BIG IDEA:
TRANSPARENT INTEGRITY OF MINISTRY REMOVES ALL OBSTACLES TO PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
INTRODUCTION:
John MacArthur: The most difficult, painful experience for a faithful minister is to be misrepresented, to be falsely accused, to have one’s integrity unfairly attacked. Such assaults have the potential, by destroying people’s trust and confidence in the minister, of devastating his ministry. Such slanderous attacks are hard to retrieve and correct, because those who make them are not interested in the truth. Nor are they motivated by virtue, love, or righteousness, but rather by hatred, revenge, bitterness, jealousy, and self-promotion. Purveyors of such falsehoods do not seek the unity and blessing of the church, the glory of the Lord, or the good of those they attack.
Throughout history, God’s faithful servants have endured such slanderous false accusations. The whole early church was wrongly accused of atheism (because Christians rejected the Roman gods), cannibalism (based on a misunderstanding of the Lord’s Supper), and immorality (based on a misunderstanding of the “holy kiss” [Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14]). The papal bull excommunicating Martin Luther said of him, “This Luther favors the Bohemians and the Turks, deplores the punishment of heretics, spurns the writings of the holy doctors, the decrees of the ecumenical councils, and the ordinances of the Roman pontiffs, and gives credence to the opinions of none save himself alone, which no heretic before ever presumed to do” (Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand [Nashville: Abingdon, 1950], 148).
Charles Spurgeon’s unwavering defense of biblical truth earned him many enemies. Speaking of the vicious attacks he endured, Spurgeon said, “Scarce a day rolls over my head in which the most villainous abuse, the most fearful slander is not uttered against me both privately and by the public press; every engine is employed to put down God’s minister—every lie that man can invent is hurled at me” (cited in Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1986], 60).
But no one endured more vicious, relentless, and unjust attacks than the patriarch of ministerial pain, the apostle Paul. The kingdom of darkness—Satan, the demons, and ungodly people—constantly assaulted him. At Corinth, as noted in previous chapters of this volume, that assault came from false apostles, who attacked his character and spread lies about him. They sought power, money, prominence, and the opportunity to supplant the truth with their demon doctrines. To accomplish those goals, they first had to destroy trust in Paul’s character and teachings by falsely accusing him of being a lying, self-serving hypocrite. The confidence of many of the Corinthians was affected, and they were doubting Paul.
Profoundly concerned, the apostle vigorously defended his integrity, not for his sake, but for the Corinthians’. He was the Lord’s personally chosen channel through which divine truth flowed to them. To allow the false teachers’ lies to go unchallenged would allow that flow of divine truth to be blocked. Worse, it would allow it to be replaced with false doctrine. Again, here, he reminded them of the integrity he had manifested during his long stay in their city (cf. Acts 18:11), in this text defending his love for them.
Eric Mason: Many of you struggle with wanting the Christian life to be the TV Christian life that’s communicated by false teachers. However, if you continue to allow yourself to be put on an unredeemed trajectory of the Christian life, you will find yourself frustrated and moving toward apostasy. But if you recognize the beauty of the tension you can never get rid of, the beauty of the brokenness you can’t shake off, the beauty of the ailments you can’t pray off, you will find that God sometimes delivers, God sometimes doesn’t, but most of the time—as a matter of fact, all the time—he’s up to something.
So Paul challenges the Corinthians. This is nothing new. They believe they deserve their best life now. They believe they deserve to be rich. They believe they deserve no sickness. They believe they deserve no suffering. They really believe Paul is an irritation when he starts to talk to them about the reason they reject his apostleship. They reject his apostleship because his apostleship doesn’t look like the Christianity they believe. Yet when opposition arises, the encouragement we discover as believers is the gospel’s power in every challenge.
Scott Hafemann: The prophetic exhortation to be reconciled to God in 5:20 and 6:1 is paralleled by the personal appeal in 6:11–13 to be reconciled to Paul himself as God’s spokesman and Christ’s ambassador. . .
