-4-
Faith Speaks
Chapter 4:1-18
As Paul continues his 'letter' to the Corinthians, we see him still speaking 'defensively' about his ministry. He is answering the ones who had unkind things to say about him. So he begins this segment by saying;
“2Co 4:1 ¶ This is the ministry which God in his mercy has given us and nothing can daunt us.”
and he continues to affirm his openness, honesty and his clear, plain style of teaching. It would appear that some of his critics were even accusing him of making 'veiled' comments that had a hidden meaning. Likely they were spreading it around that Paul was underhanded and sneaky … and had a selfish motive of some kind.
But he says;
2Co 4:2 “We have set our faces against all shameful secret practices; we use no clever tricks, no dishonest manipulation of the Word of God. We speak the plain truth and so commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God”.
In his next statement we learn some things that we might never have learned if he were not answering the ridiculous charges of this segment of people in the Corinthian church.
He starts by saying … “If anything that I am saying appears to be 'veiled' or hidden … it is because the people who are hearing it are unsaved … and they just can't 'get it'.” Here is how he put it:
2Co 4:3 “If our gospel is "veiled," the veil must be in the minds of those who are spiritually dying”.
And in his next words we learn something about the invisible, spiritual forces that are all around us.
2Co 4:4 “The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, and prevents the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, the image of God, from shining on them”.
You will recall from the previous chapter that Paul says that the Jews have a veil over their hearts that prevents them from understanding scripture. What removes the veil? Believing in Jesus. How do they believe in Jesus if they have a veil blinding their minds? It would seem that there is an obvious conclusion …that the only part of their mind that is 'unveiled' is the part that can hear about Jesus. We learned from Paul from his letter to the Romans that “To each person is given a measure of faith” Each person has that 'measure of faith' that is enough to trust Christ as their Saviour.
We learn some things from Paul's talk on Mars Hill (The Areopagus) that makes it clear that salvation is available to everyone.
Ac 17:30 Now while it is true that God has overlooked the days of ignorance he now commands all men everywhere to repent.
So God is COMMANDING blind, veiled people … to repent. In order to do so they will need to SEE who Jesus is.
So Paul has been saying … If anyone cannot clearly understand what I have taught while I was in Corinth … it is because they are blind. And we could add, but not so blind that they are unable to understand Christ's saving work that is available to them.
Who blinded them? Paul explains:
2Co 4:4 “The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, and prevents the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, the image of God, from shining on them”.
The 'god of this world' is Satan or Lucifer. The name 'Lucifer' is translated from the Hebrew as, Brilliant Star.
Ezekiel quotes God as saying, Eze 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
As God spoke messages through his prophets, he very often had a primary and a secondary message. In this case the prophecy of Ezekiel is against the King to Tyre. But we don't have to read far before we realize that the message fits him only to a small degree, compared to how if fits Lucifer himself.
Lucifer was in Eden. He was assigned to be 'the anointed cherub who covers. The term 'covers' means to take care of or guard. He was placed in charge of something. Without going into many other scriptures I will just state that Lucifer was the guardian of this created world … and maybe of the whole created universe.
From the above passage we get some answers: The serpent that appeared to Eve … was this Lucifer? Yes. Was he already a fallen angel? Yes. How long, while on this planet Earth, prior to meeting up with Eve, was he the 'good angel' Lucifer? We are only given clues.
God created the earth is six literal, 24 hour days. He created it perfect. Lucifer, as a good angel, walked back and forth amidst the fiery stones. God 'put him in charge'. Then, on day six man was created. They lived for a while in the garden … they were commanded to 'take dominion' over earth. They were commanded to populate the planet. And some time before Cain was born, we notice that it is an EVIL Lucifer that appears to Eve.
This gives us the approximate time frame of the great rebellion of Lucifer.
Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Lu 10:18
He fell from heaven to earth. Isaiah describes the fall … but not his fall from heaven to earth, but rather he looks ahead to his final fall into hell … Sheol.
Isa 14:13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,
This would put the 'fall', the rebellion of Lucifer, between God's perfect creation to possibly within the months before Cain was born.
While there are many other passages I could insert here, we will just move on.
By what means does Satan blind the minds? Does he have some kind of a 'wand' with which he can tap a person on the head and render them spiritually blind? I have never read anything in scripture that comes close to this. Rather, here are a couple of verses from chapter 11 that can help. Since we will elaborate on them more fully when we reach that chapter, only a few observations are necessary here.
