2 Corinthians 6:7 Commentary and Bible Study

What does he mean, ‘by the word of truth’? Our minds may go readily to the idea that this is his way of describing the whole Bible and all the doctrines of the Scripture. But actually when the apostle Paul uses this term he is speaking particularly about the gospel. In Ephesians 1:13 he says, ‘In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.’ He says almost exactly the same thing in Colossians 1:5. So the first duty is the preaching of the saving word of the gospel. Strangely, mysteriously, it is something which so quickly falls out of practice even in Bible-believing churches. How seldom there are evangelistic sermons, which focus on the saving of souls and reasoning with the lost. It has always been like this. In our country there have been periods when the preaching of the gospel went out of fashion in the pulpit, and then, by the work of the Holy Spirit, God has fanned it once again into a flame and there has been an outpouring of blessing in awakening. But then there are other times, even among believers, when it is preached only occasionally in a specific way. The word gospel is not used in the Bible as a synonym for all the truth. The good news refers to the good news of salvation. It refers to evangelistic preaching. But many Christian people do not know that. They hear this term, the gospel, and they think that whenever you open your Bible you are preaching the gospel. You are not. You may be teaching vital and important doctrines, but you are not preaching the gospel if you are not persuading sinners to be saved and presenting the truths and the plans of redemption. Second Paul says, ‘By the power of God.’ In 1 Corinthians 2:3 Paul says, ‘My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power’, which does not mean here that he did wonderful miraculous signs. The apostle Paul could do that also but he is talking about his preaching. His speech and his preaching was not with elaborate, human reasoning, but as he preached reliant on the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit regenerated hearts, and worked in hearts, and turned people to the Saviour. It is through earnest preaching and prayer. The gospel cannot be effectively proclaimed through drama or through films or fiction. It is by the open, honest, persuasive declaration of the salvation of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit.‘By the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.’ He has in mind here the same equipment as in Ephesians 6, and therefore we realise that in the right hand is the sword, and in the left hand is the shield – offensive weapons and defensive weapons. With the sword of God, the word of God, the gospel first and foremost, we go on the offensive, and we witness, and we preach. But we must have regard to the defensive shield. We are also defending the faith and importantly we are defending our own hearts from the wiles of the devil, and the fiery darts, and the barbs and his evil suggestions. It is no good going forward with the sword of the Spirit and declaring and preaching if we are not watching and minding and defending our own hearts against temptation, against despondency, against doubts and fears.