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The Sabbath-School

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Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 20, 1883

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 9, No. 48.

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The Sabbath-School.

By W. N. G.

Lesson for Pacific Coast.—December 29.

2 Cor. 4 : 11-18, and Chap. 5.

NOTES ON THE LESSON.

“FOR we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake.” The apostle here refers to the apostles and ministers of Christ, as the context shows; some of them had been put to death, and others were in constant danger, as the Lord himself had told them, and as Paul frequently testifies. See Acts 9 : 16; 20 : 23; Rom. 8 : 36; 1 Cor. 15 : 31.
“THAT the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in the flesh.” The 11th verse is explanatory, or rather an emphasis, of verse 10, the latter clause being a literal repetition. Grotius, Locke, Clarke, and Barnes all vary somewhat in their application of this clause—the first three referring it in some sense to the resurrection life of Christ. Barnes carries the idea that the apostles would follow his example in this life—imitating his zeal, self-denial, meekness, patience, and unselfish devotion to the salvation of men. And this seems to be sufficient for the purpose of the epistle.
“So THEN death worketh in us, but life in you.” That is, the self-sacrificing labors of the ministry, while exposing them to persecution and death, were working for the life and salvation of the church. Compare verse 15; chap. 13 : 9; also 1 Cor. 4 : 8 and onward, and 2 Tim. 2 : 10. This spirit on the part of the apostle seems to carry out the idea of the manifestation of the life of Jesus in the flesh, as expressed in the preceding note on verse 12.
VERSE 13 shows the unity of the Spirit of faith which actuated the psalmist and the apostles, under trials and afflictions, to call upon and believe in God, as also to speak for his cause before men. It is also another of the many references Paul makes to the Old Testament Scriptures in proof of his positions, which are far too frequent to justify the assertion of many professing Christians that the Old Testament is not in force under the Christian dispensation.
VERSE 14 is a continued manifestation of the apostle's faith in the gospel, as he boldly proclaims the principal tenet: “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.” Notice, he expects that they will all be presented together. He certainly did not expect that they would all die together. And here we have indicated the importance attached to the resurrection in the gospel message as proclaimed by the ministry in the days of the apostles. This fully harmonizes with 1 Thess. 4 : 15-17.
“FOR all these things are for your sakes,” &c. Verse 15. The writer here seems anxious to impress upon the minds of the church how much had been done for them, and that much thanksgiving was due from them on account of the abundance of grace bestowed. On the word “redound,” in this verse, Dr. Barnes remarks that “here it means abound, or be abundant, and the sense is, that the overflowing grace thus evinced in the salvation of many would so abound as to promote the glory of God.” The whole sentiment of the verse should be deeply pondered by those who have the privileges of the truths pertaining to the last days.
“FOR which cause we faint not,” &c. Verse 16. There is never any spiritual discouragement when the glory of God is in view, although the body may become fatigued and worn with much labor. The Saviour could forget his hunger in view of the whitening harvest, and the Spirit sustained him with meat that even his followers knew not of; and it is even so with those devoted servants whom he calls to represent him here while he intercedes for believers in Heaven. And “though our outward man perish [grow old], yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” Those who think from this expression that man is composed of two independent entities, will please read the comment, in another column, on chap. 5 : 1-10, by Eld. Andrews.
WHEN Paul compared the trials of himself and co-laborers with the ease and comfort of the Corinthian church, he laid much stress upon his hunger, thirst, buffetings, fatigue, and persecutions generally; but when he draws the comparison with his prospective future reward (verse 17), he sees these “light afflictions” which are “but for a moment” in a far different light. And so may any Christian. If an apostle, appointed by the Lord himself to “show him how great things he must suffer,” could thus view his trials, who of us can have the temerity to complain, in view of the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” which tribulation will work out for us? See Matt. 5 : 11, 12.
VERSE 18: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen,” &c. This ought to be an easy task away down at this stage of time, when “the things that are not seen” are drawing so very near. Surely the Christian now should have faith enough to lift up his head and rejoice, looking away from the cares of this life, and the imaginary lions in the way, for his redemption draweth nigh. “The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” In regard to these things that are not seen, the apostle, in his first epistle (chap. 2 : 9) to this church quotes the prophet Isaiah: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
ON the first ten verses of chapter five, the following comment, by the late Eld. J. N. Andrews, is both concise and comprehensive:—
1. The apostle represents the Christian as having two houses, one a temporary structure, called a tabernacle because liable at any time to be taken down; the other an eternal house, because incapable of dissolution.
2. The tabernacle or temporary house is our mortal body, or the present state of mortality.
3. The eternal house is our immortal body, or immortality itself.
4. The dissolution of the tabernacle or temporary house is the unbuilding of the mortal body by death.