Our passage is thus structured in five parts:
(1) an indicative statement of Paul’s general point (6:3–4a), which is then supported by
(2) 6:4b–10a specific delineation of his apostolic lifestyle and manner of ministry (), which in turn leads to
(3) a conclusion concerning the legitimacy of his relationship to the Corinthians (6:11) and
(4) a conclusion concerning the illegitimacy of the Corinthians’ relationship to Paul (6:12), followed by
(5) the imperative implications that derive from them (6:13).
Having “commended himself” as a “servant” of God by reminding his readers in verses 4–10 of the evidence in support of his apostolic claim, in verses 11–13 Paul draws out for them the implications of his ministry. Far from calling his legitimacy into question, Paul’s suffering is the vehicle through which God is making himself known among the Corinthians.
As such, Paul’s suffering is also the evidence of the integrity of his message, of the purity of his motives, and of the true nature of his love for his spiritual “children” (6:11). The problem in Corinth is therefore not in Paul but in the Corinthians themselves (6:12). Paul therefore addresses them as a whole in order to give everyone the benefit of the doubt concerning the genuine nature of their faith, while at the same time calling those who are still rebelling against him to respond with the same love he has already shown to them (6:13).
I. (:1-2) CALL FOR PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
Frank Matera: At the end of the previous unit, Paul presented himself as Christ’s ambassador through whom God “appeals” to humanity to be reconciled to God, that is, to accept the reconciliation that God offers through Christ’s saving death (5:20). In these two verses Paul resumes that appeal. But whereas in 5:20 God made the appeal through the apostle, here Paul makes the appeal in his capacity as one who “works with” God, that is, as God’s “coworker.” Paul roots this appeal in a passage from the prophet Isaiah that he interprets christologically: the eschatological day of salvation that the prophet foresaw has arrived with Christ. Commenting on this, he twice employs the adverb “now” in order to remind the Corinthians of the urgency of his appeal.
A. (:1a) Example of Paul Working in Fellowship with Christ
“And working together with Him”
B. (:1b) Exhortation to be a Profitable Servant
“we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain”
Frank Matera: Paul appeals to the Corinthians “not to receive the grace of God in vain” (v. 1). The concept of “grace” (charis) plays an important role in the New Testament, especially in Paul’s letters. According to BDAG charis is a “beneficent disposition towards someone”; thus it is “favor,” “grace,” “graciousness,” “good will” on the part of one party toward another. The charis with which Paul is concerned is “the grace of God,” by which Paul means the gracious act of God in Christ whereby God reconciled humanity to himself. Deeply aware that he was called as a result of God’s graciousness (Gal 1:15) and that he is who he is by “the grace of God,” Paul emphatically notes that God’s grace toward him has not been in vain (1 Cor 15:10). But why does Paul appeal to the Corinthians “not to receive the grace of God in vain”?
Paul’s initial proclamation of the gospel at Corinth undoubtedly stressed the gospel of reconciliation, and one can assume that the Corinthians responded favorably to this message, as the thanksgiving of 1 Cor 1:3–9 indicates. But since the Corinthians have called into question the apostolic integrity of the one who exercises this new covenant ministry of reconciliation among them, they will have received the grace of God in vain if they are not fully reconciled with Christ’s ambassador; for one cannot be at enmity with the ambassador through whom God makes the appeal for reconciliation and still be reconciled with God. The appeal “not to receive the grace of God in vain,” then, is an appeal to be reconciled with Christ’s ambassador.
Robert Hughes: To receive the grace of God in vain means to deflect God’s grace from its intended goals—in this case, the ongoing control of the love of Christ (5:14-15), the one who became sin for us (5:21). This concept involves much more than simple personal piety and appreciation of God’s grace for internal needs. It broadens to include God’s entire desire for world redemption.
This exhortation receives scriptural support from Isaiah 49:8 (6:2). Paul quotes verbatim from the mainstream of the Greek Old Testament texts. He selects a passage whose context includes Isaiah’s frustration in ministering to Israel (Isa. 49:4; perhaps a hint at Paul’s own frustrations with the Corinthians?). Paul interprets and applies the passage spoken so long ago by the prophet: “Behold, now is ‘the acceptable time.’ ” The prophet promised that God would hear and help His people on a certain day.
