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2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4
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2Cor 4-1,2
· (31l) Gift of God Ø
Gift of His grace Ø Forgiveness is an act of
God’s grace
· (44j) Judgment Ø
Transformed Ø Fulfill your ministry according
to the will of God – Paul talks about his
accomplishments through a ministry powerful enough to change the world. Was
Paul better than the average Christian? Maybe he was, but he wasn’t called
to be greater. Rather, God is calling us all to follow his example. He
didn’t deceive the Corinthians into becoming Christians. Rather, he was
totally straightforward and honest with them about God, and he manifested the
truth before them, even as God has called the church to become a manifestation
of His word. Paul is confident in his faith and walk with God to commend
himself to their conscience in the sight of God.
· (86j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Obedience Ø Be doers of the word Ø
Clothe yourself with the word of God Ø Walk the
truth
· (92j) Thy kingdom come Ø
The narrow way connects you to God Ø It
demonstrates your relationship with Him
· (115c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Through your
ministry Ø Through your calling Ø
To build up the body of Christ
· (193g) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Turn from sin to God Ø Repent Ø
God grants repentance
2Cor 4-1
· (121l) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Confidence Ø
Confidence in God Ø Confidence in God as you
fulfill your ministry
2Cor 4,2-4
· (112i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Light Ø Light exposes sin Ø
Light reveals hidden motives
· (182j) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Deception Ø
Being deceptive with people Ø Telling the truth
with an evil motive
2Cor 4-2
· (7b) Responsibility Ø
Protecting the Gospel Ø Defend the word of God
by obeying it
· (11l) Servant Ø
Paul’s example of ministry
· (104g) Thy kingdom come Ø
Pure in heart shall see God Ø Shall see the
Father Ø God can see us – we are in His sight
· (111i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Spirit and the word Ø Kingdom of God revealed Ø
Manifestation of truth
· (134i) Temple Ø
Your body is the temple of God Ø Sins of the
body Ø Immorality Ø
Adultery Ø Spiritual adultery
· (147f) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø Divine works of God Ø
Spiritual manifestations
· (153f) Witness Ø
Validity of the Father Ø God bears witness
against the world Ø Shame Ø
Hiding under a cloud of guilt Ø Opposing the
truth
· (155c) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Witness of the
believer Ø Conscience Ø
Having a good conscience Ø Conscience bears
witness that we obey God’s law
· (156f) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of
salvation Ø You will know them by their
repentance -- This verse goes with verses 10-12
· (244k) Kingdom of God Ø
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm Ø
Literal manifestations Ø Literal manifestation
of God’s word Ø Obedience is the
manifestation of truth
2Cor 4,3-6
· (169a) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø The world is
blind to God Ø Blind to Jesus Ø
Blind to the glory of God in Christ – People cannot blame the devil for their
unbelief, since they are the ones who don’t believe in light of the evidence
of God’s existence that twinkles in the clear night sky, casting light on
the knowledge of Jesus’ cross, proving God’s love for mankind. This is
what spiritual entities are capable of doing to our minds: they have a
blinding effect on humanity. We are not capable of truly comprehending
spiritual entities, so when I say there is a blinding effect on mankind over
the gospel, it is similar to the blind spot in our eyes, where the optic nerve
connects to the eye. No light receptors exist there (no rods or cones), hence
creating a blind spot. We don’t see the blind spot because the brain
compensates for it (or “patches” it) with information gleaned from
adjacent receptors, so that we can’t even tell we have a blind spot. By
analogy, if our own brain can so easily manipulate our perceptions, how much
easier can spiritual entities trick us into believing or not believing
whatever they want? Satan places the gospel right behind our proverbial blind
spot, so that people might not see… “the glory of Christ, who is the image
of God.” They are so good at subliminally propagandizing humanity with their
rendition of “truth” that the Bible describes the world as unwitting
slaves of sin.
2Cor 4-3,4
· (19h) Sin Ø
Having the mental disease of the world Ø
Worldly influence on the mind – People who refuse to believe in the gospel
focus on things that are wrong with the world and blame God for it all. The
problem with that is people with a lack of faith in God are mostly the cause
of things wrong, so in this way unbelief is self-perpetuating. They use
their own unbelief to prove that God does not care about us. We have
obviously stumbled over a paradox here.
