Phrase

editing

NT

2 Corinthians 4:13-14

esv

Since we have the same spirit

Ground

of faith

Producer

according to what has been written,

Standard

“I believed,

and so I spoke,”

we also believe,

and so we also speak,

Result

knowing that he ... will raise us also

Ground #1

who raised the Lord Jesus

with Jesus

Accompaniment

and bring us

Ground #2

with you

into his presence.

Destination

phrasing

Notes

*Though I didn't include the greater context in this phrase I trust that you will read the chapters on either end of this passage. Main Point: Paul's true faith (confident trust in the sufficient work of Jesus Christ as God's Son) results in his Gospel ministry. In verse 13 I want to draw attention to the genitive relationship indicated in 13b. Notice that I labeled this a producer genitive indicating that the the noun "spirit" in the anchor phrase is produced by the noun in the genitive phrase, namely faith. How does this work? As Hebrews 11:1 tells us "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." When I think about faith in this sense I think of it as assurance or confidence that comes from hearing or "seeing" with spiritual eyes, by the work of the Holy Spirit, the claims of Scripture concerning the person of Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God given by His Father for the sin of the people as a substitutionary sacrifice securing forgiveness of sins and eternal favor with God for those who believe. (Romans 3:21-26) So the confidence (faith) of these Gospel claims is what produces the "spirit" which Paul talks about in V. 13 of our text. Notice it says "spirit of faith" not "Spirit of faith". Though I think its true that the Holy Spirit is the Person who creates the faith in us, this text is talking about something else. What is "spirit"? The spirit that Paul is talking about here is the attitude or disposition of a man. So Paul is saying that this faith or confident trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ produces an attitude or disposition in him that is compared to what the OT writer says, "I believed, and so I spoke". Paul's desires and evangelistic disposition is produced in him by the confidence and assurance he has in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It's important to see that "speaking" in v.13 is the result of his belief. Its clear from chapter 4:3 (among other places) that the speaking of which Paul is here mentioning is the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Notice also that this gospel preaching is grounded on his knowledge of two future things: 1.) The certainty that the same God who raised the Lord Jesus Christ will raise us (Paul and all believers) from the dead. 2.) That God will bring us into His very presence. Application: True saving belief in Jesus Christ is the only thing that will produce a true love for speaking the Gospel hope to others. This faith is the confidence and assurance of the sufficient, finished work of Christ and is the ground for the future hope of the believer. I write this devotional to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. All to often I think we can be sucked into the mindset of mission and evangelism without understanding the need for a solid grasp of the theological content that is the Christian faith. The objective facts of redemptive history are the necessary facts to not only know, but believe in order to truly speak the Gospel. After all the Gospel is the saving message of what God (all three Persons) has done. The Father gave His Son, the Son willingly gave Himself on behalf of His sheep, and the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and Son to seal the believer in Christ until He returns to claim His possession. What glorious good news! Let us grow in the Faith , that we might have the same "spirit of faith", and join with Paul in saying "We believe, and so we speak!" God Bless.

notes