2 Corinthians — Chapter 4

In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1–6 titled “In the Sight of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of Paul’s concern to defend both his ministry and his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ. There were those in the church at Corinth that opposed Paul and thought he had a weak presence. According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, it is important that Paul defends his apostleship as God used the apostles to give the Scriptures, and they were foundational to the early church. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, Paul is not only defending his ministry, but he is also fighting for the validity of the gospel message that confronts the world. When Paul does defend his ministry, he appeals to the calling that he received from the risen Lord. Paul makes it clear that his authority does not come from people, but from God. Therefore his message is also from God. The church would do well to look to the example of Paul who defends his message not by boasting in himself, but by boasting in Christ Jesus.

What authority comes with the gospel? What authority did the apostles have to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ? In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1–6 titled “The Authority of the Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the authority of Scripture and how God uses His word to command the church to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. The gospel is not the product of clever human reasoning or philosophy. It is the work of Jesus Christ that is revealed in holy Scripture. No one can find it by searching for it, but they can only know the gospel because God has graciously chosen to reveal it through His revelation. This is why the church of modern times must be like the apostles and proclaim the gospel to all; they must share the good news that Jesus has died for sinners and rose from the grave for their justification. This sermon calls all to examine themselves to see if they have believed in this message of salvation from sins. There is no other way to be saved than by believing in Jesus Christ.

What is the only hope for the world? In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1–6 titled “A World in Darkness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that the only hope for the world is not modern science or learning, nor is it politics and philosophy; it is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only this message of true salvation and forgiveness of sins can bring hope to a world that is in darkness and rebellion against God. The Bible says that all who are born in sin are born in ignorance and blind to the truth of God. Because of this blindness, people are content to sin and live a life that is wholly opposed to God and His righteousness. How then can sinners be saved if they are blind? It is only by grace that anyone can be set free from darkness and come to know God. This is the glory of the gospel: God saves sinners by giving His Son to pay the wages of sin. There is no other way of salvation than to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This sermon asks everyone the question: “have you believed in this gospel?”

What is Christianity? Many see Christianity as nothing more than another philosophical or political view. In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 4:1–6 titled “The Gospel of the Glory of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains why this is completely wrong. He says that Christianity is about the person and work of Christ. It is about what God has done to save sinners doomed to death. Jesus is not just another religious teacher, but He is the perfect imprint of God’s nature, God Himself. Since He is God, He is glorious and perfect, but as a man He died in the place of sinners so that all who believe in Him might be saved from sin. Jesus is worthy of all praise and glory, and demands all human worship. It is Jesus who is supremely revealed in Scripture, and it is Jesus that will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. This sermon is a call for all men and women to forsake their sin and come to Jesus. He invites all sinners to leave behind their evil ways and come to Him for their righteousness. There is nothing more to do other than to come to Jesus and be saved.

What is the power of Christianity? The Bible is clear that it is not human wisdom or ingenuity, nor is it found in anything that people do. The power of the gospel is found in Jesus Christ alone. When Paul came to the Corinthians, he says that he came preaching Christ and Him crucified. By preaching in the power of Christ, the Christian shares the light of the knowledge of the glory of God and not their own efforts. When Christ is preached, Christians preach the only hope for this world because God can only be known through His Son. In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1–6, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells of the great need for Christ, and that it is Christ alone who can make the world right. Jesus alone is the power of God to save sinners and bring them to God. This sermon forces the question: do I know God? Do I seek to glorify God above all things? For there is no greater need than to know God and to know that all sins are forgiven. This gospel is the only true and lasting hope in this world, and it is this hope that Jesus gives.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Many believe that being a Christian is about the family of origin, or the church of one’s baptism. But in the sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1–6, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows why this is wholly opposed to what Scripture says about the nature of Christianity. To be a Christian is to be born again; it is to receive a new nature through faith in Jesus Christ. Just as God spoke in the beginning and there was light, it is also with salvation, God speaks through His Spirit to make dead sinners new. Christianity is not about social change, but it is about the miracle of the salvation of souls. The Church must proclaim the gospel to all so that they might know Jesus as their Savior. Only Jesus can free humanity from their sin and immorality, and only Jesus can free sinners from their ignorance and make them children of God. This message asks the question: Do you know Jesus? Have you received new life in the gospel or are you still in sin and death? This sermon is a call to believe in the only savior, Jesus Christ.

