2 Cor. 1:12-24 Gospel Minstry

Gospel Ministry

2 Corinthians 1:12-24

Happy Mother’s Day

Read and pray

The past week has made me feel as though I am going back and forth. Decision making in light of Covid 19 and regulations has proven to be the most complicated experience of my life and ministry. Thank God for His Word and for this text today.

Many see this text primarily as a defense by Paul for his decision making. He is clearly explaining his rational for not coming to them as he originally planned. However, a closer look reveals the reasons behind his approch to ministry.

Ministry: service, role done in service to others.

Gospel ministry is service to others according to the dictates of Scripture in the name of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.

Main Idea: Gospel ministry centers on Christ and confidently trusts in the work of the Holy Spirit.

Gospel ministry centers on Christ.

Christ-centered boast

12 For our boast is this,

“boast” Used negatively, it refers to an unwarranted pride in one’s own merits, but used positively, it denotes legitimate pride based upon what God has done and enabled one to do (cf. Rom. 15:17–19). (Kruse 99)

the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

“simplicity” holiness, personally dedicated to God.

“godly sincerity” godly motives, straightforward.

by the grace of God from the Lord not from themselves.

supremely so toward you by God’s grace toward them.

13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— 14 just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.

Paul is so confident in the work of the Lord in and through him and the team as well as in and through the Corinthians church that at the coming of Christ they will boast in one another. They will recognize what God has done and enabled them to do for the sake of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 ESV

19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

At his coming, there will be a full realization of the work of God in and through the church…leading to Christ centered boasting...

Why? because of what follows...

Christ-centered planning

15 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?

Here the accusation comes to light in the question “Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this?”

“Do I make plans according to the flesh?” do I do what pleases me? Do I regularly go back on my what I say. Playing on the teaching of Jesus…let your yes be yes and your no be no…When he add at the same time, in effect both are negated.

at the end of the chapter, he tells them why he did not come right away and his goal in his planning.

2 Corinthians 1:23–24 ESV

23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.

“stand firm in your faith” goal of Christ-centered planning.

Requires a Christ-centered message

Christ-centered message

v. 18-22 contain the thesis statement for the next few chapters, really the entire letter.

18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.

Confidence in the gospel message does not rest with the person(s) but in God who is faithful...

We do not proclaim a wishy washy message. Challenging in a wishy washy culture…

Illus: several years ago I was shamed for rebuking a Charlotte pastor for balking on the radio when he was asked if Jesus was the only way to salvation…his answer to the interview question was yes and no.

Pauls proclaims the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, the only reliable gospel.

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

He is truth (John 14:6). This Son of God certainly would not vacillate and say yes and no at the same time. Correspondingly, Paul and his co-workers would not preach Christ’s gospel to the Corinthians and then alternate from affirmation to denial. (Kistemaker 61).

he is the head—the sum—in fine(finale), the consummation—of all spiritual doctrine. (Calvin 21)

Paul draws a sharp contrast with the multiplicity of the promises and their fulfillment: all God’s promises have their Yes in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. There is no promise that finds its fulfillment outside of Jesus. Apart from and outside of him, the promises of Scripture remain fragmentary and unanswered. (Seifrid 62)

Romans 1:1–6 ESV

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

This “Amen” is not God’s word in Jesus. It is the verbal response that arises from those who have been given the gift of salvation. It is a word of faith and hope in the glory that is yet to be revealed. God’s saving Yes in the crucified and risen Christ does not return to him empty but creates its own reception and thus brings the fruit of thanksgiving and faith. (Seifrid 63-64)

English Standard Version Chapter 12

no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

Gospel ministry confidently trusts in the work of the Holy Spirit.

21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ,

confirms, makes solid—securing salvation “us with you” in Christ…union with Christ indissoluble union.

Christ---the anointed One...

and has anointed us, set us apart, commission by God.

22 and who has also put his seal on us — indication of ownership Illus: books

and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Purposeful down payment…power of gospel ministry.

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Brothers and sisters, we must not turn to human ingenuity in this modern age to seek to accomplish the work of God. We must depend on the One who has saved us, set us apart, and empowered us to carry out his work in the world by engaging in gospel ministry.

Gospel ministry is service to others according to the dictates of Scripture in the name of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.

So What?

Are we(am I) engaged in gospel ministry?

Is our ministry centered on Christ?

Is our ministry trusting the work of the Holy Spirit.

Drawing from the main point of 1 Cor.

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV

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. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Current situation…competing voices…quarantine or herd immunity, wear a mask/ don’t wear a mask.

Who knew this was going to force us to ask questions about gospel ministry?

Engaging in Gospel ministry says be the church while loving your neighbor by staying home and connecting online.

some should stay home because of immune system.

Engaging in Gospel ministry says be the church as Scripture describes while being wise and careful as possible.

My prayer is that when this is over, we can say that we remained engaged in gospel ministry.

Supposing, then, that a church maintains a faithful gospel ministry, the minister(s) and the people should be mutually thankful. Indeed, they ought to rejoice in one another now, even as they certainly will when Christ appears. Let them be grateful that they have been allowed to enjoy such a relationship. (Naylor 72-73)

Prayer: v. 18-22

Offering: Encouraged by your generosity though giving. Press on brothers and sisters as the Lord provides.

Prayerfully clarity will be given this week as to our next steps related to worship.

Sending—How can I, my family, apply this message today or this week? GG...

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