The Prayerful Life

Matthew 6 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Giving to the needy

6 ‘Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² ‘So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer

⁵ ‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹ ‘This, then, is how you should pray:

‘“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]”

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

¹⁶ ‘When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in heaven

¹⁹ ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,^[c] your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy,^[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

²⁴ ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Do not worry

²⁵ ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

²⁸ ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin.²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Encyclopedia of The Bible

PRAYER (תְּפִלָּה, H9525, prayer; פָּלַל֮, H7137, to intervene,interpose, arbitrate, mediate, intercede, pray; προσευχή, G4666,prayer, place for prayer, chapel; προσεύχομαι, G4667, to pray).

The doctrine of prayer is no appendix added on after one has completed his doctrines of God and man. A view of prayer is implicit in one’s view of God’s relation to the world and man’s relation to God. Therefore a Biblical doctrine of prayer is most meaningfully integrated with an entire theology that is Scriptural.

Having seen the relevance for prayer of God’s grace disclosed in Christ, it remains to formulate a full-orbed perspective of prayer as response to God’s written Word and in obedience to it, prayer as request to the Lord of all.

A. Response. Man’s prayerful response to the living God includes: faith (in his deed/word revelation), worship, confession, adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and dedicated action.

1. Faith. All the above views, in spite of their differences, agree that in the Bible are no true propositions about “the other side.” Prayer, if not mere human reflection and action, is thought to be an ecstatic experience of the ineffable, or a personal communion with a dumb God. In contrast, the Biblical view affirms that God not only acted awesomely in history, but also spoke truthfully through prophets and apostles. God inspired the inscripturation of their words to inform us about Himself, His redemptive plans, and the place of prayer in them. The Bible is not merely the testimony of prayerful men to God, but God’s gracious disclosure of Himself to men. The most meaningful prayer comes from a heart of trust in the God who has spoken.

The best spiritual reading, which takes prime place over all others, is holy Scripture: because it is the very word of God, no other reading can compare with it in its power to inspire prayer, firstly because it operates directly within our souls, moving them interiorly by the action of grace, and secondly because, since it is God Himself who speaks in its pages, it unites us to him in a true dialogue, a dialogue in which our souls respond in faith, hope, love, adoration, praise, thanksgiving and petition to what God himself is telling us in the sacred text (136).

The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible to be received with faith in it as the Word of a personal God to men as persons. Genuine encounter with God does not exalt some interpretation of religious experience above God’s own written Word. Prayer is response to the God who has acted in history and who has spoken truth. Since the completion of the canon, the Bible has been the primary bearer of divine revelation.

The Holy Spirit also illumines those who believingly read the Scripture. Of course, there can be a mechanical use of the Bible that kills the life of prayer. Andrew Murray said:

But there is also a reading of the Word, in the very presence of the Father, and under the leading of the Spirit, in which the Word comes to us in living power from God Himself; it is to us the very voice of the Father, a real personal fellowship with Himself. It is the living voice of God that enters the heart, that brings blessing and strength, and awakens the response of a living faith that reaches the heart of God again (With Christ in the School of Prayer, 173).

Because the Holy Spirit has chosen to work in conjunction with the living and written Word, prayer is often associated with the Word in the NT. The apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). Doors would open to the ministry of the Word as Christians prayed (Col 4:3; 2 Thess 3:1). Everything in God’s creation received with thanksgiving can be consecrated “by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim 4:5). Those who would secularize everything sacred might listen to E. M. Bounds’ comment, “Prayer joined to the Word of God, hallows and makes sacred all God’s gifts....Prayer makes common things holy and secular things sacred” (The Necessity of Prayer, 127).

NIV Application Commentary

The proper priority (6:33). Jesus’ reasoning culminates in the famous directive, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” This climactic admonition draws the listeners back to the key verse of the sermon, where Jesus declared, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (5:20). The use of the imperative “seek” does not mean to look for something not present, for Jesus has already announced the arrival of the kingdom. In this context it means that his disciples are to make the kingdom of heaven the center of their continual, daily priorities. They have already entered the kingdom of heaven and are to live with that reality, drawing on God’s ordering of their daily lives. In doing so they will “seek … his righteousness.”

The conjunction of righteousness and the kingdom maintains a special theme in the SM (5:6, 10, 20; 6:1). It does not mean to pursue salvation, because the disciples’ entrance to the kingdom secured them that kind of “imputed” righteousness (5:20). It means that they are to pursue their experiential growth of “imparted” righteousness, which is to pursue the increasing perfection of the Father (5:48) through their practice of “acts of righteousness” (6:1). The theological articulation of these themes becomes a major focus of the early church, especially Paul. But their foundation is laid in Jesus’ teaching here. When his disciples pursue God’s kingdom and his righteousness in their daily priorities and activities, they will have all of their needs met by their ever-caring, ever-watching heavenly Father—“and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Eliminating worry (6:34). Having given the climactic imperative to guide every area of the disciples’ lives, Jesus returns to the specific issue—worry about God’s daily care for their needs. If God’s ordering of the disciples’ lives includes his provision for all of their daily needs, “therefore” one certainly should not worry about tomorrow. Learned reliance on God’s care for present needs will cause his disciples to develop trust in him for their future needs. The two expressions in this verse, “for tomorrow will worry about itself” and “each day has enough trouble of its own,” reiterate the same basic truth. All the worry in the world today can do nothing about the cares and problems of tomorrow. As disciples learn to let God care for them today, including their “daily bread” (6:11), they will become increasingly secure in his care for them tomorrow, regardless of whatever evil may come.

The Bible Panorama

Matthew 6

V 1–18: SECRECY Secrecy in giving (verses 1 to 4), praying (verses 5 to 8), and fasting (verses 16 to 18) is taught by Jesus. It is in this context that the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer (verses 9 to 15) is given. This contrasts with the hypocrisy of men, which is encountered in this chapter. 

V 19–23: SIMPLICITY Our attitude to wealth should be such that we are not seeking to live to gain money. Our heart is where our treasure is, and that should be in spiritual things. We also need simplicity to look honestly at the darkness inside us and have it dealt with by the Light of the world.

V 24: SINGULARITY The Christian must be single-minded in serving God and not ‘mammon’. Mammon stands for being dominated by money and materialistic considerations. 

V 25–34: SERENITY Nature tells us that God cares even for birds and flowers. Those with a special relationship with God should not worry, therefore, about provision of needs, now or in the future, but seek to please God first by seeking as a priority His kingdom and His righteousness. (This is not to encourage laziness but to underline the need for faith and trust.)

Dictionary of Bible Themes

8605 prayer, and God’s will

Prayer is concerned not only with the well-being of the one who prays. A vital aspect of its purpose is to allow the will of God to be done, and to bring glory and honour to his name.

True motives for prayer

The desire that God’s name be honoured Mt 6:9-13 pp Lk 11:2-4 See also Nu 14:13-16; Jos 7:7-9; 2Sa 7:25-26; 1Ki 18:36-37; Ps 115:1; Jn 17:1

The desire that God’s will be fulfilled Mt 6:9-13 pp Lk 11:2-4See also Mt 26:39 pp Mk 14:36 pp Lk 22:42; Mt 26:42; Heb 10:7Submission to God’s will characterised Jesus Christ’s prayer life.

God answers prayer that accords with his will

1Jn 5:14-15

Petitioners may enquire of God to discover his will Ps 143:10 See also Ge 25:22-23; Jdg 1:1-2; 2Sa 2:1; 1Ch 14:14-15

The Holy Spirit helps believers to pray in God’s will Ro 8:26-27

God’s response to prayers allows believers to discern his will

2Co 12:7-9 See also Ex 33:18-20; 2Sa 12:15-18; Job 19:7-8; Ps 35:13-14

God does not respond to the prayers of the wicked

Jn 9:31 See also Ps 66:18; Pr 15:8; Isa 1:15; Isa 59:1-2; La 3:44;1Pe 3:12

 Be Blessed today

Blair Humphreys,  Southport,  Merseyside

Ordinary Christians in the hands of the Extra-Ordinary God Part 3

I Corinthians 1:12-13 and 3:4-11 New Living Translation.

12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter, [d]” or “I follow only Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! …… 4 When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren't you acting just like people of the world? 5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. 10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.11 for no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ

Today when we walk in the places we live, we see buildings that are used for various purposes, some buildings are where we live, other buildings are where we work, shop, rest and relax, there are specialist buildings such as Train Stations, Churches and Hospitals, each building has a specific function and role to fulfil that more often is unique to that building, sometimes buildings can be adapted and changed to serve a different purpose than their original purpose, some buildings have been left desolate and have become ruins and monuments, some buildings are empty because no one can find a use for them anymore.  Each building we see regardless of its use and purpose needs a foundation.

The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7:24 NLT, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” see Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 47- 49 for the context. Luke 6:47-48  NLT says , “47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house that digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.

