Do Not Lose Heart

“Just a warning—there are a lot of slides in this section because I’m going to make reference to a lot of different passages and I don’t intend for you to try to flip around in your Bible to find them. I’m only going to put the verses and such on screen briefly, so if you want to do more research later, just jot them down or snap a picture. I’m only putting these verses on screen so you can track with the context I want to develop for Corinth.”

II Corinthians, like I Corinthians, is a highly occasional letter—it was written to address specific issues that kept popping up in the church at Corinth. To fully understand why Paul writes the way he does, you need to understand some of the backdrop of his relationship with the church at Corinth.

Corinth was located on an isthmus—a narrow strip of land connecting Achaia to the mainland. As such, it was a main thoroughfare for trade and economy and was very prosperous. With heavy Greek and Roman influence, the Corinthians placed a high value on rhetoric and wisdom and worship of the gods. There were reportedly dozens of pagan temples in the city, and cult prostitution and sexual immorality were rampant in the city. One historian, Strabo, claimed that the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth was home to over 1,000 temple prostitutes. Most historians think he was exaggerating a bit, but still,

“And the temple of Aphrodite was so rich that it owned more than a thousand temple slaves, courtesans, whom both men and women had dedicated to the goddess. And therefore it was also on account of these women that the city was crowded with people and grew rich; for instance, the ship captains freely squandered their money...” Strabo, Geography 8.6.20c, https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/

Paul founded the church in Corinth during one of his missionary journeys. In Acts 18, we find that he spent a lot of time there and stayed with Aquila and Priscilla for much of that time. He had a difficult time getting the church started at Corinth. He spent a lot of time in the Synagogues, trying to convince many Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

Acts 18:4 ESV

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Many of the Jews refused to believe him. It was at Corinth that Paul, frustrated with the Jews’ refusal to believe in the Messiah, changed his primary focus from ministry to Jews to ministry to Gentiles.

Acts 18:6 ESV

6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

But, not all refused to believe. Even some synagogue rulers converted and God encouraged Paul in a dream to stick with it because there would be many converts in time.

Acts 18:8–11 ESV

8 Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Sometime after this, the Jews “made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal,” attempting to get him brought up on charges by the Romans.

Acts 18:12 ESV

12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal,

The Romans dismissed the case, but the Jews seized the ruler of the synagogue, Sosthenes, and beat him publicly (presumably for allowing Paul to preach there). Sosthenes is mentioned as Paul’s coauthor in I Corinthians 1:1.

1 Corinthians 1:1 ESV

1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,

Paul stayed 1.5 years at Corinth, and possibly longer (Acts 18:18), longer than any other city in his missionary journeys, except for Ephesus.

Of all the churches to which Paul ministered, the church at Corinth seems to have given him the most grief and trouble. There was always drama.

Here are some of the problems Paul faced at Corinth:

Repeated, hostile rejection and persecution by the Jews in Corinth (Acts 18:6, 12-17)

Factions and tribalism (I Cor. 1:10-12)

Gross immorality (I Cor. 5)

Lawsuits between believers (I Cor. 6)

Arrogance and showmanship (I Cor. 1:18-2:5, especially I Cor. 2:1-5)

Syncretism/idolatry food offered to idols (I Cor. 8, 10:21)

Disorderly conduct and immodesty amongst some of the women (I Cor. 11:2-16)

Abuse of the poor and favoritism in the Lord’s Supper (I Cor. 11:20-22)

Disorderly uses and elevation of miraculous spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12-14, esp. I Cor. 14:26-32)

Heretical teachings against resurrection (I Cor. 15:12)

The primary reason he’s writing this letter, though, seems to be to address resistance and skepticism towards Paul’s apostolic authority (I Cor. 9; II Cor. 12:11-13).

He had addressed this in a previous visit (II Cor. 2:1) and in a previous letter (the severe, tearful letter he refers to in II Cor. 2:4) and many in the church had repented of their arrogance towards him.

2 Corinthians 2:1–8 (ESV)

1 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. 5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

But, apparently, a small group still remained that were arrogantly boasting of their superior authority, denying Paul’s authority, and leading the church astray

2 Corinthians 11:4–5 (ESV)

4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.

2 Corinthians 12:11–13 (ESV)

11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. 12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

2 Corinthians 13:1–2 (ESV)

1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them—

2 Corinthians 13:10 (ESV)

10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

So, this refusal by a minority within the church was the main reason for Paul’s letter that we call II Corinthians. There were other issues, for sure, but this is the main one and his stated purpose for writing them.

And these problems, of course, were in addition to all the other hardships he faced as a missionary and apostle, many of which he lists here in II Corinthians:

Paul’s hardships as an apostle/missionary (II Cor. 11:23-33; 12:7-10; Acts 28:3; etc.):

Imprisonment

“Countless beatings,” often near death

Threats from his own people and from Gentiles, narrow escapes from persecution and death

Shipwrecked three times, adrift at sea an entire day

Always traveling, never “home”

Dangerous river crossings

Venomous snakes

Threat of highway robbery

Betrayal

Disagreements and disappointment with other believers

Constant, exhausting, hard work and long hours

Sleeplessness

Hunger, thirst, deprivation, exposure to the elements

Constant pressure and anxiety for all the churches

Paul’s chronic “thorn in the flesh,” likely a chronic physical impediment, illness, or disability, that God would not heal “to keep [him] humble.”