Paul applies this passage to his own day, a time when God was offering to aid His own. If God had chosen a time to bring aid, who was man to disregard the offer or be tardy in making full use of it? Indeed, it was the thought of receiving the grace of God in vain (6:1) that prompted Paul’s mention of the Old Testament passage in the first place. Therefore, he urges his readers not to turn a deaf ear to God and ignore their redemption in Christ, or receive the grace of God in vain. Having delivered this urgent plea, in the rest of this paragraph he deals with the theme of apostolic commendation.
C. (:2) Enlistment of Urgent Response to Call for Reconciliation
“for He says, ‘At the acceptable time I listened to you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you;’
behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’
behold, now is ‘the day of salvation’–”
Eric Mason: As Paul quotes Isaiah, he challenges us to consider an authentic Christian life. He works through this day of salvation, what it looks like, and how God has helped us.
Raymond Collins: “Lo” (the demonstrative particle idou), the command that introduces both parts of Paul’s scriptural commentary, summons the Corinthians to pay attention to the “now” in which they live. Their “now” is a time of salvation. Their “now” is qualitatively different from the time in which they have previously lived. Their “now” is the eschatological present, the era of salvation that has been inaugurated with Christ’s redemptive death and resurrection. Their now is the time in which they must live in accordance with the empowering gift of God’s righteousness.
John MacArthur: Repeating behold and now to emphasize his point, Paul declared that now is “the acceptable time,” “the day of salvation” when God will listen to repentant sinners. Now, when the fields are ripe for the harvest (John 4:35), is not the time to waste gospel opportunity, or to be feeble, vacillating, or deceived by false teachers. It is the time to hold fast to the truth and faithfully proclaim it. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day,” Jesus admonished. “Night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).Knowing the urgency of the times Paul, true to the urgency of his calling, passionately pleaded with the Corinthians not to let God’s grace in their lives be in vain.
II. (:3-10) COMMENDABLE CONDUCT IN THE MINISTRY PAVES THE WAY FOR PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
A. (:3-4a) Summary of Commendable Conduct
- Stated Negatively – No Black Marks in the Ministry
“giving no cause for offense in anything,
in order that the ministry be not discredited”
Richard Pratt: Paul knew that many people will distrust the truth, even the truth of the gospel, when a minister’s life does not conform to that truth. Christian ministry is not just a matter of speaking the truth; it also consists of living the truth. Paul was careful not to live hypocritically.
Frank Matera: Having appealed to the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain, Paul asserts that he conducts himself in such a way that nobody can fault the ministry he exercises. The argument proceeds in two steps:
- a strong negative clause ( 3) begun with alliteration (mēdemian en mēdeni)
- and a positive adversative clause ( 4a) in which Paul commends himself.
- Stated Positively – Sacrificial Servant Leadership
“but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God”
Others might call this fanaticism … but it is godly zeal at work.
B. (:4b-10) Specific List of Ministry Hardships & Corresponding Godly Character
– What has Paul been through?
– What type of person has he proven himself to be?
Charles Swindoll: As he sets out to paint a brutally honest picture of authentic Christian ministry, Paul lays aside the pastel palette that would naturally attract people to ministry. Instead, he reaches for darker hues that shock the senses and present a realistic picture of the life of those who have commended themselves as servants of God. . .
This ministry, however, did not come with competitive compensation, a great benefits package, or a comfortable retirement plan. Paul’s description demolishes every false image of Christian ministry. Under its weight, the ivory-tower image collapses, the perfect-saint portrayal fades, and the in-it-for-the-money idea loses credibility. Look at how Paul describes the brutal reality of Christian ministry . . .
George Shillington: The phrases are selected, arranged, and linked together to create a persuasive effect in the mind and emotion of the readers. Taken as a whole, the list of hardships is meant to prove that Paul has the quality of endurance that marks the true apostle. The words are his own, not a prepared list that apostles carry with them as credentials (Collange: 294), and the experiences represented in the phrases were really his.
