Corrupted religion requires a corrupted vocabulary. Also, to promote an agenda that in not revealed in Scripture, a special religious nomenclature must be developed. Therefore men attempt to explain sin with expressions like “original sin,” mortal sin,” “venial sin,” and “inherited sin.” There are also expressions that are offered to explain, what is purported to be, profound spiritual experiences. “The baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking on tongues,” “falling under the power,” “slain in the Spirit,”and “the second blessing.” Others, who tend to be more cerebral in their religion, speak of a “law of silence,” “Scriptural precedence,” New Testament Law,” and “the law of exclusion.” Others choose to speak of “the plan of salvation,” “new testament church,” “the great commission,” and “the authority of the elders.” Still others, seeking to delineate between dead and lifeless religion use terms like “cheap grace,” “dead faith,” and “saving faith.”
Even though not a single one of these terms are expressed in any version of Scripture, yet they are used to divide brethren, promote specific religious groups, and even become the basis for the writing of theological books. Perhaps you have been faced with the look of religious consternation when you have refused to receive such expressions as valid.
Thus, Paul does not speak in terms of religious tradition. He chooses to use words “words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]" AMPLIFIED (1 Cor 2:13).
When Peter expounded the events of Pentecost, he appealed to what was written: “This is that spoken by the prophet Joel . . . ” (Acts 2:16-21; Joel 2:28-32). He followed the same procedure in declaring Jesus: “For David speaketh concerning Him . . . ” (Acts 2:25-28; Psa 16:8-11). And again, “Therefore being a prophet . . . spake of the resurrection of Christ” (Acts 2:30-31; 2 Sam 7:11-16; Psa 16:10). When Paul taught concerning the support of those laboring in the Gospel, he appealed to what had been written. “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Cor 9:14; Lev 6:16-18,26; Num 5:9-10; 18:8-20). When he taught on giving, establishing that God provides for those who give to His work, Paul again appealed to what was written. “But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack” (2 Cor 8:14-15).
If we are not explaining our experiences or persuasions in terms of Scripture, we should zealously seek to confirm this can be done – then be up and doing it. It we cannot speak in this manner, or if the Scriptures do not speak of our experience, it is best to listen. Institutional jargon is never in order.
BELIEVING AND SPEAKING
“ 13c . . . I believed, and therefore have I spoken.”
Mentioning the Hebrew Scriptures to a Gentile Church
The Corinthian assembly was comprised mostly of Greeks, or Gentiles. Although some Jews were among them, this was not a converted Jewish synagogue. Yet Paul is going to speak to them concerning the Hebrew Scriptures – the Psalms in particular. Writing to a Greek church in terms of the Psalms would probably not be acceptable in many churches of our day. It would, in the judgment of some, be more fashionable to use denominational cliches – particularly since men tend to be more acquainted with them than with the Scriptures themselves.
However, there is an underlying supposition that is evident in Scripture. It is that those in Christ Jesus are exposing their minds to Scripture. The saints of God are never exhorted to personally read the Scriptures, even though the public reading of them is urged (1 Tim 4:13). Moses declared, and Jesus confirmed in His wilderness temptation that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4; Deut 8:3). Paul reminded Timothy that he had, in fact, known the Scriptures from a youth, and that they are able to “make thee wise unto salvation” (2 Tim 3:15). He also affirmed they were given by the inspiration of God, and have been given to us “that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17). They are further “written for our admonition” (1 Cor 10:11), and “our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom 15:4).
Peter admonishes us, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Pet 2:2-3). But never are the saints admonished to “read the Scriptures.” Paul referred to “when” the Ephesians read his Epistle (Eph 3:4), and admonished the Colossians to “read the epistle from Laodicea” (Col 4:16) – both being newly written. The Thessalonians were also charged with reading Paul’s epistle “unto all the holy brethren” (1 Thess 5:27). Still, believers are never exhorted to read the established Scriptures.
There is a reason for this circumstance. It is assumed believers are ingesting the Word of God regularly. We already know that “newness of life” cannot be sustained independently of the Word of God, for man lives “by every word of God” (Lk 4:4). Apostolic doctrine was delivered in such a manner as provoked recourse to the Scriptures. That is why it is said of the Bereans, “they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).
What a different scenario we have today! The modern church is presenting Bible-reading plans to its constituency to get them into the Word. Rarely will you come across a professing Christian who has actually read the Bible in its entirety. There is a pervading ignorance of Scripture throughout the professed church, and everyone knows it. Whatever is being preached, generally speaking, the people have not made a connection with that preaching and “the Scriptures.”
