Showing posts with label Pastors. Pastoral Theology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pastors. Pastoral Theology. Show all posts

Wednesday 18 May 2016

The Calling to serve God in Ministry, 2 Corinthians 3 ESV (UK), The In-depth Series



2 Corinthians 3 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Ministers of the New Covenant

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our[a] hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.[b]

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us competent[c] to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one[d] turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord[e] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[f] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.


The IVP New Testament Commentary Series
Qualifications for Ministry (3:4-6)

It is all too easy to be overly impressed with a list of credentials and to lose sight of the fact that inward change, not outward achievement, is what validates someone in God's eyes. Such a misplaced emphasis often follows from the need for some kind of objective standard by which to evaluate a person's competence. Paul faced this problem as well. So he tries to give the Corinthians an objective standard by which to judge his competency as a minister of the gospel (5:12). But he also recognizes that competency in the ministry is something that is God-given rather than humanly achieved—a fact that is often forgotten in a twentieth-century culture that is oriented toward such overt signs of approval as applause and kudos.

Paul fears that his claim to possess divine references could be construed as overconfidence. To forestall such an allegation he interjects a series of disclaimers. His first disclaimer is that such confidence as he exhibits before God is his only through Christ (v. 4). Before God is better rendered "toward God" (see note). Through Christ (dia tou Christou) defines the basis for his confidence. Paul is probably thinking of his commissioning by Christ on the road to Damascus as apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-19; 26:12-18). It was a commissioning uniquely his, yet not because of any competency that he himself possessed. Indeed, Paul freely admits elsewhere that he is the "least of the apostles" (1 Cor 15:9) and the "worst of sinners" (1 Tim 1:15). Here he merely states, as a second disclaimer, that he does not possess any competency in and of himself (v. 5). The Greek is literally "not that we are competent to reckon anything as of ourselves" (ouch hoti . . . hikanoi esmen logisasthai ti hos ex heauton). The Greek verb for to reckon means "to credit to one's own abilities." "There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work" (TEV) catches the gist of Paul's statement. Competency in our society is largely determined by whether we are able "to get the job done." Ministerial competency, by contrast, issues not from self but from God, who has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—Paul's third and final disclaimer (vv. 5-6).

Verse 6 functions as a transition to an extended treatment of the superiority of the new covenant or Spirit ministry over the old covenant or letter ministry. The emphasis throughout is on ministry. The terms diakonia (ministry) and diakonos (minister) occur five times in verses 6-11. In fact, close to 40 percent of all Pauline uses of both nominal and verbal forms appear in 2 Corinthians. Paul's point is that competence as a minister lies in the competency of the ministry represented. Paul's competence stems from being a minister of a new covenant. Diathekh should be translated covenant, not "testament" (KJV; corrected in the NKJV), and it should not be capitalized. There were no Old and New Testaments in Paul's day, only "the Scriptures." "New Testament" applies to the Christian writings that were given canonical status alongside the Jewish Scriptures. The process of canonization was a long one. Clement of Alexandria (c. 215) and Origen (c. 250) are the earliest church fathers to distinguish between "old" and "new testament" writings. Canon 59, which was issued by the Synod of Laodicea in A.D. 363, is the first church document to use the phrase "new testament" of a distinct body of literature. The actual phrase "canon of the new testament" does not appear until about A.D. 400 in Macarius Magnes's Apocriticus 4.10 (Belleville 1994:375-76).

The language of new covenant comes from Jeremiah 31:31-34, the only place in the Old Testament where this phrase occurs: " `The time is coming,' declares the LORD, `when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers.'"

A covenant, simply put, is an agreement into which too parties enter. It can be a bilateral agreement between equals or a unilateral arrangement where the terms are dictated by one, superior party. God's covenants with his people are of the latter kind.

The word new (kainos) denotes that which is qualitatively better as compared with what has existed until now (Haarbeck, Link and Brown 1976:670). This is borne out in how Paul describes the new as opposed to the old arrangement between God and his people. The character of the old covenant is that it is of letter (grammatos) and kills. The new covenant, on the other hand, is of Spirit (pneumatos) and gives life. Both nouns are in the genitive case and lack the article. Letter and Spirit are therefore descriptive terms, setting forth the quality or nature of their respective covenants. What is qualitatively better about the new covenant is that it is not a letter covenant—that is, an external code—but a Spirit covenant—that is, an internal power.  A covenant that is letter in nature kills because it makes external demands without giving the inward power for obedience, while a covenant that is Spirit in character gives life because it works internally to produce a change of nature. Paul describes this change of nature elsewhere as a "new self" created "to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24).

The Superiority of the New Covenant Minister (3:12-18)

At verse 12 Paul turns from a consideration of the merits of the old and new covenants to what it means to be a minister of each. What most likely prompts this discussion is the fact that rival missionaries at Corinth were looking to Moses as the consummate minister. Only in this way can Paul's contrast in verses 12-18 between Moses and the new covenant minister be explained. An additional reason Paul pursues what he does in these verses is the evangelistic conundrum that existed both then and now. One of the most difficult audiences to reach with the gospel today is a Jewish one. This is an amazing fact considering that the gospel is the good news of God's fulfillment through Jesus of his promises to his people Israel. The Jewishness of the gospel is reflected in the early Christian preaching that Jesus is the Messiah of Jewish expectation and in the attempt to prove from the Scriptures that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead (Acts 2:22-36; 13:26-39; 17:2-3; 18:4-5). No one struggled with this conundrum more than Paul. His own success rate among his people was so low that it caused him "great sorrow and unceasing anguish" (Rom 9:1-3). The "why" of this state of affairs was something that constantly preyed on his mind. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 is a brief version of Paul's lengthier reflections in Romans 9—11.