- (:4b-5) Enduring Hardship and Physical Suffering
– “in much endurance”
Ray Stedman: Endurance is the key there. God, looking upon Paul’s life, is pleased and glorified by the fact that no matter what happens to him he sticks with it. He endures; that is the point. This word literally means to “stay under the pressure.” We all feel pressure — pressure to give in here, to give up there, pressure to go along with something. But the mark of a Christian who has learned how to walk with God is that he stays under the pressure; he does not quit. The modern term, “hang in there,” expresses exactly what this verse means — “Just hang in there and don’t quit until you are triumphant.”
Eric Mason: He says, “By great endurance” (v. 4). Guess what that assumes? Hard times. Hard trials. He’s not bragging about his ability to endure. If you understand God’s Word, you know endurance is done by faith in what Christ has done, and the Spirit gives you gospel perseverance to stand in difficult times.
John MacArthur: Ultimately, what commends faithful servants of God is their endurance. Hupomone (endurance) is one of the most magnificent New Testament virtues. No single English word can fully express its rich meaning, which encompasses bearing up under hard labor, surviving the shock of battle, and remaining steadfast in the face of death. The New Testament uses it in conjunction with several other words, such as “tribulation” (Rom. 5:3), “faith” (James 1:3), “hope” (1 Thess. 1:3), and “joy” (Col. 1:11). Hupomone is also associated with the idea of future glory (Rom. 2:7; 8:25); thus, it does not describe the grim, stoic, weary acceptance of trials, but rather faith, hope, and joy in anticipation of future glory. The word might best be rendered “triumphant patience.” Hebrews 11 commends God’s Old Testament servants for their ability to endure hostility and remain faithful.
Endurance marked Paul’s life. He endured faithfully to his death despite continual temptation, threats from his enemies, and trouble in the churches, continually serving God with all his strength and providing a protective influence on the church.
R. Kent Hughes: What a man Paul was — perpetually in the dust of the arena, beaten, bloody, mocked by the crowds, sweating, exhausted, hungry, sleepless — but always enduring.
In point of fact, Paul’s sufferings did not disqualify him. Rather, they proved the authenticity of his faith and commitment. The fact that he didn’t quit or curse God for his miseries as so many have done but endured testified to his genuine faith. In effect, his endurance declared that the gospel is true and that Jesus is worth it.
So often our words are ignored by others, including our nearest and dearest. But when they observe endurance for Christ in the midst of showers of troubles, they cannot deny the reality of our faith in Christ.
a. Enduring Persevering Hardship = Inner Personal Struggles
– “in afflictions”
– “in hardships”
– “in distresses”
Frank Matera: Having commended himself “in great endurance,” Paul introduces his first group of three hardships (v. 4b): “afflictions” (thlipsis), “troubles” (anankē), “calamities” (stenachōria). The three words characterize in a general way the difficulties Paul must endure as God’s minister. Thlipsis occurs frequently in 2 Corinthians (1:4, 8; 2:4; 4:17; 7:4; 8:2, 13), and the participial form of the verb heads the hardship list of 4:7–12. Its placement at the beginning of that list and at the head of this triad suggests that it best characterizes the hardships that Paul endures. Anankē indicates “a state of distress or trouble” (BDAG) and stenochōria “a set of stressful circumstances” from which there seems to be no escape (BDAG). Both words are found in the brief hardship list of 12:10. Taken together, these three terms provide a general portrait of Paul’s apostolic suffering. As God’s minister he is under constant duress and pressure, hemmed in on every side by stressful and distressing circumstances.
b. Enduring Physical Suffering = External Troubles Caused by Others
– “in beatings”
– “in imprisonments”
– “in tumults”
John MacArthur: The second three elements are external threats. Beatings can refer to blows from fists (Luke 10:30), rods (Acts 16:22–23), or whips (Luke 12:48). Paul also was no stranger to imprisonments (2 Cor. 11:23 cf. Acts 16:24; 24:23–27; 28:16, 30; 2 Tim. 1:8, 16; 2:9) nor to the tumults (riots; civil disturbances; mob violence) that constantly attended his ministry (cf. Acts 13:45; 14:19; 17:5; 18:12–17; 19:29; 21:30; 22:22–23; 23:10).
