Faithful Gospel Ministry (2 Corinthians 4:1–6)

Many pastors are familiar with Charles Spurgeon’s lecture, “The Minister’s Fainting Fits,” in which he addressed discouragement in gospel ministry. Spurgeon writes,

Though true of gospel ministers, this can be equally true for every Christian who engages in evangelism. We can grow discouraged when we share the gospel and the response is merely, “Meh.” In some cases, the response might even be hostile leaving you wondering what you’ve done wrong, assuming the results are up to you.

Commenting on discouragement in evangelism George Guthrie observes:

This, in a nutshell, is the message of 2 Corinthians 4:1–6. And it is a message we would all do well to heed. This passage encourages us to be faithful in gospel ministry.

Paul has been accused of being a fraud because, in the eyes of celebrity speakers, his bodily presence was weak, his oratory skills lame, he was supposedly not officially commended by the church in Jerusalem, he preached for free (indicating he wasn’t any good), and his sufferings implied God’s rejection of his ministry. But to seal the criticisms, apparently there was not a whole lot of evangelistic fruit in his ministry. He didn’t have as many “notches” on his evangelistic gun as did the celebrity preachers that had come to Corinth.

Paul’s response—motivated by concern for the church—was to point to the integrity of both his message and ministry of the glorious new covenant. Having commenced this route in chapter 2, he continues here.

This passage is rich with encouragement for those discouraged in their evangelism. We are reminded of our responsibility and our inability, and yet of God’s creative ability to save the lost as he reveals the glory of Jesus Christ to them. It serves as a wonderful tonic to those taking gospel ministry seriously as well as motivation to refuse to compromise concerning gospel ministry.

We will look at this under three main headings:

1. Don’t Lose Heart (vv. 1–2)
2. Don’t Hold Back (vv. 3–4)
3. Don’t Lose Hope (vv. 5–6)

Heeding these exhortations is essential for faithful gospel ministry.

Don’t Lose Heart

Having just spoken of the glory of the new covenant and its gospel—the glory of Jesus Christ to which every believer is being transformed—Paul’s “therefore” is contextually significant. It is because of all of this glory that Paul not only perseveres in his ministry but he does so without fail, literally.

The Greek word translated “lose heart” is found in the New Testament only here and in v. 16. These two verses form an inclusio. That is, what Paul says in these verses is a unit with one major theme: a gospel ministry characterised by faithfulness and hence without either corruption or compromise. There is a morale and a moral issue here.

The morale issue is suggested by the word translated “lose heart.” It means to faint, to falter, or to fail. Paul is saying, “We are not despondent in an often-difficult ministry; we keep going; we don’t quit.” As we evangelise, we must also be on guard to not lose heart in this way. Keep speaking the gospel amid apparent setbacks.

But “we don’t lose heart” also carries a moral implication. Paul and his co-workers did not falter when it came to how they handled the gospel in the face of disappointment. They refused to cave in and to compromise to make the message more “successful.”

When evangelistic results are slow in coming, when the gospel meets with a “meh” or hostility, we might be tempted to change the message. Paul knew this pressure but he also knew how to persevere. He neither ceased his ministry of proclaiming the gospel message nor did he compromise his message. He makes this clear in v. 2.

What Paul Renounced

Paul and his coworkers “renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways” (v. 2). With deep conviction, he disowned and forbade any dishonest, shameful, or cryptic approach to the ministry of the gospel. As he said in 3:12, he openly and freely declared the gospel. He would not hide the light of the gospel under the bushel of sophistry as a means of escaping potential persecution for the gospel’s sake. There was no sleight of hand and no bait and switch as he proclaimed the cross of Jesus Christ. As he will say shortly, he was quite clear about proclaiming Jesus as Lord (v. 5).

As Paul addresses many times in this letter, he suffered for the gospel but nothing could move him to compromise the message in order to avoid such suffering. We dare not “market” the gospel to perceived “consumers.” Rather, we must tactfully, yet boldly and unapologetically, declare that Jesus is Lord.

