Truth is Victory
(A Message by Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo preached on Jan 13, 08 at True Life BPC)
Text: 2 Cor 13:1-10
The Corinthian church was a problem-riddled church. Just read 1st Corinthians and you will see the many problems which plagued that church. There was carnality and idolatry, incest and heresy. Paul was the founding father of the Corinthian church and was sincerely concerned that the Corinthian church be corrected of her sinful and shameful ways. Amidst all the carnality and heresies in the church, Paul was optimistic that truth will win, truth is victory, “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth” (2 Cor 13:8). Why is truth so powerful and formidable? There are three reasons:
Truth is Not Elusive but Established
(2 Cor 13:1-2)
The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians that he will be paying them a third visit. The first visit was the founding visit (Acts 18:1-8). Many of the Corinthians, by the grace of God, were converted under Paul’s ministry. The Corinthian church was a spiritually gifted and materially wealthy church, but they were not careful to keep themselves spiritually strong and separated, and so succumbed to worldliness—the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Paul had to write a long epistle—1st Corinthians—to address the sins of the church. But they would not listen. So Paul paid them a visit—his second—which brought him a lot of pain (2 Cor 2:1). They treated Paul very badly. They rejected his spiritual leadership. He was insulted and humiliated. They preferred following false teachers who called themselves “super-apostles” (2 Cor 12:11). These “super-apostles” were wolves in sheep’s clothing. Paul left the church with a lot of pain and sorrow in his heart. He then wrote them a tearful letter (2 Cor 2:4, 9) pleading with them to repent of their ways and be restored to him. Praise the Lord, the Corinthian church did feel very sorry for how they had dealt with their spiritual father, and repented with many tears. Paul then wrote 2nd Corinthians to defend his apostleship and expose the false apostles in the church. And if there were those who were still opposed to him and the truth that he taught, he would come this third time to try them, and he was certain they would be found guilty for truth will out “in the mouth of two or three witnesses.” No one can hide from the truth or run away from the truth. The more we hide the truth, the more it shows up. Truth cannot be destroyed but established.
Paul says, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Cor 13:1 cf Deut 19:15). In other words, a judicial inquiry will be set up, and a hearing will be convened, witnesses will be summoned and cross-examined so that the truth might be ascertained and established. Every statement must be backed up by evidence and not by hearsay or rumour. Paul calls on those who have sinned and have not yet repented to do so quickly. If we have sinned, there are at least two witnesses which will testify against us: God’s Word (Heb 4:12) and our heart (Rom 2:14-15), and if we have wronged another, the third witness would be the victim himself or those who have witnessed the wrong done (Deut 19:18-19). If we have sinned, there is always forgiveness when we confess our sins, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Truth is Not Might but Right
(2 Cor 13:3-4)
Many think that might is right, that being rich and powerful means the approval of God and hence the right to suppress and oppress others (Jas 2:6-7). But God says the rich and mighty will be brought down and the poor and lowly will be lifted up (Jas 1:10). The Lord Jesus Christ for example “was crucified through weakness but liveth by the power of God” (2 Cor 13:4). His crucifixion or death was not defeat but victory for by the power of God, He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father (Phil 2:5-11). Jesus bore the cross before He wore the crown.
The Apostle Paul lived in the same way following the example of Christ, “For we also are weak in him” (2 Cor 13:4). But our human weakness is transformed by the power of God so that we might become effective for Christ to the glory of God. The proud Saul had to become the humble Paul before the Lord could use him. Paul testified, “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Phil 3:4-8). In 2 Corinthians 11:28-30, 12:9-10, Paul said, “Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. … Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
The people of the world look for might—the best, the brightest, the rich, the powerful—to succeed, to get ahead. The people in the church should do away with the thinking and methods of the world. God’s way to success is not the same as the world’s—not the wise (PhDs), the mighty (CEOs, BGs, PMs), the noble (kings and queens), but the foolish, the weak and the base: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Cor 1:26-31).
The Apostles of Jesus Christ were very ordinary men doing extraordinary things. They were not of the intelligentsia or the elite but simple and lowly fishermen and tax-collectors, people looked down upon by society. Such were the men God used to do His mighty work that even the enemies of Christ were amazed, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
What was the secret of their strength? It was noticed that “they had been with Jesus.” Who are those who can be said to be “with Jesus?” Those “with Jesus” are those who are made wise by His Word, made righteous by His Faith, sanctified by His Spirit, and redeemed by His Blood: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Cor 1:30). The truth is God uses small people to do big things. All glory to His Name.
Truth is Not Evil but Holy
(2 Cor 13:5-10)
The Apostle Paul urged all who opposed him and his doctrine to examine themselves, search their own hearts to see if they were truly believers for they could well be reprobates. A reprobate is an unbeliever, still unregenerate and unrepentant. If a man keeps on sinning willfully and persists in rebelling against the truth not out of ignorance but knowledge, it might mean a fatal spiritual condition—he is not born again. For it is impossible for the natural man, the man without the Spirit of God to see or understand spiritual things: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14). Reprobates understand spiritual things like chimpanzees understand astrophysics.
Truth does not condone evil. A doer of evil shows only one thing—he does not have the truth. Paul prayed for the evil doers in the church to repent and return to the truth. They had to separate from the pseudo-apostles and their false teachings, and receive the Apostle Paul—their founding and spiritual father—and the truth he had taught them. Not that the Apostle and his fellow workers desired to be vindicated for Paul was the least concerned about his face or public opinion about him. He was even prepared to be called a reprobate (heretic, cultic, fanatic, unsaved) if that would make the members do that which is honest and good. Like a true and loving father, Paul cared not for himself but for his spiritual children. He did not care what the world or people might think of him. Paul said, “For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection” (2 Cor 13:9). He cared not for himself, but only for the reputation of the Lord and the testimony of His people (2 Cor 13:10).
Truth is truth, “for we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth” (2 Cor 13:8). In other words, it does not matter what man thinks about the truth, or how man may twist the truth, truth is truth, and truth will out. Truth cannot be defeated, but is always victorious. What then is truth? John tells us that Jesus is truth, and the Bible is truth (John 14:6, 17:17). John goes on to say that truth must be lived out, “For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 3-4). This no doubt was what Paul desired of the Corinthians too.
The Lord wants us to send out His light and His truth (Ps 43:3). As Christians we can only send out the Gospel Light if we practise the Truth, “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:21).
