2 Corinthians 6:6-7 ~ 20190324 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
03/24_2 Corinthians 6:6-7; The Essential Means of Ministry; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20190324_2cor6_6-7.mp3
Paul is giving his resume for authentic ministry. The Corinthians were looking for outward evidence of God's blessing on his ministry, and they were beginning to question his authenticity. They were looking for power, prosperity, praise, eloquence, something flashy. Paul commends his ministry as a ministry that gives obstacles in nothing and to no one. Paul's goal is that no fault could be found with the ministry. In all things he commends himself as God's minister. He cares much more about what God thinks of his ministry than what anyone else thinks.
And the way he commends himself is not what anyone would have expected. What he includes in his resume is in the way he responds to adversity: 'in much endurance'. And he lists three general hardships: 'in afflictions, in hardships, in calamities'; then three specific types of persecution: 'in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots'; then three hardships he willingly endures for the sake of the advance of the gospel: 'in labors, in sleeplessnesses, in hungers.' Nine hardships, faced with much endurance.
The Manner; Four Essential Characteristics for Ministry
Now beginning in verse 6 he lists eight means of ministry; four essential character traits for effective ministry, followed by four enablements for effective ministry.
He started the list in verse 4 with the character trait 'much endurance'; remaining under these nine different types of hardships. Now he gives four more character traits; in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness. These describe the manner of his ministry, not so much what he does as much as how he does it, and ultimately who he is. Character. When hiring for a position, many companies are looking for skills, abilities, experience. Have you been trained in this field? Do you have the knowledge necessary to carry out the task? How much experience do you have in this field? What are your accomplishments, successes, abilities? Paul emphasizes not so much what he does as how he does it, who he is.
Who are you? Are you a butcher, a baker, a candle-stick maker? That is not who you are; that is what you do. I am a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a pastor. Those are roles, hats I wear. They define my relationships to other people. I was born in a Christian home, raised in a healthy two parent family in Minnesota, the youngest of five. That is some of my history, my background, where I come from. That is not who I am. I like to hike, canoe, to be outdoors, to be creative, build things, fix things. Those are hobbies, likes, preferences. But who are you? Strip all that away, who are you when no one is looking? What is your character?
6 In Purity [ἐν ἁγνότητι]
Paul starts with purity. This word shows up only here and in chapter 11. The verb shows up in the gospels and Acts referring to ceremonial purification, and in James, Peter and 1 John it shows up in reference to heart and soul purified through the new birth. The adjective shows up a little more frequently in contexts of moral purity, blamelessness, innocence, integrity. In 11:2 the adjective is used in the metaphor of betrothing a pure virgin to her husband, and in 11:3 this noun shows up alongside sincerity, and in contrast to being seduced or beguiled with trickery or cunning, being defiled, spoiled or corrupted.
In 1 John 3:3 the adjective describes the character of God;
1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
We become like God as we see him as he is; through our hope in him, in looking to him, we purify ourselves as he is pure.
Paul points us to his innocence, blamelessness, integrity, moral purity. This purity is not because he always had clean hands and a pure heart; rather his blood-stained hands were washed clean by the blood of Jesus, and through the new birth he stands pure and holy, a new creation in Christ.
In Knowledge [ἐν γνώσει]
Next he lists knowledge. Knowledge was a big deal in Corinth. He recognized that they were 'enriched in all knowledge' (1Cor.1:5). But he drew a contrast between the knowledge they claimed and love for brother and sister (1Cor.8:1,7,10,11; 12:8; 13:2,8). They prided themselves in their knowledge.
But as Paul had already made clear,
1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
For Paul it was not about what you know, but it had everything to do with who you know. He was in everything pursuing and advancing the 'knowledge of God' (2Cor.10:5).
2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
2 Corinthians 4:6 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.
Paul was spreading the knowledge of God, the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus, knowing Jesus Christ and him crucified. For Paul everything else was worthless, except “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord ... that I may know him” (Phil.3:8,10).
In Patience, In Kindness [ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ] [ἐν χρηστότητι]
Next he mentions patience and kindness. The word translated patience is literally 'slow to anger'. These two words are listed side by side in Galatians 5:22 as the fruit of the Spirit.
Both patience and kindness are attributed to God in Romans 2
Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Where patience or slowness to anger is negative, refraining from responding immediately in anger even when there is something to be rightly angry about; kindness is its positive counterpart, actively doing good to those who have wronged you. God not only refrains from immediately punishing our sin; he also shows us his undeserved kindness. As Jesus instructs in Luke 6,
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
We are to extend kindness even to our enemies; in doing so, we reflect the character of God. In being patient and kind, we are living out the gospel; we are conducting ourselves toward others how God has been toward us.
