The Weapons of our Warfare

This study from 2 Corinthians is an attempt to expose a deadly deception that we are witnessing today in the church. The eternal word of God is as relevant today as it was in the time of Paul. Paul in his day arrayed his forces against the false teachers that had crept into the church. The strategy of the enemy never changes and this is why a study of the book of 2 Corinthians is just as effective to expose the false apostles today who have such prominent ministries. I have discovered today in the Church a gross ignorance of the basic themes of this book of 2 Corinthians without which it cannot be correctly understood. Please read the whole essay carefully and understand that it is not directed at any individuals but at the forces of wickedness that are arrayed behind them. Our fight is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and forces of Darkness in Heavenly places .The greatest attack on the church today is on the doctrine of our co- suffering with Christ. The emphasis on this in the following essay is not because I do not see the enjoyment of Gods good gifts and blessings as legitimate.

“For everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected” 1 Tim. 4:4
“ God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” 1 Tim 6:17 ff

God wants Holiness of Character and not legalism. Nevertheless, denial of the place of suffering in the Christian life is a serious omission from our understanding of the Christian life, and the following essay is an attempt to restore that balance. The original purpose of this message was to describe the Weapons that Paul uses against the false teachers and to bring the Church of Corinth back under his influence. As the teaching progressed it became apparent that to effectively expose these false apostles it was necessary to explain more adequately the purpose of God in Paul’s sufferings. These revelations from scripture are completely unknown to many in the Church today, and this produces a severe imbalance in their lives and ministries. Please forgive a very imperfect attempt to describe these glorious truths from the Word of God.

The Weapons of Righteousness


To discover what the weapons of our warfare are we need to discuss first what they are not.

“The Weapons of our Warfare are not of the Flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” 2 Corinthians 10:4. We destroy speculations and every loft thing raised up against the knowledge of God (vs.4)

What are these weapons? Well they are not carnal. They are not of the flesh. They are spiritual qualities, surely, not outward things but inward. Paul says to the Corinthians
“ You are looking at things outwardly” (vs. 7) talking about himself. He is saying, “don’t look at me outwardly”

In verse10 he quotes them as saying “ His personal presence is unimpressive, and his speech contemptible” This is what they said about Paul. These are the outward things that they were looking at. They were impressed by the apostles who exalted themselves (2 Cor.11: 20) These apostles obviously had “presence” and could speak eloquently. These are carnal qualities and Paul will not use them although he could have used them if he had wanted to because of his education and his background. (Philip. 3:4).

Letters of commendation were other carnal weapons used by the apostles to whom Paul is referring.

2Co 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, like some, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

These letters can go before you to open doors, or they can be put behind your name at the end of your C.V. These letters Paul would have none of, and preferred the letter of Christ written on his heart, which made him adequate to be a servant of God. This is the manifestation of Christ in Paul to be read by all men.

You are our letter, written in our hearts, (2 Cor, 3:2)

The love of God, which gripped his heart for the Corinthians, could be plainly observed in his disposition and his conduct. These are the weapons that conquer fortresses.

Would he use severity with them, devouring, slaps in the face? The other apostles in competition to him employed these means

He exalts himself, he slaps you in the face( 2 Corinthians 11:20)

“Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?”) 1 Cor 4:21)

No, none of it! Paul urges them by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, this is a weapon that his competition does not have! Any body can threaten and be severe but only the presence of Christ is meek. Meekness is one of our powerful weapons; it is Gods power perfected in weakness. Jesus was crucified because of weakness. If he had been strong he would not have been crucified, he would have defended himself. Thank God he didn’t. On the contrary, he went like a lamb to the slaughter; he did not open his mouth. This was his mighty weapon and it is the same principal that Paul is determined to use.

Paul also goes to the slaughter, as do all true Disciples of Christ. And these afflictions become his weapons. In them he becomes strong. God’s power becomes perfect in affliction because there is no competition from the flesh, the flesh is crucified and all that remains is a sweet smelling fragrance. When our flesh is arrested in Christ’s triumph the glory is all his. We are his spoil.

Paul refuses to use carnal methods. He will not “peddle” the word of God

For we are not like many, peddling the Word of God (2:17),

He did not sell the Gospel cheap to make it more attractive because he has something to gain from its sale. He will not water it down (adulteration) to make it more attractive.