c. Enduring Personal Deprivation = Self-Inflicted Physical Challenges
– “in labors”
– “in sleeplessness”
– “in hunger”
Frank Matera: In his third group of three, Paul moves from afflictions that others have imposed upon him to those that he has imposed upon himself in order to carry out his ministry (v. 5b): “labors” (kopos), “sleepless nights” (agrypnia), “going hungry” (nēsteia), all three of which occur in the hardship list of 11:23–32; see verses 23, 27. Although kopos can also be construed as “trouble” or “difficulty,” Paul is probably referring to the burdensome work and toil that he has endured in order to support himself, resulting in “sleepless nights” and “going hungry,” as he labored by day at his trade and preached whenever possible.
- (:6) Exhibiting the Fruit of the Holy Spirit
– “in purity”
– “in knowledge”
– “in patience”
– “in kindness”
– “in the Holy Spirit”
– “in genuine love”
Anthony Thiselton: Guthrie writes about vv. 6–7a, “If the first ten phrases in Paul’s description present a picture of the challenges surrounding authentic ministry, the next eight delineate the first manner in which Paul’s mission has been carried out (6:6 a) and then the means (6:6b) by which his ministry has been enabled.” In purity, in knowledge, in patience, and in kindness, denote the manner; in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, and in the power of God, denote the means. The Greek hagnotēs may denote purity of behavior or sincerity of motive. In 11:3, the word functions as the opposite of corruption. Three of the terms (Greek, makrothymia (patience), agapē (love), and chrēstotēs (kindness) appear in Gal 5:22 as the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Paul insists on the purity of his intentions. “Knowledge” (gnosis) is generally used unfavorably in Paul, e.g., in 1 Cor 8:1. Thrall therefore argues that it refers to “charismatic gnosis.” But in 1 Corinthians it refers to a claim to complete or static knowledge, whereas Paul approves of growing or dynamic knowledge as a process, in which the Holy Spirit is active. “Truthful speech” (v. 4a) is repeated in this letter (cf. 4:2). In v. 7b, “weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left” may well mean offensive and defensive weapons, for the sword was carried in the right hand, and a shield in the left. “Righteousness” may well refer to human moral righteousness in contrast to manipulative tactics.
George Shillington: Purity signifies a person who has nothing to hide, whose behavior is consonant with thought and feeling (Louw, 1:746). Knowledge is the insightful ability to understand and grasp truth; the Corinthians (some at least) apparently delight in their possession of this gift (1 Cor. 8:1-3; 13:2, 8). Patience is “a state of emotional calm in the face of provocation or misfortune and without complaint or irritation” (Louw, 1:307). Kindness, in tandem with patience, is “the sympathetic kindliness or sweetness of temper which puts others at their ease and shrinks from giving pain” (Plummer: 196).
Genuine love acts sincerely, not for show (cf. 1 Cor. 13), like the love of God in Jesus Christ crucified for the sake of estranged humankind. The adjective genuine may be aimed at opponents whose claims lack a basis in reality. Similarly, the next quality, truthful speech (2 Cor. 6:7), is probably so framed to distinguish Paul’s preaching from other would-be missionaries whose words are leading the Corinthians astray. The list is then capped by the power of God. Paul highlights the power of God at various points in 2 Corinthians, paradoxically in the presence of human weakness (4:7; 12:9; 13:4; cf. 1 Cor. 1:18-25). The gospel which Paul preaches is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). Hence, it belongs at this place of emphasis in the list of credentials.
Eric Mason: Patience is not expecting everything to come quickly but settling into the fact that some things take time. Now there are some things I’ve been wanting God to do, and God just keeps taking his time. What I’m finding is that God is showing me something, and he’s using patience as a form of suffering to build enduring patience. His purpose is basically to show me what I neglect in the now because I’m living in the future.