Today in 2017, we see various versions of the Bible, that are available for us to read and study, I do use the New American Standard Bible, and when I write I use Bible Gateway which has dozens of Bible Versions. I've used various versions of the Bible since I was saved at 11 but at the end of day as The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3: 15-17 NLT, “15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

To develop and progress in our Christian walk and witness, to be more effective disciples of our Lord and Saviour we must read and study God’s Written Word daily.  When I was in Sunday school, I remember singing this song “Read your Bible, Pray every day, if you want to Grow “If that was important for me as a child how much more important is for me as a more mature Christian today?

When someone builds a foundation for a building, if they decide to use cheap or substandard building materials wouldn't that building look strange or be dangerous and likely to collapse, yet if we don’t as Christians build using the correct building materials wouldn't our lives and our Christian Witness look equally strange, look dangerous or likely to collapse see 1 Corinthians 3:12-13 NLT.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13New Living Translation (NLT)

12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgement day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.

We build our Christian Life and Witness not on the latest fads or fashions, the opinions or perspectives of others however appealing or relevant they seem, we don’t build on what the non-Christian or anti-Christian demands of our Society are.  We build on God’s Word the Bible that has been and still is God’s Inspired Word; there is nothing more relevant to us today than God’s Word

The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:20 NLT, “20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.”

To lead His Church into the fullness and completeness that He always intended it to be, Our Lord Jesus set apart Leadership Gifts, that this He has called in the past and is calling today specific individuals to positions of Leadership in His Church, today we have various names, titles and badges and descriptions of Leadership that vary from Church to Church!.

 We have built man-made structures and systems from the early days of the Church to co-ordinate what happens in the Church, I'm not against co-ordination or structure and systems but the organization of Church isn't the central purpose of the Church, in many cases we have made a god of organization.  The Church is a living and breathing organism, the organization is the servant of the organism but more often or not the organism has become the servant of the organization.

I'm not saying that the Church and our Church Meetings become a free for all, the place of gossip and chat, good ideas and the downright weird and wacky, although it can happen, however, there is a divinely inspired framework for the correct method of Church Structure.

In the New Testament especially Paul’s epistles, we see God’s structure for the Church and how the Church should be organized and lead.  Today we have Vicars, Priests, Bishops, Archbishops, Reverends etc. etc., we give people titles and badges and recognition, but are they God given titles, badges and recognition or are they man given?

  We see both in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, part of God’s structure and framework for the church,  1 Corinthians 12:28 ESVA, “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. For the context see 1 Corinthians 12:27-30, and Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT, “11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. For the context see Ephesians 4:11-16.

The first part of God’s structure for the Church are The Apostles, The Prophets, The Evangelists, The Pastors or Shepherds and The Teachers which are five distinct ministry areas given to certain individuals in the Church, these people  and their ministries are gifts given by our Lord and Saviour as gifts to His Church, the second part of God’s structure are the Elders and Deacons, I believe that all the ministry areas here are given and available  to all regardless if they are male or female.  The descriptions of the roles of The Elders and Deacons in the Church are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-13.  Firstly Elders In 1 Timothy 3:1-2 NLT, “This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, [a] he desires an honourable position.” 2 So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. [b] He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. Then Secondly Deacons in I Timothy 3:8 NLT, “In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity.”

I believe that the correct indeed the only way for His Church to move forward in the 21st Century and face all the challenges and opportunities that it brings is firstly live as disciples, be in relational covenant with each other and follow Our Saviour’s leadership and direction in our lives, and follow the example and influence of those God has called to lead us, I would describe this a restoration or renewal of Apostolic Christianity. For my American readers, I mean New Testament Christianity, not Apostolic in the context of the Oneness Gospel.

Yours in His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Read Part 1 of this series here:

Read Part 2 of this series here:

Read Part 4 of this series here:

Jeremy Corbyn should not be allowed to rewrite the history of his support for the IRA

Something remarkable is happening in British politics right now. Something rotten and disgusting too. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Her Majesty’s loyal (sic) opposition, is trying to rewrite history. Here is what Corbyn said to Robert Peston at the weekend:

“I do make the point that if you are to develop a peace process in the Middle East or anywhere else in this world for that matter, you have to have serious conversations and negotiations with all the forces involved. […] Listen, the Northern Ireland parallel is sometimes a bit overplayed by nevertheless it is an important one. The successive British governments thought there was a military solution in Northern Ireland. They spent millions of pounds, thousands of troops, and hundreds of lives were lost in pursuing a military conflict in Northern Ireland. Ultimately it was resolved, so far, by a political process which had respect for the traditions of both communities if you like, in Northern Ireland and we reached a compromise, we reached a settlement, we reached a political process. That, surely, is an interesting model. That required meetings between people who profoundly disagreed with each other, who adopted methods that both sides profoundly disagreed with, but nevertheless a settlement was reached. Had we started from that process rather than trying to get a military solution we might have saved a lot of lives.”Read more here:

Words for the Wise, Ephesians 6:10 The Armour of God

Ephesians 6:

The Armour of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against [e]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 [f]in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 [g]With all prayer and petition [h]pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, [i]be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in [j]chains; that [k]in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Romans 13.12

. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Verses 10-18

Here is a general exhortation to constancy in our Christian course, and to encourage in our Christian warfare. Isa. not our life a warfare? It is so; for we struggle with the common calamities of human life. Isa. not our religion much more a warfare? It is so; for we struggle with the opposition of the powers of darkness, and with many enemies who would keep us from God and heaven. We have enemies to fight against, a captain to fight for, a banner to fight under, and certain rules of war by which we are to govern ourselves. “Finally, my brethren (Eph. 6:10), it yet remains that you apply yourselves to your work and duty as Christian soldiers.” Now it is requisite that a soldier be both stout-hearted and well armed. If Christians be soldiers of Jesus Christ,

I. They must see that they be stout-hearted. This is prescribed here: Be strong in the Lord, etc. Those who have so many battles to fight, and who, in their way to heaven, must dispute every pass, with dint of sword, have need of a great deal of courage. Be strong therefore, strong for service, strong for suffering, strong for fighting. Let a soldier be ever so well armed without, if he have not within a good heart, his armour will stand him in little stead. Note, spiritual strength and courage are very necessary for our spiritual warfare. Be strong in the Lord, either in his cause and for his sake or rather in his strength. We have no sufficient strength of our own. Our natural courage is as perfect cowardice, and our natural strength as perfect weakness; but all our sufficiency is of God. In his strength we must go forth and go on. By the actings of faith, we must fetch in grace and help from heaven to enable us to do that which of ourselves we cannot do, in our Christian work and warfare. We should stir up ourselves to resist temptations in a reliance upon God’s all-sufficiency and the omnipotence of his might.

II. They must be well armed: “Put on the whole armour of God (Eph. 6:11), make use of all the proper defensitives and weapons for repelling the temptations and stratagems of Satan—get and exercise all the Christian graces, the whole armour, that no part be naked and exposed to the enemy.” Observe, Those who would approve themselves to have true grace must aim at all grace, the whole armour. It is called the armour of God, because he both prepares and bestows it. We have no armour of our own that will be armour of proof in a trying time. Nothing will stand us in stead but the armour of God. This armour is prepared for us, but we must put it on; that is, we must pray for grace, we must use the grace given us, and draw it out into act and exercise as there is occasion. The reason assigned why the Christian should be completely armed is that he may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil—that he may be able to hold out, and to overcome, notwithstanding all the devil’s assaults, both of force and fraud, all the deceits he puts upon us, all the snares he lays for us, and all his machinations against us. This the apostle enlarges upon here, and shows,

1. What our danger is, and what need we have to put on this whole armour, considering what sort of enemies we have to deal with—the devil and all the powers of darkness: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, etc., Eph. 6:12. The combat for which we are to be prepared is not against ordinary human enemies, not barely against men compounded of flesh and blood, nor against our own corrupt natures singly considered, but against the several ranks of devils, who have a government which they exercise in this world. (1.) We have to do with a subtle enemy, an enemy who uses wiles and stratagems, as Eph. 6:11. He has a thousand ways of beguiling unstable souls: hence he is called a serpent for subtlety, an old serpent, experienced in the art and trade of tempting. (2.) He is a powerful enemy: Principalities, and powers, and rulers. They are numerous, they are vigorous; and rule in those heathen nations which are yet in darkness. The dark parts of the world are the seat of Satan’s empire. Yea, they are usurping princes over all men who are yet in a state of sin and ignorance. Satan’s is a kingdom of darkness; whereas Christ’s is a kingdom of light. (3.) They are spiritual enemies:

 Spiritual wickedness in high places, or wicked spirits, as some translate it. The devil is a spirit, a wicked spirit; and our danger is the greater from our enemies because they are unseen, and assault us ere we are aware of them. The devils are wicked spirits, and they chiefly annoy the saints with, and provoke them to, spiritual wickednesses, pride, envy, malice, etc. These enemies are said to be in high places, or in heavenly places, so the word is, taking heaven (as one says) for the whole expansum, or spreading out of the air between the earth and the stars, the air being the place from which the devils assault us. Or the meaning may be, “We wrestle about heavenly places or heavenly things;” so some of the ancients interpret it. Our enemies strive to prevent our ascent to heaven, to deprive us of heavenly blessings and to obstruct our communion with heaven. They assault us in the things that belong to our souls, and labour to deface the heavenly image in our hearts; and therefore we have need to be upon our guard against them. We have need of faith in our Christian warfare, because we have spiritual enemies to grapple with, as well as of faith in our Christian work, because we have spiritual strength to fetch in. Thus you see your danger.

2. What our duty is: to take and put on the whole armour of God, and then to stand our ground, and withstand our enemies.

(1.) We must withstand, Eph. 6:13. We must not yield to the devil’s allurements and assaults, but oppose them. Satan is said to stand up against us, 1 Chron. 21:1. If he stand up against us, we must stand against him; set up, and keep up, an interest in opposition to the devil. Satan is the wicked one, and his kingdom is the kingdom of sin: to stand against Satan is to strive against sin. That you may be able to withstand in the evil day, in the day of temptation, or of any sore affliction.

(2.) We must stand our ground: And, having done all, to stand. We must resolve, by God’s grace, not to yield to Satan. Resist him, and he will flee. If we distrust our cause, or our leader, or our armour, we give him advantage. Our present business is to withstand the assaults of the devil, and to stand it out; and then, having done all that is incumbent on the good soldiers of Jesus Christ, our warfare will be accomplished, and we shall be finally victorious.

(3.) We must stand armed; and this is here most enlarged upon. Here is a Christian in complete armour: and the armour is divine: Armour of God, armour of light, Rom. 13:12. Armour of righteousness, 2 Cor. 6:7. The apostle specifies the particulars of this armour, both offensive and defensive. The military girdle or belt, the breast-plate, the greaves (or soldier’s shoes), the shield, the helmet, and the sword. It is observable that, among them all, there is none for the back; if we turn our back upon the enemy, we lie exposed. [1.] Truth or sincerity is our girdle, Eph. 6:14. It was prophesied of Christ (Isa. 11:5) that righteousness should be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. That which Christ was girded with all Christians must be girded with. God desires truth, that is, sincerity, in the inward parts. This is the strength of our loins; and it girds on all other pieces of our armour, and therefore is first mentioned. I know no religion without sincerity. Some understand it of the doctrine of the truths of the gospel: they should cleave to us as the girdle does to the loins, Jer. 13:11. This will restrain from libertinism and licentiousness, as a girdle restrains and keeps in the body.

This is the Christian soldier’s belt: ungirded with this, he is unblessed. [2.] Righteousness must be our breast-plate. The breast-plate secures the vitals, shelters the heart. The righteousness of Christ imputed to us is our breast-plate against the arrows of divine wrath. The righteousness of Christ implanted in us is our breast-plate to fortify the heart against the attacks which Satan makes against us. The apostle explains this in 1 Thess. 5:8; Putting on the breast-plate of faith and love. Faith and love include all Christian graces; for by faith we are united to Christ and by love to our brethren. These will infer a diligent observance of our duty to God, and a righteous deportment towards men, in all the offices of justice, truth, and charity. [3.] Resolution must be as the greaves to our legs: And their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, Eph. 6:15. Shoes, or greaves of brass, or the like, were formerly part of the military armour (1 Sam. 17:6): the use of them was to defend the feet against the gall-traps, and sharp sticks, which were wont to be laid privily in the way, to obstruct the marching of the enemy, those who fell upon them being unfit to march. The preparation of the gospel of peace signifies a prepared and resolved frame of heart, to adhere to the gospel and abide by it, which will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of religion, notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers that may be in it. It is styled the gospel of peace because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with ourselves, and with one another.