We have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the Word of God (2 cor.4: 2)

He was not crafty to win support or a following, but by the Manifestation of Truth they commend themselves. (4; 2)

This manifestation is nothing less than a manifestation of Christ himself. Paul did not just preach the gospel; he manifested Christ in his life as proof of the truth of the Gospel.


“For our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction, just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”(1Thess. 1:5)

The living Christ had to be visible in their lives as proof of the Gospel that Paul was preaching. The Gospel that Paul preached was about a salvation in which Jesus Christ himself manifests his life in us. We are not just “Saved by Grace” and continue just as we were, but we are walking in the “same manner as he walked” and only for this reason we may allow ourselves to be called Christians because we are as “little Christs”

Test yourselves, says Paul in 13:5 to see if you are in the faith, or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test?

The real Weapon of our Warfare is the manifestation of Christ likeness in our actual lives, and not for example standing in a circle and shouting out scriptures that will hopefully bind demons. Unless the reality of these scriptures are worked out into our lives the demons will laugh at us because we have not believed any more than they have. (James 2:19) The manifestation of Christ himself in us will have them running for their lives, shouting, “These indeed are the sons of God”

Paul commends himself in 2 Corinthians 6:3-7 as a servant of God. This passage proves him to be a true servant of God. This is his great weapon against spiritual foes. It seems as if he is saying these things against his detractors, but in fact he is battling with unseen forces.

” For our struggle is not against Flesh and Blood” Eph.6: 12.

Behind the ambition of the so-called apostles of Corinth and the waywardness of the ignorant members of that church there were spiritual forces at work, forces of wickedness in heavenly places. It is the object of these forces to keep the church on a carnal level of operation because it is in this realm that these forces dominate. To keep them using carnal methods is to keep them under their own control, because all methods in the realm of the flesh are demonically controlled. So using craftiness is demonically controlled, adulterating the word of God is demonic, impressing with personal presence is demonic, as with threatening, using severity, manipulation, and appealing to a man’s selfishness by telling him how much he can gain by becoming a Christian. These are all carnal methods and are subject to demons. These methods can all be appealed to by common sense, and may even be understood as wisdom because they seemingly achieve results in terms of numbers, but

“ This is not the Wisdom which is from above but the wisdom from below, which is earthly, natural and Demonic” according to James 3:15
“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there is disorder and every evil thing “. vs. 16

Everything that comes out of the flesh is based upon selfishness and this is not of Gods Kingdom.

Now Paul uses weapons that are spiritual, mighty to the pulling down of fortresses. These spiritual weapons are as unselfish as the carnal methods are selfish. Paul’s commendations of his life and ministry and the lives of his co-labourers are saturated with self-denial. This is their Power, it is a manifestation of Gods love that natural men do not have: but when they catch sight of it they are broken, undone, sorrowful and repentant.

Is it not our purpose to bring men to a place of Godly sorrow, and thus repentance? To a place of great yearning not to be selfish; to be like God and the apostles through whom he has manifested to us his character? We should be moved to jealousy when we read of Paul’s life, we should consider as a treasure that Spiritual quality in this man that made him like Christ. We have also been promised that treasure that Paul has, because in Peter we are promised that by the promises of God we may share in Christ’s divine nature.

2Pe 1:4 through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.


Paul is trying to move them to jealousy when he recounts the trials of his life and his responses to those trials. These are mighty weapons to conquer their hearts for the gospel.

In beatings, in imprisonments, sleeplessness, hunger, he continues to shine with the presence of God. In fact, Gods presence increases to the degree that these afflictions increase. Surely that is a demonstration of God in this world as nothing else could be? Was not God manifested in Jesus Christ on the cross when he said,” Father forgive them for they know not what they do,” and with this he died and the veil in the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.
This signifies that it was God that tore Christ’s flesh in two to open up for us a way into the Holy Of holies, which is Christ.

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.

The veil of Christ’s flesh was what prevented men from seeing who he really was. He was the carpenter’s son, the Nazarene, a prophet without honour.

