Main news for 26 September 2024

Apostle Paul speaks about "light afflictions" whereas he underwent in reality very heavy trials, few people can undergo such trials. He himself explains what’s the matter here, saying that he sees his afflictions transformed. The apostle sees them already finished, sees how their fruit is- the glory, sees them from the point of view of eternity, because now already - God sees our afflictions - when it is painful and it seems this will never end.

It will finish, and will be taken on in glory, quite as the Cross of the Christ ends with the Resurrection. And we already can approach today such a vision, if we look not "at the things which are seen, but which are not seen ".

We can look at things which are not seen only by faith, which Apostle Paul defines as "evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1: "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ").

Faith relieves our afflictions and all that our life consists of. Only by faith, looking at things not seen, that is keeping in our heart, as the greatest jewel trust in God - the Creator, Curator of everything on earth and the Redeemer, that we become sighted, capable of seeing the meaning of our afflictions, and our enjoyments.

Only by faith we can get up until the height of the Divine intention and God’s way of dispensation, up to the firm, solid support, which is not exposed to time, does not disappear, does not change, does not deceive, because this is God.

Continuing the discussion of the ministry of a witness, Paul especially emphasizes the need to move the listeners' focus away from the witness's personality and toward God and Christ, so that no one would attribute the power of God and the breath of the Kingdom to the witness himself as a human being (v. 7). It is from this point of view that the apostle considers the persecutions and afflictions that often fell both on him and on his companions (vv. 8-9). Of course, the witness of a true witness would not become false or less significant even if he were surrounded by honor and respect. But in that case there would always be a danger that the minds and hearts of the listeners were being influenced not so much by the witness itself as by additional factors: the force of the witness's personality, the general respect shown to him, and the pressure of public opinion.

Of course, this influence is not dangerous in itself, at least as long as it directs a person in the right direction. But under such conditions a certain kind of self-deception is always possible, when a person considers himself, at times quite sincerely, a Christian not because he seeks the Kingdom and is ready to follow Christ, but because he has fallen under the spell of a famous, respected, and perhaps truly outstanding spiritual leader. It is always psychologically harder to follow a persecuted or at least unpopular preacher, but in that case the chances are noticeably higher that the follower shares the values and convictions of his leader, rather than merely yielding to his charm, though of course there are exceptions.

But another point is important as well: witness to the Kingdom there and then, where and when there appears to be no hope not only for the triumph of the ideas the preacher defends, but even simply for a favorable outcome (vv. 10-12). In such a situation the reality of the Kingdom is either experienced with utmost clarity or, if it remains only an abstraction for the listeners, is not experienced at all. It is no accident that Paul says the death overtaking the apostle and his companions turns into the fullness of the life of Christ and the Kingdom for those to whom they testify, including the Christians of Corinth (v. 12). Nothing is so convincing as the triumph of the Kingdom revealed in the life of a persecuted witness (vv. 13-15). That is what keeps Paul from losing heart: he truly experiences this triumph during persecutions, seeing the Kingdom expand and include ever new inhabitants (vv. 16-18).

The idea according to which the afflictions endured by Christians in this world become in the Kingdom their glory, already probably became a commonplace. And nevertheless: what wants to say the apostle, speaking about afflictions, which in "the unseen", on which it is only necessary to look and of which it is only necessary to have in mind, turn around in glory? Do his words mean only that in the eternal life, in the fullness of the Kingdom "nobody is forgotten, nothing is forgotten", and every feat of faith of every Christian will receive in his new life a worthy evaluation? Probably, this also. But only it? What is it, in reality, this glory, about which Paul writes? The greatness, the celebrity? Probably, no all the same.

At least, in the Greek-speaking biblical books, this word corresponds to the Jew, which means glory, as God's presence, this very luminous presence, which accompanied the Jewish people throughout their history, beginning with the Exodus. And if to speak about such a glory, then it is necessary to speak already not about the memory and even not the rewards, here it is not about the encouragement of the heroes, even those who completely deserved it.

It is necessary to speak here about this measure of the fullness of God's presence, which is given to the man who seeks for the Kingdom and joins it. Well then it turns out that these persecutions and afflictions, that the Christian endures for his faith and for his faithfulness, open not only to himself the fullness of the life of the Kingdom, but also sanctify him, making him a bearer of this presence of God, which during centuries accompanied the people of God and that penetrated the Kingdom. And the problem here is not in the fact that the afflictions in themselves move the man closer to the Kingdom.

The problem is in what the Savior had already spoken Himself, calling back the inevitability of the persecutions: these persecutions are a kind of compass showing that the persecuted was not on the wrong way. Of course, these persecutions can take various forms, but the aversion by the fallen world of those who bring to this world God's presence, was, is and will be, otherwise the fallen world would stop being itself.

The time will come, when that will take place, the day of the triumph of the Kingdom, when its inhabitants and the carriers of the glory of God will become in the world his’. But for that the world has to be completely transformed, its nature itself has to become other, transparent for the actions of the breath of God and obeying it completely. But for the moment the conflict is inevitable, and "a light affliction open "an eternal weight of glory". "Light" because all which is connected to the fallen nature of the not transformed world is temporary. "Eternal weight" because the Kingdom is for ever.