The manifestation of life is equal to the manifestation of the Spirit. In 3:8 Paul says that his ministry, the ministry of the new covenant, is a ministry of the Spirit. In chapter four he presents an experiential confirmation of this. In this chapter he seems to be saying, “Let me confirm for you that my ministry is a ministry of the Spirit. When I came to you, didn’t you see something manifested in me? What did you see? Jewish religion? Jewish practices, habits, and customs? No, you did not see any of these things. You Corinthians must admit that what you saw in me was the manifestation of life, not the manifestation of any Jewish religion, philosophy, custom, or practice.” The life manifested in Paul was the experienced Spirit, the processed Spirit, the Spirit that had been cooked.
When Paul was with the Corinthians, he was living and powerful, but he was also kind, humble, and forbearing. All these virtues were part of the manifestation of the Spirit experienced by him. His ministry was the ministry of the Spirit manifested in him as life. Therefore, Paul was full of life. Not only was life manifested upon him, but it also worked in the believers there at Corinth.
Life could be manifested in Paul because he experienced the killing of the cross. Suppose Paul did not have any problems, troubles, opposition, or persecution. Suppose he was also strong physically and never had any problems with his health. If such had been the case, it is not likely that there would have been the manifestation of life in Paul. But when Paul was with the Corinthians, he did have problems and difficulties, and he did encounter opposition and persecution. Sometimes even the saints in Corinth caused him trouble. Paul knew that if everything had been easy and comfortable, it would not have been possible to have the same manifestation of life.
When we are in a comfortable environment, there is less opportunity for life to be manifested. But when we are opposed, persecuted, and criticized, when we have problems with our health, and when we are troubled by the saints in the church, we are in a proper situation for the manifestation of life. When Paul was with the Corinthians, he was in that kind of situation. This afforded him an excellent opportunity to have the Spirit within him manifested as life.
In verses 8 and 9 Paul indicates the kind of difficult situation he was in. He says, “We are afflicted in every way, but not straitened; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” In these verses Paul mentions four things. First, he says that they were afflicted in every way, but not straitened. The Chinese version says that they were attacked in every way, attacked from four directions: the front, the rear, the right, and the left. Nevertheless, they were not straitened, cramped. This indicates life. Not to be straitened in such a situation is to have the manifestation of life.
Second, Paul says that they were perplexed, unable to find a way out, but not despairing. The apostles were shut up; they did not have a way out. However, they were not utterly lacking a way out. This part of verse 8 contains in Greek a play on words. First Paul speaks of being unable to find a way out, and then, of not being utterly unable to find a way out. Once again, this is life. Seemingly they were unable to find a way out. But because of the Spirit in them as life, they were not utterly unable to find a way out.
Third, Paul says that they were persecuted, but not forsaken. This means they were pursued by enemies, but they were not abandoned, deserted; that is, they were not left behind in an evil plight.
Finally, in verse 9 Paul says that they were cast down, but not destroyed. Although they were struck down, they did not perish.
Paul was afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down. All this provided an opportunity for life to be manifested. Life overcomes all these things. Even though he experienced affliction, perplexity, persecution, and being cast down, Paul was still very living. He was not straitened or despairing, and he was not forsaken or destroyed. Life certainly was manifested in him.
By presenting his own experience as a confirmation of his ministry, Paul indicated that he and his ministry were one. What Paul was and what he lived were his ministry. The ministry was what Paul was and not merely what he did or the work he accomplished. Paul lived in such a way that his living was a confirmation of his ministry. Paul’s ministry was a ministry of the Spirit, and his living was full of life. This means that his living was the manifestation of the processed Spirit, the cooked Spirit. Paul lived by the Spirit, and life came out of him. Life was manifested to the Corinthians and ministered to them. When this life entered into them, it immediately became the Spirit. Then when they lived out the Spirit, the Spirit became life to others. This was the confirmation of Paul’s new covenant ministry.
In 2 Corinthians 4 Paul seems to be telling the Corinthians, “Our living and our being are the confirmation of our ministry. We and the ministry are one. This means that we are the ministry. The ministry is our being, our person, our living. What we live is the confirmation of the ministry. I have told you that the ministry is the ministry of the Spirit. Now I confirm this claim by testifying to you of my experience of the manifestation of life in the midst of a difficult environment.”
Sometimes the Lord allows us to be in a situation where we are afflicted on every side. Do you feel happy when you are in such an environment? Sometimes it seems as if the Lord drops us into the midst of this kind of environment, an environment where we are attacked from the front and the rear, from the left and the right. We are afflicted in every way, that is, according to the meaning of the Greek, we are afflicted from every side. This is for the manifestation of life.
Perhaps you are wondering who the attackers are, who are those who cause affliction on every side. The ones who attack you the most may be those in your own family. Your husband or wife, your children, and your in-laws may make things difficult for you. If you cry out for the Lord to have mercy on you, He may indicate that the greatest mercy is for you to be in such a situation in order to have the manifestation of life.
Life, the cooked Spirit, is the expression of the Spirit. Therefore, because Paul manifested life, his living and his being were the confirmation of his ministry. He and the ministry of the Spirit were one.
In chapter three Paul indicates that the apostles were all one with their ministry. Then in chapter four he presents a life that confirms the claim that the new covenant ministers and the new covenant ministry are one. What they are and what they live is their ministry. They minister life to others not merely by speaking, but even more by living. Their living confirms their speaking and strengthens their ministry. Thus, the ministers and the Spirit are one.