Mat 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

When the centurion who was standing by saw how Jesus died, he said, “Truly this was the Son of God” (who else could die that death with a word of forgiveness on his lips for those that were torturing him?) The veil of his humanity was torn apart and his divine nature revealed.

All who say they are Christs should also be willing to have their flesh torn aside in a similar manner. When we accept this tearing of our flesh like lambs in resignation to the will of God the veil of our flesh is removed and we reveal Gods Agape love to the ones who are causing the affliction, and the sons of God are revealed to the world.

What other spiritual weapons does Paul say we are given? In verse 7 of 2 Corinthians chapter six we read:

“ By the weapons of Righteousness for the right hand and left.”

Like the Benjamites we can be those who:

“ Use both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow” (1 Chron.12: 2)

What are these weapons? They are listed in the next verse.



In the Left Hand, and in the Right Hand!

Dishonour Glory!
Evil report Good Report
Regarded as deceivers yet true!
Unknown yet well known
Dying yet behold we live
Punished yet not put to Death
As sorrowful yet always rejoicing
As poor yet making many rich!
As having nothing yet possessing all things.

Take note that the outward reality of Paul’s life was all the items on the left. This is how the Corinthians saw him as they looked at him outwardly. But it was his faith in God that made him not look at these outward realities but to see what is unseen except to the one who walks not by sight but by faith. These left handed things were turned into weapons; these would certainly surprise the enemy! We are always caught off guard with a left-hander. These are powerful spiritual weapons that he was wielding. Would that we would learn how to use these left handed weapons. These are the weapons that the world does not even know about! We in the Church are so busy trying to be well known, to be rich, to be applauded, we have yet to discover the left handed weapons that Paul used to such great advantage.He boasts about being punished, about being shown ingratitude , about being homeless, about being poor.He says in the next chapter


2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Jesus was poor so that they could become rich. How many Christians are rich today because of Christ’s sufferings? Many. But let us not forget that it is Paul who is writing this chapter and he also claims, like Christ, to have chosen to be poor so that he can make others rich.

“As poor, yet making many rich.”

Many missionaries today are poor so that they can make others rich. We can also choose this path if we want to. If we count others interests more than our own we will choose this path. Paul gladly embraced the sufferings of Christ so he could share in the same life that Christ had. He allowed his flesh to be torn asunder to reveal the divine nature of God in his visible life. Dying, yet behold we live. Paul was glad of the opportunity to be thrown to wild beasts in Ephesus so that he could witness to the resurrection. If there were no resurrection he would have been wallowing in a pity pit about all the things that he suffered for Christ but his sight of eternity caused him to rejoice in these tribulations as they were storing up for him a weight of glory. If you cant see the living God and don’t believe in the resurrection all you have to do is take a good hard look at the life of Paul and you will be convinced of eternity and of God himself. What pure, holy love it was with which he loved his persecutors. What passionate zeal it was which influenced his followers in Macedonia.

“Who in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality”

The Macedonians gave their money because they had seen that Christ and Paul had become poor so that they might be rich. Paul urges the Corinthians to do likewise. He motivates them by his poverty, not by his wealth. This is the manifestation of truth, which commends him to every man in the sight of God. This is the sword of truth, the weapon of Righteousness which pierces consciences and convinces men “surely these are the sons of God” The creation is longing for the revealing of the Sons of God but until we learn to walk in the same manner that Christ and his Apostles walked they will see nothing but Man’s Flesh.

Rom.8: 18, 19 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed,

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

The Sons of God are revealed as we manifest the agape love of God, which is Christ in us. This Christ love, which is the very life of Christ, which is in us, is revealed in adversity. That is why Paul tells us further on in this Chapter that,

“For thy sake we are being put to death all day long’
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Rom.8:36)

Who is putting us to death all day long? Why, God of course, the one who put Jesus to death on a cross as a Lamb to be slaughtered. And in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer because these things cannot separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God gives us over to tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness peril and the sword amidst countless other afflictions so that the Sons of God may be manifest. This is the true and only possible interpretation of Romans 8.

So when someone says “ we are more than conquerors “ inferring that God will save us from having to suffer any of these afflictions, that person is deceived about the true meaning of the verse in question.