2Co 11:13 God’s messengers? They are counterfeits of the real thing, dishonest practitioners masquerading as the messengers of Christ. 14 Nor do their tactics surprise me when I consider how Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is only to be expected that his agents shall have the appearance of ministers of righteousness — but they will get what they deserve in the end.
Satan (Lucifer), from the very beginning of his sinful work, has set out to destroy. He knows his end. He cannot avoid his end. But in his hatred of God, he will wreak as much havoc as he is able to do … before he comes to his final end. He has become a ferocious beast.
So how does he blind people? By putting something else, substitutes, in front of their eyes. If he can keep people too busy, if can can substitute God with a different god, if he can commission his own preachers who look like the real thing, (but they do not actually preach salvation) … and many other methods, he can effectively blind them to truth.
Paul said to Timothy that in the last days there would be those who have, “ … the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 2Ti 3:5
Satan gives enough religion to keep minds filled and occupied to the point that they feel fine. But their religion falls short of the power which leads to salvation.
Paul said, “Ro 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
We will expand this further when we reach chapter 11.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
This is what Paul focused on. It is the only message that goes beyond the 'veil' that covers peoples hearts. Paul had already told the Corinthians this in his first letter:
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Paul adds, 2Co 4:6 God, who first ordered light to shine in darkness, has flooded our hearts with his light, so that we can enlighten men with the knowledge of the glory of God, as we see it in the face of Christ.
What a wonderful feeling Paul must have had about this. Satan is occupied with blinding the hearts and minds of people … Paul had the wonderful privilege of bringing people to Christ. He saw their faces 'light up' as their hearts received spiritual enlightenment.
And what is even greater … we can enjoy this too! We can focus on who Jesus is with our family and loved ones. If they have been blinded by all kinds of other things, if they cannot understand scripture … as we focus on Jesus, they will be forced to take a good look at Him. They will be able to see Him in spite of the blinding work of Satan.
The ability to bring people face to face with the light of Christ … in spite of their blindness … is a real treasure.
Paul points out: 2Co 4:7 This priceless treasure we hold, so to speak, in common earthenware — to show that the splendid power of it belongs to God and not to us.
This is an important reminder for us. Remember who you are … earthenware vessels. We hold the message of light … but we are not the light. He is the Light … we are reflectors. The closer we are to Him, the brighter the light which we reflect. But in all of this, remember … we are not the power, God is.
And, as earthenware vessels, just how weak and fragile are we? What Paul says next applied to him personally. As we read it, we need to put ourselves there. We are not experiencing the same things as Paul, but the principles that he touches on all apply to you and to me as well.
2Co 4:8 ¶ We are hard-pressed on all sides, but we are never frustrated; we are puzzled, but never in despair.
9 We are persecuted, but are never deserted: we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!
10 Every day we experience something of the death of Jesus, so that we may also show the power of the life of Jesus in these bodies of ours.
11 Yes, we who are living are always being exposed to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be plainly seen in our mortal lives.
12 We are always facing physical death, so that you may know spiritual life.
In all of this Paul has been saying that his life is one constant testimonial of the grace and power of God.
In the case of most of us, we may have a ways to go before we can say … “Just take a look at my life. My being here is evidence of a real personal God.”
What should really stand out in this? That our experience of suffering the humiliation of the Christian life should serve a specific purpose … to let others see into ourselves and see God there.
2Co 4:13 Our faith is like that mentioned in the scripture: I believed and therefore did I speak. For we too speak because we believe,
What Paul wants more than anything, is that the persons comprising the Corinthian church are all truly 'born again'. He has implied that those who 'can't see' or understand Paul's teaching must be 'blind'. In other words, must be unsaved, unregenerated. He wants them to be more than 'nominal' believers.
What is a nominal believer versus a real believer? A nominal believer merely says, I believe'. A genuine believer, believes and shows evidence. Paul quotes a verse which says, 'I believe and that is why I spoke'. A very simple illustration of what he is saying might be something like … 'I was told a mouse was running around at my feet. I believed it and I screamed'.
James dealt with the topic of faith or belief in chapter Two.
Jas 2:17 So faith by itself, if it has no deeds to back it up, is dead.
Jas 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.
It is important to get what both Paul and James are saying. Paul says that if a person truly believes that there will be a response. James is saying exactly the same thing. He was dealing with people who said they were believers but there was absolutely no evidence to back it up. So he 'shames them' a bit by saying that the demons have a more real faith than theirs … they believe … and show evidence … they shudder.
This is what Paul wants to see in the Corinthian church … real believers with real evidence.