See, sometimes we are living in a mental future, when God wants you to be faithful in the now. And when you’re living in a mental future, you can’t focus and nurture now. That’s why Psalm 37:3 says, “Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness” (NASB 1995). The psalmist is frustrated because God isn’t doing some stuff quickly, and God tells him through the Spirit, “Sit yourself down, dwell in the land, and take care of where you are. I’ll take care of the future.” The key to patience is that God won’t move you on until you begin the process of nurturing where you are. I don’t care what you want to do; it’s going to take some time.
Patience and contentment are key components of our life. We must honor God in whatever season he places us. See, patience says, “God, I’m not going to look at where I want things to be. What I’m going to do is focus on where you’ve placed me and what you’ve placed before me.” If you always focus on the future, you can’t appreciate the Lord. Your appreciation is not some big feature film of your life. You must be able to appreciate the grime and the grit of where God placed you and be faithful there. So I told myself, anything worth building takes time; therefore, patience is needed. . .
Let’s look at where the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit is between two things: kindness and sincere love. The Holy Spirit is there because kindness and sincere love are the two most difficult characteristics to offer others when you’re facing difficulty. The Holy Spirit supplies us with the power to execute because he’s the superintendent of our sanctification. He’s the superintendent who oversees and even applies the gospel to our spiritual growth, and he’s there to help throttle us up in that particular area to develop us. Paul is saying, “This is the empowerment.” Paul says what has marked his apostolic ministry is the power of the Spirit. Nothing he does will work unless the Spirit is blowing on it. Nothing in your life will work, family of God, unless the Spirit is blowing on it. So Paul is nurturing us and helping us understand what biblical commendation looks like.
David Garland: Walking in the Spirit is the foremost requirement for effective ministry that will not be discredited before God. It is a mandatory credential of ministerial character because it ensures that ministry will be carried out in purity. The work of the Spirit as a divine power emanating from the Father to carry out God’s purposes in the lives of believers is not characterized so much by the extraordinariness of the way he operates in our lives but by the fact that he enables believers to become believers and to live as such. The Spirit gives the Christian the power to live the life of faith, which is more important than the experience of ecstatic trances or spells or other miraculous phenomena the Corinthians seem to prize (see 1 Cor 12; 14). Likewise, Paul insists that the qualifications for apostleship are not found in grand, external displays. Genuine manifestations of the Spirit are exhibited in the apostle’s spiritual character. The Spirit fosters the virtues Paul lists, overcomes the desires of the flesh, and creates fruit in our lives (Gal 5:16–23). Living these virtues gives evidence of the Holy Spirit’s “indwelling presence.”
Richard Pratt: Paul frequently exercised much kindness as he spread the gospel of Christ. This term is closely associated with other concepts that suggest a pleasing, tender, and compassionate demeanor (Rom. 2:4; Col. 3:12). There were certainly times when Paul knew that kindness required harsh insistence, but even at these times his motivation was to demonstrate kindness.
Paul also insisted that his ministry was conducted in the Holy Spirit. He added that he also served in difficulties with a motivation of sincere love. The apostle considered love to be the greatest gift of the Spirit. Even so, Paul knew that it was easy to pretend to love others. So he added that his love was sincere. His love was not a cover for other detrimental motivations.
- (:7) Engaging the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare
– “in the word of truth”
– “in the power of God”
– “by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left”
John MacArthur: The word of truth is the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15; James 1:18). Specifically in this passage, Paul has in mind the gospel (Col. 1:5) message that God reconciles sinners to Himself through the substitutionary death of His Son. The apostle faithfully preached that message without wavering until the day of his death (2 Tim. 4:7–8). Believers must follow his example, for the Enemy viciously attacks the gospel. Satan knows that by sowing confusion over the doctrine of salvation he can reap a deadly harvest of damned souls. Paul preached the gospel in the power of God, not his own cleverness. The gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). In 1 Corinthians 1:18 he added, “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Paul did not water down, redefine, or simplify the gospel. He did not shrink from proclaiming its difficult demands, or seek to avoid making sinners feel uncomfortable. He preached the gospel clearly and unambiguously “so that,” as he wrote earlier to the Corinthians, “your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5).