As Christ had to suffer and enter into glory so we who desire to share his glory must be willing to suffer with him so that he will be manifested in us. To the degree that we share in his sufferings we will share in his glory. We have been called for this purpose. Christ is our example, and as he suffered and uttered no threats, as he was reviled and did not revile in return, we also are called to be like Lambs before the slaughter in the face of famine, nakedness, peril and the sword.

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth, and while being reviled he did not revile in return, while suffering he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously” 1 Peter 2:21

Paul followed Christ’s example, and the testimony of having done this was his greatest weapon of warfare against the lies of the enemy. The enemy says” You cant be Christ like on this earth; you must just accept you are saved by faith through Grace and you will always be just a human being. This is a lie; the potential is in each of us to be manifestly sons of God here on earth as Paul was. Paul had no advantage over any of us; Christ is in the lowliest believer as much as he was in Paul. The only difference is that Paul embraced the sufferings of Christ while most Christians do everything possible to escape from suffering. We have inherited a Gospel that makes us believe that Gods sole purpose in our lives is to make us more comfortable and enjoy to the full all that the world has to offer. God actually has a far higher Agenda in mind, and that is the revealing of a people who are of a heavenly substance.

The Corinthian church was torn between two loyalties. On the one hand they had the Apostles that Paul talks about in 2 Cor.11: 13, that exalt themselves, impress with eloquence and human personality, riches and Letters.
On the other hand we have Paul and the true apostles who are “fools for Christ sake, hungry and thirsty, poorly clothed and homeless. Yet it is the last band of apostles who reveal the manifest presence of God in their lives. Paul spends chapters boasting about his sufferings to show up the shallowness of these other apostles. This is the primary theme of the whole book of 2 Corinthians and it cannot be understood at all except in this light. He accentuates constantly the difference between his ministry and the ministry of these other men. He is fighting a vicious battle in this letter for the very church that he had planted with Timothy and Silas.What are his Weapons? The meekness and gentleness of Christ. He shames the Corinthian church into a Godly sorrow, piercing them with the testimony of his own life, a life conformed to Christ, his sufferings for their sake, which are actually Christs sufferings. Christ is filling up in Paul what was lacking in his earthly sufferings (Colloss. 1:24) Paul’s tears and his Christ like love breaks their hearts and he wins against his adversaries.

Jesus sufferings on the Cross were not sufficient. They were sufficient for the sake of redemption, and we cannot add anything to Christ’s redemption, but if the Church is to be in this world what God intended it to be, then Christ must suffer more in the Body of Christ so that his life might be imparted (see 2 Corinthians 10 – 12)
. This is what Matthew Henry’s commentary says about this:

Both the sufferings of the Head and of the members are called the sufferings of Christ, and make up, as it were, one body of sufferings. But He suffered for the redemption of the church; we suffer on other accounts; for we do but slightly taste that cup of afflictions of which Christ first drank deeply. A Christian may be said to fill up that which remains of the sufferings of Christ, when he takes up his cross, and after the pattern of Christ, bears patiently the afflictions God allots to him.

Paul understood this principle and used it to its full extent; there is a connection between his sufferings and his great power. He says that at one time he asked God to take away these sufferings but God said to him that they should remain because Gods power is perfected in the weakness that comes through suffering. So Paul accepted this as Gods way, which is higher than mans ways, and continued to submit to affliction so that Gods power might flow through him.

Let us put away childish things and take up the spiritual weapons that God has given to us.

Now these are the weapons of righteousness, which are being wielded by Paul. These weapons are the power of God and are intrinsically connected to a Holy character. There is no power for those that are lacking in Holiness. Power is not signs and wonders, signs and wonders do not bring men to repentance. It is catching sight of the Righteousness of God that brings men to repentance. This is what commends Paul and his fellow apostles and makes them distinct from the false apostles.