What Paul Refused

“Refused” (v. 2) is supplied and the original word emphasises an absolute negative. Paul would not for a moment consider employing trickery, craftiness, or worldly wisdom (“cunning”) to sell an adulterated, watered-down, corrupt (“tampering”) kind of gospel. He said as much (2:17) but needed to say it again. Having just exalted the glory of the gospel, how could he ever play fast and loose with it. God forbid! Further, why would anyone ever do such a satanic thing?

The answer to that last question is plain: to avoid suffering. Preaching an unpopular message can tempt pastor and people to lose heart emotionally and volitionally. As Spurgeon noted, it is burdensome when people turn a deaf ear to the gospel of Christ. To see so-called churches that preach a false gospel thrive numerically and financially is disheartening when your own church seemingly struggles to stay alive while faithfully proclaiming the glory of Jesus Christ. When those preaching a truncated gospel are popular in the community while you and your church are considered odd at best and bad at worst is a hard pill to swallow, especially since you know your ministry is approved by God. But it is at this point where the temptation to compromise the message and ministry often enters. The discouragement can lead not only to a loss of morale, but also to the moral failure of either silence and/or compromise of the message. Sadly, this has often been the case in church history. The temptation is not merely historical but also contemporary.

Church planting can be deeply discouraging. The day I preached this sermon in our church, a church planter whom our church had agreed to support was being appointed by his church to head to the field. He is the only Christian in his extended family and, heading back to his home village, is up against syncretism, paganism, and idolatry. He will be preaching an unpopular message and he will find himself unpopular. It will be pretty easy for him to reason, “Perhaps if I don’t preach against sin, or if I don’t take a stand against nominalism, the results will be more encouraging.” But we are confident that he will not do that. Sadly, too many do not share his conviction.

Too many churches have given into the unbiblical seeker-sensitive movement. Too many smooth down the hard edges of the gospel rather than calling people to turn from their sin. Too many shelve the doctrine of God’s wrath and the reality of final judgement. To many jettison biblical faithfulness in a society drunk on expressive individualism, including gender confusion and the acceptance and celebration of sexual perversion. Too many marginalise the biblical command for meaningful local church membership.

This is precisely what Paul is addressing by the words “we do not lose heart.” When pastors and people weary of the warfare lay down the sword of the Spirit to cozy up to a compromised gospel and ecclesiology, they are according to Paul, behaving shamefully.

So how do we avoid this?

What Paul Remembered

The clause “having this ministry by the mercy of God” (v. 1) provides a motive for Paul’s refusal to surrender or compromise. The mercy of God shown to Paul in saving him and appointing him as an apostle was a constant reference point sustaining him in gospel faithfulness. In other words, Paul never got over being saved and being called to serve in the ministry of the new covenant (see 1 Timothy 1:12–17).

Having experience the mercy of God in the new covenant, why would he ever want to abandon it? Personally knowing its power (Romans 1:16), he knew it would never lose its power to save others.  Appreciating what God had saved him from and what he had saved him to (Romans 1:1), he was motivated to remain lovingly faithful. His experience of the mercy of God was sustained by this when difficulties arose.

We need the same recollection. Since God saved you, he can also save your child, your spouse, your friend, your hardened co-worker. Since God has mercifully done everything necessary to save you from your misery, his same steadfast love is more than able to sustain you in your ministry (see Psalm 107)! We need to encourage one another by reminding one another of God’s saving mercies to us. Yes, people—including Christian people—will do sinful and stupid things that try your soul. But God’s mercies serve as a ballast to steady us to stay the course as we carry the precious cargo of the gospel.

What Paul Resolved

Returning to the thought of 3:12, Paul was resolved to openly declare the gospel message despite it being unpopular. He wanted to make the revelation of God in Christ known to everyone despite their response. His main concern was to be commended in the sight of God by so preaching that no one with a clear “conscience” could accuse him of compromise. “No conscience (in other words, no man conscientiously) could pronounce against the authenticity of his ministry” (Hughes).