It may also be meant of that which prepares for the entertainment of the gospel, namely, repentance. With this our feet must be shod: for by living a life of repentance we are armed against temptations to sin, and the designs of our great enemy. Dr. Whitby thinks this may be the sense of the words: “That you may be ready for the combat, be shod with the gospel of peace, endeavour after that peaceable and quiet mind which the gospel calls for. Be not easily provoked, nor prone to quarrel: but show all gentleness and all long-suffering to all men, and this will certainly preserve you from many great temptations and persecutions, as did those shoes of brass the soldiers from those galltraps,” etc. [4.] Faith must be our shield: Above all, or chiefly, taking the shield of faith, Eph. 6:16. This is more necessary than any of them. Faith is all in all to us in an hour of temptation. The breast-plate secures the vitals; but with the shield we turn every way. This is the victory over the world, even our faith. We are to be fully persuaded of the truth of all God’s promises and threatenings, such a faith being of great use against temptations. Consider faith as it is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for, and it will appear to be of admirable use for this purpose.

 Faith, as receiving Christ and the benefits of redemption, so deriving grace from him, is like a shield, a sort of universal defence. Our enemy the devil is here called the wicked one. He is wicked himself, and he endeavours to make us wicked. His temptations are called darts, because of their swift and undiscerned flight, and the deep wounds that they give to the soul; fiery darts, by way of allusion to the poisonous darts which were wont to inflame the parts which were wounded with them, and therefore were so called, as the serpents with poisonous stings are called fiery serpents. Violent temptations, by which the soul is set on fire of hell, are the darts which Satan shoots at us. Faith is the shield with which we must quench these fiery darts, wherein we should receive them, and so render them ineffectual, that they may not hit us, or at least that they may not hurt us. Observe, Faith, acted upon the word of God and applying that, acted upon the grace of Christ and improving that, quenches the darts of temptation. [5.] Salvation must be our helmet (Eph. 6:17); that is, hope, which has salvation for its object; so 1 Thess. 5:8. The helmet secures the head. A good hope of salvation, well founded and well built, will both purify the soul and keep it from being defiled by Satan, and it will comfort the soul and keep it from being troubled and tormented by Satan. He would tempt us to despair; but good hope keeps us trusting in God, and rejoicing in him. [6.] The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. The sword is a very necessary and useful part of a soldier’s furniture. The word of God is very necessary, and of great use to the Christian, in order to his maintaining the spiritual warfare and succeeding in it.

 It is called the sword of the Spirit, because it is of the Spirit’s inditing and he renders it efficacious and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword. Like Goliath’s sword, none like that; with this we assault the assailants. Scripture-arguments are the most powerful arguments to repel temptation with. Christ himself resisted Satan’s temptations with, It is written, Matt. 4:4, 6, 7, 10. This, being hid in the heart, will preserve from sin (Ps. 119:11), and will mortify and kill those lusts and corruptions that are latent there. [7.] Prayer must buckle on all the other parts of our Christian armour, Eph. 6:18. We must join prayer with all these graces, for our defence against these spiritual enemies, imploring help and assistance of God, as the case requires: and we must pray always. Not as though we were to do nothing else but pray, for there are other duties of religion and of our respective stations in the world that are to be done in their place and season; but we should keep up constant times of prayer, and be constant to them.

We must pray upon all occasions, and as often as our own and others’ necessities call us to it. We must always keep up a disposition to prayer, and should intermix ejaculatory prayers with other duties, and with common business. Though set and solemn prayer may sometimes be unseasonable (as when other duties are to be done), yet pious ejaculations can never be so. We must pray with all prayer and supplication, with all kinds of prayer: public, private, and secret, social and solitary, solemn and sudden; with all the parts of prayer: confession of sin, petition for mercy, and thanksgivings for favours received. We must pray in the Spirit; our spirits must be employed in the duty and we must do it by the grace of God’s good Spirit. We must watch thereunto, endeavoring to keep our hearts in a praying frame, and taking all occasions, and improving all opportunities, for the duty: we must watch to all the motions of our own hearts towards the duty. When God says, Seek my face, our hearts must comply,

Ps. 27:8. This we must do with all perseverance. We must abide by the duty of prayer, whatever change there may be in our outward circumstances; and we must continue in it as long as we live in the world. We must persevere in a particular prayer; not cutting it short, when our hearts are disposed to enlarge, and there is time for it, and our occasions call for it. We must likewise persevere in particular requests, notwithstanding some present discouragements and repulses. And we must pray with supplication, not for ourselves only, but for all saints; for we are members one of another. Observe, None are so much saints, and in so good a condition in this world, but they need our prayers, and they ought to have them. The apostle passes hence to the conclusion of the epistle.

Bible Panorama

V 10–20: FIGHTING EFFECTIVELY Strengthened by God and His mighty power, all Christians must put on each piece of their spiritual armour prayerfully. Thus fully equipped and strengthened by the all-prevailing weapon of prayer, the Christian soldier should do what Paul aspires to do, namely to proclaim the gospel boldly, even if it means imprisonment.