Greatly compounding the problem, the adoption of sectarian expressions and psychological jargon discourages the reading of the Scriptures, because those expressions are not found in the Scriptures, and this they appear to be irrelevant to life.
Paul, on the other hand, depends upon the Scriptures to confirm what he is teaching. He also expresses what He is doing in terms of Scripture. He assumes the people are acquainted with the Word of God. If they are not, his words will have little meaning to them. This manner of speaking differs significantly from what is being billed as Christian preaching and teaching in these days. Too often preachers and teachers appeal to movies, sports, and other contemporary fads and involvements to explain what they are saying. Paul appealed more to the Scriptures. The exceptions to this rule are phenomenally few (i.e. 1 Cor 9:14-26).
God never suggests anyone is accepted by, or alive to, Him who does not know His Word. If spiritual life could be sustained independently of the Word of God, we would have to cut the words of Moses and of Jesus, (pertaining to living by every word of God), out of Scripture, for there would be no truth to them.
We will now see a superb example of knowing how to “rightly divide,” KJV or “handling accurately,” “the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). The text to which Paul refers is Psalm 116:10: “I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted.” He will extract a single phrase from this brief verse, affirming that it precisely describes his own circumstance.
I BELIEVED
“ . . . I believed . . . ” Other versions read, “I have believed,” DARBY and “I believed in God.” NLT
In the 116th Psalm, David has spoken of his affliction and sorrow: “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow,” 3 “I was brought low.” 6
Yet, in all of his trouble, David maintained his faith – he believed: “I love the Lord,” 1 “I will call upon Him as long as I live,” 2 “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful,” 5 “The Lord preserveth the simple,” 6 “Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee,” 7 “I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.” 9
These are all expressions of faith. They represent the manner in which faith reasons or thinks. Faith settles in upon the Lord, focusing upon Him rather than upon trouble. If anything is going to be diagnosed, it will be the Lord, not the trouble! David reasoned that the Lord was gracious and merciful. He preserves the simple, and deals bountifully with those who seek Him. Those were not the mere statements of a creed, or the recitation of the tenets of a theological position. These are what David saw in the Lord – what He comprehended the Lord to be. His solid persuasion is wrapped up in the words, “I believed!”
Men have a tendency to use “believe” in a different sense – one that is foreign to Scripture. Often you will hear the question, “What do you believe?” or “What does your church believe?” The response is generally a list of fundamentals that have been embraced. However, such a view of believing is nearly worthless when one is in the fiery furnace of trial.
The words “I believed” reflect a reasoning process, and a conclusion that provoke action. There is deliberation in believing, as well as perception and resolve. When Abraham “believed God” concerning Sarah having a son, he reasoned in a certain way. “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb” (Rom 4:19). Again, when the Lord commanded Abraham to offer Isaac, his only begotten son, as a burnt offering, Abraham’s faith dictated how he thought. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (Heb 11:17-19).
As our text will confirm, faith has a certain compelling power in it. It alters the way a person thinks and how he speaks. Whether we are speaking of an individual or a collective body, spiritual deficiency can always be traced to an inadequate faith. Contrariwise, spiritual sufficiency always springs from a robust faith. True adequacy and faith are always joined.
THEREFORE HAVE I SPOKEN
“ . . . and therefore have I spoken” Other versions read, “and therefore I spoke,” NKJV “and so I spoke,” NRSV “therefore did I speak,” ASV “the words from my mouth came from the faith in my heart,” BBE “therefore I did speak,” YLT and “so I spoke.” IE
In his adversity, David cried out to God: “Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.” 4 In faithfulness, the Lord delivered him: “He hath heard the voice of my supplications,” 1 “I was brought low and He helped me,” 6 “For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.” 8
In David’s assessment of God, he said He was gracious, righteous, and merciful. Why did David say those things? It was because he “believed.” He saw the Lord as having an inclination toward himself in, or during, his affliction. He confessed the Lord had “helped” him, “dealt bountifully” with him, “delivered” his soul from death, his “eyes from tears,” and his “feet from falling.” Why did David say those things? It was because he “believed.” He was persuaded of the reality of those things.
In the 116th Psalm David also confessed to speaking “in haste,” saying “All men are liars” (verse 11). This part of the Psalm, however, is not being considered by Paul. He has extracted David’s statement on believing.
