“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:1–10 NASB)
This period of confinement because of the Coronavirus threat has caused frustration and bewilderment for many. Regardless of the political implications, there are spiritual lessons which we can derive from this time of confinement and the mandatory use of personal protection equipment as well as the implied need for social distancing.
The passage above, 2 Corinthians 4:1-10, is applicable to this time in our history. Paul’s teachings are invaluable in helping us to gain perspective of who we are, our mission and the power God supplies to sustain us during this time.
First: With churches closed or open with limited attendances allowed, we should not neglect the value of Bible study. Reading the Bible is good, but it is a substitute for the actual teaching of God’s Word. Many churches have recorded messages for their congregation to access on their internet websites. This is an excellent way of reviewing some of your pastor’s teachings or picking up on the ones you may have missed. Someone rightly said once: “You can never get too much of God’s Word.”
Second: The world around us is constantly rejecting the certainty of the God of the Bible. If this does not cause us to have Godly pity towards this dying culture, then it is time to remind ourselves that our mission is to be a light to this world:
“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8 NASB)
We are to reflect the character of Christ and ensure that our lives – in words and actions – are an effective and dynamic witness of the gospel of salvation. We must rise above the pettiness and injustices of this culture, not merely to attain a personal ‘higher ground’, but to allow the enabling Holy Spirit to take control so that we are able to fulfill the objective that God has given us.
Third: We must not despair. At every roadblock and obstacle placed in our pathways, we must not despair but rely upon the strength that God has provided for us just for these occasions. To emphasize what Paul stated:
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” (2 Corinthians 4:7–9 NASB)
Paul uses the most fitting of words. He says ‘we are afflicted.’ The original idea is that of being pressed in a crowd, and so it comes to mean being oppressed by evil. But Paul states that even though being oppressed by evil, we are not crushed or restricted from freely going about our work for God.
He further states that we are perplexed, “not knowing how to proceed, determine, speak or act.”[1] But in the midst of our perplexity we are not to be despairing, for the word implies to “be utterly destitute of measures or resources.”[2] For we have an immeasurable amount of resources [i.e. the power of the Holy Spirit] and promises which God has placed at our disposal.
Paul goes on to say that while we are persecuted we are not forsaken. God has not left us out in the cold alone without a lifeline. For this is a promise that He made to Israel (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5) and He has assured His people today of the same:
“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”” (Hebrews 13:5 NASB)
And finally, even though we are stuck down we are not going to be destroyed. The word ‘destroyed’ could mean death, but one expositor stated that in this case “the idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of wellbeing.”[3] Here Paul may be recounting the event of Acts 14:19 in Lystra when he was stoned (struck down) and dragged out of the city and where they assumed that he was dead – and yet he was able to get up and carry on with his ministry (v.20).
Just to put this into the context of the events of the day: the televised news events of violence and people being struck down and killed has been widely aired. Considering the growing disdain for Christianity in our culture, it is not beyond reason to believe that God’s people could find themselves at the blunt end of this type of violence.
Lastly: These verses provide hope for all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life to comprehend how God has provided for us in times of perplexing and anxious times.
We should remind ourselves that if we are still breathing, God still has a plan for our lives. A life that is eternally valuable and designed to glorify Him. A life that is characterized by His ultimate purpose: “that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body’ – even in the midst of the chaos and violence, we can be assured that “the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”
[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G639
[2] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[3] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.164