As we should be appreciating, Paul’s ministry was motivated by the knowledge that his merciful God was his audience. Every Christian is called to proclaim the gospel of God in those spheres and in those opportunities where the Lord has placed and provided for them. When we speak God’s message, we are to do so knowing we will give an account as an ambassador of God (5:20). Don’t mess with the message. We are responsible for fidelity, not for fruit. “We are responsible only to present [the gospel] clearly, prayerfully, and truthfully. Whether or not a person turns to Christ is outside our control” (Casto).

This brings us to the next consideration.

Don’t Hold Back

Having said that his gospel preaching was “full and free,” Paul responds to those who might ask, “Well then, why is there not more fruit in your ministry?” He responds that unbelief is not because of the obscurity of the gospel but rather because of the spiritual obtuseness of the hearer. “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (vv. 3–4). It is vital that we grasp this biblical truth if we will neither lose heart nor hold back in gospel proclamation.

Reverting to the theme of veiled hearts, Paul defends the clearness of his gospel preaching making the point that those who do not believe are those who are “perishing.” And they are perishing because their minds are blind. They are blind in unbelief and, apart from a work of God, they will remain that way. In other words, “large numbers have entirely failed to perceive [the new covenant’s] superlative glory of which he has spoken with such enthusiasm. This Paul concedes. The fault, however, is not in the gospel, but in those who have failed to discern its glory” (Hughes). So in our day.

But rather than this cosmic reality (Guthrie) discouraging us to hold back in gospel proclamation, we need to continue to faithfully proclaim the truth avoiding tampering to make the message believable.

Perhaps you can relate to the experience of sharing the gospel with someone and thinking, “This actually sounds so simple and yet this person has not a clue what I am saying!” What is so clear to you is very obscure to the spiritually blind. And yet it remains the truth. Don’t mess with it! As Charles Hodge wrote, “The sun does not cease to be the sun although the blind do not see it.”

But why the blindness? Paul tells us that is because “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” He is speaking of Satan who is elsewhere called “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:3; 16:11; cf. Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19).

Satan, of course, is not sovereign over the world. “In calling Satan a ‘god,’ the apostle does not describe divine status to the evil one but rather speaks of the functional status given to him and the subordination of the fallen world to him” (Guthrie). Satan is “the god of this world” in that he rules over his unbelieving subjects, his “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). Those who are not children of God are under the influence of the evil one. But how?

Variously, such as through ungodly ideologies and godless worldviews. Though we are born dead in sin and unable to repent and believe on our own power, nevertheless Satan puts all kinds of obstacles before repentance and faith. Included would be godless education systems (which is why Christian parents are duty bound to provide their children with a Christian education, regardless of how you choose to educate them). False gospels are another means of blinding unbelievers, shielding them from the glorious light of the gospel. Think about this as you see Jehovah’s Witnesses in your neighbourhood and as you drive by full but false churches. This is a deeply saddening reality and one that might tempt us to hold back. But don’t. Rather, keep preaching, keep supporting, keep sending, keep sowing the seed.

When we pause to ponder, it should seem incredible that people find the gospel of Christ incredible. How can people not respond to this glorious truth of sins forgiven, being reconciled to God rather forever rejected by him?

I am reading a book called The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God by British author Justin Brierley. It is very encouraging as he points out the demise of the new atheism and how people like Jordan Peterson, Douglas Murray, Joe Rogan, Russel Brand, Tom Holland, and many others are seemingly turning away from secular presuppositions back to their “Christian” roots.

But while I am encouraged, this passage before us must inform our approach to our cultural moment. That is, though the influence of men like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and the late Christopher Hitchens is on a rapid decline, unless people’s eyes are opened by God, experiencing a mere “religious reform” is not sufficient. What is needed is a spiritual rebirth (John 3:3–6).

We must not hold back on preaching the simple gospel, trusting the Spirit of God to open eyes and renew hearts. We need to preach and to pray.

Don’t Lose Hope

Finally, Paul urges his readers to not lose hope. “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (vv. 5–6).