It is clear that these character traits are not natural. Who joyfully endures afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleeplessnesses, hungers? Who extends patience and kindness to enemies? These are supernatural character traits. In Colossians 1 Paul prays:
Colossians 1:11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
He combines endurance, the first on his list, and patience, and he says that we need God's strength; we need the glorious might of divine enablement to respond to circumstances with endurance, slowness to anger, and joy. He says in Colossians 3:
Colossians 3:12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
He tells us that because we have been raised with Christ (3:1), because we are his chosen ones, because we are holy and beloved, because we have been strengthened with his mighty power, we can clothe ourselves with kindness and patience.
The Means; Four Divine Enablements for Ministry
When we understand how Paul uses these words, it makes complete sense where he goes next in this list. He gives four divine enablements for ministry. The character, endurance, purity, knowledge, slowness to anger and kindness is fruit. It is not Paul as he is naturally; this is Paul as he is empowered by God through his Holy Spirit for the ministry to which he has been called.
In Holy Spirit [ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ]
After four character traits, fruit necessary for ministry, Paul turns to the source. In the Holy Spirit. This is not the first time he has brought up the essential ministry of the Holy Spirit in this letter.
In 1:21 he mentions God in Christ by the Spirit who establishes, anoints, seals and guarantees us, by the gift of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (and then again in 5:5). In chapter 3 He announces the new covenant ministry which has everything to do with the Holy Spirit, who writes on tablets of human hearts (3:3); who gives life (3:6); who brings freedom (3:17); who effects transformation in us (3:18). He said
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. ...
His competency is not from himself but from God through the enabling ministry of the Holy Spirit. God has made Paul competent for the ministry. This is God a ordained, God empowered, God initiated, God sustained task.
In Love Unhypocritical [ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἀνυποκρίτῳ]
In love unhypocritical. Paul seems to have shifted gears when he mentioned the Spirit from a list of four character traits or fruit to the means or divine enablements for ministry. Is he switching back to character traits here when he mentions sincere love? Is this his love for others, or God's love for him that enables him for ministry. To see this as God's love for him seems to fit his flow of thought, as well as the context. He has just said (in 5:14) that 'the love of Christ compels us' and there he defines that love concretely as Christ dying for us; that God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. God's love is a compelling force for ministry. It is when I know that I am loved, sincerely loved, loved without a mask, that I am freed to love others as I have been loved. It is seeing the gospel in action, that God so loved me that he sent his only Son to die for me, that I am freed from the need to seek love, freed and empowered to give love freely away. Love without a mask.
7 In Word of Truth [ἐν λόγῳ ἀληθείας]
In the word of truth. Here again we could ask, is he referring to his own integrity? Should this be translated 'in truthful speech' (NIV, ESV) or 'in the word of truth' (NASB, KJV)?
So far in 2 Corinthians, Paul has referred to how he handles God's word, speaking in Christ (2:17); he refuses to tamper with God's word but openly proclaims the truth (4:2). God has entrusted to him the word of reconciliation. If we turn to Ephesians we see that he refers to 'the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation' (1:13). And in Colossians he points them to 'the word of the truth, the gospel, which... is bearing fruit and increasing,... since ... you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth' (1:5-6). Paul encourages Timothy to 'rightly handle the word of truth' (2Tim.2:15). Peter says that we were born again ' through the living and abiding word of God' (1Pet.1:23), and James says that God 'brought us forth by the word of truth' and that we are to 'receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls' (Jam.1:18,21).
What ultimately authenticates Paul's ministry is the content of the gospel he proclaims. It is not a mere human message. It is not his own message; it is God's word, a word that causes new birth, that is able to save your souls, a word that is bearing fruit and increasing. As he commends the Thessalonians:
1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
This word is at work. It is a powerful word.
In Power of God [ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ]
In the power of God. Paul opens the letter to the Romans by saying
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...
The gospel is the power of God for salvation. He says in 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The word of truth, the word of the cross, the gospel is the power of God for salvation.
Throughout 2 Corinthians Paul contrasts God's power with human weakness.
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant,
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
His competency for ministry, even his character is not from himself. It is from God. It is God's Spirit at work in him and through him. His endurance of hardships, his purity, his knowledge, his slowness to anger, his kindness, is all of God worked in him by the Spirit.
May we too reflect the character of God in our conduct by the power of the Spirit of God living in us, through the transforming word of truth, the gospel.
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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org