The first way of bringing life to the believers would permit the apostle (although this certainly was not the case with Peter!) to enjoy the good things of the world and yet preach in such a manner that eternal life was communicated to the hearers from an external source.

The second way required the crushing of the apostle until Divine Life was necessary in order for him to exist and minister. Paul had to decrease so Christ might increase.

Either method would have sufficed to bring eternal life to the Corinthians. In the first method Paul could have enjoyed his work, leading a normal existence. In the second method Paul had to endure the sufferings and death of Christ in order for eternal life to be communicated to the believers.

Why God crucifies His vessels. Now we come to a question arising from II Corinthians 4:8-12: If eternal life could have been given by either method, why did the Lord choose the method that brought such pain to the apostle?

If we can find the answer to this question it may help us understand why the Christian discipleship is one of affliction and patience and not a pleasurable experience in which we gain, through the Lord Jesus, success and fulfillment in the world.

The answer is, God is creating rivers of life; trees of life.

God is well able to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, giving eternal life to all who receive, apart from any suffering on the part of His ministers.

But God is interested in developing a Kingdom, a holy city that itself will serve for eternity as the source of eternal life.

God could have been content to let Paul be a successful teacher who pointed men to Christ so they would receive eternal life from Him. Instead God, according to His plan from the creation of the world, was intent on creating the Divine throne in Paul's personality so for eternity Paul could serve as a source of eternal life; as a river of life; as a tree of life.

God could design the future ages as a series of Pentecosts, as rain from Heaven, periodically refreshing mankind with the Holy Spirit.

But God has planned a step past Pentecost, past the Lampstand of the Holy Place. God has in mind a spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament feast of Tabernacles, an experience in which the Source of all life creates His eternal dwelling place in human beings so they may serve mankind as sources of eternal Divine Presence, energy, righteousness, and blessing. This full experience of Divine Glory was portrayed in the Shechinah, the Glory of God's Presence that filled the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

The spiritual fulfillment of the Lampstand (the feast of Pentecost) is wonderful. The spiritual fulfillment of the Ark and Mercy Seat (the feast of Tabernacles) is even more wonderful (Leviticus, Chapter 23).

To be continued.