These verses are an extension of what he has just written  concerning the real reason people do not believe the true gospel. Not only is Paul not guilty of preaching in an obscure way, but neither is he guilty of obscuring the gospel by personally getting in the way of it. This is what he means by “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.” There are a few important points to ponder.

First, beware of getting in the way of the gospel. We need to be hidden by the cross. I was recently looking at the cross above the pulpit in our church hall and was happily reminded that pulpit ministry takes place beneath the cross. The pulpit must point people to Jesus Christ crucified. The celebrity cult in conservative Christianity is, I hopefully believe, coming to an end. Preachers cannot save you, only Jesus Christ can.

Second, be careful of relying on your testimony with Christ rather than on the testimony of Christ. Don’t think that, because you had a radical conversion, this is a key evangelistic tool. The power remains in the gospel, not in your experience of the gospel.

Third, hold on to the hope that, even though you are impotent—that is, you are not lord—Jesus Christ is Lord. You and I cannot save anyone but Jesus can and does all the time!

Paul’s point is not “lordship salvation” here. Instead, he is saying that, as we realise that Jesus is Lord, we will be persuaded of his power and therefore hope arises as he preaches the gospel. Rather than viewing himself as some kind of “lord” over others—especially when it comes to stewarding the gospel—Paul saw himself as a “servant”—perhaps better, a slave—of those to whom he preached, with special reference here to the Corinthians. Paul is saying that he sees himself as a slave rather than a saviour.

Paul was a minister (in the true and full sense of the word) rather than a master. He has already alluded to something similar in 1:24. The word doulos properly means slave. As a slave to Christ, this made Paul a slave to those to whom he ministered. This is not a derogatory statement but rather highlights Paul’s dependence upon the Lord for his ministry as well as emphasising his commitment to the spiritual welfare of the Corinthians. But what motivated such a humble self-evaluation? His conversion and his confidence in the Lord. Both of these empowered his hope for gospel ministry. It will do the same for us.

Converted by the Creator

Paul is obviously alluding to the record in Genesis 1 of God’s powerful act of creation—and with good reason, since it takes an act of creation to turn sinners into saints (5:17).

The phrase “our hearts” no doubt includes himself with the Corinthian church. Paul is probably making the point that the transformation in their lives should remind them of how God unveiled their blindness rescuing them from their guilt and sin as well as delivering them from the god of this age.

It can probably never be overstated that if God could save you then he could save anyone. Even if you grew up in a gospel faithful home, you were in deep spiritual darkness before the Lord “spoke” his word into your heart and enlightened you to bring you to repentance and faith. Paul knew this by experience.

As he went his hell-bound yet zealously religious way, Paul was confronted by the word of the Lord and his life was forever changed. It is not insignificant that he was at the trial and execution of Stephen, who saw something of the glory of the Lord when he died (Acts 7:54–8:1). Having heard Stephen’s sermon (7:52–53), the Lord began to goad Paul with conviction until he appeared as a piercing light (Acts 9:1–5). He was converted and therefore began the eternal experience of being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ in whom is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.” Paul’s conversion equipped him with gospel hope for others.

Confidence in the Creator

Paul’s confidence in the Creator is implied in all that has been said. Knowing that the new covenant is the promise of a new heart and thus the promise of forgiveness and the path of eternal knowledge of God Paul knew that only God could do such a work of salvation. And since he believed in original creation, he was fully confident of God’s promised new creation.

Brothers and sisters we are privileged to share in the same confidence. And as we do will not lose hope even when the progress of the gospel might appear hopeless.

Conclusion

Christian, you are called to evangelise, which, as someone put it, is simply one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. But sometimes beggars are blind and don’t realise their hunger. We must tell them inviting them to feast with the Lord who died and rose again to bring them to his table. Let us speak, and live so that the blind might smell the fragrance of Christ (2:15) and become a part of Christ’s triumphal procession through the powerful, life-giving ministry of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God.

This can be daunting and we might find ourselves doubting. If so, then like Paul, don’t lose heart, don’t hold back, and don’t lose hope.

AMEN