2 Corinthians 4:13

2 Corinthians 4:13

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.

a. NLT: But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.

b. NIV: It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,

c. YLT: And having the same spirit of the faith, according to that which hath been written, 'I believed, therefore I did speak;' we also do believe, therefore also do we speak;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak,

e. Worrell Translation: But, having the same spirit of faith, according to what has been written, “I believed, therefore did I speak”; we believe, therefore also we speak.

f. Wuest Translation: But we have the same Spirit of faith [as the Psalmist] according as it has been written and as at present on record, I believed, wherefore I spoke. And as for us, we are believing, wherefore also we are speaking.

1. “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written…”

a. [Strong: 1161 de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. [We] having [Strong: 2192 echo ekh'-o, including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; (used in certain tenses only) a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, continuity, relation, or condition):--be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, + return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.]

1). The words used are “We having” lets us know it is the whole body of Christ he is speaking to.

c. the same [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

d. spirit [Strong: 4151 pneuma pnyoo'-mah from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:--ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.]

e. of faith [Strong: 4102 pistis pis'-tis from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.] [W.E. Vine: The main elements in faith in its relation to the invisible God…are especially brought out in the use of this noun and the corresponding verb, they are: 1. A firm conviction producing a full acknowledgement of god’s revelation or truth [His word]. 2. A personal surrender to Him. 3. A conduct inspired by such surrender.]

1). In order to have Biblical faith in anything, there has to be previous instruction given by God.

a). Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2). Faith is a spiritual substance and evidence, faith is a spiritual force. Here the spirit of faith is described to us.

3). The verse Paul is about to quote comes from Psalms.

a). Psalm 116:10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

f. according as [Strong: 2596 kata kat-ah' a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined):--about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) X alone, among, and, X apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), X aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, (charita-)bly, concerning, + covered, (dai-)ly, down, every, (+ far more) exceeding, X more excellent, for, from ... to, godly, in(-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), ... by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, X natural, of (up-)on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+ your) X own, + particularly, so, through(-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-)to(-gether, -ward), X uttermost, where(-by), with. In composition it retains many of these applications, and frequently denotes opposition, distribution, or intensity.]

g. [it is] written [Strong: 1125 grapho graf'-o a primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively, to describe:--describe, write(-ing, -ten).]

2. “…I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.”

a. I believed [Strong: 4100 pisteuo pist-yoo'-o from 4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):--believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.]

b. and therefore [Strong: 1352 dio dee-o' from 1223 and 3739; through which thing, i.e. consequently:--for which cause, therefore, wherefore.]

c. have I spoken [Strong: 2980 laleo lal-eh'-o a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]

d. we [Strong: 2249 hemeis hay-mice' nominative plural of 1473; we (only used when emphatic):--us, we (ourselves).]

e. also [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

f. believe [Strong: 4100 pisteuo pist-yoo'-o from 4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):--believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.]

g. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

h. therefore [Strong: 1352 dio dee-o' from 1223 and 3739; through which thing, i.e. consequently:--for which cause, therefore, wherefore.]

i. speak [Strong: 2980 laleo lal-eh'-o a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]

1). Many believers do not connect the dots but this is how we get saved. We believe and we speak, we confess.

a). Romans 10:9, 10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

2). The Greek word for “confession” is ‘homologeo’ and it literally means “to say the same thing”. In this instance it means to say the same thing God says. It is also how we receive anything from God.

a). Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

3). Biblical faith demands we say the same thing as what God and his word say. A perfect example is when Israel was about to go into the Promised Land. The LORD told Moses to send men to search it out and he said plainly, “the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel” (Numbers 13:2). In the next series of verses notice the words that come out of the mouths of two different groups. One group Joshua and Caleb who believe what God said, and the ten other spies who did not.

a). Numbers 13:25-33 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

13:26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

13:27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

13:28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

13:29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

13:32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

b). Numbers 14:1-10 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

14:2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!

14:3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

14:4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

14:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.

14:8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

14:9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

14:10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

4). Jesus spoke of the relationship between faith and speaking on a number of occasions,

a). Luke 17:6  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

b). Mark 11:22, 23 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

5). Notice though what God said about Caleb who was one of the faithful spies.

a). Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land where into he went; and his seed shall possess it.

b). The “another spirit” that the Lord referred to was the spirit of faith. Caleb believed and therefore he spoke and he said the same thing God said. Hallelujah! It was giant killing faith because forty years later when Caleb went into Canaan, part of his inheritance was the city of Arba, present day Hebron, where the three giant sons of Anak the giant lived. Because of his faith in what God said, he said the same thing and whipped up on those giants and claimed his inheritance.

c). Joshua 15:13-14  And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.

15:14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.