KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
KJV Mark 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
Twelfth Sunday After Trinity
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast created all things: We thank Thee that Thou hast given us sound bodies, and hast graciously preserved our tongues and other members from the power of the adversary: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy grace, that we may rightly use our ears and tongues; help us to hear Thy word diligently and devoutly, and with our tongues so to praise and magnify Thy grace, that no one shall be offended by our words, but that all may be edified thereby, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Luther on the Epistle text - Here
For Thy death, the bitter scorn,
For Thy resurrection morn,
Lord, I thank Thee and extol Thee,
And in heaven I shall behold Thee.
The Glory of the Gospel
KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
Introductory
Some people find it useful to make fun of Paul's exalted language. The KJV - a revision of William Tyndale's translating, whose foundation (and printing location) was Luther's Reformation - was established to be read aloud. Notice how the staccato of this verse is majestic by itself. Yes, I know many had a hand in finalizing the great English Bible, all based on Tyndale, based on Luther's crew, based on the original Scriptures in Hebrew and Greek.
Such trust - this leads the section - faith in Christ the Word of God. The object is first - We have trust is so much tamer than this word order.
have we - this reversal of the verb and the subject is a rhetorical device.
through Christ - agency, showing Christ is the agent who secures this trust. Word order emphasizes Christ.
The flat, simplified style is what they long for at the United Bible Societies - "We have such trust through Christ toward God." - Newspaper style.
The KJV is poetic and dramatic.
KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
We are used to directions, where two words are united - fore-ward, back-ward. This direction is God-ward, or toward God. That is why I love this rendition of the KJV. The KJV - "Aiming at truth, they achieved what later generations recognized as beauty and elegance." Alister McGrath, In the Beginning, p. 254.
God the Father is unknown to us, for the most part, except the Son of God made it very clear that He and the Father were one in essence and one in the Gospel Word, the Holy Spirit witnessing to this Truth.
So Paul is saying that he and all others can trust in God because of Christ. All the qualms about forgiveness of sin and eternal life are based upon this trust.
2:16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
We could say there are two parts to this lesson. First of all, it is God who does the work through the Word - as exemplified in Christ. So God is sufficient to accomplish this while man is not. Secondly, the power and effect is from the Gospel of forgiveness and eternal life.
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
One of my students said he grew up in a church where they talked about the Gospel but always added the Law, as if the Gospel is not complete. Karl Barth put it succinctly, because Barth was a complete idiot - "The gift is a demand."
This student began to study Romans, because he could not align his congregation with the truth. He said these words - "We are Justified by Faith. That is what I learned from Romans.
So many will say, "I have to do God's will or God will not bless me. We go over our covenant every Sunday." That is a Law formula and the opposite of Paul and the Savior.
Forgiveness is free, say the Barth fans, but this also must be done. A list follows. That is where so much social activism comes from, the reversal of Paul's teaching. They teach their own sufficiency. "We have to do this. If not us, then who? If not now, then when?"
The letter of the Law kills, because no one is sufficient. The spirit is the witness of the Gospel, what Christ has done. While that seems obvious to many, it is equally plain to the majority (I think) that something else is needed.
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
This is one of Paul's opaque lessons until we learn what it means. If the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai was great, how much greater and more effective and gracious is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
This is why people fight me so much, not that it is me, but the Faith of Christ, the Faith belonging to Christ.
They (various denominations and false Lutherans) have tried to get rid of faith 100 ways, which are easy to detail.
But they cannot get past (though they buried it in the NIV/ESV) that we are justified by Faith of Jesus. The KJV does not bury this. Without the faith belonging to Jesus, there is no forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.
It begins and is culminated in Jesus Christ the Son of God.
When God's Gospel is taught, wonderful marvels happen in the midst of opposition and difficulties. They often happen because of those events.
I told someone, "I am not sorrowful. We knew this was coming and and we enjoyed the last year without worrying - but going over how much we appreciate each other and so many we know, often only through the Net and the Gospel."
That is why I posted from The Pilgrim's Progress before this.
Christine is just now saying, "I see Him!"
