2Cor 6:9 | KingComments | STEP | . We continue with the testing of your patience or endurance. We considered the first three tests. The following three also belong together. You recognize them easily: “In beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults.” These have to do with the body and they were inflicted by others on Paul. They were not trifles. In Acts 16 you read how he was beaten and thrown into prison ( ). In Acts you also see how he was at the very center of tumultuous crowds ( ). Then again follows a group of three which belong together: “In labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger [or: fastings].” However, there is a difference between this group and the previous ones. The previous tests were involuntary. A life which shows that one is a witness for the Lord Jesus often provokes a negative reaction from other people. However, labors, sleeplessness and hunger (or fastings) are situations the servants of the Lord expose themselves to voluntarily. There are many Christians who are satisfied that they are saved from hell; but when it comes to ‘labor’ in living as a Christian they shun all inconveniences. The word ‘labor’ means strenuous work. ‘Sleeplessness’ or ‘watchfulness’ means that you must keep awake all the time and you cannot fall asleep because dangers are imminent. The spiritual application for you and me is to keep the eyes wide open and be on the alert for the lurking spiritual dangers which could in no time put your Christian life on the back burner. All sorts of persuasive logics of people can’t lull you into thinking that all things will end well without you taking any pains in your spiritual walk. The same goes for ‘fastings’. It primarily means that one does not take food. It also means that you voluntarily waive certain pleasures which are not wrong per se but which can disturb your life’s priorities. A bit of relaxation is not wrong. But it is certainly wrong to enjoy relaxation at the cost of your Christian obligations, for instance if you reject a call to help preach the gospel. You can escape these three voluntary things.. But a true servant of God will not do that because he is always conscious of his life as a servant. . list the characteristics God looks for in His servants, the characteristics which become predominantly visible in God’s servants as they go through circumstances mentioned previously. 1. The first is “purity”. Purity means you keep yourself unspotted from the world, and have no friendship with it. 2. This is followed by “knowledge”. Knowledge means you know God and know what He expects from you; for this you have the Bible. 3. “Patience” you have to show in your contacts. 4. By “kindness” you let others know something of the goodness of God. 5. The power to present yourself this way is not in you but it is “in the Holy Spirit”. 6. “Genuine love” is the unfeigned, not hypocritical love. Love is the nature of God and you must show it. That does not mean that you condone what is wrong or feign as though it is not there. 7. . That’s why the servant of God always must use “the word of truth” and apply it to all life’s situations. 8. “The power of God” will manifest itself when he uses the word of truth in dependence on God and not by human wisdom. 9. “The weapons of righteousness” refers to the practical life of the servant. When the servant cannot be accused of unrighteous practices, because he gives to everyone his right, then this is a weapon with which he can repel all the accusations leveled against him from all sides. For a servant is always subject to criticism both from the right and from the left side. That’s why he has to be balanced to be able to defend himself against both sides. Criticism and opposition are things you must always expect when you live and work for the Lord. Not that you must feel exalted above all criticism, for that is arrogance. 10. . Here it is about a servant who wants to please his master in all things. In such cases you go through “glory and dishonor”. Sometimes you are hailed and at another time you are nailed. 11. The greater the servant, the more people talk about him, in a negative as well as in a positive sense. He goes through “evil report and good report”. 12. One portrays him as a deceiver and another as a trustful one. 13. . In the world he is unknown, but with God he is well-known. 14. As for the world he is as dying, useless for the world. The cause of that is that he lives for God and not for the world. 15. By all he experiences he feels “as punished” by the hand of God. Chastisement is not punishment and surely “not put to death” by it. Chastisement is always meant as education. For that education God uses all kinds of means, as for example you have read in . 16. . Chastisement is not a pleasant experience; it certainly can make you “sorrowful”. But because you experience in it God’s love and care you are “rejoicing”. 17. A servant does not have riches in this world. In this respect he is “poor”. His real wealth is in Christ and with this wealth he can make “many rich”. 18. The end of shows that he is “as having nothing” in this world. His real wealth is Christ and that’s why he is “possessing all things”, for all things are His. It is not a small thing to say of yourself that you are a servant of God. When I say this I hope you will not be discouraged but rather encouraged by it. For this service incorporates a lot of rich promises. . Perhaps you can imagine a bit of what deep impression these verses would have made on the Corinthians. Paul opened his heart to them. He poured out his heart without reservation. They must know what is hidden in his heart. He loved them with all his heart. In order to bring the gospel to them he underwent all the experiences he talks of here in these verses. Do you see how personally he addresses them as “Corinthians”? In two other letters he addresses the recipients of his letters in such very personal terms. He does so to the Galatians ( ) and the Philippians ( ). In all these three letters he speaks from an overflowing heart. . Here in Corinth he wants to have in their hearts that special place which he had earlier. The problem is not that they had a restrained place in his heart. His heart was wide but they were restrained. They had very little room for Paul in their hearts. They could not reciprocate his appreciation of them. . He appeals therefore that they open their hearts again for him and his service. He says that he deserves room in their hearts as recompense or as reward for all that he did for them. Did he not dedicate his whole life for them? Then should they not love him with a special love? They were his “children”, weren’t they? You can notice how by the whole style of writing that Paul is doing his best to win their hearts again. His yearning is that the relationship between him and the Corinthians would be restored and that they would again listen to his wise advice. Paul’s prime concern was the honor of the Lord and the well-being of the believers. Now read 2 Corinthians 6:5-13 again. Reflection: What things that are listed in are found in your life?

