2 Corinthians 3.
1879 378 What I desire in reading this chapter is to set out, as simply as possible, what the testimony of the apostle was in it, for this reason — that it is a chapter which tells us what the ministration is with which the apostle was entrusted. He spoke of God, from God, and in the sight of God. This was saying a great deal; and so he knew they were a savour of God to them that believe and to them that perish. Paul was a chosen vessel, in a particular manner, in a special character different from the others; none of them spoke of their apostleship as he did — indeed he speaks of being a fool in boasting. He was converted by the Lord of glory from the glory; the other apostles were led up to the glory, but it was Paul's starting-point from which he began. He began with the knowledge that the church, in all its weakness and trials, is one with Christ; and the epistles are full of this great truth, which seems to us a very high subject; but he began with it. He was not, like Peter, a witness of the sufferings, and a partaker of the glory which should follow when Christ is to be revealed. He began with being a witness of the glory, and became afterwards practically acquainted with fellowship in the sufferings. Hence, in presenting Christ in all His glory to the Gentiles, he could not say, as Peter did to the Jews, that they had rejected Him, for the Gentiles had no Messiah, whilst he could speak to them of their thorough wickedness, and of the vanity of their minds. Paul was not accredited of the apostles at Jerusalem — he had no authority from thence, and this he presses on the Galatians, and goes on to say, "Be as I am, for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all." He was as free as any Gentile.
Did Paul need letters of recommendation from the Corinthians, or to them? The answer is in the well-known words, "Ye are our epistle written on our hearts." Their existence was a proof of his service: there was the epistle that recommended his ministry to which his heart turned. They were in his heart; he could not say this in his first epistle, because he was grieving on their behalf; but now, through Titus, he had a good report. Such had been his solicitude about them, that he could not stay at Troas, though a door was opened to him to preach the gospel; but because he got no tidings of the Corinthians, he was quite cast down. The Lord was thus exercising His servant; but when he got to Corinth, his heart was relieved, and now he can speak with all openness. This he could not before, though he did not hide their privileges from them; for their standing in Christ was untouched; but there could not be joy in the saints, the confidence of love towards them in the Spirit, when they were walking disorderly.
Paul preached Christ at Corinth; and because the church at Corinth was a manifestation of Christ, his epistle became the epistle of Christ manifested by them — not written on tables of stone, but in fleshy tables. Any gathering of the saints, however feeble, is the epistle of Christ. We shall see how forcible this description is, if we think what an epistle is. The church was a recommendation of Paul, because they were an epistle of recommendation of Christ to the world. The world reads, and ascertains what Christ is, from the lives of the saints: I do not say that they might not learn it from the word. Just as the ten commandments were the declaration of the mind of God, so the church is the engraving of Christ to be read of men. We see the amazing force and importance of this, that we hold the place of the commandments under the Jewish law. The law was the declaration of God's mind in what He required of man.
Christ was not what God required (except indeed that He put Himself under the law, and perfectly obeyed it), but Christ was what God gave to man; and so is the church the manifestation of the grace of God. It is good for our souls to dwell on what it is to be an epistle of Christ, though I am sure we can none of us express the greatness of the calling. I would refer to a great fact in the life of Christ — that He never, in one single act, word, or movement of His heart, did a single thing to please Himself. So Paul said, "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself;" taking what the Christian is, as such, not merely the standard we realise. This is the usual way of scripture, to speak of our high calling, not of our actual walk. Jesus said, "That the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, so I do." (John 12:14.) This was obedience flowing out of love, and manifesting love. Nothing ever moved Him from that. The temptation to move from obedience to a commandment might come in a very subtle form, with all the ardour of affection, as when Peter said, in answer to the Lord telling him about His sufferings and death, "This be far from thee, Lord." It was affectionate in Peter, but the Lord would not own him, for it would have been to turn from obedience to God. And what does Christ say? "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."
Jesus loved Martha and Mary, but when their brother was dead, instead of showing His sympathy at once, He abode two days where He was. He remained to show the glory of God. Another thing to be remarked is, not only that Jesus was heavenly in His nature, but that as the Son of man, He lived in heaven — "The Son of man which is in heaven." The whole spirit of His mind, the tone of all His feelings and thoughts, was heavenly. If there is any motive in my heart which I could not have if I were in heaven, I am not like Christ.
All the grace that was in Him was brought out to meet man's sorrow and misery, and to bear our every earthly circumstance. I have often found my own failure — when the motive was right, the manner was wanting in graciousness: but not so was Christ. He was always seeking to promote the glory of God, but never did He in manner, on any occasion, depart from the spirit of grace. We often are not close enough, in our communion with God, to have confidence in Him; we become impatient, and we resort to means that are not of God, as Jacob did, who had not confidence enough in God to say, He will secure the blessing. Would not God have made Isaac give the right answer? Surely He would. So we often feel by not waiting upon God, who will bring the thing to pass most surely, though we know not how.
It was this in the sorrowful case of Saul — he would not wait, though Samuel came at the end of seven days, and Saul lost the kingdom. And those who really are the children of God always sustain loss when they depart from confidence in God. Christ was always trusting in God, and always waiting on Him, and He was ready for every sorrow and misery — to bring out the resources of God to meet every necessity. It is touching to read Matthew 5. Every beatitude is a living portrait of Christ. Who so poor in spirit as Christ? Who mourned as Christ? Who so meek? so hungering and thirsting after righteousness? His whole life was hungering after righteousness. The Life was the light of men, And, further, Jesus was the victorious Man over all opposition, even though it were death itself. There is a great difference between good desires and power. The quickened soul may say, "O wretched man that I am," but we cannot be the full epistle of Christ unless we exhibit power over all obstacles, even death. Death is given to me. The believer living in the power of Christ's life has entire power over death. The Lord Jesus, amidst all His zeal, never failed in love. There is no motive in love, though there may be joy in its exercise, and this is our triumph.
If I look for a motive, it is not love: therefore love enables a man to meet all trials. It might be that a man spat in his face. This makes no difference, for love abides; because it never draws its strength from circumstances, but rises above all circumstances. Nothing can be presented to a saint which can separate him from the love of God. The love which he enjoys triumphs over all circumstances. If we do not show this heavenly-mindedness, the love which is of God, doing nothing from any motive but obedience to Him, we are a false epistle of Christ. If I were walking lowlily, unless I could show out Christ, I should be nothing. So Christ; He gave no answer when God gave no word. If, in passing through this world, we stop whenever we cannot see how we may so walk as to please God, we should stand still and wait.
The letter was what was closely brought out in the Old Testament of God's requirements from man. The law on the ten tables of stone was glorious, because it was the voice of God, and God can do nothing but what is glorious. What are the two things contrasted here? The ministration of death, and the ministration of righteousness. If the Lord shows out His claims over man, no man can dare approach.
"The letter killeth," or pronounces death against the transgressor. The law condemns, and puts a curse upon all who break it. Then the man says, I have no life, and if God requires that I should keep the law, I am condemned, for I have not done it. Oh, the madness of those who seek to draw near to God by a ministration of wrath and condemnation!
The transition from the cross to the glory has left nothing between them, thus bringing righteousness, as it were, in my Head. When Moses went into the holy place, he took off the veil, and put it on when he came out to the people. So, when Israel turns to the Lord, the veil will be taken off their face.
We may, as I have said, be humbled through failure, but it is a poor way of being driven to God; for it is because we are not humble we get into the failure. Let us walk heartily resting on the power there is in Christ, and we shall be humble. The Lord give us always to recognise the power there is in Christ.