The Bible Panorama

2 Corinthians 3

V 1–3: SELF-COMMENDATION Paul refers to letters of introduction, often used to assure new churches that those coming to them are authentic Christians. Initially, the false apostles commended themselves. Paul says he needs no letter of commendation when coming to the Corinthian church, because they themselves are his letter of commendation. They are saved because he has been there with the gospel.
 V 4–6: SPIRIT’S CONFIDENCE He quickly adds that his confidence is not based on self-effort, but on what the Holy Spirit has done. His confidence comes because of God’s action through Christ.
V 7–11: STRIKING COMPARISON He then compares the fading glory on Moses’ face after the Ten Commandments were given, with the surpassing lasting glory through the gospel. The Ten Commandments condemn men, but the gospel saves them.
V 12–18: SUPERIOR COVENANT The Old Testament covenant can never unveil a person’s spiritual blindness. That only happens through God the Holy Spirit, when He gives understanding, transforming power, and glory through faith in Christ.

Give me a man of God—one man,
Whose faith is master of his mind,
And I will right all wrongs
And bless the name of all mankind.

Give me a man of God—one man,
Whose tongue is touched with heaven’s fire,
And I will flame the darkest hearts
With high resolve and clean desire.

Give me a man of God—one man,
One mighty prophet of the Lord,
And I will give you peace on earth,
Bought with a prayer and not a sword.

Give me a man of God—…one man,
True to the vision that he sees,
And I will build your broken shrines
And bring the nations to their knees.

- George Liddell


Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”
Oswald Chambers


Dictionary of Bible Themes
7944 ministry, qualifications for

God, who calls his people to minister, also equips his people. The chief qualifications are a response to God’s call, faithfulness, godliness and Christlikeness.
God calls people to minister
Qualification is by call, not gifting or achievement Dt 7:7-8 See also Dt 9:4-5
God calls those who the world regards as weak or foolish 1Co 1:27-29

Feelings of inadequacy to God’s call are common Ex 3:11 Moses; Jdg 6:15 Gideon; 1Sa 9:21 Saul; 1Sa 18:18 David; 1Ki 3:7 Solomon; Isa 6:5 Isaiah; Jer 1:6 Jeremiah
Responding to God’s call to minister
Readiness and availability 1Sa 3:10; Isa 6:8

Faith, rather than natural talent or moral perfection, is required Heb 11:1-2 See also Ge 27:19-24 Jacob was a deceiver; Nu 27:12-14 Moses and Aaron disobeyed God. David committed adultery and murder: 2Sa 11:4,14-15
1Ki 11:9-13 Solomon disobeyed God’s command.
NT ministers are recognised by call rather than their achievement
The Twelve Mt 10:1-4 pp Mk 3:14-19 pp Lk 6:12-16 The Twelve, including Peter and Judas, failed Jesus Christ at critical times.
Paul Ac 9:15; Ac 26:6; 2Co 4:7-12; 2Co 12:7 Though greatly gifted, Paul was kept humble by his sense of unworthiness, difficulties and disappointments and his “thorn in the flesh”; 1Ti 1:16

Ministry in the NT is described as service

Serving God Ro 1:9; Jas 1:1
Serving Jesus Christ Ro 1:1; Jude 1; Rev 1:1
Serving the gospel Eph 3:7; Col 1:23
Serving the church Ro 15:31; Ro 16:1; 1Co 16:15; 2Co 9:1; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7,25

Ministry is described in terms of its source, content or nature
Its source It is of the Spirit: 2Co 3:6,8
2Co 4:1 It is from God.
Its content Ac 6:2-4 the word of God; 2Co 5:18 reconciliation
Its nature Apostolic: Ac 1:25; Gal 2:8
Ro 15:16 priestly

Various ministries are equally linked by qualifications of character
Ac 1:21 the replacement for Judas; Ac 6:3 the Seven Overseers: 1Ti 3:2-7; Tit 1:7-9
1Ti 3:8-13 deacons; 1Ti 6:11 Timothy

The personal qualifications for ministry
Faithfulness 1Ti 6:11-14 Timothy; 2Ti 4:7 Paul’s claim for his own ministry “faithful” is the sole description of the ministries of Epaphras and Tychicus: Col 1:7; Col 4:7
Godliness Ac 8:21 Simon was not right with God. Timothy: 1Ti 6:11,20-21
Christlikeness Ac 1:21-22 The replacement apostle for Judas had to have been with Jesus Christ from the beginning.

Encyclopedia of The Bible

MINISTRY.

B. NT terms. When we turn to the NT, we are struck immediately by the obliteration of the OT distinction between professional and non-professional religious service, for here sacerdotalism has yielded to a universal priesthood constituted by Christ and shared alike by all who are united to Him in the bonds of a living faith (Phil 2:17; 1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 1:5, 6; 5:10; 20:6). Since there is no longer any elite priestly caste, but ministry is essentially and equally the privileged vocation of all, priestly language generally is applied to the body of believers as a whole.

The NT employs a variety of terms in connection with differing types and functions of ministry, both general and particular. Although each term has its own special shade of meaning, there is considerable overlapping in usage, so that even from a single point of view any number of these terms may be used to designate a particular ministration, or the one who performs it.

