Christian Service: Stepping Into the Fray
This message was delivered on November 14,
2004 at Arlington Community Church and is
based upon 2 Corinthians 6:1-10. Believers
who involve themselves in ministry to others
need to insure that the source of their power
is from the Holy Spirit's ministry in their
lives and not human energy.
- Stepping into the Fray (PPT)
- Stepping into the Fray Printable
Study
Guide
Presented to Arlington Community
Church,
Arlington, Texas
November 14th, 2004
"Christian Service - Stepping
Into the
Fray"
2 Corinthians 6.1-10
Preceding the "therefore"
of 5.20
is four and a half chapters that
lead to
Paul's statement that he and
his companions
were "ambassadors."
After opening
this letter with an explanation
of his delay
in returning to Corinth, Paul
proceeds to
defend his ministry against false
apostles
and teachers who were slandering
him and
his message.
It is very evident that the Judaizers represented
at least a contingent of these false teachers,
e.g. Paul defends the superiority of Christ
and His work over the Law (3.4-18; 4.1-6).1 Paul then spends some time focusing upon
some of the doctrines of the faith that provide
his motivation via an eternal perspective
(things that are not seen - 4.16-18) that
transcends the temporal sufferings he has
endured. For instance, Paul discusses the
following:
- The resurrection as the basis for our future
hope (5.1-8)
- The Judgment Seat of Christ - an evaluation
of our service (5.9-11)
It is Christ's sacrificial death (5.14-15) that motivates Paul in his ministry
as an "ambassador" of the message
of reconciliation. So, Paul reaches a point
in his logic where a conclusion is in order.
In so doing, he makes an almost unique reference
to one aspect of his ministry - ambassadorship
(see also Eph 6.20).
Exhortation
5.20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors
for
Christ, as though God were making
an appeal
through us; we implore [you]
on behalf of
Christ, be reconciled to God.
[This is a
statement of Paul's ministry
as an ambassador
- "be reconciled to God."
The "you"
(Corinthians) is not there.].
Statement of Fact/Doctrine
5.21 - He made Him who knew no
sin to be
sin on our behalf, so that we
might become
the righteousness of God in Him.
[A justification
passage. Note the conditionality
- we might
accept the Gospel or we might
not have accepted
the Gospel. God is the active
agent in reconciliation].
Slide
When we step into the fray as
an ambassador,
we must be empowered for battle.
Slide
Outline of Our Passage - 2 Corinthians
6.1-10
"Stepping Into the Fray"
- Exhortation (6.1)
- Parenthetical Note (6.2)
- Exhortation Continued (6.3)
- Illustration from Paul's Experience (6.4-10)
Exhortation
6.1 - And working together [with
Him], we
also urge you not to receive
the grace of
God in vain [Note the italicized
"with
Him." Christians cannot
be effective
in ministry when they don't "work
together."
Also, how could the Corinthians
have received
the grace of God in vain? Can
we receive
the grace of God in vain? ]
How could the Corinthians have
received the
grace of God in vain (2 Cor 6.1)?
By the
time that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians
(ca. Fall
A.D. 56), he had been stalked
and hounded
by the Judaizers incessantly.
These self-proclaimed,
pseudo-apostles preached a different
gospel
- a works oriented gospel.
- Earlier, Paul argues for the superiority
of Christ over the Law (2 Cor 3.7-11)
- Paul feared that the minds of the Corinthians
might be corrupted with a Gospel different
from the "simplicity" of Christ
(2 Cor 11.3)
- Paul's Jewish adversaries boasted in the
fact that they were Jews as if they were
superior to Gentiles (2 Cor 11.22)
Judaizers denied Paul's message
that the
righteousness of God was obtained
by faith
and faith alone. This is why
Paul took great
pains to establish the superiority
of Christ
over the Mosaic system earlier
in the letter
(see 2 Cor 3.7-18). This is also
why Paul
took great pains in this letter
to support
his apostolic claims which were
validated
by his self-sacrificial behavior
(see 2 Cor
11.5-33).
The word vain is the Greek word
kenon and
it means "empty," "without
content," "without
result,"
"useless." (See 1 Cor
15.14, 58;
Gal 2.2; Phil 2.16; 1 Thess 3.5).
And if Christ is not risen, then
our preaching
[is] empty and your faith [is]
also empty.
(1 Cor 15.14)
Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in
the work of
the Lord, knowing that your labor
is not
in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor 15.58)
Holding fast the word of life,
so that I
may rejoice in the day of Christ
that I have
not run in vain or labored in
vain. (Philippians
2.16)
Slide
- For the Corinthians, to turn to Judaistic
legalism was equivalent to spurning the grace
of God (2 Cor 3.12-16; Gal 3.1-6).
