Metamor4Sis

2 Corinthians says “Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech”

What a packed sentence!

The earlier “Therefore” implies the preceding sentences are pivotal. The preceding verses are what the rest hinge on. This part is crucial to grasp before embarking on the next.

“Since” – another emphasis on the parts before.

“We” – that’s you and I who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ. Yaay!

“Have” – what certainty. It’s already obtained.

“Such hope” – not a wishy-washy “I hope it will not rain even though it is cloudy”, or “I hope that I can find a parking space”, or even “I hope this tastes nice”. Rather, it is certain hope. The hope that there IS a new covenant in Christ.

On such basis, we can “use” – i.e. a proactive action is required. There is a sense of wielding something. Something that has to be picked up.

And at the end of the sentence we see it – great boldness of speech.

Boldness indicates Courage; bravery; intrepidity; dauntlessness; hardihood; assurance. Reminds me of this picture.
Hmmm Not sure if the cat was bold or foolhardy but the dogs are certainly well trained! For the sake of this study, let’s say the cat is bold!

It reminds me of the boldness of a lion, as found in Proverbs 28:1b “the righteous are as bold as a lion”.
So secure in the knowledge that we have a hope, we can speak boldly….

Not just when standing in public or when we are put in a position where we have to defend our faith. But also when we are in a difficult situation, as were my friends whose toddler died. They spoke boldly of their faith without reservation, and did not fear who their listeners were.

By the way, boldly doesn’t necessarily mean loudly.

Tags: Bible

This entry was posted on 14/01/2009 at 14:34 and is filed under 2 Corinthians. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.