1. The most common NT term for ministry is διακονεῖν with its correlates. Originally signifying the service of a table waiter (cf. Luke 12:37; 17:8; John 12:2), in classical Gr. the word generally has a menial connotation. In the NT, however, where the root idea is supplying beneficial service, διακονεῖν is dignified by the highest associations and employed with a wide range of application. Christian apostles are ministers of Christ (1 Cor 3:5; 1 Tim 1:12), while even heathen magistrates are ministers of God (Rom 13:4). Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to serve the heirs of salvation (Heb 1:14). Paul says that Christ became a minister to the circumcised (Rom 15:8), while Jesus described Himself as “one who serves” (Luke 22:27). By contrast with the old ministry of the law which was a ministry of condemnation, a new ministry of the Spirit has now been inaugurated as a ministry of righteousness (2 Cor 3:7-9).

In relation to the Christian community διακονεῖν is used to denote: (1) discipleship in general (John 12:26); (2) the full sweep of ministrations and activities by means of which Christ’s work is carried on in the Church and in the world (Acts 21:19; 1 Cor 16:15; Eph 4:11; Col 4:17; 2 Tim 4:5); (3) the preaching and teaching of the Word (Acts 6:4); (4) a special divine “gift” for various spiritual and temporal services (Rom 12:7; 1 Cor 12:5); (5) specific benevolent ministries such as the distribution of welfare assistance in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 6:1), and contributions from Gentile churches for impoverished believers at Jerusalem (2 Cor 8:4); (6) personal services like those which Tychicus rendered to Paul (Eph 6:21); (7) the office of deacon (Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:8, 12).
III. The nature and purpose of ministry

A. Ministry as mission. All ministry, whether of Christ or the Church, is divine in its origin and sanction. In the fourth gospel Jesus characteristically refers to Himself as having been sent by God, thereby claiming both a general divine commission and specific divine authority for utterances and actions which sometimes outraged the religious scruples of His contemporaries (John 5:36, 37; 6:29ff.; 7:28, 29, etc.; cf. Matt 15:24; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; 10:16). He employs the same language when commissioning His disciples to carry on His ministry after His Ascension (John 20:21). The Church’s ministry is a mission, and in rendering its service to the world the Church demonstrates its obedience to the command of its Lord (Matt 28:18-20).

B. Ministry as service. To describe the Church’s ministry, the NT writers chose out of various possibilities the word διακονία, G1355, a familiar term for lowly service, which they apply indiscriminately to the service of all believers alike. The comprehensiveness of this term is brought out by its wealth of association in the NT. Apostles and their co-workers are διάκονοι of God (2 Cor 6:4; 1 Thess 3:2), of Christ (2 Cor 11:23; Col 1:7; 1 Tim 4:6), of a new covenant (2 Cor 3:6), of the Gospel (Eph 3:7; Col 1:23), of the Church (1:24, 25), or in an absolute sense (1 Cor 3:5; Eph 6:21; Col 4:7). Ministry likewise is a διακονία, G1355, of apostleship (Acts 1:17, 25), of the Word (Acts 6:4), of the Spirit (2 Cor 3:8), of righteousness (3:9), of reconciliation (5:18), of serving tables (Acts 6:2), and of financial aid for fellow believers in distress (2 Cor 8:4; cf. 8:19, 20). It is received from the Lord (Col 4:17), who calls all His followers to participate in it (Eph 4:12). It should be noted that Christian ministry is not exclusively oriented to the spiritual, but encompasses the physical dimensions of life as well (cf. Rom 15:25).

The spirit of humility which animates Christian ministry, already evident in the term διακονία, G1355, is intensified when believers are called slaves of Christ and of God (Acts 4:29; 1 Cor 7:22; 1 Pet 2:16; cf. Rom 12:11; 1 Thess 1:9). No ground for human vanity and pride remains when even apostles bear the name of slave (Rom 1:1; James 1:1; Jude 1). Yet where gratitude reigns in hearts redeemed by the Lord who took the lowest place of service in love (Phil 2:7, 8), offering His life as a ransom for His own (Mark 10:45), even the calling to be His slave is gladly embraced as the noblest, most privileged vocation of all.

B. The charismatic character of ministry. The NT identifies all forms of ministry as divine “gifts” (χάρισμα, G5922, grace-gift) of the ascended Lord who bestows them on the Church through His Spirit (Eph 4:7-12). These gifts, which are wholly of grace—the same grace which is the source of the believer’s justification
1. Necessity. Possession of a supernatural endowment of the Spirit is indispensable for effective ministry. The NT envisions no possibility of service whatever apart from the Spirit’s gifts. It is misleading, therefore, to distinguish between so-called “charismatic ministries” (prophecy, tongues, miracles, etc.) and “non-charismatic” ministerial orders (elder and deacon). All of the essential functions associated with ministerial orders in the NT are included in the Pauline catalogues of spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11, 28-31; 14:1ff.; Eph 4:11, 12). The same apostle further regarded elders, who presumably held their office by some manner of human selection and ordination, as appointed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). Since the apostolic Church required satisfactory evidence that a person was filled with the Holy Spirit before entrusting him with the most ordinary service (6:3), one may assume that candidates for official ministerial orders were chosen from among those persons in whom the Spirit’s gifts were most conspicuous. In any event, all ministry is charismatic, so that it is the Spirit’s gifts which decisively qualify men for service.

2. Diversity. All gifts originate with the same Spirit; however, they display a diversity which accords with the division of labor within the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:4-11). The grace of the Spirit assumes many varieties of forms and flows through many different channels. Although useful in their own right, not all gifts are of equal value. Paul regarded tongues, for example, as inferior to prophecy (1 Cor 14:1-5), while esteeming love as the highest gift of all (1 Cor 13, which follows without interruption the detailed discussion of gifts in ch. 12).