MOVED BY BELIEVING
“ 13d . . . we also believe, and therefore speak”
Paul found a Scriptural expression that precisely described his personal motivation. This is not owing to fleshly commonality between himself and David – i.e. their Jewish heritage or their outward circumstances. It is not that both of them had the same emotional make-up, and therefore tended to express themselves similarly. Rather, both of them were sensitive to the Lord, and had abandoned competing pursuits in order to serve Him. David excelled under the Old Covenant, and Paul excelled under the New. Because of this, the Lord Himself taught them how to speak.
Paul is going to use David’s words in a different sense. David’s words had nothing whatsoever to do with preaching. His words were spoken to God, not to men. They were also words spoken to his own soul in a sort of self-admonition: “Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee” (Psa 116:7). Those with an inordinate affection for “context” will find it difficult to justify the manner in which Paul uses these words. It simply does not comport with the Psalmic context.
However, the words of Scripture have a spirit also. That is, because they are living words, they can be used to express differing, but legitimate, spiritual experiences. For example, Hosea spoke of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt when he wrote, “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt” (Hosea 11:1). However, that language proved to be perfectly suitable when describing the infant Jesus being brought back from Egypt following Herod’s death. Thus Matthew wrote, “When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son” (Mat 2:14-15).
Proper Words
The text before us is an example of speaking in words that are taught by the Holy Spirit: “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor 2:13). Other versions read, “combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words,” NASB “expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words,” NIV “interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual,” NRSV and “combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].” AMPLIFIED The point is that spiritual thoughts are to come in the container of spiritual words. That is what makes them discernible to spiritual people.
One of the great weaknesses of contemporary Christianity is its vocabulary. Too often the language and expressions of the world are employed to communicate spiritual realities. Often terms are used that are unique to the younger generation, or to the music and entertainment world. It is not unusual to find church marques posting the names of current movies, together with, what they conceive to be, a spiritual point. The practice of couching spiritual concepts in contemporary phraseology is a questionable one, to say the least. A brief word about this will further set the stage for our comments on this text.
The writings of Moses and the Prophets provide several things that are essential to the development of spiritual maturity. Among them is the history of all relevant beginnings. There is also the dealings of God with various people, which provide an index to His character. The Law was given to define sin, and the promises of a Messiah were given to teach us what to expect in a Savior.
In addition to these things, Moses and the Prophets provide a vocabulary through which the truth can be communicated to us. The development of words like “sacrifice,” “altar,” “tabernacle,” “offering,” “priest,” “high priest,” and “covenant” are cases in point. There are also words like “lamb,” “wilderness,” “blood,” “darkness,” “light,” and “life.” Each of these are like containers in which Divine thoughts can be deposited. They make it possible for accurate and profitable communication to take place among men.
When language is diluted with worldly terms, the edge of truth us dulled, and spiritual understanding becomes more difficult. This is one of the reasons for Christ and the Apostles constant reference to what was “written.”
WE ALSO BELIEVE
“ . . . we also believe . . . ” Other versions read, “we too believe,” RSV “faith in my heart,” BBE “I believed in God,” NLT and “I believed.” PHILLIPS
The word “believe” has particular significance here, else it would not have been used. This word is to be perceived in light how it was used in the Scriptures. First, this is not a common word in Moses and the Prophets. From Genesis through Malachi, the KJV uses this word only twenty-two times (Gen 15:6; 45:26; Ex 4:31; 14:31; Num 20:12; Deut 9:23; 1 Sam 27:12; 1 Kgs 10:7; 2 Chron 9:6; Job 29:24; Psa 27:13; 78:22,32; 106:12,24; 116:10; 119:66; Isa 53:1; Jer 40:14; Lam 4:12; Dan 6:23; Jon 3:5). Five of those times “believed not” is the expression (1 Kgs 10:7; 2 Chron 9:6; Psa 78:22,32; 106:24). It is used in the NKJV and NASB only eleven times, and in the NIV only seven times.
As used in the Old Covenant Scriptures, the word “believe” means to trust in, and be assured of. The note of confidence is also found in the word. It depicts a person being totally reliant upon the Lord, not doubting His word, and persuaded that His promises would come to pass. This perfectly parallels the meaning of the word as used by the Apostles. Doctrinally, the Spirit defined believing (which is “faith” in the active mode) in the book of Hebrews. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). That is, faith is the faculty by which men are assured of the realities of God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, and what they have said about Themselves, Their accomplishments, and Their commitments. The things of God are made substantiative to the soul through faith, so that there is question about their reality. Faith brings the evidence of kingdom realities to the individual, so that they do not have to be seen or touched to verify their existence.
