‘Tis the Season’ – To Understand the Journey

To Understand Journey

2 Corinthians 4:9-11

: I will be doing a series this December I am calling ‘Tis the Season’.

I begin with ‘Tis the Season to Understand / Appreciate prophecy’.

: This week ‘Tis the Season to Appreciate the Journey’.

From The Old Testament:

:

In the New Testament:

{dee-o’-ko}

1) to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away 2) to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after 2a) to press on: figuratively of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal 2b) to pursue (in a hostile manner) 3) in any way whatever to harass, trouble, molest one 3a) to persecute 3b) to be mistreated, suffer persecution on account of something 4) without the idea of hostility, to run after, follow after: someone 5) metaph., to pursue 5a) to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavor to acquire

(

)

to leave behind, i.e. (in a good sense)

or (in a bad sense)

from 1722 and 2641

abandon (1), abandoned(1), deserted(2), forsake(1), forsaken(3), forsaking(1), left(1).

:

(

) 

to cast down 

from 2596 and 906 

laying(1), struck down(1).

(

) 

to destroy, destroy utterly 

from 575 and same root as 3639b

bring to an end(1), destroy(17), destroyed(9), dying(1), lose(9), loses(7), lost(14),passed away(1), perish(16), perishable(m)(1), perished(5), perishes(1), perishing(6), put to death(1), ruined(3).

.

How their sufferings, and patience under them, are declared, v. 8-12. The apostles were great sufferers; therein they followed their Master: Christ had told them

, and so they had; yet they met with wonderful support, great relief, and many allays of their sorrows.

says the apostle,

, afflicted many ways, and we meet with almost all sorts of troubles;

, v. 8. We are not hedged in nor cooped up, because we can see help in God, and help from God, and have liberty of access to God.” Again, “We are

, often uncertain, and in doubt what will become of us, and not always without anxiety in our minds on this account;

(v. 8), even in our greatest perplexities, knowing that God is able to support us, and to deliver us, and in him we always place our trust and hope.” Again, “We are

by men, pursued with hatred and violence from place to place, as men not worthy to live; yet

of God,” v. 9. Good men may be sometimes forsaken of their friends, as well as persecuted by their enemies; but God will never leave them nor forsake them. Again, “We are sometimes dejected, or

the enemy may in a great measure prevail, and our spirits begin to fail us; there may be fears within, as well as fightings without; yet we are

v. 9. Still they were preserved, and kept their heads above water. Note, Whatever condition the children of God may be in, in this world, they have a

to comfort themselves with; their case sometimes is bad, yea very bad, but not so bad as it might be. The apostle speaks of their sufferings as constant, and as a counterpart of the sufferings of Christ, v. 10. The sufferings of Christ were, after a sort, re-acted in the sufferings of Christians; thus did they

in their body, setting before the world the great example of a suffering Christ,

, that is, that people might see the power of Christ’s resurrection, and the efficacy of grace in and from the living Jesus, manifested in and towards them, who did yet live, though they were always

(v. 11), and though

(v. 12), they being exposed to death, and ready to be swallowed up by death continually. So great were the sufferings of the apostles that, in comparison with them, other Christians were, even at this time, in prosperous circumstances:

, v. 12.

)

:

‘Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain

. (1Co 9:24 NKJ)

‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’. (2Ti 4:7 NKJ)

: Paul states that he:

Fought

Finished

Kept

: I wonder just how tired Paul was? Or was He?