3. Universality. Just as every organ in the human body performs its own unique function, so every member of the body of Christ has his special contribution to make to the well-being and usefulness of the whole (1 Cor 12:7; Eph 4:7, 16; 1 Pet 4:10). The NT is entirely innocent of the common distinction between clergy and laity, which regards the clergy as “ministers” and the laity as mere spectators. Laity (λαός, G3295) means the people of God and embraces all members of Christ’s body, while all members are His servants. In sovereign freedom the Spirit distributes to individual believers the gifts that render their service possible (1 Cor 12:11). While the same believer may possess multiple endowments (2 Tim 1:11), there is no monopoly of the Spirit’s gifts. Every believer has one gift or more, held in trust for the common good.

4. Sufficiency. All ministry is designed to build up the body of Christ in living union with its Head (1 Cor 14:3ff.; Eph 4:11, 12). Determined in accordance with this purpose, the Spirit’s gifts are by their very nature and bestowal the pledge and guarantee of its fulfillment. Nothing else is needed. Drawing on its vast wealth of spiritual resources the ministering Church advances toward its completeness in Christ.

C. Varieties of spiritual gifts. Of the several passages in which Paul catalogues the Spirit’s gifts three deserve special notice. Romans 12:6-8 lists prophecy, service (διακονία, G1355), teaching, exhortation, liberality, giving of aid (rule, KJV, or management), and acts of mercy. 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 mentions apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in tongues, and interpreters of tongues. Ephesians 4:11, 12 specifies apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

4. Teachers and Pastors. That persons who had the gift of teaching were highly esteemed in the apostolic Church is evident from their association with apostles and prophets (Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 14:28; cf. 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11). Including women in their number (Titus 2:3-5), they gave instruction in matters of Christian faith and ethical duty. In the Gentile churches esp. they trained converts from paganism in the knowledge and interpretation of the OT, while they also expounded the words of Jesus and the apostolic doctrine contained in the growing body of tradition. They sometimes actively participated in the services of worship (1 Cor 14:26), but much of their ministry was conducted more informally among groups of believers. In Ephesians 4:11 teachers are also called “pastors” (ποιμήν, G4478, shepherd), a term which suggests general oversight of a local congregation, as well as instruction.

SOVEREIGN GOD,

Thy cause, not my own, engages my heart,
      and I appeal to thee with greatest freedom
  to set up thy kingdom in every place
    where Satan reigns;
Glorify thyself and I shall rejoice,
  for to bring honour to thy name is my sole desire.
I adore thee that thou art God,
  and long that others should know it, feel it,
    and rejoice in it.
O that all men might love and praise thee,
  that thou mightest have all glory
    from the intelligent world!
Let sinners be brought to thee for thy dear name!
To the eye of reason everything respecting
    the conversion of others is as dark as midnight,
But thou canst accomplish great things;
  the cause is thine,
  and it is to thy glory that men should be saved.
Lord, use me as thou wilt,
  do with me what thou wilt;
    but, O, promote thy cause,
  let thy kingdom come,
  let thy blessed interest be advanced
    in this world!
O do thou bring in great numbers to Jesus!
  let me see that glorious day,
  and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;
  let me be willing to die to that end;
  and while I live let me labour for thee
    to the utmost of my strength,
    spending time profitably in this work,
    both in health and in weakness.
It is thy cause and kingdom I long for,
    not my own.

Valley of Vision, Banner of Truth

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" —Isaiah 6:8

When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not ours. God providentially weaves the threads of His call through our lives, and only we can distinguish them. It is the threading of God’s voice directly to us over a certain concern, and it is useless to seek another person’s opinion of it. Our dealings over the call of God should be kept exclusively between ourselves and Him.


The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God. But when God brings me into the right relationship with Himself, I will be in the same condition Isaiah was. Isaiah was so attuned to God, because of the great crisis he had just endured, that the call of God penetrated his soul. The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.

Ephesians 4:11-16English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)


11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers,[b] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[c] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Read more of the series here


Wednesday 11 May 2016

Standing Firm, Standing Strong The Holy Spirit's work in our Sanctification. 2 Corinthians 1 New Living Translation



2 Corinthians 1 New Living Translation (NLT)

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece.[a]

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

God Offers Comfort to All

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters,[b] about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

Paul’s Change of Plans
12 We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness[c] and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. 13 Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, 14 even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus[d] returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.

15 Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you a double blessing by visiting you twice— 16 first on my way to Macedonia and again when I returned from Macedonia.[e] Then you could send me on my way to Judea.

17 You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say “Yes” when they really mean “No”? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” 19 For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas,[f] Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. 20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

23 Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn’t return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. 24 But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.







Beneath The Waters (I Will Rise) - Hillsong Live


The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

Third Complaint: A Domineering Attitude (1:23—2:4)

We live in a day when the exercise of discipline in the church is fast disappearing or being replaced by self-image reinforcement, while in the home it is often frowned on as being antiquated or bordering on abuse. Yet discipline is firmly rooted in the biblical record, where it is presented as a positive, not negative, model. The preeminent model is God himself, whose dealings with his people are often pictured in terms of a parent-child relationship. Central to this relationship is discipline. It is a measure of God's love that he disciplines his children (Prov 3:11-12), but it is not without personal cost. In Hosea 11:8-9 God is portrayed as a parent pacing the floor, anguishing over the need to discipline his wayward child, Israel. Paul similarly anguishes over the need to discipline the Corinthian church.

In 1:23—2:4 Paul tells the Corinthians why he did not carry out his Corinth—Macedonia—Corinth travel plan. Today, to guarantee the truthfulness of what we are about to say, we use such phrases as "with God as my witness" or "I swear to tell the truth." Paul begins by swearing an oath in the strongest terms possible. I call God as my witness is literally "I call upon God as a witness against (epi) my soul (psychen)." With this imprecation Paul invokes the wrath of God against himself (v. 23). He is willing to forfeit his very life if he is found not to be telling the truth. The term soul is commonly used in the New Testament of the "self." Paul employs it of the inner life of a person—equivalent to the ego or personality (e.g., Rom 2:9; 11:3; 13:1; 16:4; 1 Cor 15:45; 2 Cor 12:15). That Paul would bind himself in this way points to the seriousness with which he viewed the Corinthian accusation.