Is it possible for people to meet time after time in our churches, sing the songs with us, close their eyes when we pray … and the whole time be people who 'say' they believe – but never speak … of Christ and His glory and greatness, never display evidence of their love of God's word? It is just as important in our day that people of our fellowship have genuine belief.
Paul goes on with his personal testimony, “I believed … and I speak …
2Co 4:14 and we know for certain that he who raised the Lord Jesus from death shall also raise us with Jesus. We shall all stand together before him.
Paul's belief is so strong that he can say he KNOWS … that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise up believers.
Next Paul states his strong reason for wanting more and more Corinthian church goers to be true and genuine believers.
2Co 4:15 All this is indeed working out for your benefit, for as more grace is given to more and more people so will the thanksgiving to the glory of God be increased.
The more Corinthians that are truly born again … the more people to actually be thankful and praise and glorify God.
With that purpose in mind, Paul just won't quit or give up on them. He won't say, “These people are hopeless. They question my integrity. They spread lies about me. They misjudge my motives. I won't waste any more time on them.”
2Co 4:16 This is the reason why we never lose heart. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength.
He is admitting, “It is really hard at times … but because I can be instrumental of many of the Corinthians coming to a genuine faith … I won't quit.” His inward spiritual being, fed on that thought and as a result was being continually refreshed and strengthened. This is a word of instruction for us as well. Focus on your spiritual mission and be refreshed and strengthened. It will be worth it all.
Are you suffering with financial, physical and situational setbacks? Are you committed to 'not lose heart' and carry your commitment to Christ … onward and forward, day after day?
2Co 4:17 These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain.
So, will it be worth it all? Absolutely! Some things are very temporary. But some things last forever:
2Co 4:18 For we are looking all the time not at the visible things but at the invisible. The visible things are transitory: it is the invisible things that are really permanent.
In the next section Paul moves from the value of 'not quitting' because of the results, ... the many souls who will become genuine believers. We are assured that we can talk to them about Jesus and know that there is no veil covering that part of their minds. We can also let them see that God is at work in us. We are His miracle. We are weak, we are nothing, so if others see our hope and joy and excitement of seeing and knowing Jesus … they will know that it is all God at work in us. It is all God.
As I said, he moves on from this to ...
'And what finally becomes of us?'
'What is the final and eternal outcome?'
'What is our focus now, in the present?'
'What does it mean to be a new creation?'
'What does it mean to be an ambassador?'
'What does it mean … Christ became sin?'
“2Co 4:1 ¶ This is the ministry which God in his mercy has given us and nothing can daunt us.”
and he continues to affirm his openness, honesty and his clear, plain style of teaching. It would appear that some of his critics were even accusing him of making 'veiled' comments that had a hidden meaning. Likely they were spreading it around that Paul was underhanded and sneaky … and had a selfish motive of some kind.
But he says;
2Co 4:2 “We have set our faces against all shameful secret practices; we use no clever tricks, no dishonest manipulation of the Word of God. We speak the plain truth and so commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God”.
In his next statement we learn some things that we might never have learned if he were not answering the ridiculous charges of this segment of people in the Corinthian church.
He starts by saying … “If anything that I am saying appears to be 'veiled' or hidden … it is because the people who are hearing it are unsaved … and they just can't 'get it'.” Here is how he put it:
2Co 4:3 “If our gospel is "veiled," the veil must be in the minds of those who are spiritually dying”.
And in his next words we learn something about the invisible, spiritual forces that are all around us.
2Co 4:4 “The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, and prevents the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, the image of God, from shining on them”.
You will recall from the previous chapter that Paul says that the Jews have a veil over their hearts that prevents them from understanding scripture. What removes the veil? Believing in Jesus. How do they believe in Jesus if they have a veil blinding their minds? It would seem that there is an obvious conclusion …that the only part of their mind that is 'unveiled' is the part that can hear about Jesus. We learned from Paul from his letter to the Romans that “To each person is given a measure of faith” Each person has that 'measure of faith' that is enough to trust Christ as their Saviour.
We learn some things from Paul's talk on Mars Hill (The Areopagus) that makes it clear that salvation is available to everyone.
Ac 17:30 Now while it is true that God has overlooked the days of ignorance he now commands all men everywhere to repent.
So God is COMMANDING blind, veiled people … to repent. In order to do so they will need to SEE who Jesus is.
So Paul has been saying … If anyone cannot clearly understand what I have taught while I was in Corinth … it is because they are blind. And we could add, but not so blind that they are unable to understand Christ's saving work that is available to them.
Who blinded them? Paul explains:
2Co 4:4 “The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, and prevents the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, the image of God, from shining on them”.