- To once receive the grace of God for salvation,
then to believe that salvation comes through
a system of keeping the Law is tantamount
to making one's salvation "empty"
or "without result."
- How can the believer who comes to believe
a works-oriented gospel ever be an effective
witness of the grace message of salvation?
His testimony is "empty" or "without
grace content."
- Believers can also make the salvation work
of Christ "vain" in their lives
by not becoming experientially righteous.
[Illustration: Story of missionary
who asked
local pastors to name the things
it took
to be saved as he listed them
on the chalk
board].
Parenthetical Note
6.2 - For He says,
'At the acceptable time I listened
to you,
and on the day of salvation I
helped you.'
[Isa 49.8a]
God chose Paul, a Jew of Jews,
to be the
apostle to the Gentiles. In God's
economy,
the greater the spiritual responsibility
for others, the greater the servant
nature
of one's role relative to others.
Paul was
very knowledgeable of Hebrew
Scriptures where
this principle was illustrated
in Messianic
prophecies. In our passage, we
gain a glimpse
into the spiritual wisdom of
a man to whom
the Holy Spirit had illumined
a mind steeped
in Scripture relative to the
Person and Work
of the Messiah - Jesus.
And He was handed the book of
the prophet
Isaiah. And when He had opened
the book,
He found the place where it was
written:
"The Spirit of the Lord
is upon Me,
because He has anointed Me. To
preach the
gospel to the poor; He has sent
Me to heal
the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to
the captives and recovery of
sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those
who are oppressed;
to proclaim the acceptable year
of the Lord."
[Does not quote next phrase from
Isa 61.1-2
- "and the day of vengeance
of our God."]
Then He closed the book, and
gave it back
to the attendant and sat down.
And the eyes
of all who were in the synagogue
were fixed
on Him. And He began to say to
them, "Today,
this Scripture is fulfilled in
your hearing."
(Lu 4:17-21)
Like Jesus, Who at the beginning
of His Galilean
ministry quoted only a portion
of a Messianic
passage that was relevant to
His then present
purpose on earth (Lu 4.16-21
cf. Isa 61.1-2)
and did not quote that portion
that dealt
with His 2nd Advent, Paul repeats
this pattern
by quoting from Isaiah 49 only
in part. Let
us take a quick look at Isaiah
49 in order
to gain insight into Paul's spiritual
rationale.
[Review Isa 49 here - esp. v.
4 (vanity of
the Servant Messiah's efforts
potentially)
& v. 8 (which Paul quotes
in our passage]
Paul's spiritual logic: Slide
- Servant-Messiah's vain efforts towards ancient
Israel is similar to the vain manner in which
the Corinthians were being tempted to compromise
the pure grace Gospel message (Isa 49.4)
- God desired the Gentiles to be blessed (Isa
49.6) - a desire consistent with the promise
to Abraham in Genesis 12
- Paul only partially quoted a Messianic passage
(Isa 49.8) since actual fulfillment is not
until the 2nd Advent
- Paul's grasp of God's purpose in human history
- a stabilizing factor in Paul's life
- Paul's understanding of dispensational continuity
vs. discontinuity
Paul's quotation of Isaiah 49.8
was a rebuttal
to the Judaizers - it is an example
of God's
promise of salvation to the Gentiles
also.
This quote emphasized the fact
that salvation
was a gift provided by God which
could not
be earned or merited through
human good or
human systems of righteousness.
The "day
of salvation" as far as
the Corinthian
Gentile believers were concerned
was the
new Age of Grace.
Exhortation Continued
6.3 - giving no cause for offense
in anything
so that the ministry will not
be discredited
[The most important priority
for the believer
involved in ministry is the glorification
of Christ. Everything else (politics,
fleshly
desires, liberties, "rights,"
pleasures)
is subordinated to that singular
focus].
Illustration from Paul's Personal
Experience
6.4 - But in everything commending
ourselves
as servants of God, in much endurance,
in
afflictions, in hardships, in
distresses
["Endurance" is tantamount
to Momentum.
Paul begins his list of external
adversities]
6.5 - in beatings, in imprisonments,
in tumults,
in labors, in sleeplessness,
in hunger
6.6 - in purity, in knowledge,
in patience,
in kindness, in the Holy Spirit,
in genuine
love
6.7 - in the word of truth, in
the power
of God; by the weapons of righteousness
for
the right hand and the left [Military
metaphor]
6.8 - by glory and dishonor,
by evil report
and good report, regarded as
deceivers and
yet true;
6.9 - as unknown yet well known
as dying
yet behold, we live; as punished
yet not
put to death
6.10 - as sorrowful yet always
rejoicing,
as poor yet making many rich,
as having nothing
yet possessing all things.