· (20c) Nature of sin Ø
Unbelief Ø Having a mind that is unable to
receive – Very shallow-minded people are those who
refuse to believe in God, though many atheists have great claims of
intellectual ability, yet there is something missing in their arguments –
substance. They jump to rash conclusions before they even understand what
they are thinking. Spiritual entities help them believe in their doctrines
of unbelief. The one helping them is the god of this world, who forms the
belief systems of atheism. Spiritual forces of wickedness in high places
control those who refuse to believe in God. They generally have three common
attributes: They are highly intelligent; they are highly opinionated; and
they are highly judgmental. They trust their opinions because they are
intelligent, and through their arrogance they accuse God of evil. They see
that other people believe the same things, and use them as a witness to
bolster their faith in unbelief.
· (47i) God Judges the world Ø
Hell is being absent from God
· (79b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Renewing your mind Ø Satan will control your
mind if you don’t
· (157j) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of being
hell-bound Ø Unable to know the truth
· (160d) Works of the devil Ø
Essential characteristics Ø Satan’s
attitude determines our direction Ø Led by
the devil Ø Led by the devil to suppress the
word of God
· (164a) Works of the devil Ø
Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) Ø
Entertaining demons by rejecting the word of God
· (164d) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø The world
system Ø Satan rules the world Ø
Satan is a tyrant over the world – If anyone doesn’t believe there are
spiritual forces of wickedness at work, they would have to deny the
testimony of God’s word, because it speaks otherwise. He is Lucifer, the
dragon, whose name is Satan; he is the prince of demons. They control the
atmosphere of the world (i.e. the “atmosphere” as of a restaurant). In
Revelation, where it discusses the initial angelic rebellion, it says that
1/3 of the angels of heaven fell away from God. There is a spiritual
influence over this world caused by these entities, and their influence acts
as a veil to the gospel of Christ. Satan is ultimately responsible for
Christ’s crucifixion, since he influenced those who plotted against Him
and provided the atmosphere of the world to make it seem like a good idea to
kill Him. Satan cannot un-crucify Him, so his next best move is to maintain
an atmosphere in the world to make it seem like a bad idea to believe in
Jesus, and this satanic atmosphere is the veil that lies over the hearts of
those who are perishing.
· (166j) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Carnality Ø
The carnal mind cannot discern between good and evil Ø
The carnal mind agrees with the devil
· (183h) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Spirit of error Ø
Spirit of the broad road Ø Spirit of unbelief
– No matter how hard some people try, they
can’t seem to fit the gospel in their minds; they just can’t seem to
believe it or even follow the trail of reason leading to the existence of
God, evidenced by the creation, and this would lead them directly to Christ.
We know God exists because we exist, along with the world and the universe
above us. We were born seeking a cause for everything. For example, when an
unusual sound occurs in the middle of the night, we get scared, because we
are afraid of what may have caused it, but there are those who can look into
the great expanse and dismiss it, figuring it must have happened on its own.
There is only one person big enough to cause the universe, and that is God.
He is bigger than their preposterous postulations that time and chance has
erecting everything we see today. As their calculations delve into the dark
realms of infinity, God will confound them on the day of their judgment when
He asks them to give account of their futile reasoning.
· (221h) Kingdom of God Ø
The elusive kingdom of heaven Ø Kingdom
hidden behind the veil from the world Ø God
hides his divinity from man’s corruption Ø
He hides behind the veil – Our gospel truly is veiled to those who are
perishing. It is veiled to those who cannot believe, because they have
allowed their hearts to be hardened, and now they are slaves of their
unbelief, and in the case of the reprobate mind, their scab-like veil
crusted over their hearts will never be removed. The god of this world has
blinded their minds.
· (253d) Trinity Ø
Relationship between Father and Son Ø Jesus
is equal with the Father Ø Jesus has all the
internal qualities of the Father Ø Jesus is
the exact representation of the Father
2Cor 4-5,6
· (112e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Light Ø Jesus light in us overcomes darkness Ø
The light of His truth – Paul reminds the Corinthians that he is their
bondservant for Jesus’ sake; he was there to serve them the most purified
version of the truth he could offer. Prior to his conversion he had already
invested his entire life cultivating his understanding of the old covenant,
but after his conversion he committed his life all the more to understanding
the new covenant with the help of the Holy Spirit, so he could teach it to
the Corinthians and to the other churches he served. As a result, Paul’s
version of the gospel was completely reliable, and his servanthood
impeccable. However, prior to his conversion he was utterly lost. The Jews
somehow got lost in their own religion. They had no idea about the
significance of the old covenant, that it was meant as a backdrop for their
messiah to come and save them and the world from their sins. “Light shall
shine out of darkness,” it says, which exactly happened to Paul, for he
was once a man of great darkness, a Pharisee of Pharisees he described
himself, whose ministry before Christ pertained to capturing Christians and
throwing them in prison for violating what he believed was the truth. He was
one of those whom the disciples feared and cowered in the upper room between
the period of Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost. Those he presented to the
authorities went to trial, which often led to their demise, though Paul was
a highly conscientious person even then, doing what he thought was right.