The 'god of this world' is Satan or Lucifer. The name 'Lucifer' is translated from the Hebrew as, Brilliant Star.
Ezekiel quotes God as saying, Eze 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
As God spoke messages through his prophets, he very often had a primary and a secondary message. In this case the prophecy of Ezekiel is against the King to Tyre. But we don't have to read far before we realize that the message fits him only to a small degree, compared to how if fits Lucifer himself.
Lucifer was in Eden. He was assigned to be 'the anointed cherub who covers. The term 'covers' means to take care of or guard. He was placed in charge of something. Without going into many other scriptures I will just state that Lucifer was the guardian of this created world … and maybe of the whole created universe.
From the above passage we get some answers: The serpent that appeared to Eve … was this Lucifer? Yes. Was he already a fallen angel? Yes. How long, while on this planet Earth, prior to meeting up with Eve, was he the 'good angel' Lucifer? We are only given clues.
God created the earth is six literal, 24 hour days. He created it perfect. Lucifer, as a good angel, walked back and forth amidst the fiery stones. God 'put him in charge'. Then, on day six man was created. They lived for a while in the garden … they were commanded to 'take dominion' over earth. They were commanded to populate the planet. And some time before Cain was born, we notice that it is an EVIL Lucifer that appears to Eve.
This gives us the approximate time frame of the great rebellion of Lucifer.
Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Lu 10:18
He fell from heaven to earth. Isaiah describes the fall … but not his fall from heaven to earth, but rather he looks ahead to his final fall into hell … Sheol.
Isa 14:13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,
This would put the 'fall', the rebellion of Lucifer, between God's perfect creation to possibly within the months before Cain was born.
While there are many other passages I could insert here, we will just move on.
By what means does Satan blind the minds? Does he have some kind of a 'wand' with which he can tap a person on the head and render them spiritually blind? I have never read anything in scripture that comes close to this. Rather, here are a couple of verses from chapter 11 that can help. Since we will elaborate on them more fully when we reach that chapter, only a few observations are necessary here.
2Co 11:13 God’s messengers? They are counterfeits of the real thing, dishonest practitioners masquerading as the messengers of Christ. 14 Nor do their tactics surprise me when I consider how Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is only to be expected that his agents shall have the appearance of ministers of righteousness — but they will get what they deserve in the end.
Satan (Lucifer), from the very beginning of his sinful work, has set out to destroy. He knows his end. He cannot avoid his end. But in his hatred of God, he will wreak as much havoc as he is able to do … before he comes to his final end. He has become a ferocious beast.
So how does he blind people? By putting something else, substitutes, in front of their eyes. If he can keep people too busy, if can can substitute God with a different god, if he can commission his own preachers who look like the real thing, (but they do not actually preach salvation) … and many other methods, he can effectively blind them to truth.
Paul said to Timothy that in the last days there would be those who have, “ … the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 2Ti 3:5
Satan gives enough religion to keep minds filled and occupied to the point that they feel fine. But their religion falls short of the power which leads to salvation.
Paul said, “Ro 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
We will expand this further when we reach chapter 11.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
This is what Paul focused on. It is the only message that goes beyond the 'veil' that covers peoples hearts. Paul had already told the Corinthians this in his first letter:
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Paul adds, 2Co 4:6 God, who first ordered light to shine in darkness, has flooded our hearts with his light, so that we can enlighten men with the knowledge of the glory of God, as we see it in the face of Christ.
What a wonderful feeling Paul must have had about this. Satan is occupied with blinding the hearts and minds of people … Paul had the wonderful privilege of bringing people to Christ. He saw their faces 'light up' as their hearts received spiritual enlightenment.
And what is even greater … we can enjoy this too! We can focus on who Jesus is with our family and loved ones. If they have been blinded by all kinds of other things, if they cannot understand scripture … as we focus on Jesus, they will be forced to take a good look at Him. They will be able to see Him in spite of the blinding work of Satan.
The ability to bring people face to face with the light of Christ … in spite of their blindness … is a real treasure.
Paul points out: 2Co 4:7 This priceless treasure we hold, so to speak, in common earthenware — to show that the splendid power of it belongs to God and not to us.
This is an important reminder for us. Remember who you are … earthenware vessels. We hold the message of light … but we are not the light. He is the Light … we are reflectors. The closer we are to Him, the brighter the light which we reflect. But in all of this, remember … we are not the power, God is.