Faith lifts us above the domain of sense and time. It accesses what is beyond the reach of natural senses and abilities. It confirms to the mind the presence of realities that cannot be seen, persuading the heart of their reality and benefit.
Believing is the practical employment of faith. It is not “believing” after the manner of the world. In this world, in the fleshly sense of the word, men can believe something that has absolutely no relevance to them. They may not shape their lives around what they say they “believe,” but only give mental assent to this or that. Thus people say they believe in God, but they do not serve Him. They believe in heaven, but they do not prepare to go there. They believe in the Bible, but they do not read it, or attempt to understand it.
The “believing” of Scripture is quite different. It is not done with the mind, but with the heart. As it is written, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness” (Rom 10:10). This means the person himself is involved in the believing.
When Paul confesses, “we also believe,” he is not saying he merely consented to the truth of the Gospel. The reality of the Gospel has rather burst upon his heart. He sees its truth, is convinced of it, and is conforming his whole life to it. No person who fails to conform his life to the Lord Jesus has believed on Him. No person who does not shape his life by the Gospel has believed it. Paul will even go so far as to suggest the person who remains silent about the Gospel has not believed it – at least not in an acceptable way.
AND THEREFORE SPEAK
“ . . . and therefore speak” Other versions read, “therefore also we speak,” NASB “and so we speak,” NRSV “our words are the outcome of our faith,” BBE “For which cause we also speak,” DOUAY “and therefore we, too, speak,” NJB “and so I speak,” NLT and “and that is why we speak.” IE
Paul did not speak because he was compelled by a law to do so. He was rather moved by believing – by his personal faith. Similarly, it is “WHEN they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ,” that the people “were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). Faith does have a constraining power. If people can ever be brought to believe, they will act upon that faith.
Notice how Paul makes this statement: “we also believe, and therefore speak.” The word “therefore” means “consequently,” or “for which cause,” STRONG’S and “on which account.” THAYER The idea is this: “because we have believed, we have spoken.” His faith compelled him to speak, also dictating what he said, and how he said it – with assurance.
This aspect of faith must be seen. Faith is compelling. That, of course, is the clear message that comes through in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, in which we read the word “BY faith” sixteen times.” That is, faith produced the action described.
It was “out of the abundance of the heart” that Paul spoke (Matt 12:34). The truth had become a part of himself. He was not parroting the “tradition of the elders,” as the scribes and Pharisees (Matt 15:2). He was rather speaking what he believed – what he had perceived, ingested, and by which he lived. That, of course, is the only posture to be maintained when preaching or teaching.
KNOWING WHAT GOD HAS DONE
“ 14a Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus . . . ”
There are key facts that, when known by faith, produce certainty in the heart. Because faith is “in” God and Christ, the following facts pertain to Deity.
KNOWING
“Knowing . . . ” Other versions read, “Because we know,” NIV “Because we are certain,” BBE “realizing,” NJB “Assured,” AMPLIFIED and “we know for certain.” PHILLIPS
Faith ushers us into the realm of spiritual knowledge – that is, into the placed where we come to perceive and understand things that are beyond the reach of the human senses. Faith is the great verifier of truth – it confirms, substantiates, and establishes the truth to the heart. This kind of knowledge cannot be satisfactorily explained to those who are dominated by “the carnal mind,” or the “mind of the flesh.” The one who is confined to the domain of nature “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14).
However, the one who believes boldly speaks forth the truth with a knowledge and confidence that defies explanation. Such a one is not intimidated by the world’s rejection, or even by those who inflict pain and threaten to kill. The person who believes and knows the things of God is more sure of the Lord than of men, and of eternity than of the present.
Academic knowledge, or the knowledge based on formal study, is inferior to the knowledge that comes from faith. Although a knowledge of the Scriptures themselves is imperative, unless the person believes, the knowledge of this text will not be experienced.
What now follows will appear to be rudimentary, but it is not. The knowledge that comes from believing takes hold of these facts, sees their implications, and is able to associate them with the experience of life in Christ Jesus. Knowing these facts while living in the world is something like a person being in deep water who is a good swimmer and knows it. A person who has read books on swimming may be able to recite with perfection the theory of swimming, but until he “knows” how to swim, he will thrash around waters , and possibly drown, rather that swim upon them.
