Tonight, we’re going to talk about “letters.” No, this isn’t a preschool lesson on how to form your letters. This is the kind of letter that we write. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not a very good letter writer. As a matter of fact, I don’t like to write letters. I prefer to pick up the phone and dial long-distance and communicate that way. But I know there are some people who enjoy writing letters. But that’s something that just doesn’t interest me very much.
Brother Ancle Wishard read for us the first few verses of Paul’s letter—Paul’s epistle—to the Corinthians—actually his second epistle to the Corinthians. He is preparing to come and visit them again for the second time. On over in that same letter—over into chapter 3—I’d like to take just a few moments and read the first few verses of 2 Corinthians, chapter 3, and that will be our text for our lesson tonight. And I’m reading from the Kings James Version of the Bible:
[2 Corinthians 3:1-5 - King James Version of the Bible:]
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Did you notice how Paul started this particular section? He started out with a question: “Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?” That’s verse 1.
I think, probably, behind this question was the thought of a custom which was quite common in the ancient world. It was the custom of sending letters of commendation with a person. If a person was going into a strange community, some acquaintance of his who had an acquaintance at the location where he was to go would write for him a letter of commendation, and, thus, testify to his character. These letters were what we might call “Letters of Introduction” or “References.”
Paul did just this for Phoebe to introduce her to the church at Rome when he wrote, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea,” Romans 16, verse 1.
Paul endured many trials and many sufferings during his ministries. Perhaps one of the most difficult trial or suffering for him was the opposition of false brethren. These were ones who professed to be Christians, but who were simply Jewish “legalists” who never fully comprehended the purpose of and the liberty of the Gospel of Christ. They were unceasingly “dogging” Paul’s footsteps.
Paul would hardly have left a place where he had ministered, and these Judaizing teachers, these Jewish “legalists” would come in behind him, and they would discredit his message by discrediting him as the messenger.
One of their common tactics was to call into question Paul’s apostleship. Particularly among the Gentile converts, these Jews would say such things as, “Why, you know, Paul is not really a true apostle. The ‘certified’ apostles of Jesus Christ were those whom He had called, and whom He had personally trained, and who were with Him for His three-year ministry here on the earth. Why, Paul didn’t even know Jesus while He was here on the earth! And he [Paul] has no letter from the ‘apostolic college’ in Jerusalem. Paul is simply a ‘free lancer’. You need to be careful how you receive him. As an example, when Paul came to visit you, did he have a letter of commendation?” they might ask. “Did he have a letter from the church in Jerusalem, or from another church from whence he came?”
(I’ll digress just for a moment to say that I believe that it is right and proper, even for us today as we may have the occasion to move our residence—as we leave one congregation, and we move to a new location and seek out another home congregation, we ought to take with us a letter of reference—a letter of commendation, if you will, from the congregation we are leaving. This is something that we [John and his family] have always done as we have traveled around the world. I think there is Scriptural authority for this practice. We’ve already mentioned Paul’s commendation for Phoebe to the church in Rome. In addition, Apollos, a total stranger, who was away from his home, was going from Ephesus to Achaia. The brethren in Ephesus gave Apollos a letter commending him to the confidence of the brethren there in Achaia. And we find that recorded for us in Acts 18, verse 27.)
But back to our discussion about Paul. Certainly, no letter of commendation should have been demanded from him. After all, he had been in the city of Corinth for 18 months, and his life had been an “open book” before all men. They had seen for themselves the manner of his life and had seen every genuineness of his profession. Now that he was away from them, and was anticipating another visit with them, some of these Judaizers, who were strong opponents of Paul, were saying, “Before allowing Paul to do any preaching again in your midst, you certainly ought to take the precaution to demand from him a letter of commendation.”
So, Paul was saying to these Christians at Corinth, “Do we have to approve ourselves with you? You, among whom we have labored for more than a year? You, whom we have led to Christ? Is it necessary that we should now have some letter of commendation—a letter of commendation to you OR a letter of commendation from you? If it is a letter that you are requiring, you yourselves are our letter!” In verse 2 of this text, he says, “Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men.”
In effect, Paul is saying, “Who were you when we came to you? You were poor, ungodly peoples, lost in sin, in bondage to the vilest of iniquities. And NOW, who are you? You are redeemed saints of God, brought into a new life and a new relationship with Jesus Christ through the message of the saving Gospel which WE brought to you. Is that not letter enough? Does that not prove that we are divinely commissioned?” Using this text and my introductory remarks, I’d like to suggest four points for our consideration in the lesson this evening.