Homer Kent: Spiritual weapons are adequate for protection on all sides”
- (:8-10) Eliciting (But Ignoring) the Contradictory Evaluations of Men
a. Praised or Slandered
– “by glory and dishonor”
– “by evil report and good report”
Eric Mason: We defend ourselves based on God’s empowerment “through glory and dishonor” (v. 8). Glory is when people want to magnify you, and dishonor is when they want to minimize you. Paul says a commendable life doesn’t let situational ups and downs impact our identity in Christ. That’s powerful. Whether “through glory,” when people are praising us and we’re feeling good about ourselves, or in the midst of dishonor, we have been empowered to live a commendable life. In other words, we must not use our fluctuating feelings and circumstances as an open door to walk away from our responsibility as believers.
Paul goes on, “Through slander and good report” (v. 8). Slander is when people say untrue things about you and it hurts you, but you have to keep going. Slander is one of the primary tools of the devil. The way he got kicked out of heaven was slandering God’s throne. And if you look through the Bible, you’ll see how he has constantly used slander as a way to direct God’s people away from where they’re supposed to be. So they use slander to say untrue things and praise to say true things. Paul says, I stand in all of this.
David Garland: Paul suffered insults and also basked in praise for the benefits he brought to others through the gospel. The Lycaonians, for example, worshiped Barnabas and Paul as gods in one moment and stoned them and left them for dead in the next (Acts 14:8–19). Paul was indifferent to fame and abuse because he had a divine, internal gyroscope to help maintain his equilibrium when the swings in the responses to him, from respect to shame, were so dramatic. Insults did not devastate him. Praise did not puff him up. God’s power kept him in the fight, and his desire to please only God kept him on an even keel.
b. Paradoxical Perception of Apostolic Ministry
– “regarded as deceivers and yet true”
– “as unknown yet well-known”
– “as dying yet behold, we live”
– “as punished yet not put to death”
– “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing”
– “as poor yet making many rich”
– “as having nothing yet possessing all things”
Frank Matera: Paul completes his list of hardships with a series of seven antithetical-like phrases, each of which begins with hōs (“as”). The first part of each phrase lists one aspect of Paul’s life that one would normally view as negative (“as deceitful,” “as unknown” “as dying,” “as punished,” “as grieving,” “as poor,” “as having nothing”), and the second states its opposite (“we are truthful,” “we are known,” “we live,” “we are not put to death,” “we are always rejoicing,” “enriching many,” “we possess everything”). The contrast that Paul establishes points to the paradoxical nature of his apostolic sufferings. For whereas the first part of each phrase portrays his actual circumstances, or how people perceive those circumstances, the second describes the deeper reality of Paul’s life, which others do not perceive or simply deny.
Richard Pratt: Finally, Paul reflected in broad terms on the paradoxical character of his life, saying that he was having nothing, and yet possessing everything. From the preceding context, his meaning is plain. In terms of this world, Paul had practically nothing. He had lost his home, family, friends, religious standing, and livelihood. Those things of this world were of little importance to him. Even so, Paul had his eyes set on the wondrous future promised to every believer. Paul applied to himself what he had already said about other believers. He was a coheir with Christ as well (Rom. 8:17).
John MacArthur: People burn out in ministry not because of overwork, but because of unmet expectations. But those who do not have unrealistic expectations will not become frustrated when they are not met. To have proper expectations in the ministry, one must view it from the proper perspective. Understanding the privilege of ministry, maintaining its passion, carefully protecting it, and expecting paradoxical reactions to it keep one’s vision clear.
