AN UNPOPULAR FAITH

Clever words can be used to produce superficially successful ministries. Modern sophists, like ancient sophists, framed their message to maximize popular appeal. They were successful. Paul was unimpressive, suffering, persecuted, and unpopular. After listing his afflictions, he writes: But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed, therefore I spoke," we also believe, therefore we also speak (2 Cor. 4:13).

The verse opens with the participle translated "having" (ἔχοντες). Although a bit awkward, it is best to take the participle as connected to the verb "we also believe" (πιστεύομεν) later in the verse (Robertson, Grammar, p.1134). Everything in between the participle and the main verb is a parenthesis explaining the participle - having all this, we believe! Both the participle and the main verb are in the present tense indicating the action of having and the action of believing are simultaneous actions (Burton, Moods and Tenses, p.54). They are actions in progress.

What do we have? We have "the same spirit of faith" (τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως). The pronoun αὐτός is an attributive pronoun meaning "same" (MHT, Grammar, 3:194). Is Paul's spirit of faith the same as the Corinthian Christians or the psalmist he is quoting? Paul is testifying that his faith is the same as the psalmist who experienced the same struggle and victory over suffering and death (Martin, 2 Corinthians, p.89). The faith of the Corinthians was weak and success oriented while the faith of the psalmist was strong in the face of rejection.

Is the spirit the Holy Spirit or the human spirit - a big "S" or a little "s"? Grammatically it could go either way. Many take it as a small "s" referring to the human spirit or disposition of faith (Hughes, 2 Corinthians, p.147). The word "faith" (πίστεως) would be taken as a subjective genitive meaning faith stimulates the attitude or disposition we use to face adversity. It is probably better to take "Spirit" as a Big "S" referring to the Holy Spirit (Meyer, Commentary, 6:499). Faith would be understood as an objective genitive meaning the Spirit stimulates faith in God as we face adversity. We can have confidence in God just like Paul, and his Old Testament hero had confidence because the Holy Spirit produces in us a trust in the Lord that transcends our circumstances.

Paul quotes from the Greek translation (LXX) of Psalm 116:10. The psalmist expresses praise to God for helping him through a time where he was brought low. You have rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling (Ps. 116:8). The psalmist proclaims his trust in God to see him through this trial, and then the psalmist says, I believed there for I spoke. Paul has this same Spirit induced faith which leads him to say - in the midst of his own sufferings - we also believe therefore we speak. The connective translated "therefore" (διὸ) combines the preposition διά with the neuter relative pronoun ὅ to form the strongest inferential connective in the New Testament (Dana & Mantey, Grammar, p.245).

Speaking comes from believing. Our confession with our mouths is closely connected to the faith in our hearts (Rom. 10:9). Faith produces boldness of speech. We say what we believe even if what we say results in suffering and death. The sophists of Paul's day were mesmerizing the Corinthians with their clever words. They hid behind a politically correct style of speaking to make the message palatable to people so they could be successful just as many sophists do today. Paul is no sophist. He says what he believes although his message might be unpopular and his ministry unsuccessful in human terms (Witherington, Conflict & Community, p.389).

Real faith is unpopular. Say it anyway!