The light snatched him from the darkness and revealed to him that he was
wrong about so many things he believed. Now he has become a constituent of
the light and worked harder than ever to make up for the evil he had done to
God’s people in his earlier days.
2Cor 4-5
· (12i) Servant Ø
Attitude of a bond servant
· (53f) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Freedom and bondage Ø
Slaves are free/free are slaves
· (58f) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø The more we exalt Jesus, the less
significant we become
2Cor 4-6
· (80k) Thy kingdom come Ø
Know the word to minister to people Ø To
evangelize the world
· (104j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Pure in heart shall see God Ø Shall see Jesus Ø
We shall see His face
2Cor 4,7-11
· (245h) Kingdom of God Ø
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm Ø
Literal manifestations Ø Manifestation of God’s
righteous judgment Ø The resurrection is a
manifestation of His life
2Cor 4-7
· (35f) Gift of God Ø
God gives Himself to us Ø Father sends the Holy
Spirit
· (35h) Gift of God Ø
God gives Himself to us Ø The anointing
· (53m) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø God is made strong in our weakness
· (77j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Tapping into the power of God through humility Ø
The humble realize the source of their power
· (113n) Thy kingdom come Ø
The anointing Ø Our weakness proves it is the
power of God – This treasure is given to us in earthen
vessels, so there should be no chance of misappropriating the power of God to
ourselves, yet it happens all the time. If we had some kind of special
abilities or had awesome bodies that could do virtually anything, then maybe
we could potentially confuse our powers with God’s power, but the fact is
our bodies are extremely fragile and needy on so many levels. We are perhaps
more needy than any other animal on earth. We don’t even have a coat of fur
like the other mammals. Shave a bear and see how long it lives in the wild.
All we have is an oversized brain that we mostly use to get into all kinds of
trouble. There are so many ways for us to die. We could starve to death; we
could die of exposure; we could be injured and die; we can fall sick and die
of disease. The list goes on of all the different way we can die because of
the weakness of our flesh. However, there is one advantage to living such a
fragile existence. When we sense the power of God, we know for certain that it
is not coming from ourselves.
· (213f) Sovereignty Ø
God is infinite Ø Jesus owns you Ø
We are his instruments Ø We are tools in the
hand of God Ø We are extensions of His body
2Cor 4,8-18
· (192a) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Result of putting off the old man Ø Gain by
losing Ø Life for life Ø
Losing your life to gain God’s life
2Cor 4,8-12
· (99b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Enduring the will of God Ø
Enduring the death of your flesh – Referring to our fragile bodies and how easy
it is for us to enter hardship and suffering, there are so many ways to
experience pain in the human body. There is emotional pain and there is
spiritual anguish when we grieve over sin. God uses our
suffering as a catalyst for growth along with all the temptations that try to
make us walk away from our faith. We can chalk up our temptations along with
all our other sorrows to “Carrying about in the body the dying
of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” When
Paul talks about the life of Jesus being manifested in him, he is referring to
the anointing. God is adding more and more power to the anointing in his life,
strength and ability to establish the truth in the world, a deeper
understanding of the truth and a stronger anointing to convey that truth. When
he lays in hands on people, they are more readily healed through his deepening
spiritual relationship with God that is consecrated through suffering. The more we need
Jesus, the more we seek Him, the more we find Him in the Scriptures, in our prayers and in
the Holy Spirit, the more we
apply Him to our lives, the more He becomes a part of us, the more suffering
we endure. These things are directly proportional to one another: suffering
and faith. The more we suffer, the more we grow in Christ, because we seek
Him more. We need Him just to understand our suffering, in order to rise above
it, not to be overtaken by it. Suffering, however, does not guarantee or prove
spiritual growth. Endurance does.