The first point: We are the epistle of Christ. To these Corinthian Christians, Paul said, “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ,…” That’s verse 3 of our text. The New International Version translates it this way: “You show that you are a letter from Christ,…”
You know, just as one who is on a journey communicates by letter with those who need his guidance and counsel, so our Lord, though He has ascended back to heaven, is ever writing to the children of men through the lives of His followers! Every Christian is an open letter for Jesus Christ. Every Christian, whether he likes it or not, is an advertisement for Christ and for Christianity. Many people will read US when they are not willing to read the Scriptures. This old, familiar poem may be trite, but I believe it’s true:
“Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel,” Paul would say in Philippians 1, verse 27. Well, how are we doing?
Well, let’s test ourselves with some questions. Is my life really counting for Christ? Do the members of my family, the members of my congregation, and those people that I come in contact with see that Christ has control of my life?—that, if you will, “Christ liveth in me?” [Galatians 2:20]. Do they see something of the patience of Christ in me? Do they see something of the purity of Christ in me? Do they see something of the tenderness of Christ, the compassion of Christ, and, moreover, the love of Christ in me? Is my life manifesting these things? As I go out into the world and mingle with others on the job, at school, during recreation, do they see any difference in me compared to those who profess no profession in following Christ? Do they say, “If you’re a Christian, then I don’t think I want any part of Christianity?” OR, do they say, “If you’re a Christian, and if how I see you live your life is what Christianity is about, I’d like to know more?”
Think with me, for just a moment, about someone you have known who was a good example. What sort of statement did their life make for the Lord, and for His church? What kind of impact did this person’s life have on the lives of others?
Now, on the other hand, think about someone you’ve known who professes to be a Christian, but his life is anything but an “epistle of Christ”. These kinds of people are epistles of idleness, of negligence, of lukewarmness, of quarrelsomeness and strife.
The agency through which this writing is done is made clear by Paul in this text also. He says this epistle is “written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God,” verse 3. It’s not written with lines that can easily fade away, or that will soon be destroyed, or soon become illegible, but, in contrast, this epistle, or letter, is written by the living Spirit of the living God through His Word moving in our heart and producing a variety of graces.
Paul also tells us where this writing is done. He says it’s not done on “tablets of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart,” also in verse 3. These are not words or thoughts engraved on cold stone tablets, such as the Ten Commandments were. But these Words are engraved on warm, pulsating hearts of men and women. This testimony is one of far more value than the inscription on stone because, first of all, only the hand of God could reach into someone’s heart and inscribe Truths there. And secondly, it [God’s writing upon your heart] is permanent! Stones, even those which were engraved by the finger of God, would erode and decay, and the inscription on them might eventually be destroyed. But not so with the human heart. It will bide forever, even in eternity!
Our second point is that Christianity written on the heart is Christianity in its most legible form. When we receive a letter from someone, we want to be able to read it! I’ve seen some awfully poor penmanship in my day. You probably have, too. We had a neighbor some years ago, and when they moved away, this dear lady communicated with us from time to time, and I promise that was the worst penmanship I’ve ever seen—utterly and completely undecipherable! Betsy and I used to pass her letter back and forth between ourselves and try to read it word by word to see if we could decipher what this dear lady was saying. Sometimes we could, and sometimes we couldn’t.
But if you and I are the epistle of Christ, our lives should be easy to read. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven,” Matthew 5, verses 14 through 16. People ought not to have to puzzle in their minds and say, “I don’t know about you. One day I think you might be a Christian, and then the next day… Well, I just don’t know about you.”
Christianity written on hearts is also Christianity in the most positive form. A well-written letter contains clearness of meaning. Once again, when you receive a letter, you don’t like to have to go through it again and again, and then say, “I can read the words, but for the life of me, I cannot understand what this person means!” I can tell you again about a couple of people who have communicated with us over the years. One is a dear friend in Germany. The other is a brother in the Lord from India—a native of the country of India. Both of them have a good command of the English language, but they both have trouble forming thoughts into things that can be comprehended. And there again, sometimes when we have received communications from these folks, we pass the letter between us and say, “Now, what do you think they really mean here. I’m reading the words. I see what they’re saying, but I’m not really sure what that means.”
You and I are called upon to clearly and positively set forth the Gospel of Christ so that people will not have to wonder where we stand on certain vital issues. But as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:13, we are to “stand firm in the faith.”
Also, Christianity written on the heart is Christianity in its most convincing form. We want to be convinced of things. “Show me some proof or evidence,” we might say. Harvey Porter used the illustration this morning in Bible class about being able to throw a baseball from the platform here, and hit that “Exit” sign at the back of the room. I don’t know about you, but several of us here were wanting to see some proof of that! And he promised that he’s going to demonstrate that for us sometime! But that’s the way we are. We want to see proof!