Paul taught that the credentials
and commendations
the Corinthian believers should
have been
looking to find in their ministers
was not
to be based upon such factors
as letters
(3.1), self-recommendations (10.18)
or religious
credentials (11.22). The credentials
and
commendations that the Corinthian
believers
should have been seeking were
the credentials
that reveal a servant of God.
Slide
In verses 4-5, Paul begins to
itemize the
hardships he has endured recognizing
the
principle that action speaks
louder than
words. (Compare to 1 Cor 4.9-13;
2 Cor 4.8-10;
11:5-33). The list begins with
nine outwardly
imposed adversities that are
divided into
three groups and provide outward
evidence
of what is inside:
- General Trials
- Afflictions
- Hardships
- Distresses
- Inflicted by Men - Acts 16.19-23 (Paul &
Silas beaten and imprisoned for casting a
demon out of a slave girl fortune teller,
thus inciting her masters)
- Beatings - 1 Cor 4.9-13, esp. v. 11.22-29
- Imprisonments
- Tumults (riots)
- Self-Imposed
- Labors (hard work) - Acts 18.3-4 (Paul makes
tents); 1 Cor 4.12; 1 Thess
2.9; 2 Thess
3.7-8
- Sleeplessness - Acts 20.7-11 (Eutycus in
Troas), 31; 2 Cor 11.27
- Hunger - cf. 1 Cor 4.11; 2 Cor 11.27
In verse 6, Paul lists the inner
qualities
that he displayed in the face
of such adversity.
The display of these inner qualities
should
have served to validate his ambassadorship.
- Purity
- Knowledge
- Patience
- Kindness (benevolence)
- "Holiness of spirit" or "spirit
that is holy"
- Genuine Love
In verse 7, Paul mentions two
elements that
serve as the foundation of these
inner qualities:
- Word of Truth or "truthful Word"
- Power of God
In verse 8, Paul provides a military
metaphor
as he reflects upon the fact
that he is in
a spiritual war - as are all
ambassadors.
(Compare to earlier use of military
metaphor
in 1 Thess 5.8 and later use
of military
metaphor in Eph 6.11-17).
[Illustration here: The Charge
of the Light
Brigade
Lord Raglan - Commander in Chief
of the British
Army in the Crimea
Lord Lucan - Command of the Calvary
Division
Lord Cardigan - Commander of
the Light Brigade
General Scarlett - Commander
of the Heavy
Brigade]
In verses 8b-10, Paul provides
a list of
contrasts between eternal perspective/motivation
(i.e. the divine assessment)
and the temporal
adversities (worldly assessment).
- Glory vs. dishonor
- Good report vs. evil report
- Truthful vs. deceivers
- Well-known vs. unknown
- Dying vs. alive
- Punished vs. not dead (e.g. a scourging prior
to execution, but no execution)
- Sorrowful vs. always rejoicing
- Poor vs. enriching others
- Having nothing vs. possessing everything
Before You Step Into the Spiritual
"Fray,"
Check Your Power Source
Paul's analysis of ambassadorship
provides
an interesting checklist of the
type of spiritual
power we need to engage in the
conflict.
I call these attributes and characteristics
the "divine sphere of power"
that
shields and insulates us from
the forces
that seek to neutralize us, i.e.
the "world,"
the "flesh," and "Satan."
Paul manifests the following
components of
that power sphere.
- Yieldedness to God (Rom 6.6, 11, 13)
- Objectivity
- Humility
- Momentum
- Personal love for Christ
- Impersonal (unconditional) love for mankind
- Momentum testing ("endurance")
- Sharing the happiness of God
This divine power sphere is only
built in
the life of the believer who
has allowed
God to destroy the human implements
of war
such as fleshly defense mechanisms,
"strongholds,"
and belief systems built upon
a lack of trust
and knowledge of God's word which
are tantamount
to human implements designed
for temporal
warfare.
We need a spiritual power sphere
to protect
our souls in a spiritual war.
We need spiritual
insulation against the darts
of the world,
the flesh and Satan. We need
divine empowerment
borne of the Holy Spirit's seven-fold
ministry
in our lives - production of
Christian character,
empowerment for Christian service,
promotion
of praise and thanksgiving, witnessing
with
our spirits, teaching us, leading
us, and
making intercession for us.
Concluding Points
Ambassadorship:
- Ambassadorship is work
- Ambassadorship involves personal sacrifice
- Ambassadorship is direct involvement in a
war
- Ambassadors suffer
- Ambassadors should not expect to receive
approbation from those they serve
- Ambassadors can only be effective when shielded
in divine power
Principles of spiritual war:
- A warrior/ambassador has a vision, a cause
to which he is devoted that provides a transcendence
to his life that is greater than self-preservation.