‏ 2 Corinthians 6:9

The Path of the Servants of God (II)

2Cor 6:5. We continue with the testing of your patience or endurance. We considered the first three tests. The following three also belong together. You recognize them easily: “In beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults.” These have to do with the body and they were inflicted by others on Paul. They were not trifles. In Acts 16 you read how he was beaten and thrown into prison (Acts 16:19-24). In Acts you also see how he was at the very center of tumultuous crowds (Acts 19:29-31 ; Acts 21:27-36).

Then again follows a group of three which belong together: “In labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger [or: fastings].” However, there is a difference between this group and the previous ones. The previous tests were involuntary. A life which shows that one is a witness for the Lord Jesus often provokes a negative reaction from other people. However, labors, sleeplessness and hunger (or fastings) are situations the servants of the Lord expose themselves to voluntarily.

There are many Christians who are satisfied that they are saved from hell; but when it comes to ‘labor’ in living as a Christian they shun all inconveniences. The word ‘labor’ means strenuous work.

‘Sleeplessness’ or ‘watchfulness’ means that you must keep awake all the time and you cannot fall asleep because dangers are imminent. The spiritual application for you and me is to keep the eyes wide open and be on the alert for the lurking spiritual dangers which could in no time put your Christian life on the back burner. All sorts of persuasive logics of people can’t lull you into thinking that all things will end well without you taking any pains in your spiritual walk.

The same goes for ‘fastings’. It primarily means that one does not take food. It also means that you voluntarily waive certain pleasures which are not wrong per se but which can disturb your life’s priorities. A bit of relaxation is not wrong. But it is certainly wrong to enjoy relaxation at the cost of your Christian obligations, for instance if you reject a call to help preach the gospel.

You can escape these three voluntary things.. But a true servant of God will not do that because he is always conscious of his life as a servant.

2Cor 6:6. 2Cor 6:6-10 list the characteristics God looks for in His servants, the characteristics which become predominantly visible in God’s servants as they go through circumstances mentioned previously.

1. The first is “purity”. Purity means you keep yourself unspotted from the world, and have no friendship with it.

2. This is followed by “knowledge”. Knowledge means you know God and know what He expects from you; for this you have the Bible.

3. “Patience” you have to show in your contacts.

4. By “kindness” you let others know something of the goodness of God.

5. The power to present yourself this way is not in you but it is “in the Holy Spirit”.

6. “Genuine love” is the unfeigned, not hypocritical love. Love is the nature of God and you must show it. That does not mean that you condone what is wrong or feign as though it is not there.

7. 2Cor 6:7. That’s why the servant of God always must use “the word of truth” and apply it to all life’s situations.

8. “The power of God” will manifest itself when he uses the word of truth in dependence on God and not by human wisdom.

9. “The weapons of righteousness” refers to the practical life of the servant. When the servant cannot be accused of unrighteous practices, because he gives to everyone his right, then this is a weapon with which he can repel all the accusations leveled against him from all sides. For a servant is always subject to criticism both from the right and from the left side. That’s why he has to be balanced to be able to defend himself against both sides.

Criticism and opposition are things you must always expect when you live and work for the Lord. Not that you must feel exalted above all criticism, for that is arrogance.

10. 2Cor 6:8. Here it is about a servant who wants to please his master in all things. In such cases you go through “glory and dishonor”. Sometimes you are hailed and at another time you are nailed.

11. The greater the servant, the more people talk about him, in a negative as well as in a positive sense. He goes through “evil report and good report”.

12. One portrays him as a deceiver and another as a trustful one.

13. 2Cor 6:9. In the world he is unknown, but with God he is well-known.

14. As for the world he is as dying, useless for the world. The cause of that is that he lives for God and not for the world.

15. By all he experiences he feels “as punished” by the hand of God. Chastisement is not punishment and surely “not put to death” by it. Chastisement is always meant as education. For that education God uses all kinds of means, as for example you have read in 2Cor 6:4-5.

16. 2Cor 6:10. Chastisement is not a pleasant experience; it certainly can make you “sorrowful”. But because you experience in it God’s love and care you are “rejoicing”.

17. A servant does not have riches in this world. In this respect he is “poor”. His real wealth is in Christ and with this wealth he can make “many rich”.

18. The end of 2Cor 6:10 shows that he is “as having nothing” in this world. His real wealth is Christ and that’s why he is “possessing all things”, for all things are His.

It is not a small thing to say of yourself that you are a servant of God. When I say this I hope you will not be discouraged but rather encouraged by it. For this service incorporates a lot of rich promises.

2Cor 6:11. Perhaps you can imagine a bit of what deep impression these verses would have made on the Corinthians. Paul opened his heart to them. He poured out his heart without reservation. They must know what is hidden in his heart. He loved them with all his heart. In order to bring the gospel to them he underwent all the experiences he talks of here in these verses.

Do you see how personally he addresses them as “Corinthians”? In two other letters he addresses the recipients of his letters in such very personal terms. He does so to the Galatians (Gal 3:1) and the Philippians (Phil 4:15). In all these three letters he speaks from an overflowing heart.

2Cor 6:12. Here in Corinth he wants to have in their hearts that special place which he had earlier. The problem is not that they had a restrained place in his heart. His heart was wide but they were restrained. They had very little room for Paul in their hearts. They could not reciprocate his appreciation of them.

2Cor 6:13. He appeals therefore that they open their hearts again for him and his service. He says that he deserves room in their hearts as recompense or as reward for all that he did for them. Did he not dedicate his whole life for them? Then should they not love him with a special love? They were his “children”, weren’t they?

You can notice how by the whole style of writing that Paul is doing his best to win their hearts again. His yearning is that the relationship between him and the Corinthians would be restored and that they would again listen to his wise advice. Paul’s prime concern was the honor of the Lord and the well-being of the believers.

Now read 2 Corinthians 6:5-13 again.

Reflection: What things that are listed in 2Cor 6:4-10 are found in your life?