In 2 Corinthians 6 commentary part 3, we’ll be tackling the “by” verses. But in the event someone hasn’t been following along with this short series, let’s jump back to part two for a moment. In part 2, we went over in a broken down manner the “in” verses, which consists of verses 3-5:
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watching, in fasting;
We went over the different circumstances that may take shape in our lives or ministries as ministers of the Lord, and gave scriptural references to each. I’d suggest you go check it out at 2 Corinthians 6 Commentary Part 2, I really believe that you’d like it and also think it would help you out with this post. We will be concentrating on verses 6-8 in this article.
The “By” Verses
As aforementioned, last article was the “in” verses, here we’ll concentrate on the “by” verses. Which means that when we’re “in” such and such a circumstance, we overcome “by” such and such of a behavior. Take not that many of these are traits of the Lord himself. Here are the verses by themselves, then we’ll do a break down.
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the Armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
By Pureness
Courtesy of Dictionary.com
adjective, purer, purest.
1. free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter:
pure gold; pure water.
2. unmodified by an admixture; simple or homogeneous.
3. of unmixed descent or ancestry: a pure breed of dog.
4. free from foreign or inappropriate elements: pure Attic Greek.
5. clear; free from blemishes: pure skin.
6. (of literary style) straightforward; unaffected.
7. abstract or theoretical (opposed to applied ): pure science.
There are some scriptures that give us a bit more insight into pureness. But how are we to achieve the type of pureness that the Lord would expect of us? I believe that the following scriptures may help to answer that question.
Ephesians 5:
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus will sanctify and cleanse us with the washing of water by the Word. The Word of God is more than a book of lessons. It is alive with blessings and spiritual vitamins and minerals, meat and milk for the soul. And according to that verse, Jesus uses it to cleanse us and wash us through it.
Do you feel a stain in your soul? Get into the Word of God. Jesus will cleanse you with the washing of the Word. And as far as purity of religion goes, James spells it out for us.
James 1:
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
We who are saved are not of this world. We have passed from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. As citizens of Heaven, we are suppose to be passing through this place working toward the glory of the Lord. We are in this world but not of this world.
But the more we allow this world to dictate our actions, giving provision to the flesh, the more spotted we become. Think of Peter trying to join Jesus walking on the water. When he kept his focus on Christ, he could walk. When he looked away and started to be concerned because of the wind and waves, he began to sink. Keep Christ your focus in every way possible.
By Knowledge
Proverbs 18:15
The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.
How do we overcome all kinds of adversity by knowledge as ministers of the Lord? Knowledge about what? Well, one could say knowledge about whatever the situation is that you’re facing. That would be a common sense approach, to know what you’ve gotten yourself into and why. But there are two tiers to that train of thought. You’ve got the physical and spiritual.
Physical knowledge is easier to come by now than it’s ever been. You can find out just about anything online. It’s all out there. So whatever the difficulty is, use due diligence, or as the scripture says to be prudent, to acquire a knowledge base concerning whatever you’re facing.
Spiritual knowledge comes from the Father through the Holy Ghost. Most often through the Holy Ghost opening up his Word to you, giving you knowledge about something that will answer many questions, or fill any void in your knowledge base. He will often give you deeper understanding into something that you may know only little about concerning the spiritual side of things.
By Long Suffering
By Kindness
By the Holy Ghost
By Love Unfeigned
With this, we can sum it up in two verses, and all the pieces come together as to why this is in this list.
By the Word of Truth
When you pick up the Bible, you are holding the Word of Truth. Among many things, living by the Word of Truth offers protection. Also living a truthful life sets you free from the burdens of sin and lies. Sin often presses us down with a weight that we don’t realize is there until it’s gone.
The Word of truth (or the Word of God) is a sword in which we defend ourselves with against spiritual attacks, and go on the offense against the kingdom of darkness. The Word of the Lord is a two edged sword, and Jesus has placed it right into our hands.
Hebrews 4:
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Ephesians 6:
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
By the Power of God – By the Armor of Righteousness on the Right Hand and on the
Left
For this, I’ve combined the two, because one leads to the other. The Lord has given us protection through his power. He is our high tower and our shelter in the storm. But he’s also made us able to be equipped with HIS armor, so that we may stand against and resist the devil. The armor is a great study in itself, but for the sake of keeping this on point, I’ll just provide the verses for now.
Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
By Honor and Dishonor, by Evil Report and Good Report
No matter what anybody says about you, if you are doing what the Lord wants you to do, what can man say? If you are living by the Word of God, and walking this earth as a minister of the Lord, you’ll have no shortage of things happen eventually.
Sometimes you’ll be shown honor, other times you’ll be dishonored. Sometimes you’ll be spoken well of, other times you’ll be spoken evil of. Now all the bad parts are expected to come by unbelievers. That’s just the nature of things. But often I’ve found more dishonor and evil report from believers!
So don’t be surprised if that happens in your walk and in your ministry as you go about tending to the Father’s business. Think of what Jesus went through, and think of what the Apostles went through. Don’t expect to be treated any differently, but stay the course!
Conclusion
In part 4 of this series on 2 Corinthians 6, I’ll pick up with the last third of verse 8, as it kicks us off into the “as” verses. So keep your eyes peeled for that one coming out in the next few days or so, perhaps sooner!
Thanks for checking out this study. With each of these items that I’m breaking down, I would like to encourage you to get into the Word of God and make some discoveries of your own, particularly with this chapter. Each segment of each verse can be elaborated on in several different places of the Bible, and it is a fruitful venture to say the least!
If you’ve enjoyed this, please share it and get someone else’s eyes on it. I’d certainly appreciate it as it really does help spread this site around. God bless you, and thanks again for reading 2 Corinthians 6 Commentary Part 3!
Similar Posts:
- Daily Inspiration from Proverbs 8 P.71 – Spirit of Truth
- Daily Inspiration from Proverbs 8 P.82 – Holy Spirit of God
- Daily Inspiration from Proverbs 8 P.81 – Before There Were
- Daily Inspiration from Proverbs 8 P.70 – Understand Wisdom
- 2 Corinthians 6 Commentary Part 4