Good books have been written about “the evidences of Christianity.” But one life patterned after the Lord Jesus Christ is far more convincing than ALL of the Christian apologetics [the group of books or writings that are written to make clear, or defend, a certain belief, especially the belief of divine origin and the authority of Christianity; from the Latin word apologia: to defend]. He who has been transformed by the power of the Gospel of Christ from a sensual, selfish and corrupt person into a spiritual, benevolent and holy person, furnishes an argument that baffles even the critics of Christianity. One noted infidel said, “I can answer all the arguments of Christianity but one: The saintly life of my godly mother.”
Christianity written on the heart is Christianity in its most enduring form. We want things to last, but when it comes to letters, we know that they don’t. The tablet upon which we write a letter, the material thereof, is perishable. You may put truth on paper, and the paper will decay. You may put truth in the institutions of men, but they will pass away as a cloud. You may put truth on marble or brass, but even these enduring materials will eventually erode and fade away. But Truth enshrined in the souls of men will live forever, because, as the Psalmist said, “Your heart will live forever,” [Psalm 22:26].
Our third point is that Christianity is a supernatural thing. To the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul wrote: “Not that we are sufficient, or competent, of ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency, or competence, is of God,” verse 5 of 2 Corinthians, chapter 3.
Paul was careful to guard against boasting. He had spoken often of the success of his ministry among men, but he did not want to be understood as affirming that any of the success had come from himself. He knew full well that he had no self sufficiency—that he had no power in himself to convince and convert sinners. But all of the success of his Gospel ministry was to be traced to God. He had said in the previous epistle to these same Corinthians, “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planted anything, neither he that watered; but God that giveth the increase,” 1 Corinthians 3, verses 5 through 7.
I think one of the greatest mistakes that people make is to imagine that Christianity is simply a “natural thing.” They believe that Christianity is an ordinary life lived on a “high moral plane”, if you will. Someone might say, “I feel that I’ve been too selfish, too worldly. I’m going to try to do better. I’m going to start to live in a Christian way. In fact, I’m going to go to church!” Well, you can do all of these things outwardly and still not be a Christian at all! Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. And NO MAN cometh to the Father, but by Me,” John 14, verse 6. And again the Lord said, “I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing,” John 15, verse 5. And Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,” Acts 4, verse 12.
Christianity is NOT a natural life lived on a high moral plane. It is a divine life which is manifested by the “fruits of the Spirit.” That is what is meant by the words “to be born again.” The Lord Jesus Christ said to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,”[John 3, verses 3 and 5]. You cannot live a Christian life until you have a Christian life to live—a new life in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17.
Our fourth and final point: All men are readers of our epistle. As an “epistle of Christ,” we are “known and read of all men,” 2 Corinthians 3:2. There are some letters which only a few are permitted to read. There are letters of private business, of personal friendship—perhaps documents which are considered classified in nature. But as an “epistle of Christ,” we are known and read by all men. Once again, we repeat what Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” [Matthew 5:16]. It is not God’s Will that we merely do good to be seen of men, or to seek their praise. But, we are to let our light shine before men, to be known and read of all men, to glorify our Father, which is in heaven.
In Old Testament times, there was no message going out into the world such as we have today. Judaism [the religion of the Jewish people] was not a missionary religion. The message written in tablets of stone never went out into the Gentile world. [All people who were not of the Israelite nation—who were not Jews—were called “Gentiles.”] In fact, you never really hear today of the representatives of the Jewish religion going into the world to proclaim the glories of the Old Testament religion. Judaism has no missionary message, or messengers.
But now, things have changed. Jesus commissioned His apostles: “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature,” Mark 16:15. Therefore, the representatives of Christianity, with a world-wide timeless message of salvation, are to be known and read of all men.
In conclusion, let me say that God must write in our hearts. Paul said, “…for it is GOD which worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure,” Philippians 2, verse 13. An epistle, if it is to be worth anything, must COME FROM GOD. We often refer to “Paul’s epistles,” or “Peter’s epistles,” or perhaps “John’s epistles”, etc. But if this adequately describes them, then they are nothing! In a TRUE SENSE, they are God’s epistles, because “…men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,” 2 Peter 1, verse 20. So it is with us. If we are the “epistle of Christ,” we must be of God-written—NOT with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.
As we leave this evening and go out into the world, I hope you remember the points of this lesson: That we are the “epistle of Christ”; that Christianity written on the heart is Christianity in the most legible, the most positive, the most convincing and the most enduring form. And remember that Christianity is a supernatural thing AND that all men are readers of our epistle.