Do you know the power of the Holy Spirit and what it means to walk according to the Spirit rather than the flesh? This is the all-important question that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asks in this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1-7. He says that the Holy Spirit is what enables all believers to live a life that pursues Christ Jesus and holiness. It is the Spirit that breathes new life into unbelievers, making them new creations in Christ. It was the Holy Spirit that transformed the first Christians from fearful disciples of Jesus into bold preachers of His death and resurrection. Sadly, many men and women live a life devoid of the power of the Holy Spirit. They live a life of lust and passion for what is unholy and profane. They do not care about their souls, but only the temporary pleasures of this world. This life of the flesh leads only to death and destruction in hell. In contrast, the life in the Spirit leads to forgiveness in Christ and eternal life in His presence. Those that believe in Christ Jesus are forgiven from all sin and judgment, and are made children of God in the power of the Spirit.

What Paul preached determined how he preached it: the nature of the gospel in the glory of God provides the power. Look at the biggest problem confronting humanity today in considering how Christ was treated on earth: why is the Son of God rejected? In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the vital urgency of proclaiming the message of the gospel and the various groups who have rejected Christ as the Messiah over the years. Both an able person and a fool are ignorant of the gospel and reject God. There is no new knowledge. “The gospel is revelation; it is not man’s straining to try and discover.” The world cannot know God by seeking; He must reveal Himself. If the God of this world has blinded people, the gospel is hid from the unbeliever. The gospel alone explains the state of this imperfect world today. Unbelief is always a result of prejudice, and a refusal to face the facts. Do not boast in ignorance and glory in shame. It is never clever to reject this message. There will be eternal punishment without relief. Be amazed by His glory — God in the flesh. Turn to the Lord, He alone gives sight.

What words and images are adequate to convey the experience of conversion? For the Apostle Paul, nothing other than the biblical imagery of creation satisfied the profound change that took place when he encountered the Lord Jesus Christ on the Damascus road. Listen to this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:6 as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares the echoes of the creation story from Genesis. By attributing creation imagery to the experience of conversion, Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows how Paul reveals the profound change that occurs when a person becomes a Christian. Moving from darkness to light and chaos to new creation is no superficial change. He challenges his listeners to consider their own conversion and how Paul’s experience can help listeners understand themselves. Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the professing Christian to look for a clear move from spiritual blindness and ignorance to knowledge of the true and living God; a life marked by order and discipline rather than disorder and chaos. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds the doctrine of conversion and the beautiful truth that God moves sinners from the domain of darkness to encounter the light in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do Christians live in an evil world that opposes God? This is not a new question for Christians, and Paul himself addresses the early church in 2 Corinthians 4:16. Christians must always seek to live according to the gospel and the mission of Christ. In the midst of an evil world, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims, Christians must share the gospel. Christians living in the world must seek to make Christ known in all that they do. And even as Christians are seeking to be a light to the world, the Bible says that believers are still wasting away, but the inward man is being renewed within. Jesus transforms all who believe in Him and makes them holy. In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:16, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches this great truth of the hope of transformation in Christ. This sermon is a call for all to flee sin and come to Jesus, for Jesus alone can transform sinful bodies of death by making all things new. Only Jesus can make whole again and give true and lasting peace with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:5 titled “The Nature of the Christian Ministry,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones passionately proclaims the real character of the Christian preacher and the true Christian message. Look at the example of Paul. Why did Paul not preach himself? What makes someone or something a fit subject for preaching about? The task of the gospel is not easy, but it is clear. The Christian is preaching to a world that is outside. Learn about earthen vessels and the state of the condition of the natural person. The gospel of Christ is not only preaching on morality and conduct; the natural person is ignorant of the issue of their own soul. People were meant to be companions of God who communed with Him. Why is this not seen? The world is under the control of the devil. Learn how to fight the spiritual forces of evil in this world. Glory in the Trinity, in God through His creation, and in the Son who died and rose again. The Christian preacher ought to be one who is prepared to be nothing so that God can be everything.

These light and momentary afflictions that are creating an eternal weight of glory—what is this hope Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of in such trying times? Listen to this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:17 and examine oneself in light of such truth. What is the attitude in facing present difficulties and the unknowns of the future? In this commentary on the passage, the listener will discover what Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the “acid test.” This test combines one’s total reaction to life and that everything in it is not merely optimism or stoicism. Paul is an example of a man who easily despaired. How could Paul talk like this? Learn what true positivity is in light of knowing that everyone is born to die. The history of the great song, “It Is Well With My Soul,” shows us that there is hope in the midst of trial because of Christianity's message, not simply the call to toughen up. Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the listener to gain a new capacity to see life and eternity as a whole, and to not be distracted by the immersions of the world, such as orthodoxy, intellectual ascent, morality, experience, and crises.