HE WHICH RAISED UP THE LORD JESUS
“ . . . that He which raised up the Lord Jesus . . . ” Other versions read, “He who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead,” BBE “brought the Lord Jesus back from death,” LIVING and “raised the Lord Jesus from death.” PHILLIPS
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to “sound doctrine.” In the Apostolic doctrine (Acts through Jude), there are at least seventy one references to Christ’s resurrection. It was a main theme of exposition. When preaching and teaching fails to make much of the resurrection of Christ, it is skewed in the wrong direction – even though much of what is said may be technically right. A brief review of the associations made with Christ’s resurrection will suffice to buttress this point. Its doctrinal preeminence will be very apparent.
☛ Christ’s resurrection is related to Him sitting on the throne of David (Acts 2:30-32).
☛ It is related to the revelation of Christ’s miraculous power (Acts 4:10).
☛ Testifying of the resurrection of Christ resulted in “great grace” being upon them all (Acts 4:33).
☛ It was the reversal of the judgment of men against Jesus (Acts 5:30).
☛ The resurrection of Christ is tied to repentance and forgiveness (Acts 5:31).
☛ Many promises made to the Jews were fulfilled by Christ being raised (Acts 13:32-33).
☛ The assurance that Christ will judge the world is found in His resurrection (Acts 17:31).
☛ Paul preached that it was necessary for Christ to be the first to rise from the dead (Acts 26:23).
☛ Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power “by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom 1:4).
☛ Righteousness is imputed to those who believe God has raised Jesus from the dead (Rom 4:24).
☛ Jesus was raised for our justification (Rom 4:25).
☛ We are saved by Christ’s resurrection life (Rom 5:10).
☛ Christ’s resurrection validates our baptism (Rom 6:3-4; 1 Pet 3:21).
☛ The sanctified life is possible because Jesus is raised from the dead (Rom 8:11).
☛ Our resurrection from the dead is linked with Christ’s resurrection (1 Cor 6:14).
☛ The effectiveness of preaching is traced to the resurrection of Christ (1 Cor 15:14-15).
☛ The power of faith and the reality of forgiveness are owing to Christ’s resurrection (1 Cor 15:15).
☛ The experience of “the power of God” is related to Christ’s resurrection (2 Cor 13:4).
☛ The power that is devoted to the saints is the power exerted when Jesus was raised from the dead (Eph 1:19-20).
☛ The “power of His resurrection” is something to be experienced (Phil 3:10).
☛ The present preeminence of Christ is related to His resurrection (Col 1:18).
☛ Waiting for Christ to return, and being delivered from the wrath to come are associated with His resurrection (1 Thess 1:10).
☛ The resurrection related to Christ being “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb 13:20).
☛ The new birth is related to Christ’s resurrection (1 Pet 1:3).
☛ Believing in God is associated with the resurrection of Christ (1 Pet 1:21).
☛ The resurrection of Christ is related to Him bringing us to God (1 Pet 3:18).
When, therefore, Paul says he speaks “knowing He which raised up the Lord Jesus,” he is not merely reciting a point of doctrine. He has seen the necessity and implications of that resurrection, and it has fortified Him to “speak the truth in love.”
Death is referred to as “the last enemy” (1 Cor 15:26). By saying “last,” the Spirit is not referring to mere sequence. Death is the most successful enemy – the last bastion of darkness. It represents the last battle – the devil’s last effort to pull us into his domain. If Jesus was “raised from the dead,” He was brought back from the final and most formidable of all confines. There is no greater obstacle than death. If it has been defeated, everything else has been reduced to nothing more than “footmen” (Jer 12:5). In Christ’s death, His enemies did the worst they could do. It represented the best success they could possible have, whether it was the Jewish leaders and the people, or the Satan’s powers of darkness.
Yet, after the people and “the power of darkness” who manipulated them had issued their edict, and carried it out, God nullified their judgment. In one grand reversal He undid everything they did. He “raised up the Lord Jesus.” From that day until this very day, Jesus has never faced another enemy in combat! Everything – even His enemies – are under His feet, and He is, in every sense “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). His resurrection not only put Jesus out His enemies’ reach, it put all of them under His feet. They all are subject to Him, and obey Him.
When a person “knows”