Eventual martyrdom

While none of us can identify with every single point of suffering in Paul’s ministry, much of that list is probably pretty familiar. And, some of us could add some items to that list—learning new languages, sickness or death of a spouse or loved one, loss of property, chronic depression, and so on.

The point is that Paul’s dealings with the Corinthians represented a very difficult, stressful, and potentially discouraging phase of ministry for him and Timothy. When we think about all that Paul went through as a missionary, it’s amazing that he stayed the course. But that raises a good question—how did Paul stick with it? Why didn’t he give up?

FCF: The Christian walk isn’t easy, and the life of a missionary or a missionary kid is even more difficult. When ministry becomes difficult, the homesickness just won’t let up, sacrifices abound, and fruit is scant, it’s easy to become discouraged and lose heart. We can begin to question our calling and waver in our resolve.

Main Idea: But Paul’s testimony in II Corinthians 4 reminds us what we’re fighting for and gives us strength to stand strong.

2 Corinthians 4:1–6 ESV

1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 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. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 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.

2 Corinthians 4:7–12 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:13–15 ESV

13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Prayer for Illumination

Transition: We can remain faithful and not lose heart because

The ministry is God’s, not ours. (4:1-6)

We’re going to work backwards through this section, starting with Paul’s main point in v. 5 and then working backwards to v. 2.

2 Corinthians 4:5 ESV

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Ministry is from God and for God (4:5)

Ministry is a gift from God, even if/when it doesn’t feel like it. It is for our own good. Ministry is a means of sanctification.

Ministry is also for and about God. When we offer the gospel, we are not offering ourselves. When people reject our message or do not respond like we’d hoped, they’re not rejecting us, but God. Don’t internalize rejection as rejection of you.

Opening blind eyes is the Spirit’s job, not ours (4:3-5)

People not responding in faith to the gospel doesn’t mean that you’ve presented it incorrectly.

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 ESV

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 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.

Satan is always working to blind eyes and harden hearts towards the gospel

So, do not lose heart when people don’t respond to the gospel. The ministry belongs to God and we are just the messengers.

2 Corinthians 4:5 ESV

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

In v. 2, we have what seems to be a puzzling shift in topic. Paul says,

2 Corinthians 4:2 ESV

2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

What is the relationship between “losing heart”/discouragement and “disgraceful, underhanded ways” and “practic[ing] cunning or tamper[ing] with God’s word”?

Do not succumb to spiritual gamesmanship (4:2)

This is where having the context is particularly helpful. When we remember that Paul’s primary purpose in writing is to confront these “super-apostles” and their followers who were dividing the church,

“...disgraceful, underhanded ways...cunning or to tamper with God’s word...” (4:2) probably is a reference to the practices of the false “super-apostles” who had led the Corinthians astray. They:

Seemed to think that Paul suffered to much to be a genuine apostle

Taught a false gospel (II Cor. 11:1-4)

Charged a fee for their ‘ministry’ (II Cor. 11:7)

Boasted about themselves and deceived people (II Cor. 11:12-13)

Paul could have easily succumbed to the temptations.

If others are charging for their ministry and getting financial gain for it, why am I suffering need?

Twist the Scriptures to support an easy lifestyle--the prosperity gospel

Stop preaching things that offend and water down the gospel (“tamper”); tell them what they want to hear

Resort to commending themselves and boasting, spiritual one-upmanship

For missionaries, this could look like:

Watering down the gospel (Jesus isn’t the only way; All roads lead to heaven; You don’t have to give up unbiblical practice; etc.)

Accommodating syncretism

Boasting in your accomplishments

Exaggerating your accomplishments

Greed, materialism, attitude of entitlement

Fraud

Guard your heart during times of discouragement:

Do not compromise your integrity or the gospel (4:2 “we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways...")

Do not compromise the gospel or God’s Word (4:2 “We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word...”)

Do not compare your ministry with someone else’s (4:2 “by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God...”)

Do not assume responsibility for things that are beyond your control (4:3 “if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing...”)

Remember that the ministry belongs to God and we are merely his servants (4:5 “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”)

Remember that your job is to glorify God by pointing others to Christ (4:6 “the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ")

During seasons of discouragement, these temptations become even more alluring. Guard your heart with the truth.

We can remain faithful and not lose heart because...

Our weakness displays the power and glory of God. (4:7-12)

When God works through us despite our weakness, he receives the glory

Human nature is to run away from suffering, pain, and hardship.

When others see us stand strong and endure such hardships, they begin to wonder why and how we can endure such trials.

