HAVING NOTHING BUT RICH – MYSTERIES OF GOD
“Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ, and
stewards of the mysteries of God……but in everything commending ourselves as
servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses.”
2 Cor. 4:1; 6:4
In these words the participle "commending" has close connection with the participle "working" in the first verse
of the chapter. "Working together
with God . . . in everything commending ourselves as ministers of God." Here
we have the secret of power and the burden of responsibility in all Christian
service. Whatever we are called upon to be, or do, or suffer, we find the
necessary resources in our fellowship with God, as we become more like Christ.
Our responsibility is that we commend ourselves (first to God, and also to
those among whom we serve), as ministers of God. Some of the things included in
this "everything" follow in
the Apostle's letter, first, things of trial, patience, afflictions,
necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching’s,
fasting, then things of grace; pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness,
the Holy Spirit, love unfeigned the word of truth, the power of God, then
things of conflict, the armor of righteousness, glory and dishonor, evil report
and good report. Then things of experience, the double experience of the
servants of God, that of what the world thinks of them, and that of their
secret life with God; deceivers, yet true; unknown, yet well known; dying and
living; chastened, not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet
making rich, having nothing, yet possessing all things. In all these things,
working with God--that is comfort and strength. And in all these things,
commending ourselves as ministers of God--that is purpose and responsibility. See
1 Cor. 4:1 above.
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