2Co 6:3 We are in nothing giving cause of stumbling, in no way, so that the ministry may not be blamed,
2Co 6:4 but in everything commending ourselves as God's servants, in much patience, in troubles, in emergencies, in distresses,
2Co 6:5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;
2Co 6:6 in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned

In love unfeigned. What does this mean? It means real love, Agape love, not a fake acted out love. It is the same love that Christ had. It is revealed only as they lay their lives down for the Corinthians as Christ laid his life down for us. It is revealed in suffering. It is the Righteousness of God revealed through Paul’s life to the Corinthians. This is what brings them to repentance.
In this second book of Corinthians we hear Paul constantly commending himself

Are we beginning to commend ourselves 3:1
We are not again commending ourselves 5:12
In everything commending ourselves 6:4
By the manifestation of truth commending ourselves 4:2
Those who commend themselves 10:12
I should have been commended by you 12:11


For not he who commends himself is approved but whom the Lord commends 10:18

These verses are a key to understanding the book of Two Corinthians. Paul is in the midst of a conflict concerning his authority to speak to the Corinthians versus the authority of those whom he calls false apostles. This is the theme of the book.
In the course of defending his credentials he accomplishes an even greater purpose, he reveals to them what the true Christian life is really all about. Now he claims to be crafty, although previously in chapter 4 he says they refuse to be crafty. This is the craftiness of God and not fleshly craftiness.

2Co 12:16 But let it be so, I did not burden you. But being crafty, I caught you with bait.


All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your up building, beloved (2 Cor.12:19)

This is a key verse for the book. Paul, in defending himself, accomplishes two things.
One.) He exposes his opposition, and puts them to shame. They would never lay down their lives the way he has for the flock.
Two). He demonstrates irrefutably what is the essence of the Christian life, for the up building of the saints.

Paul wants the saints to be built up. What kind of building ought this to be? Paul knows how to build as a wise master builder and he exposes the false building practices of his opponents.

2 Cor.5: 1 We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven.

This is the building that Paul is interested in. It is unseen. It is eternal. And it is not made by human hands. It has no relation to what is seen on earth. It is a house that will only be revealed when Jesus returns.

The false apostles are more concerned about appearances. They are concerned with earthly things. In the same chapter:

We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us so that you have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart (.5:12)

Paul reveals his heart to them; he reveals to them a building, which has been made without human hands, a building which will be revealed to physical sight only when Christ returns. He compares this building, for any that have eyes to see, with the buildings of the false apostles. A few verses later he says, “from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh. The false apostles are judging Paul’s building according to the flesh, what they can see.


Please stay with me, it will all become apparent to you in due time.
You are looking at things outwardly (10:7) Paul says. You think my personal presence is unimpressive and my speech contemptible. (10:10) You commend yourselves when you compare yourselves with each other, but you are commending yourselves for the wrong reasons. Eloquence, personal appearance, elegance of dress, strength of personality, all these have to do with the earthly tent that is going to be torn down. Don’t invest in it. Don’t use these outward qualities as an incentive to others in the work of God. There are some false apostles who use these qualities to impress the ignorant but I want you to realize that these qualities are short lived, they belong to the earthly tent which is about to be torn down.

Look at my heart says Paul. Do you not see Christ in me? On the outside I may be poor and unattractive. I may be poorly clothed, roughly treated and homeless, but be careful, don’t judge me according to the flesh; have you not caught sight of my heart? This is my only true qualification, and it might not seem very important to you who put such stock in the value of these earthly qualities of dress, appearance and personality but this is the only thing that is solid and lasting for eternity. This is Christ within me, can you see him?

Examine yourselves, is Christ in you? Paul says. Strip off all the outward things of personality, appearance and possessions. Does the love of God burn in your heart as it does in mine? Are you able to manifest the Righteousness of Christ in the midst of hardships, labours, beatings, imprisonments, accusations of being a deceiver, ingratitude, and homelessness? Can you love those who hurt you? Is Christ in you? - Unless indeed you fail the test. I trust that you realize we ourselves do not fail the test. (13:6)

This Christ within us has a potential of growing. It is this very environment of hostility that is the perfect hothouse for the growth of this indwelling Christ. Why do you try to avoid these hardships of which I speak? Is it because you are following as examples these apostles who commend themselves by outward fleshly qualities and not those of the heart? Don’t follow them because that outward building is going to be torn down, it pertains to this creation. Follow me as I follow Christ.

Paul knew that only holiness had any value for eternity .The righteousness which is Christ within each believer is hidden to the worldly eye, but is visible to God, and is the only reward of Christ’s sufferings on the cross. This is our inheritance, and we have no other. Our inheritance is Christ himself, and what else should we desire but this? We will gladly give all things to grow in this holiness.

