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.
Paul was talking here about the messengers of the Gospel being the stumbling blocks and causing the ministry to be compromised and discredited.
• There were already some false apostles in Corinth using unscrupulous or selfish means to peddle the Gospel for self-gain.
• Their conduct discredited the ministry and the Gospel.
6:4 “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way…”
• We watch our conduct in ALL circumstances. We watch how we behave in all aspects of life, whether in good or bad times.
• Paul went on to describe in a lengthy way the testimony of true servants of God.
Firstly by their great ENDURANCE in ministry:
• 6:4b-5 – 4…by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger…
• NINE trials and tribulations, some natural and others coming from oppositions.
• Speaking from his own experience, Paul says these are challenges servants of God are expected to endure in the ministry.
Stop talking about jostling for positions of honour and glory; we are talking about sacrificing for the work of the Gospel.
• This was what Jesus said when He prepared His disciples for the hardships to come.
• John 15:19-20 19If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
Secondly, the ministry is exemplified by their CHARACTER in ministry.
• Paul went on to list NINE qualities of true servants of God, known by their character.
• 6:6-7 - 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…
• Probably a picture of the person being well-armed. If we use Paul’s picture of the armour of God in Eph 6, then one holding the shield of faith and the other the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God).
• This servant is like his Master; he is Christlike in character and conduct.
And then finally, Paul mentioned NINE pairs of paradoxes depicting the often conflicting and confusing experiences of the servants of God – that’s the NATURE of ministry.
• 6:8-10 - 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.
• The list of opposite viewpoints describes how they are being treated, depending on whether you are looking at them from a worldly standard or a spiritual one.
• Every experience is true and yet Paul says, it is not the whole truth. The world perceives us in one way but ultimately God sees us differently.
People see them as being persecuted but yet many times God spared them from death.
• They are sorrowful and yet can rejoice in the Lord knowing that God’s purpose prevails.
• They are poor in the eyes of the world but they are making many rich in Christ.
• The world sees them as having nothing and yet they possess everything because of Christ. The divine, eternal perspective changes everything.
The takeaway from this list is that the MASTER is at work with us.
• For we are SERVANTS of God and AMBASSADORS for Christ. We are “working together with Him…” (6:1)
God works through adversities in ways beyond our understanding and fulfils His divine purposes.
• We see that in Paul’s ministry. One example is when he was imprisoned in Rome.
• Philippians reveals that his imprisonment led to the conversion of many in the household of Caesar (Phil 1:13) and that it motivated the believers to speak the Word of God more boldly. (Phil 1:14)
• He wrote a few of the epistles from prison. The adversity turned out to be good because the sovereign Lord is at work, in all and any circumstances.
Authentic apostles are not those seen to be gifted, charismatic, successful, prosperous, or popular, in the eyes of the world, or the eyes of the church.
• Rather they are the faithful servants whom God uses under all kinds of circumstances for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. They are HIS ambassadors, remember.
• As Paul said, they endure adversities in the work of the Gospel, maintain their integrity and faithful witness before God, trusting Him to work things out according to His good plan, despite all the ups and downs, the good and bad circumstances of life.
Paul exemplifies the heart of a true servant of God and appeals to the Corinthians to accept him with these very moving remarks:
• 6:11-13 11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
It was passionate because he called them out: “Corinthians”, which was uncommon.
• Paul seldom addresses his readers this way but here he expresses his depth of love for them like a father loving his children and hoping that they would understand him.
• If there is any feeling of restraint or suspicion in the relationship, it is on their side, not his. His heart is transparent and open to them.
• He loves them, but can they love him back? He is willing to accept them, but can they accept him?
Here is the mark of a true shepherd – genuine affection for his sheep.
• It is a contrast to the mindset of false apostles who were motivated by personal greed rather than a sincere love for the people, who were more like wolves “feeding on” the sheep rather than feeding the sheep.
• Needless to say, they will not talk about making sacrifices for the sake of the Gospel.
Let me conclude:
• The one who truly follows Christ will carry the cross. We will serve Him rain or shine, in good and bad times.
• We will endure and persevere until the work is done because we are faithful ambassadors for Christ and authentic servants of God.
• We keep ourselves pure and holy, righteous and upright, so that the ministry will not be compromised or discredited.
Let me close with the reading of this long poem, first quoted by James Hudson Taylor III (great-grandson of Hudson Taylor, missionary to China), at a Chapel Service at Trinity Theological College when I was there, some 33 years ago in 1990.
A PRAYER OF GOD'S SERVANTS
• We are God's servants. We put God's love for all people first.
• No race is superior to another. No government is more loved than another. No nation is dearer than another.
• We do not put our nation's economy before God's economy. He tells us to seek first His Kingdom, He will then meet our needs.
• We are driven to action daily, with the knowledge that billions do not know our Saviour. Our passion in life, our unquenchable desire, is to take God's love to them.
• No task is too small for us. All that limits us is our unwillingness to believe God can enable us to do it.
• We are sold-out to Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord, nothing less. We understand following Him means absolute death to ourselves. It costs everything to be His disciples.
• Don't give us blessings. Give us the grace to be unquestionably obedient to Your every last command & desire.
• Don't give us status. Give us a place to serve.
• Don't give us things for our use. Use us.
• Don't give us a mansion to live in. Give us a springboard to take Christ's love to the whole world.
• Don't give us good jobs. Put us to work.
• Don't give us comfort. Command us.
• Don't give us pleasure. Give us perspective.
• Don't give us satisfaction. Teach us sacrifice.
• Don't give us entertainment. Enable us.
• Don't give us good salaries. Give us strength to do Your will.
• Our great joy in life is in pleasing our God, and there is no other joy comparable.
• We're tired of playing religion, tired of seminaries and bible schools that pump out thinkers who have no action; tired of a church life that consists of a few regular functions and sermons that sound good, as if they were being rated as speeches, but have no consequential value except complacency.
• Life is not some seventy years stretch we endure until Christ returns to take us home. Nor is it a time to seek personal fulfilment.
• We don't seek self-actualization. Rather we pursue the actualization of God's love in all hearts.
• We don't seek our personal rights. We seek to see all people set free.
• We make no plans. We take orders.
• We have no complaints, except our thankless hearts.
• We have no excuses, they limit God.
• We don't ask for reasons; we ask for responsibility.
• We don't give 10% of our income to God, we give it all.
• We don't work for Him from 8 to 5; we are His 24 hours of each day.
• No, we are not stolid... we hurt and cry when loved ones leave us. But we hurt all the more for people who pass into eternity without making Jesus Christ their Lord.
• We are not drop-outs because we don't hold respectable, secured jobs... we are sold-outs.
• We are not cynics although there are unanswered questions... we know Christ has all the answers.
• We are not bitter although we have been hurt... Christ is our healer.
• We are not disillusioned although we sin... Christ forgives us and makes us strong in our weakness.
• We don't spend endless hours squabbling over sideline issues such as pre-, mid-, post-tribulation or charismatic gifts.
• We don't take pride in acquiring things. No, hoarding shames us.
• We say it is senseless to talk about availability or willingness. We would rather obey and do the job, not talk about it.
• We are God's servants!
Prayer:
We praise you, dear God for the great work of redemption you have provided for us in Christ Jesus. You shine the light in our hearts to give us the knowledge of you in the face of Christ. It is by Your grace through faith in Christ that we are saved today.
Help us be faithful and authentic carriers of the Gospel today. May the light of the Gospel continue to shine through us and be a blessing to many more.
We fear no suffering. We fear complacency and comfort that would damper our resolve to serve You and weaken our commitment to follow You wholeheartedly. Keep us faithful and fervent, for the work of the Gospel and for Your glory.
This we pray in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
You can listen to this audio sermon with slides at https://youtu.be/USbYvYoysPQ
Earlier sermons are available at https://tinyurl.com/KTCC-EnglishService