· (28g) Gift of God Ø
God is our advocate Ø God protects us through
endurance
2Cor 4-8,9
· (250m) Priorities Ø
God’s prerequisites Ø Lists Ø
Terms of graduating to the next level Ø List of
physical circumstances
2Cor 4-8
· (121j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Hope Based On
Faithfulness Ø Hope based on endurance
· (188f) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Suffering Ø
Suffering righteousness
· (247f) Priorities Ø
God’s priorities Ø God’s interests Ø
Concern Ø Caring about the will of God
2Cor 4-9
· (29c) Gift of God Ø
God is our advocate Ø Delivered from death
· (242k) Kingdom of God Ø
Opposition toward the kingdom of God Ø
Persecuting the kingdom Ø Reacting to
persecution Ø Enduring persecution
2Cor 4-9
· (238g) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Transferring the kingdom
Ø The kingdom is transferred to the church Ø
Jesus will never leave us
2Cor 4,10-12
· (43a) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Conform to the Resurrection
of Christ’s death -- These verses go with verse 16. Paul was constantly dying to himself, taking on
hardship and experiencing pain, sorrow, temptations, difficulties and
persecution, yet the result of them all was essentially his ministry. His
suffering was sure to be the byproduct of fulfilling God’s calling in this
world, and his ministry was surely the result. “So death works in us, but
life in you,” he said. In that sense Paul saw himself as a seed that he
made sure to plant in good soil, watered it in the will of God, and the
churches that sprang from his ministry were the harvest. Jesus said in John
12:24, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground
and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many
seeds.” This is why it was so important to Paul that the Corinthian Church
continued following God; he invested his blood, sweat and tears into them.
· (53a) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Of life and death Ø
Die in order to live -- These verses go with verses 16-18
· (56g) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Seek God’s life by subduing
your flesh -- These verses go with verses 16-18
· (78i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Renewing your mind by the word Ø Spirit
renews as the flesh decays -- These verses go with verse 16
· (81f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Pray without ceasing Ø Obedience through
continuous prayer
· (134g) Temple Ø
Your body is the temple of God Ø Body of sin Ø
Our bodies are home to the sinful nature -- These verses go with
verse 16
· (156f) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of
salvation Ø You will know them by their
repentance -- These verses go with verse 2
· (190a) Die to self (Process of substitution)
Ø Separation from the old man Ø
Masochism (Self-made martyr) Ø
Laying your body on the altar -- These
verses go with verses 16-18
· (227d) Kingdom of God Ø
Illustrating the kingdom Ø Rewards of heaven Ø
God rewards endurance Ø Rewarded for
overcoming sin
· (229a) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø
Kingdom grows by itself Ø Growing In Numbers
Corresponds With Spiritual Growth Ø Kingdom
slowly spreads and overtakes darkness -- These verses go with verses
15-18
· (230i) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø
Mystery of godliness Ø Mystery of the trinity
Ø Anointing is the mystery of godliness --
These verses go with verses 16-18
· (254c) Trinity Ø
Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son Ø
Jesus is the life of the Spirit Ø We live
because He is life Ø We live because we died
with Him
2Cor 4-10,11
· (8d) Responsible to prepare to interact with
God Ø Entering the realm of the Spirit – These
verses go along with verse 16. These verses characterize the nature of the
substitutionary process that is at the heart of experiencing the realm of the
spirit. You have to give up something to get something. The reason a system
like this is in place is because our human nature conflicts with God’s
Spirit so that we must first give it up before we can realize
such an alternate realm dwells within us. Our fleshly nature is intrinsically evil,
and we must be weaned off our reactionary habit of following its discourse,
and on to a new way of life—following the gentle prompt of the Holy Spirit.
Paul often called this weaning process "dying to self."