At this time this righteousness is hidden. It is the new creation and not part of this world at all. But the time will come when it will be revealed what we are.

The world does not know us, Paul shows us how the false apostles walk according to the flesh cant see Christ in him because they are looking at outward things. John tells us in 1 John 3:1,2

We are children of God. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him.

Jesus came outwardly as “ a root out of parched ground, he had no stately appearance about him or majesty, (his personal appearance was unimpressive) that we should be drawn to him, he was like one from whom men hide their face. (Isaiah 53) The world did not recognize him as the Son of God and neither did they recognize Paul. Paul followed in the footsteps of Christ. So did John, and the world didn’t see the hidden Christ in him either. Righteousness is not a visible quality on this earth so we don’t put too much effort into it because men can’t see it and we don’t get applauded for it.

The false apostles compare themselves with each other and glory in their fabulous buildings, their state of the art sound systems and sharp clothes. Some glory in letters and degrees, organizational ability and charismatic personality. Paul refuses to boast in anything but his sufferings for Christ and how even in those sufferings he never becomes angry, impatient or vindictive. The more he suffers, the more his Christ likeness shines through, like treasure in a broken vessel. Those who are not looking at outward things see this manifestation of Christ.

Now John says that we are now children of God, we who practice righteousness. Righteousness is the evidence of Christ within us, and righteousness is not visible in this creation. But just as Jesus who was once hidden to men will appear in his true form to judge the world we too will appear with him, and we shall be like him. (1 John 3:2)

The building which is Christ within us is the building that Paul is concerned with, the inner man, the new creation,” the new self which in the likeness of God is created in righteousness and Holiness of the truth” (Eph. 4:24)

This new self does not yet have a resurrection body, we are still living in our old bodies, we are living in tents according to 2 Corinthians 5:1.

For we know that if the earthly tent, which is our house, is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Tents are temporary; our heavenly building is forever. The new building which is being constructed for us in heaven is being constructed according to the parameters of our transformation into the likeness of Christ. This means that when Christ appears in his glory, and we appear with him we shall be like him in the sense that as his eternal righteousness and Holiness will be visible qualities so our righteousness and holiness will be visible qualities and we will shine as he does. He will shine as the sun at midday and we will shine in different degrees according to the degree that we have been changed into his likeness. (1 Cor. 15:41)

1Co 15:40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the glory of the heavenly is truly different, and that of the earthly different;
1Co 15:41 one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
1Co 15:42 So also the resurrection of the dead.

Our resurrection bodies will be a visible manifestation of Holiness. If we have spent our whole lives trying to be noticed by men by concentrating on the outer appearance of our tent in looks, dress, personality, education etc. then the praise we have received will be our reward and in the resurrection we will receive bodies that are like faint twinkling stars. If, like Paul, we have been hidden from men and have concentrated all our energy on the inner transformation into the likeness of Christ, then we will shine like the sun, because it will be he himself that is being revealed in us.


Phi 3:20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.
Phi 3:21 He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.


John says that he who has this hope purifies himself. The purity of Christ will be revealed on that day in our physical bodies. If we don’t know about this resurrection body we might just spend too much time and effort and money on this earthly body and earthly things because that is what is visible to men on earth and pleasing to their senses. Our Charisma and personality is also that which appeals to men here and now, and this will likewise have no bearing on the degree of Glory of our resurrection bodies. Nor will how much wealth we have accumulated, like the rich man who built many barns; this too we will leave behind. Our reputations and titles in the world and in the church will be left behind. The fire will burn up all these things, so be careful how you build. (1 Cor.3: 13) All of our works will be burned up, our efforts in ministry and our charitable deeds. Many shall suffer loss but will be saved as by fire. (1 Cor. 3: 15) All that will remain is the degree to which we have practically been changed into the likeness of Christ.
If we understand this we will purify ourselves.


What weeping and Lament there will be on that Day! What remorse and sadness. What opportunities we have lost to be changed into Christ’s likeness! We have avoided obedience to Christ because obedience to Christ always leads to suffering. All of Christ’s commands crucify our selfishness. We would rather just be” saved by faith” and enjoy all the pleasures and comforts of the world than to take up the Cross of Christ which is the instrument that God use to purify us.