Legal terminology predominates in these verses. Paul pictures himself on trial in a court of law. To call upon (epikaloumai) is a common legal term in the Old Testament for summoning witnesses to a trial—equivalent to our subpoena today. Under Jewish law any matter had to be verified by too or three witnesses (Deut 19:15; compare 17:6). Since there are no human witnesses who could testify about the intentions of his heart, Paul calls on God as his sole witness to testify to the fact that it was to spare the Corinthians that he did not pay them a return visit. Pastoral concern, not fickleness, caused him to change his travel plans.

But from what did Paul want to spare them? It is clear from his remarks both here and in chapter 13 that had he come again he would have had to discipline them (13:1-10), and this would have caused them grief (2:2). Paul exercised discipline very unwillingly and only as a last resort. When he did rebuke a church, it was done in love, never merely to hurt but to restore a broken relationship (2:4).

All of us who teach or pastor face the danger of thinking that our job is to force others to think as we do. So Paul immediately throws in a qualifier. To talk about sparing them discipline could sound like a threat. It could seem as if he is attempting to lord it over their faith (v. 24). On the contrary, he and his colleagues work together with them (synergoi) to secure their joy. When Paul rebuked, the last thing he wanted was to play the bully. Nor could he bully them if he wanted to, because it is by faith, not by pastoral coercion, that they stand firm.

In 2:1-4 Paul goes on to tell the Corinthians why he did not pay them a return visit. I made up my mind, he says, that I would not make another painful visit to you (v. 1). I made up my mind is literally "I judged this for myself," indicating a settled and carefully weighed decision. The reason he gives for his decision is that his visiting them at this time would cause them to be sad and then there would be no one to make him glad (v. 2). So intimately was Paul's happiness bound up with theirs that he refrained from coming until it would be a time of gladness and nurture for both. So instead of paying them yet another painful visit, he decided to send them a letter that was intended to show how much he loved them but which caused him many tears to write due to its harsh character (vv. 3-4).

The events surrounding this painful visit and "severe letter" can be reconstructed to a large extent from 1 and 2 Corinthians (see the introduction). It appears that the relationship between Paul and the Corinthians deteriorated when a group within the church began to question his authority. There were "some" who were arrogantly claiming that Paul was not coming back to Corinth (1 Cor 4:18). They were also becoming suspicious of him because he would not accept financial assistance but worked instead to support himself (1 Cor 9:1-18). Perhaps, they thought, this was because Paul was not truly an apostle. News of this deteriorating situation reached Paul and resulted in a visit that was painful for both him and the Corinthians. It seems that during his visit someone in the congregation publicly insulted him and challenged his authority, demanding proof that Christ was speaking through him (13:3). What was particularly hurtful for Paul was the fact that the church sat by and did nothing to support him. After issuing a strong word of warning (13:2), he returned to Ephesus, abandoning his plan to visit the Macedonian churches, revisit Corinth (1:16) and then go on to Jerusalem with the relief funds that had been collected from the Gentile churches.

When Paul returned to Ephesus he wrote the church a "severe letter" by means of which he hoped to avoid another painful encounter with them (2 Cor 1:23). In this letter he called for the Corinthians to discipline the individual who had "caused" him "grief" (2:5-11), rebuked the church for not coming to his aid (7:8-12), tested their obedience to apostolic authority (7:14-15) and questioned their personal support (2:3; 7:12-13). That this was a difficult letter for Paul to write is clear from his statement that he wrote it out of great distress and anguish of heart with many tears (2:4). Thlipsis (distress) and synoche (anguish) are virtual syno-nymns for personal pain brought about by oppressive circumstances. Here, they refer to the deep emotional turmoil that Paul experienced as he wrote this letter to the Corinthians, very much like the anxiety a parent feels when faced with the prospect of exercising discipline.


Disciplining a child is never an easy matter. That discipline can be motivated by love is exceedingly difficult for a child to comprehend. It must have been hard too for the Corinthians, who were "grieved" by the severity of Paul's letter (v. 4). Nonetheless, Paul intended that by this letter they might know the depth of [the] love he had for his spiritual children (v. 4). Love, which stands in an emphatic position in the clause, is the primary reason he gives for writing. It is all too easy to allow personal feelings to get in the way of ministry. But this was not the case with Paul. He could have used this letter to vent his anger and disappointment with his spiritual children. Instead, he saw past his own pain to what was needful from the pastoral standpoint.



Matthew Henry's Commentary

Verses 15-24

The apostle here vindicates himself from the imputation of levity and inconstancy, in that he did not hold his purpose of coming to them at Corinth. His adversaries there sought all occasions to blemish his character, and reflect upon his conduct; and, it seemed, they took hold of this handle to reproach his person and discredit his ministry. Now, for his justification,

I. He avers the sincerity of his intention (2 Cor. 1:15-17), and he does this in confidence of their good opinion of him, and that they would believe him, when he assured them he was minded, or did really intend, to come to them, and that with the design, not that he might receive, but that they might receive a second benefit, that is, a further advantage by his ministry. He tells them that he had not herein used lightness (2 Cor. 1:17), that, as he aimed not at any secular advantage to himself (for his purpose was not according to the flesh, that is, with carnal views and aims), so it was not a rash and inconsiderate resolution that he had taken up, for he had laid his measures thus of passing by them to Macedonia, and coming again to them from Macedonia in his way to Judea (2 Cor. 1:16), and therefore they might conclude that it was for some weighty reasons that he had altered his purpose; and that with him there was not yea yea, and nay nay, 2 Cor. 1:17. He was not to be accused of levity and inconstancy, nor a contradiction between his words and intentions. Note, Good men should be careful to preserve the reputation of sincerity and constancy; they should not resolve but upon mature deliberation, and they will not change their resolves but for weighty reasons.

