Authentic Servants Of God Series

2 Cor 6:3-13 Authentic Servants of God

Paul has been writing in answer to his critics and in defence of his ministry.

• This was necessary because false teachers had sown discord among them, challenging Paul’s authority, questioning his motive in ministry and casting doubt on his character.

• Why was Paul not accepting pay for the work of the Gospel, like many others? How could the man of God face so many hardships and oppositions?

• Shouldn’t an apostle be blessed and successful in ministry, free from troubles and suffering? The same wrong stereotypes we have today.

Deflecting their excessive attention on gifted leaders and their flawed understanding of success, Paul highlights a few concerns here since 2 Cor 4.

• Paul talks about the MESSAGE we carry, being the MESSENGERS, and in today’s text the MINISTRY of the Gospel of Christ.

• I like to conclude today’s text with the reminder that this is the work of our MASTER, because we are all commissioned and delegated with the task being His ambassadors.

In explaining the work of the Gospel, Paul highlighted in the last two sermons the uniqueness of the message they carry and the role they play as ambassadors for Christ.

• 5:16-18 16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.b The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself…

(1) The message of Jesus Christ – His death and resurrection – reconciles lost sinners to God. It changes our lives and our relationships.

• 4:7 - We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

• 5:17 - We are made new creations in Christ. It is the work of God through Christ, not the messengers. Not the influence of gifted leaders.

• 5:15 - Jesus died for ALL. Hence our perspective of people must change…

• 5:16 – We regard no one according to the flesh because anyone can potentially be a child of God.

• Rom 1:16 - Gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”

(2) Paul talks about the messengers of the Gospel.

• 5:18 “18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…” Both the message and ministry are of God.

• Verse 19 – God entrusted the message to us. Verse 20 – God makes His appeal through us; we implore others on behalf of Christ.

• 6:1 - 1Working together with Him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

• It’s all about God and His agenda of reconciling the world to Himself.

• So as messengers of God, it makes no sense to talk about our rights or authority; everything has been derived from Him.

• That’s the nature of being an ambassador. We have no agenda of our own.

Finally, Paul talks about the MINISTRY of the Gospel - 2 Cor 6:3-13 ESV

3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honour and dishonour, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

6:3 “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry…”

• We do not want to stumble anyone by the way we conduct ourselves and hence give them reasons to find fault with the ministry.

• Paul was not talking about the Gospel being the stumbling block because he has already said in 1 Cor 1:23 that the message of Christ being crucified is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to the Gentiles.

• He knows that the message of the Gospel can and will offend people.