2 Corinthians 4:5 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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2 Corinthians 4:5

Comments

Strictly the word ‘servants’ may be translated ‘your bond servants’, ‘for Jesus’ sake.’ How great is the humility of the apostle and his fellow preachers, and we must seek to follow that today. The preacher, the witnessing Christian must not get in the way of Christ; presenting him, his love, and his work is everything. We must not figure too large, as personalities. We must not be too loud. We must not regale people with endless stories. Yes, we can illustrate and we will, but not stories for the sake of it, and jokes and humour as though we were comedians, all distracting from Christ. None of our own ideas: everything is to magnify Christ, Christ Jesus the Lord.Christ means the appointed one, the Messiah, the anointed Messiah. Jesus, his personal name associates him most with his period of humiliation. The Lord, Christ risen from the dead at the right hand of the Father on high in glory. We preach not ourselves (we are nothing) but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves merely your bond servants for Jesus’ sake. Not church lords. You will not find in the New Testament, the Lord Bishop of such-and-such a place, and grand garments, and special robes, and distinctive titles. There is none of that in the Bible.

Application

Look at the way the apostle Paul is careful to use the full title of Christ – ‘For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord.’ Too many preachers today get into the habit of using only the personal name of Christ – Jesus, Jesus. That is not the practice in the New Testament. Wherever possible, the apostle Paul uses a full title. In the gospels, yes, Jesus is in his humiliation. That is what the personal name Jesus belongs to. The humiliation of Christ, his having come down and humbled himself, his walking as a man on earth culminating in his suffering and death, his atoning substitutionary death for sinners for millions and millions of people. But when you turn to the book of Acts you find a tremendous switch from Jesus to Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is given his full title, he is honoured fully. And that is what we must follow.

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2 Corinthians 4:5 Commentary and Bible Study