“The Measure of a Ministry!”

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

How do you measure success in ministry? What are the Biblical measures of a successful ministry?

In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul is sharing some very personal feelings between himself and this beloved congregation in Corinth:

His great love for them!

Various pressures he was experiencing in Macedonia!

His reaction to the news of their repentance over not dealing with the man who was sleeping with his step-mother!

In sharing his heart with them, we find at leasts SIX BIBLICAL MEASURES of a successful ministry:

I. When You Minister with INTEGRITY – (7:2)

“Make room for us in your hearts…” (CSB, NAS, ESB, NIV) Darby Bible (1890) – “Receive us…”

Paul then explains why:

“We have wronged no one…” – We have not sinned (‘to do what is unjust or unrighteous’) against anyone!

“…corrupted no one” – We’ve not caused any to ‘come to ruin’, or to ‘suffer a loss’!

“…taken advantage of no one.” (NIV – “exploited”)

Darby – “We have injured no one, we have ruined no one, we have made gain of no one.”

PAUL CONDUCTED HIMSELF WITH INTEGRITY!

II. When You Are Able to Speak the TRUTH in Love – (7:3-4)

(v.3a) – “I don’t say this to condemn you…” – Lit., ‘to condemn, to render a verdict of guilt.’

In other words, “I’m not saying this because I believe you are guilty of anything!”

(v.3b) – “…since I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.” – He is speaking to them out of a GREAT LOVE!

It was BECAUSE of this great love that Paul was able to say, (v.4) - “I am very frank with you…”

Charles Harris – “Precisely because he loved the Corinthians so much Paul felt he could be fearless in speech toward them…he was just as forward in praising them…As a faithful father, he showed great boldness in correcting them, but he took great pride in them too.”

Ephesians 4:15 CSB

15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.

III. When You Experience PEACE and JOY in the Midst of Trials – (7:4b-6)

(v.4b) – “I am filled with encouragement…” – παρακλήσια

“I am overflowing with joy…” – ‘to abound beyond measure’

Used here and in (Romans 5:20)

Romans 5:20 CSB

20 The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more

Yet the comfort and joy he felt were “…in all our afflictions.”

(v.5) – “troubled (pressure)…conflicts (fighting)…fears”

How is that possible? – (v.6)

The SOURCE of our comfort (and joy) is God!

The MEANS of our comfort is FELLOW BELIEVERS!

IV. When You See GROWTH in the Lives of Those You Minister To – (7:7-11)

The growth of the Corinthian church was manifest in their REPENTANCE over their former unwillingness to confront sin! – (cf. 1 Corinthians 5)

In these few verses, we have a MINI THEOLOGY of TRUE REPENTANCE!

1. What Repentance is NOT: Just feeling SORROW over sin! – (vv.8-9)

That is not to say that sorrow is bad, or wrong. In fact, Paul writes, “…your grief led to repentance!”

However, “…worldly grief produces death.”

Matthew 27:3–5 CSB

3 Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!” 5 So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.

2. What Repentance IS: A Change of mind! – (v.10)

μετάνοια - “…a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness.”

“…without regret” - The sorrow we experience over sin is not one we feel sorrow for!

2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT

10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

3. How repentance is EVIDENT: A change in ACTIONS and ATTITUDES! (v.11)

“For consider…” - ἰδοὺ - A verb: aorist, active, imperative, 2nd person verb.

This is NOT a suggestion! It is also quite a LIST of things to consider:

“…how much diligence” - σπουδήν - ‘…a readiness to expend energy and effort’

“…what a desire to clear yourselves” - ἀπολογίαν - ‘…to make a formal defense’

“…what indignation” - ἀγανάκτησιν - ‘…a state of strong opposition and displeasure against someone or something judged to be wrong.’

“…what fear” - φόβον - ‘…a state of severe distress, aroused by intense concern for impending pain, danger, evil, etc.’

“…what deep longing” - ἐπιπόθησιν - The idea is an intense longing for something you know is lacking!

“…what zeal” - ζῆλον - similar to longing, this speaks to a deep concern for or devotion to someone or something!

“…what justice!” - ἐκδίκησιν - to give justice to someone who has been wronged!

When we are OBEDIENT to the imperative to “consider” these things, the RESULT will be:

(v.11b) - “…In every way you showed yourselves to be pure in this matter.”

V. When LOVE is the Distinguishing Mark of Your Ministry – (7:12-15)

The reason Paul rebuked them in the first place is because of love – (v.12)

What a beautiful picture of joy and love as Paul and Titus shared!

VI. When The Job is DONE – (7:16)

I live the NIV translation of (v.16)

2 Corinthians 7:16 NIV

16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

It’s AMAZING to see the journey of Paul and the Corinthians!

When you compare the first letter to the second, it is truly a work of God’s grace!

1 Corinthians 3:1–3 CSB

1 For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans?