The Significance Of A New Creation-18 Series

‘The Significance Of A New Creation’--XVIII—2Corinthians 5:9--6:10...

14. The PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B—2Corinthians 6:3-10...

Part B of point 14 in the series.

No matter what we do for a living or how we worship together corporately, much more is required to bring about the actuality than may be considered/grasped by the receivers of such.

A true Christian receives a new nature.

Need:

*The key to our verses is 2Cor. 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Paul clarified the significance of being a new creation in Christ to the Corinthian church.

There is great significance to being a new creation in Christ.

14 significations/signifiers of being a new creation in Christ.

Previously we have found that A new creation is significant in its New...

1. PLEASUREs(5:9)

2. RECEPTION(5:10)

3. PERSUASION(5:11)

4. OPPORTUNITY(5:12)

5. SOUND INSANITY(5:13)Risk

6. LOVE(5:14-15)

7. CONSIDERATIONS(5:16)

8. NEWNESS/Creativeness(5:17)

9. RELATIONSHIP--Reconciliation(5:18-19)

10. INSTRUMENTATION/Mediation(5:20)

11. RIGHTEOUSNESS(5:21)

12. VIEW Of VANITY(6:1)

13. URGENCY(6:2)

We will see that Paul & Timothy commended apostolic ministry to the Corinthian church thru a list of Practical Realities within which they operated.

The significance of how being a new creation in Christ is played out in the Practical Realities of Ministry.

We are going to examine the significance of these Practical Realities one-by-one in their manifestation as Commendors of God-ordained Ministry.

14—A new creation is significant in the...

PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY-B(6:3-10)

So far we have looked at the role of...

A. OFFENSE & BLAME(6:3)...as well as...

B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)(CONT...)

i. Patience(6:4)—cheerful endurance & constancy

ii. Tribulations—pressures

iii. Needs—forced subsistence

iv. Distresses—narrowed circumstances

v. Stripes(6:5)—officially sanctioned punishment

vi. Imprisonments—officially sanctioned removal from society

vii. Tumults—chaotic/unstable lifestyle

viii. Labors—physically/mentally taxing work

ix. Sleeplessness

x. Fastings—prayer & fasting

xi. Purity(6:6)—living uprightly

xii. Knowledge—personal, of God & His way

xiii. Longsuffering—refrain from wrath/revenge/vengeance

Continuing our look at MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS we find a 14th commendation...

14—A new creation is significant in the...

PRACTICAL REALITIES Of MINISTRY--B(6:3-10)

B. MINISTRY COMMENDATIONS(6:4ff.)(CONT...)

A 14th Commendation as ministers of God...

“by kindness”

Comes in/“by” “kindness.” i.e., A Commendable Ministry is delivered in/by the package of “kindness.”

It is the benign usefulness of a morality(right vs. wrong) which comes from surrender to God in Christ. Considers a person’s unique circumstances & thus mindset before acting or making a determination.

Gill—“gentleness, sweetness of temper & manners, affability[friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to] & courteousness.”

Barnes—“By gentleness of manner, of temper, & of spirit. By endeavoring to evince this spirit to all, whatever may be their treatment of us, & whatever may be our provocations. Paul felt that if a minister would do good, he must be kind & gentle to all.”

Henry—“...being not easily provoked, but bearing with the hardness of men's hearts, & hard treatment from their hands, to whom he kindly endeavored to do good.”

*Such is the minister who will ‘kill-‘em with kindness.’ But his remains on the ‘kindness’ & not on ‘killing them’!

Prov. 15:1-2—“A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.”

Prov. 25:21-22—“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you.”

Rom. 12:16-21—“Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Gal. 5:22-23—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness[crhstothv], goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Eph. 2:4-9—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness[crhstothv] toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”