THE EXEMPLIFICATION OF THE TRUTH IN PAUL (2)
[p. 285] THE EXEMPLIFICATION OF THE TRUTH IN PAUL (2)
In this epistle we get the spirit of leadership. We see in the apostle how it is God’s way to maintain His people through the spirit of leadership. In each chapter he refers to himself. There is the evidence of great spiritual energy. It is set down here as a stimulus, that the saints should move on in that direction.
He was wrought for that heavenly house, “He that has wrought us for this very thing is God”. He was an apostle and represented the power of God; he gave them a spiritual lead in this letter. It is God’s way that there should be a spiritual leader amongst the saints. What he calls for is not in word but in power. The apostle outstripped those in Corinth. (As J.N.D. said, ‘he left his miserable competitor far behind’.) The Holy Spirit being here He will operate on these lines. You have a true man, who “has set to his seal that God is true”, John 3: 33. In chapter 3, the apostle loves the people; he is not behind Moses. He is not trading in the word of God, he loves the saints. He could show how he loved the Corinthians. He is conscious of the dignity of his ministry; it was such that it was apparent to all except those blinded against it.
The way of love is of surpassing excellence. In this epistle, God has made us competent ministers. In the apostle’s labours, He gives a lead for all time. It is important that everyone who ministers should go by the pattern, so as not to impair it, but commending it. A brother’s influence should be in the right direction.
God has committed reconciliation “to us” (verse 18). What a committal it was! The ground is occupied by Christ: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself”. Reconciliation is something received, worked out in Christ and established in Him too. At the cross all that was contrary to God was removed, and then what remained was of God. According to Romans 5 “we have been reconciled to God through the death of his Son”. Removal was always through death. The forsaking came in while the Lord was alive, “Why hast thou forsaken me?”. We are given to understand the awfulness of it. The public testimony was that He died. “For if, being enemies, we have been reconciled to God through the death of his Son”. There is no atonement without death, “Our fathers confided in thee ... and thou didst deliver them”, Psalm 22: 4. He was not heard. The awfulness culminated in death. He was made sin, “Him who knew not sin he has made sin for us”. He laid down the life to which sin is attached; that life had to go. The mystery of redemption is that He was made sin, that lawless principle which originated with Satan.
Death had to come in; reconciliation is effected in His death, and now it is in Him where He is. The we and us of the epistle are apostolic — a very interesting remark was made in this connection. In the holy anointing oil, the ingredients were varied and of different quantities; some were five hundred shekels and some two hundred and fifty; while in the pure incense, though the ingredients were varied, the quantities were equal. In both cases they were compounded “after the work of the perfumer”. The perfumer is typical of the Holy Spirit, so that while there is diversity of gifts, there should also be mutuality; it is the work of the Spirit to produce this, and in 2 Corinthians the apostle is labouring to this end, that all should go up to God as a sweet smelling savour of Christ. All the promises have found their fulfilment in Christ. “in him is the yea, and in him the amen”. All the promises to and [p. 287] from Abraham found their consummation in the king, David, typical of Christ. Nothing has been lost; herein is seen the faithfulness of God, all has been secured for God in Christ, and for His people too; in the day to come this will be evidenced.