Don’t be fooled, we cannot be changed into Christ’s likeness except through suffering. Tribulation is the very hothouse within which Christ grows. The false apostles who are enemies of the cross of Christ, who set their mind on earthly things, and whose glory is their shame, are robbing you of the riches that you may have in Christ if they say that you need not suffer.

Phi 3:17 Brothers, be imitators together of me, and mark those who walk this way, for you have us for a pattern.
Phi 3:18 (For many are walking, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ;
Phi 3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, those who mind earthly things.)


Paul says that we should follow the pattern of his life if we want to be transformed into the image of Christ. The pattern of his life was the Cross of Christ; he wanted to be conformed to the death of Christ so that he may attain to the resurrection of the dead. He shared in the sufferings of Christ so that he might share in his glory. The next few verse in Philippians deal with this.

Phi 3:20 for our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we are looking for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Phi 3:21 who shall change our body of humiliation so that it may be fashioned like His glorious body, according to the working of His power, even to subdue all things to Himself.

In Corinthians 4, just before Paul talks about our earthly body and our heavenly body, he says this:
2Co 3:18 But we all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord Spirit.

We are being changed into the image of Christ, we are partaking of the divine nature, and this is our inheritance.


2Co 4:16 For this cause we do not faint; but though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For the lightness of our present affliction works out for us a far more excellent eternal weight of glory,
2Co 4:18 we not considering the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are not lasting, but the things which are not seen are everlasting.

The outward man may be perishing through the afflictions that we go through but through these afflictions the inner man, the new self is being created in righteousness. We become Holy as we go through the fires of suffering. It is the only way that Christ is perfected in us. We should not be running away from the Way of the Cross-, we should be embracing it as Paul did. Those who are enemies of the Way of the Cross glory in earthly things like impressive appearance and titles and look with derision at Paul and the apostles who are poorly clothed and homeless, suffering all that Christ suffered.

Peter tells us in his book that to the degree that we share in the sufferings of Christ we should rejoice because at the revelation of his glory we may rejoice with exaltation. Why on earth should we rejoice when we are homeless, as Christ was, when we are poor, as Christ was, regarded as deceivers as Christ was, shown ingratitude, as Christ was, persecuted for doing the right thing, as Christ was? Why should we rejoice when we suffer? Well, simply because it is suffering that makes Christ grow more in us and one day when Christ is revealed in his Glory the Christ in us will also be revealed in Glory.

Now if we refuse to take up our Cross and follow Christ in the path of suffering that comes when we obey his commandment that does not mean we will escape suffering. In this world you will have tribulation, Christ promised, and there is not a man or woman alive who will not experience suffering, suffering is the nature of this world. All of those sufferings will help in our transformation into the likeness of Christ, depending upon our reaction to them. But the degree of suffering we can expect will be in proportion to the degree we choose to be obedient to Christ. Paul, who points to himself as a perfect representative of obedience to Christ suffered more than any other man. This Christ likeness in him was targeted by all the Hordes of Hell, he even had a personal tormentor assigned to him, an Angel of Satan who was given the task of making Paul suffer as much as any living man could suffer. How else can we explain a man who was shipwrecked four times in one lifetime? The description in Acts of his fourth shipwreck comes after he wrote 2 Corinthians when he mentions three shipwrecks that he had suffered. Three times he was beaten with rods, five times received the thirty-nine lashes that Jesus received once, imprisoned on many occasions and often without food.

Paul asked God three times to remove this demonic angel that buffeted him continuously, but God refused to take it away, he said


2Co 12:9 My grace suffices thee; for my power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me.
2Co 12:10 Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in straits, for Christ: for when I am weak, then I am powerful.

Paul calls these afflictions light because he is comparing them to the eternal weight of glory that they are producing for him. They are growing within him Christ who is our hope of glory.

In this study we have gained some insight into Paul’s methods in building up the Corinthian Church. We have seen that the weapons that he used were not the kind of weapons that are used by the world. We have seen that in revealing his heart to the Corinthian Church he does more than defend himself, he shows to them the ultimate purpose that God has for his Church, and he shows them the path that they have been called to follow. May God richly bless you all in the true knowledge of him.