· (238e) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Transferring the kingdom
Ø The kingdom is transferred to the church Ø
New creation Ø The new creation is our
spiritual identity -- These verses go with verse 16
2Cor 4,13-18
· (98g) Thy kingdom come Ø
Endurance Ø (Faith à
Suffering à Glory of Christ) Ø
The resurrection
2Cor 4-13
· (85f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Words that are spoken in faith Ø Powerful when
spoken by the Spirit Ø Spoken with authority
· (142c) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø Prophesy about evangelism
· (150g) Speak The Word
(Key verse)
· (150j) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Works of the church
bear witness of Jesus Ø Speak the word Ø
Preaching the word to the church
2Cor 4-14
· (38i) Judgment Ø
Jesus defeated death Ø Resurrection of the
righteous
2Cor 4,15-18
· (229a) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø Kingdom
grows by itself Ø Growing In Numbers
Corresponds With Spiritual Growth Ø Kingdom
slowly spreads and overtakes darkness -- These verses go with verses
10-12
2Cor 4-15
· (13h) Servant Ø
Support the body Ø Serve selflessly
· (82h) Thy kingdom come Ø
Prayer Ø Thankfulness Ø
Giving thanks for His mercy
· (115e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Through your
ministry Ø By the word of God
· (124c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Love Ø
Acts of love Ø Love is the proper motive for
all you do
· (234f) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Seeking the glory of God
Ø Seek the glory of the fruit of the ministry
· (235j) All Things Are For Your Sake
(Key verse)
· (235k) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø
All things are for your sake Ø We are fighting
for you Ø Our effort is for your sake
2Cor 4,16-18
· (53a) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Of life and death Ø
Die in order to live -- These verses go with verses 10-12
· (56g) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Seek God’s life by subduing your
flesh -- These verses go with verses 10-12. Paul didn’t run from persecution and suffering
in his life, knowing it was a natural consequence of doing the will of God in
a world controlled by demonic forces. Persecution in a strange sort of way was
necessary for him to preach the gospel and to save others. It was something
that happened by itself, like letting go of a ball in midair drops to the
floor. Consequently, for him to avoid persecution would inadvertently
emasculate his ministry. The more he suffers, the more spiritual he becomes,
the more capable he is of building up others in the faith. However,
difficulties, hardships and suffering do not automatically correspond with
spiritual growth. We must suffer faithfully in order for things we endure to
convert into spiritual blessings. To suffer without condemning God or blaming
Him for the bad things that happen, to understand how our suffering can help
our spiritual growth, we must suffer faithfully or we will not receive the
reward of faithfulness, which is faith. The equivalent of money in heaven is
faith, so it is like God paying us for our services with an eternal reward.
Paul looked at all his suffering in light of eternity and said it was nothing
more than momentary light affliction. Faithful endurance of our suffering
increase the anointing in our lives, which increases our potential for a
better ministry, but it also promises reward in eternity. All the things Paul
did collected eternal rewards that he will enjoy for the rest of eternity. He
may have suffered terribly in this life, but it was only for a few decades,
and now he can enjoy the fruit of his faith in heaven. Yet, this reward is
contingent on our ability to look past the flesh, and to keep focused on the
things that are not seen. Isn’t faith the ability to see beyond this
temporal world, “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of
faith?” Faith is the ability to understand the unknowable and to comprehend
things that only God can reveal to us. We should not run from suffering, nor
do we need to pursue it. There is plenty of suffering in the world that it
will pursue us as we seek to do the will of God.
· (190a) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Masochism
(Self-made martyr) Ø
Laying your body on the altar -- These verses
go with verses 10-12
· (230i) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø Mystery
of godliness Ø Mystery of the trinity Ø
Anointing is the mystery of godliness -- These verses go with verses
10-12
2Cor 4-16
· (8d) Responsible to prepare to interact with
God Ø Entering the realm of the Spirit – This
verse goes with verses 10 & 11.
· (43a) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Conform to the Resurrection
of Christ’s death -- This verse goes with verses 10-12
· (78i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Renewing your mind by the word Ø Spirit renews
as the flesh decays -- This verse goes with verses 10-12
· (122f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Confidence in
yourself as you die to sin Ø Confident in what
you are doing
· (134g) Temple Ø
Your body is the temple of God Ø Body of sin Ø
Our bodies are home to the sinful nature -- This verse goes with verses
10-12
· (139i) Temple Ø
Building the temple (with hands) Ø Tear down
the old to rebuild the new
· (238e) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Transferring the kingdom
Ø The kingdom is transferred to the church Ø
New creation Ø The new creation is our
spiritual identity -- This verse goes with verses 10&11
2Cor 4-17,18
· (34e) Gift of God Ø
Believer owns everything Ø All things belong to
us
· (35c) Gift of God Ø
God is willing to Give Ø God’s immeasurable
generosity
· (118j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Eyes of your spirit Ø Giving God your attention
Ø Resolutely focus on the glory of God Ø
Focus on eternity
· (225a) Kingdom of God Ø
Illustrating the kingdom Ø Description of
heaven Ø The holy of holies Ø
The kingdom of God is in your spirit
· (226f) Kingdom of God Ø
Illustrating the kingdom Ø Rewards of the
kingdom of heaven Ø Reserved in heaven Ø
Eternal rewards
2Cor 4-17
· (93n) Thy kingdom come Ø
Perspective on the circumstances of this life
· (215e) Sovereignty Ø
God controls time Ø God’s timing Ø
God views time in eternity Ø God sees eras as
moments
2Cor 4-18
· (170e) Temporary
(Key verse)
· (170g) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward appearance Ø
Temporary Ø This life is temporary
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