5. At death we have the eternal house, not in actual possession, but by God's promise which is then ours without condition.
6. For the eternal house, or house from Heaven, is the immortal body, or more properly it is immortality itself. And this is not given till mortality is swallowed up of life.
7. But mortality is swallowed up of life, not at the death of the body, but when it is raised from the dead.
8. The unclothed or naked state is that of death, for the tabernacle is dissolved, and the eternal house exists only in God's promise. The man has laid down the mortal life, and has not yet laid hold on the immortal life. He is asleep in death.
9. Paul did not desire this state of death, but did desire the state of immortality in the resurrection.
10. This immortal state is that for which God hath wrought man.
11. The indwelling of the Spirit of God is the earnest or pledge, not of death, but of the resurrected or immortal state.
12. Paul speaks of the first of these houses in which we have always lived as our home, and so long as we continue in this home we are absent from the Lord.
13. He was “willing rather,” that is, he chose, to be absent from the mortal body and present with the Lord. But this cannot mean that he chose death, for he expressly declares in the previous verses that he did not.
14. But as he has used the figure of two houses, one a temporary structure in which we have always lived, and which for that reason he calls home, and the other an eternal house, so now he speaks of moving from our home, when we are absent from our mortal body, and present with the Lord in immortality. Until the resurrection, Paul did not expect to be with Christ. 1 Cor. 15 : 32.
15. Let it be observed that there is but one house at a time, for the two houses are simply the body in its mortal and in its immortal state. The figure is like that used with respect to conversion when it is said that we put off the old man and put on the new, and yet these are simply two conditions of the same mind.
16. And the apostle fixes the time when we shall appear in the presence of Christ to receive our reward, and that time is the Judgment. It is manifest that Paul looked not to death but beyond it to the immortal glory of the resurrected saints in the presence of Christ.
“KNOWING therefore the terror of the Lord,” &c. Verse 11. This refers to the day of judgment, when he who is now represented as all love and compassion for the sinner, will display his wrath upon the finally impenitent. See Rev. 6 : 15-17. “But we are made manifest unto God.” This is an appeal to God to witness their unselfish purpose, in so earnestly “persuading men to flee from the wrath to come,” and the apostle trusted that the church would also see his labors in the same light.
VERSE 12 shows that he did not wish merely to commend himself to them; but to give them an argument against those who were “puffed up” by their own attainments, and were disposed, through jealousy, to deny his apostleship and hinder his work. This class, who “glory in appearance, and not in heart,” is referred to in his first epistle 4 : 18, 19; and it is probable that at least some of them maintained a lasting hostility on account of their exposure, as some of a like class do to this day, toward the servants of God who point out and denounce their errors.
ON verse 13, “For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we be sober, it is for your cause,” we quote Dr. Barnes: “Festus thought Paul was deranged when he said, ‘Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad’ (Acts 26 : 24); and the Saviour himself was regarded by his immediate relatives and friends as beside himself. Mark 3 : 21. And at all times there have been many, both in the church and out of it, who have regarded the friends of revivals and of missions, and all those who have evinced any extraordinary zeal in religion, as deranged. The object of Paul here is to show, whatever appearances might be, or whatever might be the estimate which they affixed to his conduct, the real principles which actuated him. Here the idea is that they were charged with being deranged, or that others esteemed or professed to esteem Paul and his fellow-laborers deranged.”
“IF one died for all then were all dead.” Verse 14. This sentiment advances the theory that if one died for all, of course all would be considered dead. And some preach universal salvation because Christ died for all. But it must be remembered that something more is required than his death to procure our salvation. There must be a resurrection also (See 1 Cor. 15 : 12-18) to complete the work; and even then it is conditional. “Whosoever believeth in him” is a restriction laid down by the Lord himself. John 3 : 15. And they that die to sin in his death, must be buried with him by baptism, and rise again to newness of life. So herein is seen the force of verse 15. “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Compare Rom. 6th chapter.
“WHEREFORE, henceforth know we no man after the flesh.” Verse 16. That is he did not estimate men according to the flesh, or with the judgment of the unconverted. Even though he had formerly known or judged Christ by that standard, yet now henceforth [after his conversion] he did not so know him any more.
“WE pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” Verse 20. There is perhaps not another expression in the Scriptures that shows as much condescension on the part of the Creator toward the erring creature. After going so far as to give his only Son to die, he allows the offending party to occupy the place of one that is to be conciliated, and sends his ambassadors to beg of him to be reconciled to his Creator and Redeemer whom he has so grossly insulted. How would it be were the case between man and man? In human affairs the party offended is always the one to be reconciled. But God's ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts than ours. Isa. 55 : 8, 9. Were it not so, we must all have perished in our sins. But it will not always be so. God's Spirit will not always strive with man. The judgment of the unreconciled is “near, even at the doors.”