In my New Testament reading this afternoon, I came across two passages from the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians where the Apostle describes their lives (Paul's and Timothy's) by a string of paradoxes.
Firstly, in chapter 4 of his epistle, the Apostle likens life to "treasure in clay vessels", where the great power of God delivers them from much hardship and suffering, where despite being hard pressed, perplexed, pursued, struck down, and at risk of being put to death, the apostles are not crushed, desperate, forsaken, nor destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:7 - 12 WEB World English Bible
But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.
We are
- pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
- perplexed, yet not to despair;
- pursued, yet not forsaken;
- struck down, yet not destroyed;
- always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus,
- that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
- For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake,
- that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.
- So then death works in us, but life in you.
Further on, in chapter 6, the Apostle juxtaposes a list of ten forms of sufferings against eight forms of godliness in his description of their lives as servants of God. Sufferings such as endurance, afflictions, hardships, beatings, imprisonments are contrasted against godly characteristics such as purity, knowledge, perseverance, the Holy Spirit, sincere love, and the word of truth.
The apostle ends his list with ten paradoxes, from "glory and dishonour", to "unknown and yet well known", "sorrowful yet always rejoicing" and ending with "having nothing yet possessing all things".
2 Corinthians 6:3 - 10 WEB World English Bible
We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God:
- in great endurance,
- in afflictions,
- in hardships,
- in distresses,
- in beatings,
- in imprisonments,
- in riots,
- in labours,
- in watchings,
- in fastings,
- in pureness,
- in knowledge,
- in perseverance,
- in kindness,
- in the Holy Spirit,
- in sincere love,
- in the word of truth,
- in the power of God,
- by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
- by glory and dishonour,
- by evil report and good report,
- as deceivers and yet true,
- as unknown and yet well known,
- as dying and behold—we live,
- as punished and not killed,
- as sorrowful yet always rejoicing,
- as poor yet making many rich,
- as having nothing and yet possessing all things.
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus Anointed One, like the Apostle, we are also called to live a paradoxical life. When hardship and distress come our way, let us harness the power of God through purity, knowledge, perseverance, kindness, and sincere love by the presence of the Holy Spirit, in the power of God.