II. He would not have the Corinthians to infer that his gospel was false or uncertain, nor that it was contradictory in itself, nor unto truth, 2 Cor. 1:18, 19. For if it had been so, that he had been fickle in his purposes, or even false in the promises he made of coming to them (which he was not justly to be accused of, and so some understand his expression, 2 Cor. 1:18; Our word towards you was not yea and nay), yet it would not follow that the gospel preached not only by him, but also by others in full agreement with him, was either false or doubtful. For God is true, and the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is true. The true God, and eternal life. Jesus Christ, whom the apostle preached, is not yea and nay, but in him was yea (2 Cor. 1:19), nothing but infallible truth. And the promises of God in Christ are not yea and nay, but yea and amen, 2 Cor. 1:20. There is an inviolable constancy and unquestionable sincerity and certainty in all the parts of the gospel of Christ. If in the promises that the ministers of the gospel make as common men, and about their own affairs, they see cause sometimes to vary from them, yet the promises of the gospel covenant, which they preach, stand firm and inviolable. Bad men are false; good men are fickle; but God is true, neither fickle nor false. The apostle, having mentioned the stability of the divine promises, makes a digression to illustrate this great and sweet truth, that all the promises of God are yea and amen. For, 1. They are the promises of the God of truth (2 Cor. 1:20), of him that cannot lie, whose truth as well as mercy endureth for ever. 2. They are made in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20), the Amen, the true and faithful witness; he hath purchased and ratified the covenant of promises, and is the surety of the covenant, Heb. 7:22. 3. They are confirmed by the Holy Spirit. He does establish Christians in the faith of the gospel; he has anointed them with his sanctifying grace, which in scripture is often compared to oil; he has sealed them, for their security and confirmation; and he is given as an earnest in their hearts, 2 Cor. 1:21, 22. An earnest secures the promise, and is part of the payment. The illumination of the Spirit is an earnest of everlasting life; and the comforts of the Spirit are an earnest of everlasting joy. Note, The veracity of God, the mediation of Christ, and the operation of the Spirit, are all engaged that the promises shall be sure to all the seed, and the accomplishment of them shall be to the glory of God (2 Cor. 1:20) for the glory of his rich and sovereign grace, and never-failing truth and faithfulness.

III. The apostle gives a good reason why he did not come to Corinth, as was expected, 2 Cor. 1:23. It was that he might spare them. They ought therefore to own his kindness and tenderness. He knew there were things amiss among them, and such as deserved censure, but was desirous to show tenderness. He assures them that this is the true reason, after this very solemn manner: I call God for a record upon my soul—a way of speaking not justifiable where used in trivial matters; but this was very justifiable in the apostle, for his necessary vindication, and for the credit and usefulness of his ministry, which was struck at by his opposers. He adds, to prevent mistakes, that he did not pretend to have any dominion over their faith, 2 Cor. 1:24. Christ only is the Lord of our faith; he is the author and finisher of our faith, Heb. 12:2. He reveals to us what we must believe. Paul, and Apollos, and the rest of the apostles, were but ministers by whom they believed (1 Cor. 3:5), and so the helpers of their joy, even the joy of faith. For by faith we stand firmly, and live safely and comfortably. Our strength and ability are owing to faith, and our comfort and joy must flow from faith.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

6746 sanctification, means and results of

Sanctification results from the renewing work of the Holy Spirit and leads to the renewal of believers and their being equipped for ministry in the world.

The means of sanctification

The work of the Holy Spirit 1Co 6:11 See also Ro 8:9-11; Ro 15:15-16; 1Co 12:13; 2Co 1:21-22; Eph 1:13-14; 2Th 2:13; Tit 3:4-7; 1Pe 1:1-2

Meditation on the Scriptures 1Pe 2:2-3 See also Dt 11:18; Ps 119:12-18,48; Ps 143:5-6; Jn 17:17; Col 3:16; Jas 1:25

The active pursuit of holiness and righteousness 1Ti 6:11-12 See also 2Co 7:1; Gal 5:24; Eph 4:1; 1Th 5:22; 1Pe 2:9-12; 3Jn 11

Obedience and self-denial Ro 6:19-22; Ro 8:5-14; Gal 2:20; Gal 5:16-24; 1Pe 2:11

Prayer Ps 145:18 See also Mt 7:7-8; Ac 4:31; 1Ti 4:4; Jas 5:16; Jude 20

Confession of sin 1Jn 1:9 See also Ne 1:6-9; Ps 32:5; Ps 40:11-12; Pr 28:13; Isa 64:5-7; Jer 14:20-22; La 3:40

Obstacles to sanctification

A lack of faith Mt 5:13; Jn 15:6; 2Co 12:20-21; 1Ti 1:18-19

Rebellion against God Eze 18:24 See also Dt 32:15-18; Job 34:26; Isa 65:11-12; Gal 1:6-7; Gal 5:7-9; Heb 12:15; Rev 2:4-5

Satanic temptation 1Pe 5:8-9 See also Ac 5:3; 2Co 2:8-11; Jas 4:7

Self-indulgence and greed Lk 12:15 See also Lk 21:34; Ro 13:13; 2Co 12:21; Eph 4:19

