Or, Grace Abounding to a Multitude of Sinners
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15
Date: May 19, 2013
Speaker: Sean Higgins
Or, Grace Abounding to a Multitude of Sinners
Apart from God ministry isn’t just hard, it would be impossible. Think about some of the tasks we’re called to do. We work for unrighteous men to be declared innocent, the condemned to go free. We press diamond hard hearts to be broken and become sensitive. We labor that blind men might see, that dead men might live. The work of the ministry—assigned to believer, not only the paid staff—is nothing less than changing hearts, changing families, changing churches, and changing nations. That’s hard.
Ministry is difficult, ministry is demanding, and ministry is deadly. According to 2 Corinthians 4:12, ministry requires the constant dying of the minister. Jesus Himself made the point that “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). Seeing that fruit is exhilarating. Is anything more breathtaking than a lost soul being found? The angels think that’s exciting. Because of the gospel, our hurting brings healing. By God’s grace, our dying generates life.
2 Corinthians 4 is all about this ministry; it is tough, often ineffective from our perspective, agonizing, un-glorious work.
Like fresh baked cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning the sweet aroma of afflictions fills the air of the entire epistle. Paul wore the perfume of pain and persecution. Just take one example from early in the letter.
For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)
In that context Paul repeats: we do not lose heart. The first paragraph of chapter four started with that affirmation, as does the final paragraph of the chapter: We do not lose heart. Difficulties tempt us to throw our hands in the air and walk away. “If this is how it’s going to be, if this is how I’m going to be treated, who needs it?” But that response comes from a wrong understanding of ministry, and it comes from living on seen things rather than unseen things.
We saw that we have the “treasure (of gospel ministry) in jars of clay” (4:7). That process will wear us out in weakness till death do we break. Strong, sophisticated, successful pots need not apply because there must be no question at the end of the day that the surpassing power “belongs to God, not us” (4:7). In God’s economy, useful pots are those being brought constantly to the breaking point; those for whom unabated death brings everlasting life to others (4:8-12).
In verses 13-15 we see Paul’s (and our) Ministry Approach (verses 13-14) and Ministry Ambitions (verse 15). The point of this paragraph is that the afflictions of pot ministry manifest grace and magnify God.
Death is at work in us (verse 12). Death, or better, the dying process, being used up for the sake of others, is a life-giving dying. This is how it’s always been so there’s no reason to be surprised at fiery trial among us as if it were something strange. We say, “Do your worst!”, fully persuaded that our ministry is in the hands of an invincible God.
There are three elements of our approach: the historical, verbal, and eschatological elements.
First, we endure ministry afflictions because we stand in a long line of God’s persecuted yet persevering people.
Having the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” (verse 13a)
This is the fourth consecutive paragraph that begins with something we “have.” 3:12—“having such a hope.” 4:1—“having this ministry.” 4:7—“we have this treasure.” Now Paul says, “having the same spirit” (verse 13).
This (participial) phrase is the basis for why we speak (the main verb). It builds the stage for our boldness.
Having the same spirit doesn’t mean that we have the same Holy Spirit, though it’s safe to assume the involvement of the third Person of the Trinity. But here spirit of faith refers to the direction our believing leans. Our approach is no different than those who have gone before us, those who endured great troubles for God, those who did not lose heart.
According to what has been written is Paul’s reference to Psalm 116. Psalm 116 was written by a psalmist in great distress. It was sung as a hymn of personal thanksgiving for God’s care in times of dire need. In particular, the writer was threatened by death, tears, and stumbling (verse 8). But he wasn’t overcome by those things, they did not cause him to lose heart. “I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living” (verse 9),
Paul quotes the Septuagint (LXX) version of verse 10.
I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted.”
Even when in trouble, belief comes out through the mouth. What we say reveals what is in the heart, and trials draw out our heart like boiling water draws out the flavor from a tea bag.
We stand in a long line of God’s afflicted people. If some of the prophets and apostles were killed and persecuted (cf. Luke 11:49), we’re likely to experience similar treatment. Even more, if they call the Master of the house Beelzebub, won’t they treat the servants even worse (cf. Matthew 10:25)?