And, as earthenware vessels, just how weak and fragile are we? What Paul says next applied to him personally. As we read it, we need to put ourselves there. We are not experiencing the same things as Paul, but the principles that he touches on all apply to you and to me as well.
2Co 4:8 ¶ We are hard-pressed on all sides, but we are never frustrated; we are puzzled, but never in despair.
9 We are persecuted, but are never deserted: we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!
10 Every day we experience something of the death of Jesus, so that we may also show the power of the life of Jesus in these bodies of ours.
11 Yes, we who are living are always being exposed to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be plainly seen in our mortal lives.
12 We are always facing physical death, so that you may know spiritual life.
In all of this Paul has been saying that his life is one constant testimonial of the grace and power of God.
In the case of most of us, we may have a ways to go before we can say … “Just take a look at my life. My being here is evidence of a real personal God.”
What should really stand out in this? That our experience of suffering the humiliation of the Christian life should serve a specific purpose … to let others see into ourselves and see God there.
2Co 4:13 Our faith is like that mentioned in the scripture: I believed and therefore did I speak. For we too speak because we believe,
What Paul wants more than anything, is that the persons comprising the Corinthian church are all truly 'born again'. He has implied that those who 'can't see' or understand Paul's teaching must be 'blind'. In other words, must be unsaved, unregenerated. He wants them to be more than 'nominal' believers.
What is a nominal believer versus a real believer? A nominal believer merely says, I believe'. A genuine believer, believes and shows evidence. Paul quotes a verse which says, 'I believe and that is why I spoke'. A very simple illustration of what he is saying might be something like … 'I was told a mouse was running around at my feet. I believed it and I screamed'.
James dealt with the topic of faith or belief in chapter Two.
Jas 2:17 So faith by itself, if it has no deeds to back it up, is dead.
Jas 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.
It is important to get what both Paul and James are saying. Paul says that if a person truly believes that there will be a response. James is saying exactly the same thing. He was dealing with people who said they were believers but there was absolutely no evidence to back it up. So he 'shames them' a bit by saying that the demons have a more real faith than theirs … they believe … and show evidence … they shudder.
This is what Paul wants to see in the Corinthian church … real believers with real evidence.
Is it possible for people to meet time after time in our churches, sing the songs with us, close their eyes when we pray … and the whole time be people who 'say' they believe – but never speak … of Christ and His glory and greatness, never display evidence of their love of God's word? It is just as important in our day that people of our fellowship have genuine belief.
Paul goes on with his personal testimony, “I believed … and I speak …
2Co 4:14 and we know for certain that he who raised the Lord Jesus from death shall also raise us with Jesus. We shall all stand together before him.
Paul's belief is so strong that he can say he KNOWS … that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise up believers.
Next Paul states his strong reason for wanting more and more Corinthian church goers to be true and genuine believers.
2Co 4:15 All this is indeed working out for your benefit, for as more grace is given to more and more people so will the thanksgiving to the glory of God be increased.
The more Corinthians that are truly born again … the more people to actually be thankful and praise and glorify God.
With that purpose in mind, Paul just won't quit or give up on them. He won't say, “These people are hopeless. They question my integrity. They spread lies about me. They misjudge my motives. I won't waste any more time on them.”
2Co 4:16 This is the reason why we never lose heart. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength.
He is admitting, “It is really hard at times … but because I can be instrumental of many of the Corinthians coming to a genuine faith … I won't quit.” His inward spiritual being, fed on that thought and as a result was being continually refreshed and strengthened. This is a word of instruction for us as well. Focus on your spiritual mission and be refreshed and strengthened. It will be worth it all.
Are you suffering with financial, physical and situational setbacks? Are you committed to 'not lose heart' and carry your commitment to Christ … onward and forward, day after day?
2Co 4:17 These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain.
So, will it be worth it all? Absolutely! Some things are very temporary. But some things last forever:
2Co 4:18 For we are looking all the time not at the visible things but at the invisible. The visible things are transitory: it is the invisible things that are really permanent.
In the next section Paul moves from the value of 'not quitting' because of the results, ... the many souls who will become genuine believers. We are assured that we can talk to them about Jesus and know that there is no veil covering that part of their minds. We can also let them see that God is at work in us. We are His miracle. We are weak, we are nothing, so if others see our hope and joy and excitement of seeing and knowing Jesus … they will know that it is all God at work in us. It is all God.
As I said, he moves on from this to ...
'And what finally becomes of us?'
'What is the final and eternal outcome?'
'What is our focus now, in the present?'
'What does it mean to be a new creation?'
'What does it mean to be an ambassador?'
'What does it mean … Christ became sin?'