Daily Lifestyles Of Full Timers Series

Text: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Theme: “Our Daily Lifestyles”

Today, we will look into “Our Daily Lifestyles” from the Second Corinthians 4. It gives us the missionary endeavours of Paul and his co-workers. This chapter has “Their engagements”, “their encounters”, “their empowerments”. Paul’s leadership with transparency, humility, and weakness are explicitly described.

2 Corinthians 4:1-7: Daily Engagement in evangelism

2 Corinthians 4:8-12: Daily encounters with sufferings

2 Corinthians 4:13-18: Daily empowerments with Holy Spirit 

1. Daily Engagement in God’s work of evangelism (2 Corinthians 4:1-7)

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.

A day of Jesus was scheduled in Luke 4:14-19. The Timetable of Jesus Christ was fully occupied. He had a regular practice of prayer, evangelism, healing, and counselling. However, nothing was robotic, not legalistic. It was his commitment and concerns.

Jesus went about Galilee to preach, to heal and to lead the band of disciples (Matthew 4:17, 23-25, Acts 10:38). Jesus was teaching daily at the temple (Matthew 26:55, Mark 14:49).

Here, Paul says that we are engaged in ministry (2 Corinthians 4:1-2) “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

Paul talks about his Personal salvation experience, and personal holiness - renounced shameful acts before men and in the sight of God. He further cautioned that the God of this world has blinded people not to see Jesus, his image, and his glory.  

Paul continually declared clearly, forcefully and authoritatively Christ. The proclamation of the gospel is not the statement of a set of doctrines of the faith, but the proclamation of a Person. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ.

Austin Precept: Paul does not proclaim politics, philosophy, a system of theology, a theory of knowledge.

Dave Guzik:  “Paul didn't preach himself, his opinions, even lots of entertaining stories or illustrations.  He preached Jesus.”

Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said: "We preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).

Paul didn’t preach a concealed gospel, corrupted gospel.Paul preached the gospel with honestly. Our preaching is evaluated not only by men but by God too!

The light shines out of darkness (Romans 1:16-17). The gospel is the light of the knowledge of God. John attests, “We have seen, heard, touched, experienced” (1 John 1:1-3).

William Barclay comments: In this passage Paul has something to say, either directly or by implication, about four different people. About himself, about his opponents and his slanderers, about those who have refused to accept the gospel, and about Jesus.

“The idea behind the ancient Greek word for loose heart is of the faint-hearted coward. The connotation of not only a lack of courage but of bad behaviour and evil conduct.” (Enduring Word). “A popular lie shall take the place of an offensive truth.” (Spurgeon). “There is a higher scrutiny than that of the human conscience.” (Hughes).

Paul knows that God is the one who has given him the ministry of bringing the truth about Jesus to the world. It's not a position he deserves; it is by God's mercy. Paul declared that the gospel preached to every creature under heaven (Colossians 1:6,23), as Jesus commanded “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20).

The ministry of Paul was wholistic. He emphasis on the entire process of conversion, feeding, growing, and multiplying than merely witnessing. A steady feeding and nurturing disciples is the daily engagement (John W. Ritenbaugh).

Calvin: “The cataracts of unbelievers in no way detracts from the clearness of the gospel like the sun is no less resplendent because the blind do not perceive its light.”

Paul maintains that his ministry is not of judgement Rather, it is a ministry of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 2:14-3:18). And where the Spirit is, there is the freedom that comes from seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror in Christ’s face and being transformed into image of Christ (3:18; 4:1-5).

2. Daily Encounters (2 Corinthians 4:8-12) 

Daily dying afflicted, perplexed in every way - persecuted, struck-down, daily cross carrying. (Luke 9:23). Hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down are situations of Paul. Yet look at the triumph of Jesus in Paul’s life: not crushed, not in despair, not forsaken, not destroyed. The suffering of Paul brought forth life to others. Indeed, it takes shape in our paradoxical experiences of sufferings, and encounters (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) yet keep moving, becoming more zealous for God.