We take courage because God is faithful to keep and use the afflicted. We are here because of God’s work through those that have gone before us; we stand on their bruised shoulders and we stand in the same confidence in God that they did.
Second, we speak in the midst of ministry afflictions because our faith compels us.
we also believe, and so we also speak, (verse 13b)
God’s afflicted, like the author of Psalm 116, believed. They trusted God, and couldn’t help but call on Him and praise Him and offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving (Psalm 116:17). Afflictions pressurize faith that must find release. We are believing, therefore we are also speaking.
This speaking is any kind of verbal communication about the truth (v.2), the gospel (v.3), the glory of Christ (v.4), Jesus Christ as Lord (v.5), the glory of God in the face of Jesus (v.6). It is gospel speaking but cannot confined to formal sermons or formal gospel presentations. It’s what comes out of our mouths when we’re squeezed, confused, criticized, and used up. When our pots are bumped and banged around, what spills out is gospel.
I’d like to make sure something is unmistakable. Thus far in 2 Corinthians 4 the stress has been on a ministry life, not simply a message. Last time we talked about it in terms of incarnational ministry. There is something about persons, in addition to proclamation, that God uses. God did not write His message in the sky or drop a Book from the heavens. He took on flesh and dwelt among us. So also He puts His pots among people.
In our circles, we unhelpfully tend to fall to one side of the spectrum: either we are truth-speakers or we are people-lovers. It doesn’t have to be a dichotomy.
The people-lovers are more likely to speak about incarnational ministry. They are the ones more often concerned about meeting physical needs and other social concerns. Sometimes, though, they never get around to the reason for their behavior and the real solution: the gospel story.
Truth-speakers, on the other hand, tend to defend the gospel doctrine tooth and nail but they also tend to do so from a distance. Too many times their mouths are the only member of their bodies engaged. They are not used up, and they damage the gospel ministry by not living gospel sacrifice.
As a rule, servants aren’t criticized for serving. Slaves aren’t beaten for making sacrifices. So what is it that kept getting Paul into trouble? His mouth. He kept speaking about the offensive cross, the gospel of Christ. At the same time, his afflictions were his podium.
If you’re dying and not speaking about why you’re dying, you’re missing an opportunity for shining the light of the gospel. If you’re only speaking and not dying, your speaking may be more grating than grace-giving.
We stand in line with God’s afflicted, speaking because we are believing.
Third, we endure ministry afflictions because we will stand before God with Jesus.
knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. (verse 14)
Verse 14 is the solid gospel ground, the reason our faith doesn’t give out. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Ours is a resurrection hope.
We believe and we speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus . The knowing started when God caused the light of the gospel to shine in our hearts and the knowing continues as we mature in the gospel. In verse 14, knowing activates our speaking with past and future facts. God, the One who raised the Lord Jesus , this resurrecting God, is our God. God raises dead men.
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9)
That same God will raise us also with Jesus . It isn’t “in Jesus,” though elsewhere Paul makes that theological claim. Here we’re raised “with him,” we are associated with Him. He “will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you (NASB).” The presenting picture is all throughout the New Testament. Depending on the context, either God (as here) or ministers (like Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:2) are doing the presenting.
In the future all of us in Christ will be raised with Christ and presented together before God. This keeps us speaking, speaking boldly, and gladly dying because we’re with Him. “What are you going to do to me? I’m with Him!”
In verse 15 Paul unfolds the goals, not only of the paragraph, but in some ways, the goals of the entire chapter. It summarizes the end of everything he’s described thus far as he gets ready to repeat that We do not lose heart in the next verse (16).
There are three ambitions of this serving, sacrificing, and speaking ministry: grace, gratitude, and glory. It is the strongest 3G network on the planet.
The first goal is that grace would abound.
For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people (verse 15a)
He has twice stated in chapter four that he was a servant. All ministers are servants. That is what “minister” means: servant. He explicitly stated in verse five that he proclaimed “Jesus Christ as Lord with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” He worked to bring life to others by his dying (verse 12). And now he summarizes: it is all for your sake , maybe a better translation, “all (these) things are for your sake.”