Yielding to sinful desires 1Pe 1:14 See also Mk 4:18-19; 1Co 10:6-8; 1Pe 2:11; 2Pe 2:14-18; 1Jn 2:16-17

The results of sanctification

Good works 2Co 9:8 See also Eph 2:10; Col 1:10; Col 3:15-17; 2Th 2:16-17; Heb 10:24-25; Jas 2:14-26

Becoming like Jesus Christ 1Pe 2:21 See also Jn 13:15; Ro 8:28-30; 1Co 11:1; 2Co 3:18; Gal 3:27; 1Jn 3:2-3

Becoming like God Mt 5:48; Eph 5:1-2; Col 1:21-22

Perfection Mt 5:48 See also 2Co 13:11; Col 1:28

Blamelessness in the sight of God 2Pe 3:14 See also Eph 1:4; Col 1:21-22; 1Th 5:23

Being able to see God Heb 12:14

Dictionary of Bible Themes
3233 Holy Spirit, and sanctification

The work of the Holy Spirit in enabling believers to lead holy lives, dedicated to the service of God and conformed to his likeness.

The Spirit of holiness is promised

Mt 3:11 pp Lk 3:16 “fire” implies the Holy Spirit’s work of purification and judgment.

Sanctification is a special work of the Holy Spirit

Ro 15:16 See also 1Co 6:11; Gal 5:5; 1Pe 1:2

The Holy Spirit requires believers to be sanctified

2Th 2:13 Sanctification is a necessary part of being a Christian. See also 1Co 6:18-19

The Holy Spirit enables believers to be sanctified

Ro 8:4 See also Ro 8:13; Eph 5:18

The Holy Spirit produces sanctification

Gal 5:22-23 See also Ro 14:17; 2Ti 1:7

The process of sanctification

The Holy Spirit makes believers more like Jesus Christ 2Co 3:18

The Holy Spirit helps mortify sinful human nature Ro 8:13 See also Gal 5:17

The Holy Spirit is opposed to natural desires Gal 5:16-17 See also Ro 8:5-9; Jude 19

Examples of people sanctified by the Holy Spirit

Joshua: Nu 27:18 fn; Dt 34:9 fn
Lk 2:25 Simeon The deacons in Jerusalem: Ac 6:3,5
Ac 11:24 Barnabas; 2Co 6:6 Paul and his companions

The process of sanctification

1.      The Holy Spirit makes believers more like Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 3:16-18New Living Translation (NLT)

16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

2.    The Holy Spirit helps mortify sinful human nature

Galatians 5:16-26New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh [a]sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you [b]please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: [c]immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, [d]factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who [e]belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also [f]walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

3.     The Holy Spirit is opposed to natural desires

Romans 8:5-9English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

4.    The Holy Spirit enables believers to be sanctified

Ephesians 5:15-18Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Consistency in the Christian Life

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time,[a] because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit:

5.     The Holy Spirit produces sanctification

Galatians 5:22-25New American Standard Bible (NASB)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who [a]belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also [b]walk by the Spirit.

Encyclopedia of The Bible

SANCTIFICATION (קָדﯴשׁ, H7705, ἁγιασμός, G40, santification, moral purity, sanctity; cf. Lat. sanctus facere, “to make holy”). One of the most important concepts in Biblical and historical theology, this term and its cognates appear more than a thousand times in the Scriptures. Sanctification may be defined as the process of acquiring sanctity or holiness as a result of association with deity. Its synonyms are consecration, dedication, holiness, and perfection.

II. In the New Testament

A.   Vocabulary. Perhaps the most important Gr. term for sanctification is hagiasmos, which connotes the state of grace or sanctity not inherent in its subject, but the result of outside action. The term occurs ten times in the NT (Rom 6:19, 20; 1 Cor 1:30; 1 Thess 4:3, 4, 7; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Tim 2:15; Heb 12:14; 1 Pet 1:2). The act of sanctifying is expressed by the verb hagiazo which occurs some thirty-six times and in several cases means moral purification (John 17:17, 19; Acts 20:32; Eph 5:26; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Tim 2:21; Heb 13:12; 1 Pet 3:15). The noun hagios, tr. “saint” sixty-one times, was the common NT designation of a believer. It means that such a person is now separated from the world and joined to Christ (1 Cor 1:2; cf. Num 16:3-10; 2 Chron 23:6). In Ephesians hagios is joined with amomos where the church is described as being “holy and blameless” (Eph 1:4; 5:27), the latter term referring to the unblemished sacrificial victim, and twice used of Christ (Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19; cf. Lev 22:21). Thrice hagiosune is used of moral purity which the Gospel requires and imparts (Rom 1:4; 2 Cor 7:1; 1 Thess 3:1

3. The sanctification of the believer a. Positionally. Positional sanctification is also properly called status sanctification or cultic sanctification. What was the predominant meaning in the OT is retained, but to a lesser degree in several NT passages. The meaning of separation with reference to gifts to God is clear (Matt 23:19—“the altar that sanctifieth the gift” [KJV]; cf. Rom 15:16 RSV; 1 Tim 4:5) and with reference to believers (1 Cor 1:2—“sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,” hagioi; cf. Rom 1:7). The Corinthian believers were “sanctified” in the sense of being set apart and yet remained “carnal” or unsanctified spiritually. Sanctification in this sense is attributive or imputational; it designates one’s status, position, or relationship, and not necessarily one’s nature or spiritual condition. It is imputed righteousness or justification.

