Apostolic Suffering and Glory

The responsibility of a King in Israel is to see the glory of God manifested.

Saul –no concept of temple
David– sacrifices/ stores up for temple
Solomon – builds temple but without any sacrifice to himself
Period of the monarchy – neglect reformation and so lose glory
Mal 3 – Lord comes suddenly to his temple.

Jesus = true king whose own body = temple is destroyed and raised Luke 24:26, 32 to restore the glory of God in the people

1. Jesus to Saul “Why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)

2. Jesus to Ananias to Saul – “how much he must suffer for the sake of my name”

3. Theme of suffering for glory: Paul “filling up what is lacking in Christ afflictions for the sake of the church” (Col 1:24) [ toil 1:29  = work of 2:4 = struggle and energy of the cross ] cf. Eph 3:13 my suffering is your glory ; 2 Ti 2:10 endures suffering for the sake of the elect …salvation and eternal glory   1 Pet 5:10  suffered a little while…God of all grace…called you to eternal glory   2 Cor 1:5 share abundantly in Christ’s suffering …comfort

Col1:27 riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you (= Gentiles as part of the temple), the hope of glory = glory of the temple filled with the riches of Christ

To be filled with all the fullness of God/height breadth, length, depth Eph 3:19= fullness of God Col 1:19; 2:9

4. The afflictions Paul fills up = Isa 53:4 “smitten and afflicted by God”

God does willingly afflict Lam 3:33

5. The sufferings/afflictions Paul enters into for the Church = those of Mark 15:34.  This is a willingness to enter into the “unwillingness” of the FATHER, MIRRORED (Col 1:15 image of the invisible God; “seen me seen Father”) in the struggle of Gethsemane over the cup, weight of divine anger against sin.  This is a willingness to bear the Father’s pain.

Suffering is the index of glory.

6.  Jesus = both vessel of divine wrath and vessel of glory Rom 9:22-23

7. The secret of praying fathers is the same as the secret of praying fathers= Gal4:19= suffering for another’s glory

8. The afflictions of Christ and Paul e.g. “carrying in the body the dying of Jesus” 2 Cor4:10  cf. John 2  = destruction of the temple of their bodies so the body/temple of God may be filled with glory

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