What is the all that is for their sake? The all that is for them are all of the afflictions and difficulties he endured in the previous paragraph. “All of these things are because of you, that is, they are on your behalf.” All of his being afflicted, all of his being perplexed, all of his being persecuted, all of his being struck down, all of his dying. His life was spent for others. He endured every trouble that others might receive the benefit.
Paul said as much in 2 Timothy 2:10.
I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Grace abounded in his endurance. Grace abounded as he was being beat up. He was spreading grace all over the place through his dying. When his pot banged around, grace sloshed out of his pot onto those who were around.
The ESV translates, so that as grace extends . That’s fine. There is a numerical element. A better understanding of what grace is doing is “increasing,” or abounding. The point is not about numbers or geography. The point is excess. The point is a filling up and overflowing, an increase beyond what is necessary, an abounding of grace.
Grace abounds on those for whom we give our lives.
As we give our lives and as grace abounds, so does gratitude.
…as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving…
There is a play on words here. Abounding grace (χάρις) brings abounding gratitude (εὐχαριστίαν); both words share the same Greek root. The thanksgiving of the many mushrooms as grace multiplies.
If gratitude does not grow around our pots, our pots probably are not filled with the gospel of grace. If the ground around us is dry, it may be because the pot is empty. Even worse, if what spills out burns the ground, it may be law coming out of the pot like the wrong fertilizer. If we encounter difficulties with reluctance, let alone resentment, thanksgiving will not abound.
For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted. (~Amy Carmichael)
We want thanksgiving to go viral. Viral means a rapid spread, and in this case, it isn’t information that spreads only, it is gratitude. If we want to see thanksgiving go viral, we’ve got to be willing to be used up and endure all things.
The first two goals are personal. We could categorize them as horizontal ambitions. We serve people, we want more and more people to give more and more thanks. That said, abounding gratitude is not the end. Gratitude is not the highest goal, gratitude is penultimate (next to last). The ultimate goal is God’s honor.
to the glory of God.
The ESV translation is a bit misleading. I think it is clearer to say, “All things (are endured) for you, in order that the grace—the grace increasing through the gratitude of the many—may increase to the glory of God.”
The final end is doxological, that is, God being honored as He deserves. Where does it start? Note the sequence:
That shouldn’t sound new. That’s the gospel. That was the life and work of Jesus. The good news is that His afflictions delivered us from sin by grace. Our afflictions aren’t redemptive, but they are used by God to scatter and spread the grace of the gospel.
How can we maximize thanksgiving to the glory of God among the many, to the more and more, in our families, in our ministries, and in our local body?
In response to 2 Corinthians 4:13-15, I think we need:
Thick gratitude . We must be examples of abounding thankfulness. We cannot model pettiness, bitterness, or reluctance and expect that we will spread thanksgiving. Our gratitude must be thick like the lava flowing from an exploded volcano that wipes out every criticism and negative attitude and petty squabble in its way. We want a thick and sticky gratitude like a snowball rolling down a mountainside that takes out the trees of problems planted in the path. We want a gooey gratitude, impossible to shake off. If our gratitude is runny and thin, it will slip away. We won’t spread gratitude by being better criticizers of critical spirits. It’s being thick with gratitude. That will change a culture.
Stiff faith . We must actually believe what we say. We must believe it so much that we can’t shut up about it. Too many professions are like soft plastic; they are limp and flop around in the storm. They won’t stand or anchor us. When the afflictions come, we’re not likely to speak up if we’re not strong in faith. Speaking comes from believing. If the believing is weak, the speaking will also be weak, if speaking happens at all.
Relentless anticipation . As we are poured out, banged up, beat around pots, sloshing grace over every side, the only way we’ll keep going is as we look to our resurrection. We will only give up our lives for others if we believe that in giving up life we gain life, that dying and death is never vain and not the end. Dying and death result in resurrection, being raised with Jesus. If we only do what is convenient, cheap, and selfish, the gratitude of others will shrivel, and then God will not be honored as He deserves.