Inside Hillsong, New York City’s Hippest Mega Church

The Spirit of Freedom, 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 ESV, The Indepth Series

 

 2 Corinthians 3:12-18English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

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 un-lifted, 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[a] turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord[b] 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,[c] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the  Lord who is the Spirit.

Our Scars,  Matt Redman

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Verses 12-18

In these verses the apostle draws two inferences from what he had said about the Old and New Testament:—

I. Concerning the duty of the ministers of the gospel to use great plainness or clearness of speech. They ought not, like Moses, to put a veil upon their faces, or obscure and darken those things which they should make plain. The gospel is a more clear dispensation than the law; the things of God are revealed in the New Testament, not in types and shadows, and ministers are much to blame if they do not set spiritual things, and gospel-truth and grace, in the clearest light that is possible. Though the Israelites could not look steadfastly to the end of what was commanded, but is now abolished, yet we may. We may see the meaning of those types and shadows by the accomplishment, seeing the veil is done away in, Christ and he is come, who was the end of the law for righteousness to all those who believe, and whom Moses and all the prophets pointed to, and wrote of.

II. Concerning the privilege and advantage of those who enjoy the gospel, above those who lived under the law. For, 1. Those who lived under the legal dispensation had their minds blinded (2 Cor. 3:14), and there was a veil upon their hearts, 2 Cor. 3:15. Thus it was formerly, and so it was especially as to those who remained in Judaism after the coming of the Messiah and the publication of his gospel. Nevertheless, the apostle tells us, there is a time coming when this veil also shall be taken away, and when it (the body of that people) shall turn to the Lord, 2 Cor. 3:16. Or, when any particular person is converted to God, then the veil of ignorance is taken away; the blindness of the mind, and the hardness of the heart, are cured. 2. The condition of those who enjoy and believe the gospel is much more happy. For, (1.) They have liberty: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, and where he worketh, as he does under the gospel-dispensation, there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17), freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, and from the servitude of corruption; liberty of access to God, and freedom of speech in prayer. The heart is set at liberty, and enlarged, to run the ways of God’s commandments. (2.) They have light; for with open face we behold the glory of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3:18. The Israelites saw the glory of God in a cloud, which was dark and dreadful; but Christians see the glory of the Lord as in a glass, more clearly and comfortably. It was the peculiar privilege of Moses for God to converse with him face to face, in a friendly manner; but now all true Christians see him more clearly with open face. He showeth them his glory. (3.) This light and liberty are transforming; we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18), from one degree of glorious grace unto another, till grace here be consummated in glory for ever. How much therefore should Christians prize and improve these privileges! We should not rest contented without an experimental knowledge of the transforming power of the gospel, by the operation of the Spirit, bringing us into a conformity to the temper and tendency of the glorious gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

The Freedom of the New Covenant Minister (3:18)

Verse 18 is the capstone of Paul's reflections in this chapter. It picks up the too major ideas of verses 12-17, namely, the open conduct of the gospel minister and the Spirit as the prime mover of the new covenant, and weaves them together into a clinching argument against those who would depend on the way things were under the Mosaic covenant. To start with, Paul introduces a final point of contrast between Moses and the new covenant minister. We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.

We . . . all might well be Paul's way of broadening his point of reference to include all believers. Even so, the focus is still on the new covenant minister. With unveiled faces invites comparison with Moses, but Moses in which role? Moses with unveiled face in the tent of meeting? Or Moses with his face veiled before Israel? Much depends on how one translates katoptrizomenoi. The verb is a rare one, and in the middle it can mean either "to behold oneself in a mirror" or "to serve as a mirror"—that is, "to reflect." Transfiguration through beholding God's glory is an attractive idea that a number of translators have opted for (KJV, NKJV, RSV, REB). Yet if Paul is continuing his commentary on the Exodus 34 narrative—with verse 35 being next in line—then he is thinking of how Moses habitually veiled his face on leaving the tent of meeting until his next encounter with Yahweh. New covenant ministers, by contrast, leave their face unveiled and in so doing reflect God's glory. Paul is drawing on the function of a mirror to pick up the light rays from an object and to reflect that light in the form of an image. The image that the new covenant minister reflects is identified in the text as the Lord's glory. This is a familiar phrase in Scripture. Here it anticipates "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God reflected in the face of Christ" (4:6) and, by association, [reflected] in the faces of Christ's representatives.

