"Bible Exposition Fellowship"
Dear brethren in Christ Jesus, Speaking to the Ephesians Paul said; "..To me, less than the least of all saints, was granted this "the" grace: to bring the evangel of the untraceable riches of Christ to the nations, and to enlighten all as to what is the administration of the secret, "the" which has been concealed from the eons in God..." [Eph.3:8-9] Now let us see how Paul speaks to the Corinthians; Now if our "the" evangel [Paul's evangel] is covered, also, it is covered in those who are perishing, in whom the god of this "the" eon blinds the apprehensions of the unbelieving so that the illumination of the evangel of the glory of "the" Christ, Who is the Image of the invisible God, does not irradiate them. [2.Cor.4:3-4] That's very scary isn't it? For we are not heralding ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, yet ourselves slaves because of Jesus, for the God "the" Who says that out of darkness light shall be shining, is He Who shines in our "the" hearts, with a view to the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this "the" treasure in earthen vessels, that the "TRANSCENDENCE" of the power may be of "the" God and not of us..." [2.Cor.4:5-7] Only God can reveal it. Notice the word "transcendence." [Gr. [h] uper bole] from which we get our word "hyperbole" Rhetorical exaggeration, or exaggerated statements, but not false but truth exaggerated and way beyond, almost unbelievable? This information on the pre-existence of Christ is in a category of "transcendence" and transcendent greatness, that unless God shines into our hearts the knowledge of "the glory of "the" God" in the face of Jesus Christ we can not know it. When Moses asked the Lord to see His glory, [the same glory Paul is talking about] He said. "Thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me, and live...." That is why Paul wrote the following; Now if our "the" evangel is covered, also, it is covered in those who are perishing, in whom the god of this "the" eon blinds the apprehensions of the unbelieving so that the illumination of the evangel of "the glory of "the" Christ," Who is the Image of the invisible God, does not irradiate them. [2.Cor.4:3-4] For we are not heralding ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, yet ourselves slaves because of Jesus, for the God "the" Who says that out of darkness light shall be shining, is He Who shines in our "the" hearts, with a view to the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of "the" God in the face of Jesus Christ. [2.Cor.4:5-6] We see it by faith now, but the day is coming when we in our new immortal and incorruptible bodies will see Christ as He really is. WE will see Him as the Image and Form of the invisible God sitting at the right hand of God, on the throne and we will see that same glory that Moses could not see in the face of the Jehovah, Who became the Son of God, "Jehovah the Savior" through the birth in Mary's womb. God bless you real good. David and Carol Buckman Down-under at Ballina in the land of OZ. Email:
|