Paul then goes on to add some other characteristics of his character. He notes “truthful speech,” “the power of God,” and “weapons of righteousness.” When he talks about God’s power, he is saying the same sort of thing that he discusses at greater length in the first letter, starting in the second half of 1 Corinthians 1 and continuing into chapter 2. When Paul came to the church the first time, he did not come with the polish and sophistication of the Greek orators. Rather he came in “fear” and “trembling” because he knew that he was preaching to the Corinthians the revelation of divine truth that was marked by the power of God. Paul came as one whose life has been touched by the Lord and given evidence of the presence of God in how he thinks and acts.
Paul then goes on to add some other characteristics of his character. He notes “truthful speech,” “the power of God,” and “weapons of righteousness.” When he talks about God’s power, he is saying the same sort of thing that he discusses at greater length in the first letter, starting in the second half of 1 Corinthians 1 and continuing into chapter 2. When Paul came to the church the first time, he did not come with the polish and sophistication of the Greek orators. Rather he came in “fear” and “trembling” because he knew that he was preaching to the Corinthians the revelation of divine truth that was marked by the power of God. Paul came as one whose life has been touched by the Lord and given evidence of the presence of God in how he thinks and acts.
There are things that sometimes come because of a negative reaction to the Gospel that is preached, such as beatings or imprisonment. The apostle Paul certainly knew about those things. Later in 2 Corinthians Paul says he had received the thirty-nine lashes five times in his life. People sometimes died from that kind of a beating. He talks about imprisonments, a number of which we read about in Acts. He also talks about riots. We know of at least nine riots that were caused by the apostle Paul’s preaching. Virtually everywhere he went he stirred up that kind of opposition. He mentions the hard work, sleepless nights, and even hunger.
Most of what Paul has to say, however, deals with a positive aspect, namely, how he conducted himself in the situations into which his ministry brought him. There is a long list that follows, including some that are grouped in pairs. I think that it is possible to get a handle on all these by categorizing them, because when you begin to look at them, it is quite obvious that some of them go together.
This is a remarkable passage from the hand of the apostle Paul, describing the nature of his ministry as an apostle and the way in which, in all kinds of difficulties and hardships, he conducted himself so as to commend the Gospel to his hearers. And when he uses the word “we,” he is thinking of the other apostles. This can rightly be applied to pastors because they too are called to minister the Word of God. Yet, at the same time this passage is profitable for whoever we may be, as we serve the Lord in our individual callings.
The third reason we go to others with the Gospel is that the love of Christ constrains us. If you do not know Jesus Christ, then you do not have the kind of love for other people that would compel you to go in difficulty and endure all the sufferings Paul describes in order to present the Gospel to them. You might have a genuine but limited benevolence for other people, where you want to help them if you can as long as it does not demand too much. But that is not what missions is about. It is the love of Christ, who loves those who are lost in their sins and who suffer the consequences of living in a sinful world. Because Christ loves them, and because Paul has been joined to Christ, Paul finds that the love of Christ works within him and constrains him to go and tell people about Jesus.
In addition to the image of a tent, Paul uses a second image, this time of clothing. These bodies of ours are great things but they are mortal. They are weakened by sin, subject to disease, and will eventually die. In a sense they are like clothing that has fallen into rags. What we look forward to is not the death of our body, which is like the taking off of our clothing and being found naked. Rather, what we await is when after death we will be clothed with a new heavenly body. It is with that knowledge that we press on.
In the opening section of chapter 5, Paul continues this discussion on his ministry from a heavenly perspective. He knows that death is going to come sooner or later for everybody, and in Paul’s case it is perhaps coming sooner because of the kind of hardships he was enduring. This body is at best a ragged tent. It is going to be folded up and put away one day. But Paul says that the glory of the Christian hope is to know that when that tent is put away, we have an eternal dwelling made by God in heaven (v. 1).
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