As gospel preachers do their job of reflecting knowledge of God to those around them, transformation occurs. The text reads, And we who reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory (v. 18). The word transformed means "to take on a different form or appearance." It can refer to an outward change or, as here, to an inward change. The present tense denotes an ongoing process: We are "constantly being transformed." Transformed into his likeness is literally "transformed into the same image." It is taken as a matter of course by many that the image Paul has in view is Christ's image (NIV into his likeness). He could also be thinking of how gospel ministers should be carbon copies of one another, if they are truly carrying on Christ's ministry of reflecting God's glory to a dark world.

Transformation is not a one-shot affair. It is transformation into a likeness that is with ever-increasing glory (v. 18). With ever-increasing glory is literally "from glory to glory." The phrase denotes a splendour that steadily grows, in contrast to the short-lived glory of Moses' face. It was the property of mirrors back in those days (which were made of a flat, circular piece of cast metal) that the more polished the surface, the clearer the image. Continuous elbow grease was needed to keep away corrosion. The picture is a provocative one. The life and ministry of the believer are depicted as a mirror that is in need of continual polishing so as to reproduce to an ever-increasing extent the glorious knowledge and truths of the gospel.

This ever-increasing glory, Paul states, comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. As the unveiled glory of Moses' face is ascribed to his coming before Yahweh, so the unveiled, glorified face of the gospel minister is attributed to the activity of the Spirit. It is the third member of the Trinity and his work that take center stage in this chapter. The Spirit brings about understanding regarding the temporal character of the Mosaic covenant (3:13-17) and makes known in unveiled or plain fashion the truths of the gospel through the preaching and transformed life of the new covenant minister (vv. 2, 18). It is also because of the Spirit that the gospel minister has the freedom, unlike Moses—and perhaps unlike Paul's opponents—to unveil his or her face (v. 17). This durable glory, according to Paul, stems from the new covenant as a covenant of the life-giving Spirit rather than a death-giving letter (3:6-11).

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.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

8349 spiritual growth, means of

God has provided various means by which believers may grow spiritually.

God supplies the resources for spiritual growth

Php 2:13; 2Pe 1:3 See also Jn 1:16; Jn 4:14; Jn 15:2,5; 1Co 10:13; 2Co 3:18; 2Co 9:10; Gal 5:22-23; Php 1:6; Col 2:19; Jas 1:17; Jas 4:6; Jude 24

Philippians 2:13New Living Translation (NLT)

13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

God’s people must make efforts to grow spiritually

Php 2:12; 2Pe 1:5-9 See also Ro 6:19; 2Co 7:1; Gal 5:16,25; Eph 5:15-16; Eph 6:11-13; 1Ti 4:7; 1Ti 6:11-12; 2Ti 1:6; 2Pe 3:14; 1Jn 3:3; Jude 20

Specific means of spiritual growth

Death to self-interest Col 3:5 See also Mt 16:24 pp Mk 8:34 pp Lk 9:23; Ro 6:6,12; Ro 8:13; Eph 4:22; Col 3:9; 1Pe 1:14; 1Pe 2:11

Colossians 3:5New Living Translation (NLT)

5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

The Scriptures 2Ti 3:16-17 See also Jos 1:8; Ps 19:7-8; Ps 119:9-11; Jn 17:17; Eph 6:17; Col 3:16; 1Pe 2:2; 1Jn 2:14

Prayer Mt 6:13 pp Lk 11:4 Col 4:2 See also 1Ch 16:11; Mt 7:11 pp Lk 11:13; Mt 26:41 pp Mk 14:38 pp Lk 22:46; Jn 16:24; Ac 4:29-31; Eph 6:18; 1Th 5:17; Jas 1:5

Focusing on Jesus Christ Heb 3:1 See also Mt 11:29; Jn 13:15; Ro 15:5; Php 2:5; Heb 12:2-3; 1Pe 2:21; 1Jn 2:6

The role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual growth

Eph 3:16-18 See also Eph 1:13-14,17; Eph 2:19-22

Christian leadership Eph 4:11-13 See also 1Co 4:16; 1Co 11:1; Php 1:25; Php 3:17; Heb 13:7,17; 1Pe 5:2-3

Faith in God Eph 6:16 See also Heb 11:6; 1Jn 5:4

Suffering and testing Ro 5:3-4 See also Job 23:10; Ps 119:67; Zec 13:9; Heb 12:10-11; 1Pe 1:6-7; Jas 1:2-4

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside, England