[Paul's eternal perspective & focus on
spiritual realities]
- An eternal perspective that transcends the
temporal is pre-requisite to "endurance"
in the spiritual "fray"
- Without an eternal perspective, the world
is viewed (by default) through an anthropocentric,
self-centered set of lens
- Actions speak louder than words. Corollary:
Deeds are not necessary for salvation, but
they are a powerful validation of one's life
and message.
- The world [cosmos] offers man a false sense
of power and a false sense of security. The
delusion of the cosmos system is so effective
because believers have no vision that provides
them transcendence above the details of life
and allows them to see through the cosmic
fog.
- Examples of the false sense of power and
false sense of security offered by the world
-
- whether one has a secretary at work;
- how pretty one's wife happens to be;
- how much money a person makes;
- how recognized one's husband is in society;
- how many people attend your church;
- one's expertise in a chosen field of endeavor;
- degrees;
- titles;
- a paneled office; (Paul conveys quite the
opposite in our passage - hunger,
punished;
beatings; imprisonments; sleeplessness).
Slide
When we step into the fray as
an ambassador,
we must be empowered for battle.
Facts of note:
- The Church in Corinth was planted on Paul's
second missionary journey in AD 50-51 after
his visit in Athens (cf. Acts 15:36; 18:1-18).
- Paul stayed with Roman Jews (who were expelled
in AD 49 or 50) named Aquila and Priscilla
eighteen months in Corinth teaching the word
of God and working as tent makers (Acts 18:1-3,
11)
- Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia
and joined Paul in Corinth whereupon Paul
devoted himself full time to the ministry
of the word (Acts 18:5)
- When the Jews rejected Paul, he left the
synagogue and began meetings in the house
of Titus Justus next to the synagogue (Acts
18:7-8)
- The Jews brought Paul before Gallio (proconsul
of Achaia AD 51 or 52) for breaking their
law of worship, but he dismissed Paul since
it was not a matter of "wrong or of
viscous crime" (Acts 18:12-17)
- Paul set off for Syrian Antioch in or about
A.D. 52 (Acts 18:18--22)
- In Cenchrea he had his hair cut from his
vow (18:18)
- Aquila and Priscilla accompanied Paul on
his journey to Ephesus where
they remained
and provided instruction to
Apollos (18:18-19,
26-27 cf. 1 Cor. 1.12; 3.5-6)
- Apollos later went to Corinth for ministry
(Acts 18.18-28)
- Paul set off from Ephesus, landed at Caeserea,
greeted the church there and
went down to
Syrian Antioch (18:21-22)
- Paul spent some time in Antioch, and set
off on his third missionary journey traveling
back through Galatia, Phrygia and went to
Ephesus in the Fall of A.D. 53 and stayed
there for a period of 2 ½ years (18:23; 19:1ff)
- Paul probably wrote the letter mentioned
in 1 Cor 5.9 while in Ephesus
- a letter
misunderstood by the Corinthians
(5:10-11)
and later lost.
- Paul was visited by an official delegation
from Corinth with specific
questions (Acts
16.17)
- 1 Corinthians was probably written to address
these matters in A.D. 54-55.
- This didn't solve the problems.
- Paul made a "painful" visit (2
Cor 1.15 & 2.1) because
of the action
of the man referred to in 2
Cor 2.5 &
7.2.
- Paul sent a 2nd disciplinary letter carried
by Titus (2 Cor 2.4 cf. 2 Cor
7.8-9)
- After the silversmith's riot, Paul left Ephesus
bound for Troas to meet Titus.
Paul could
not locate Titus and went forward
to Macedonia
concerned about Titus' safety
(2 Cor 2.12-13;
7.5). Titus carried good news
about the church,
but bad news about the Judaizers.
- Paul wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia and
followed it up with a 3rd visit
during the
winter of A.D. 56-67 (Acts
20.1-4).
1 Actually, there may have been many groups
that opposed Paul for Paul speaks
of several
different factions in the church
(1 Cor 1.12,
13). It is possible that one
of the groups
held to a form of incipient Gnosticism
-
a high value was placed upon
spiritual knowledge
and experiences (1 Cor 8.1) that
was only
accessible to gifted teachers,
perhaps those
who were especially skilled in
Greek rhetoric
(11.6). Unlike Paul, these imposters
collected
fees for their services (11.7-9)
and enjoyed
comfortable lives. Their speech
"tickled"
the ears due to its deceitful
eloquence (2
Cor 11.14-15; 2 Tim 4.3).
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