"But in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much
patience."
10. The apostle here portrays the Christian life in its outward
expression. Not that it is possible for anyone thereby to become a
Christian, or godly; but, being servants of God, or Christians and
godly people, we furnish in this manner, according to Paul's statement
here, the evidence thereof as by fruits and signs.
Mark his phrase "ministers of God." What a remarkable service for God
is this wherein we must endure so much suffering, so much affliction,
privation, anxiety, stripes, imprisonment, tumult or sedition, labor,
watching, fasting, and so on! No mass here, no vigil, no
hallucinations of a fictitious service of God; it is the true service
of God, which subdues the body and mortifies the flesh. Not, indeed,
as if fasting, watching and toiling are to be despised because they do
not make just. Though we are not thereby justified, we must
nevertheless practice those things, instead of giving rein to the
flesh and indulging our idleness.
11. Paul also mentions sedition. Not that by our teaching or life we
should be guilty of sedition against others; rather, we should be
quiet and obedient. See Romans 13. Christ says (Mt 22, 21), "Render
therefore unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's." Paul's meaning is
that when we become victims of sedition on the part of others we
should submit; just as we are not to inflict upon others privations,
distresses, stripes or imprisonment, but rather to accept them at
their hands. So Paul heads the list with patience; which does not
produce sedition, but endures it.
It is a consolation in these times when we are charged with raising
seditions, to reflect that it is the very nature and color of the
Christian life that it be criticised as seditious when the fact is it
patiently bears sedition directed against itself. Thus was it with
Elijah, who was accused by King Ahab of troubling Israel and exciting
turbulence. 1 Kings 18, 17-18. Then, when we are charged with guilt in
this respect, let us remember that not only did the apostles have to
hear the same accusation, but even Christ himself, with all his
innocence, was so accused. More than that, he was falsely reviled upon
the cross with a superscription charging sedition; in fact, he was
even put to death as a Jewish king guilty of opposition to Cæsar and
of enticing and inciting the people.
12. The remaining marks of the Christian life--patience, affliction,
necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonments, labor, watching,
fasting, purity, etc., are easily interpreted; it is readily seen how
they are instrumental in our service to God. God will not have
indolent, idle gluttons, nor sleepy and impatient servants. Most
adroitly does Paul score in particular our fine idle youths who draw
interest from their money, have an easy life, and imagine their
tonsures, their long robes and their howling in the churches excuse
them from labor. All men should labor and earn their bread, according
to Paul. 2 Thes 3, 12. By labor, our text teaches, we serve God; more
than that, our labor is testimony to the fact that we serve God.
"In knowledge."
13. What is meant here? With Paul, knowledge signifies discretion,
understanding, reason. He speaks of the Jews (Rom 10, 2) as having "a
zeal for God, but not according to knowledge"; that is, a zeal without
reason, without understanding, without discretion. His message here,
then, is: "We should conduct ourselves in Christian affairs with
becoming reason and moderation lest we give offense to the weak by a
presumptuous use of Christian liberty. Rather we should, with
discretion and understanding, adapt ourselves to that which promotes
the neighbor's welfare. Likewise, when we labor, fast, or when we
regulate our sexual relations, we are to exercise reason, lest the
body should be injured by too much fasting, watching and toil, and
also by needless abstention from sexual intercourse. Let everyone take
heed to remain within bounds by using reason and discretion. The
apostle counsels the married (1 Cor 7, 5) not to defraud each other
too long, lest they be tempted. In all such matters, he would impose
no measures and rules, no limits and laws, after the manner of the
councils, the popes and the monks. He leaves it wholly to each
individual's discretion to decide and to test for himself all
questions of time and quantity bearing upon the restraints of his
flesh.
"In longsuffering, in kindness."
14. The meaning of these phrases has been stated in many other places,
particularly in connection with Romans 2 and Galatians 5.
"By the Holy Spirit."
15. What are we to understand here? The words may have one of two
meanings: First, the apostle may have reference to the Holy Spirit in
person, who is God. Second, he may have reference to the spirit of
individuals, or their spiritual condition. "Holy Spirit" may be
intended to stand for "spirituality," Paul's meaning being: "Beware of
the professedly spiritual, or of things glittering and purporting to
be spiritual; beware of them who make great boast of the Spirit and
nevertheless betray only a false, unclean, unholy spirit, productive
of sects and discord. Abide ye in that true, holy spirituality
proceeding from God's Holy Spirit, who imparts unity and harmony,
determination and courage." As Paul expresses it elsewhere (Eph 4, 3),
"Giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace." They, then, who continue in one faith, one mind and
disposition, give testimony by the reality and saintliness of their
spiritual life and by the presence of the Holy Spirit that they are
servants of God. For true spirituality, or a holy walk in the Spirit,
means to be in heart and mind at one with the Spirit, through faith.
"In love unfeigned, in the word of truth."
16. As the apostle opposes the Holy Spirit to false sects and false
prophets, so he opposes unfeigned love to indolent Christians who in
true faith and unity of mind possess marks of true spirituality, but
are nevertheless indolent, cold, in fact false as regards love.
Again, he opposes the "Word of Truth" to abusers of the Word of God,
who misconstrue it and comment upon it according to their own fancy,
and for their own honor and profit. While much that purports to be
spiritual has not the Word as source and gives honor to the Spirit at
the expense of the Word, the class under consideration profess to
magnify the Word; they would be master interpreters of the Scriptures,
confident that their explanations are correct and superior. In
condemnation of this class, Peter says (1 Pet 4, 11), "If any man
speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God," and not his own word.
In other words, let him be assured he speaks the Word of God and not
his own. God's Word Paul here terms the "Word of truth"; that is, the
true Word of God and not our own misconstrued, falsified word palmed
off as God's Word. In our idiom we would say "the real Word" where the
Hebrew has "Word of truth," or "true Word."
"In the power of God."
17. Peter speaks also of this power, in the verse before mentioned:
"If any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God
supplieth." And Paul elsewhere declares (Col 1, 29): "Whereunto I
labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me
mightily"; and again (Rom 15, 18): "For I will not dare to speak of
any things save those which Christ wrought through me, for the
obedience of the Gentiles." Christians should have the assurance that
they are the kingdom of God, and that in whatever they do, especially
in undertakings of a spiritual character, which have the salvation of
souls as aim, they beware of everything not absolutely known as true,
so that the work be not theirs but God's.
In God's kingdom God alone is to speak, reign and act. Christ says (Mt
5, 16): "Even so let your light shine before men, that they may see
your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven"--may glorify
him as the worker, and not yourselves. Seductive spirits, however,
come cavorting in their own power, throw the pictures out of the
churches and establish rules of their own, without caring whether it
is done in the power of God. The consequence is that their work is
neither permanent nor fruitful.