Have you ever had people tell you, “I just don’t know how you do it—live in Papua New Guinea and do that work.” That is a God-given opportunity to tell others about the source of your strength!

When you rely upon Christ’s strength in the midst of your trials, it shares a powerful testimony to the world. Suffering is not just inevitable in the Christian walk and in ministry—it is the very means by which we minister to others.

What is your “jar of clay”? A mental or physical disability? Homesickness? Depression? Feeling inadequate for your work/ministry? That is by design, it is not an accident. God gives us this treasure—the knowledge of the gospel and the ministry of reconciliation—in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

And the comforting part of that is that if that is God’s purpose, then he will give you the power to overcome that in your ministry and live in a way that glorifies him.

We can remain faithful and not lose heart because...

Our suffering and hardships in ministry bring others to faith. (4:13-15)

Paul makes it clear that the suffering he and the other true apostles endure is for the benefit of the Corinthians and those to whom they minister.

The “us” in this passage is almost always exclusive—referring to Paul and his fellow missionaries—while the “you” is the church at Corinth. So, when he talks about suffering in vv. 7-11 and uses “we” and “us,” he’s not talking about the Corinthians, per se. He’s talking about himself and his fellow missionaries and apostles. This becomes clear in v. 12 when he actually contrasts “us” and “you.”

2 Corinthians 4:12 ESV

12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Again, in v. 14, he separates “us” and “you”

2 Corinthians 4:14–15 ESV

14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

This is significant because it shows that Paul viewed his own personal suffering as benefiting those to whom he ministered.

As the church at Corinth witnessed his weakness, his suffering, and yet also witnessed his steadfastness and perseverance, it converted them. There was a genuineness to his faith that was missing from the faith of these so-called “super-apostles.”

Your weaknesses and suffering will very likely be the means that God uses to reach people with the gospel. So take heart! Your trials are not pointless, even if you can’t see the purpose behind them yet.

We can remain faithful and not lose heart because...

Our suffering and hardships in ministry will be worth it. (4:16-18)

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

Perseverance in ministry requires an eternal perspective.

I sometimes catch myself feeling sorry for myself and my family for all the sacrifices that we have to make as missionaries:

All of the missed years of time with family and friends

The missed birthdays, holidays, weddings, births, deaths

The comfort, ease, and luxuries of “home”

The difficulty of even the most mundane, simple things here in PNG

The constant sicknesses, risks, and discomforts we endure

If we focus on earthly things, the sacrifices will feel too great.

But if we keep our focus on eternity, the sacrifices won’t feel like sacrifices at all.

David Livingstone said of his service,

It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.

—David Livingstone, missionary to Africa (Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, 1981, 259)

Hebrews 11:13–16 ESV

13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

I want to leave you with a word of encouragement. We have quite a mix of people in this room. Some of you are village teams or work closely with PNG villages and churches and get to see some fruit of your labors. Some of you labor on for years with what feels like little or no fruit to show for your efforts. And others are support workers who labor on here at Ukarumpa doing jobs similar to what you might do back “home,” but with greater difficulty. Maybe you wonder if it’s worth the sacrifice, worth the cost, if what you’re doing is making a difference.

A few weeks ago we brought up our first village team for some training and work here at Ukarumpa. Then, we brought up a second team a couple weeks after that. I knew that we’d be able to get a lot more accomplished here at Ukarumpa than out in the village, and I was right. But, I’ll admit that I was more than a little concerned about the potential for unintended consequences of bringing a group from the bush up to the “White-man’s village.”

Well, there were, indeed, unforeseen consequences, but not the ones I expected. One of my guys said to me one day, “You know, we’ve been here for several weeks and we haven’t seen a single drunk man causing a disturbance. No one has beat their wife, no one has fought. When we walk down the street, people greet us and smile. You can just tell that the Spirit of God is here.”

That man later confessed to me that he used to be a drinker, smoker, and a spouse abuser. But after witnessing first-hand what life was like in a community that followed God, he repented and changed. Others in the group thought, “Oh, he’ll be back at it again soon, just watch.” But to their surprise, he hasn’t. He preached his first sermon just last week in the village about how Jesus is the light of the world.

You may not have known it, but you played a part in that. You being here, giving a friendly smile and greeting, hosting village teams for dinner, not getting drunk, beating your wife, or causing a scene—just you doing your normal, mundane, every day life in a way that honors God was a powerful testimony to a man who has never seen that. Powerful enough to draw him to God and change his life.

Conclusion

Ministry can be tough, and we will all go through at least seasons of discouragement. But, we don’t have to stay there. Don’t lose heart. The ministry belongs to God, not to you, and you aren’t responsible for people’s response, only for your faithfulness. Don’t lose heart—your weakness and hardships are being used by God to demonstrate his power and glory. Don’t lose heart because your faithfulness under trial is bringing faith to those who are lost. Don’t lose heart because your suffering and trials will be worth it in the end. Keep an eternal perspective and stand strong in your faith.