b. Progressive. Initial or progressive sanctification begins in the believer from the moment of his becoming “in Christ.” Actual sanctification is the most common usage of the term; it designates imparted righteousness. Progressive sanctification occurs when one becomes a “partaker of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4), a “new creation in Christ” (2 Cor 5:17), or is “born anew” (John 3:5, 8). It involves not only a changed relationship to God but also a changed nature, a real as well as a relative change. Among the passages which stress this aspect of sanctification are Acts 26:18; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11; and Hebrews 9:14 (cf. Rom 5:1-4; 2 Cor 5:17; James 1:21; 1 Pet 1:3, 22, 23; 2:1). The epistle to the Hebrews, in particular, speaks of initial sanctification in this manner, thus linking the OT and the NT concept and nomenclature (Heb 2:11; 8:10; 9:14; 10:10, 14; 13:12) and making it the equivalent of regeneration.

c. Entirely. Entire sanctification is the most debatable aspect of the subject. All major theological traditions agree with reference to sanctification up to this point. The Reformed traditions, Orthodox, and Catholic do not, however, find in Scripture or in experience provision for full deliverance from sin while “in the flesh.” This may be attributable in part to the influence of oriental dualism imported into Christian theology via Augustine who was influenced by a Manichaean philosophy before he became a Christian.

Those who find in Scripture and in grace provision for complete victory over sin prior to death are many in the Arminian, Pietist, Quaker, and Wesleyan traditions. Caspar Schwenk-feld, a contemporary of Luther, was among the earliest of the reformers to call for a “reformation of the Reformation” and to protest against a tendency to an accommodation of sin in some Catholic and Reformation theology.

Basic to the concept of entire sanctification is one’s concept of sin. If his definition of sin is influenced by hamartia (ἁμαρτία, G281), i.e. any want of full conformity to the will of God, then sanctification can hardly be “entire” or complete. If, however, like Wesley, he stresses sin as anomia (ἀνομία, G490), lawlessness (1 John 3:4), i.e. a conscious and deliberate departure from the known will of God, then he may embrace promises which offer entire sanctification as a gift of grace (Rom 6:1-23; 1 Thess 5:23; 1 John 3:3). Such readers gather from Scripture (Matt 5:8; John 17:17; Rom 6:6-19; 2 Cor 7:1; Eph 4:24; 5:26; Phil 2:15; Col 1:22; 1 Thess 3:13; 5:23; and 1 Pet 1:16, among other passages) that the call to salvation is nothing less than a call to full deliverance from indwelling sins of attitude and motive as well as deeds. The position of the Scriptures which can be cited in support of entire sanctification is both negative and positive.

The negative aspect: Paul, after reminding his readers that as “holy ones” (hagioi) they are temples of God (2 Cor 1:2; 6:16), exhorts them: “Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1). The negative aspect is seen in the command for cleansing from all “defilement” (molusmos), a pollution that is both religious (disloyalty to God) and ethical (association with iniquity, 2 Cor 6:14) and yet that to which the “saints” are subject.

The positive aspect is seen in the command to “perfect” or bring to completion the quality of holiness (hagiosune) which is now only potential. That this is a present option is apparent from the tense of the verbs and also from the closing words of the letter—“Be perfect” (KJV, καταρτίζεσθε).

C. Crisis or process?The evidence from Scripture, reason, and experience leads to the conclusion that sanctification is both process and crisis. The process begins when one is “risen with Christ” in the new birth. Paul’s emphasis on faith blends well with this emphasis upon a stage in the Christian’s life when he recognizes his inner defilement, deliberately renounces a self-centeredness, and embraces by faith God’s provision in Christ for full deliverance and perfection in love (Col 1:22; 1 Thess 5:23; Eph 3:19; Rom 6:11-14; Gal 2:20).

“This conscious self-consecration to the indwelling Spirit...is uniformly represented as a single act...(2 Cor 7:11)...Such an awakening and real consecration...was rather a thing of definite decision (expressed by the aorist, Rom 13:14; Col 1:9f.; Eph 6:11, 13-16) than of vaguely protracted process (expressed by presents)” (Bartlet, HDB, IV, 393).

The call to sanctification is nowhere sounded more urgently than in Romans, where Paul, after explaining justification and its results (Rom 3:21-5:21), makes it emphatically clear that the Christian is to make no provision for residual sin (6:1-23). In the light of its context the struggle with indwelling sin in Romans 7 is not the description of the normal “saint” but rather the futility of justification by law, apart from Christ (7:24-8:1, 2). The same call to holy living is sounded in several other epistles including Colossians (1:22, 28; 3:1-15), Galatians (5:1, 13) and 1 Thessalonians (3:13; 5:23). In the latter the call is sometimes interpreted as an eschatological event in the future. In several passages (Col 1:23; 1 Thess 5:23; 1 John 3:3) the future is the climax, but there is little if any exegetical ground for concluding that full deliverance from sin must wait until the soul is separated from the body.

D. Actual or potential?Sanctification, defined broadly as the work of God’s grace in man’s perfection in righteousness, begins when he becomes a believer and hence is “in Christ.” It continues progressively until death brings him into Christ’s presence unless he “does despite to the Spirit of grace.” It is only as one by dedication and faith realizes in actuality what is provided in the atonement that this grace is experienced; it does not follow as a matter of course, as the exhortations in the NT imply. Parallel to the work of sanctification is the infilling of the Holy Spirit in the believer, perfection in love, having the “mind of Christ,” and “walking as he walked.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you [a]from the beginning for salvation [b]through sanctification [c]by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, [d]that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter [e]from us.

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.




Be Blessed today

Yours by His Grace, for the sake of His Church and His Kingdom

Blair Humphreys,

Southport, Merseyside, England




Today's post

Jesus Christ, The Same Yesterday, Today and Forever

I had the privilege to be raised in a Christian Home and had the input of my parents and grandparents into my life, they were ...