III. (:11-13) COMMUNICATION THAT IS OPEN AND AFFECTIONATE SOLICITS RECIPROCATION THAT FACILITATES PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
Anthony Thiselton: Paul expresses his warm affection for the church in Corinth in 6:11–13. He has opened his heart to them as well as speaking frankly. He tells them that he has kept back nothing; there has been no restraint whatever on his side, and he says that if there has been any restraint it must have been in their hearts. His phrase “our heart is wide” renders the Greek hē kardia hēmōn peplatuntai, the perfect passive indicative of platunō, to broaden from platus, broad. The vocative “Corinthians” is unusual in Paul but may serve to include the whole Corinthian church. Whether Paul is referring to what he has said so far in 2 Corinthians or includes his earlier utterances is debated. His “catalogue of hardships” may suggest that his frankness about the supposedly negative side of his ministry could have gone further than he had intended.
Richard Pratt: Paul explained why he had described his difficult but exemplary ministry. He was appealing to their hearts, their affections for him and his company. The tenderness of this section appears in the way the apostle addressed his readers, first by name (you, Corinthians) and second as my children. He hoped the reminder of his sacrificial ministry would draw out the Corinthians’ affection for him.
Paul appealed to his readers to consider a fair exchange. On the one hand, he and his company had just spoken freely without self-protection, had opened wide their hearts in full exposure of the positives and negatives of their ministry, and had not withheld their affection toward the Corinthians. Paul had been more than honest; he had entrusted the Corinthians with a precious gift: an honest and frank assessment of the good and bad of his life.
On the other hand, Paul felt that the Corinthians were withholding their affections from him and his company. They had not admitted their weaknesses as he had; they had not displayed their lives for examination as he had. So he appealed to them to open wide their hearts also.
Frank Matera: Having explained that he is “the minister of a new covenant” (2:14 – 4:6), whose apostolic sufferings paradoxically manifest and anticipate resurrection life (4:7 – 5:10), and having declared that God has given him “the ministry of reconciliation” and made him “Christ’s ambassador” through whom God now appeals to humanity (5:11 – 6:10), Paul explicitly appeals to the Corinthians to be reconciled to him.
A. (:11) Opportunity for Affectionate Open Dialogue
“Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.”
Paul has taken the initiative to open up his heart and communicate openly with the Corinthian church.
B. (:12) Obstacles to Affectionate Open Dialogue
“you are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections.”
Charles Swindoll: The Corinthians, however, did not respond in kind —at least, not with the same level of intensity or the same outward manifestation. Instead, they were restrained in their affections (2 Cor. 6:12). The term “affections,” from the almost impossible-to-pronounce Greek word splanchnon [4698], literally means “bowels” —the internal organs of heart, liver, and lungs. In the ancient world, it was believed that human emotions emanated from these organs because when a person would feel happy, sad, frightened, or courageous, the individual would feel a physical sensation churning in this part of the anatomy. Therefore, the term “bowels” came to refer metaphorically to deep, sincere, heartfelt feelings. With this word Paul implies that his relationship with the Corinthians had been one-sided. To play on Paul’s imagery, he had “spilled his guts” to them, but they had guarded their hearts. This is why Paul speaks to them in the same way a loving father, yearning for a tender relationship with his children, might plead with them: “Now in a like exchange . . . open wide to us also” (6:13).
Eric Mason: Look at what Paul says: “We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us” (v. 12). “Withholding” means to be emotionally narrow—not narrow in the good biblical sense but narrow in a sense of being almost fully closed off and emotionally unavailable to the body of Christ. So he is calling them to emotional availability.
John MacArthur: The Corinthians’ rejection hurt Paul deeply. Yet despite that, he never lost his affection for them, because genuine love “bears all things” and “endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). That does not mean, of course, that Paul tolerated their sin and error. He disciplined and corrected them when necessary, but that reflected his true affection for them. Love and discipline are inseparable even with the Lord; “for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (Heb. 12:6).
C. (:13) Obligation to Reciprocate with Affectionate Open Dialogue
“Now in a like exchange – I speak as to children – open wide to us also.”
John MacArthur: Few things in life are more painful then unrequited love, because love longs for a response. Paul’s plaintive words express the penetrating sadness he felt over the Corinthians’ failure to return his love. Though they broke his heart, Paul’s love for the Corinthians would not allow him to abandon them. Instead, he pleaded with them, using the phrase in a like exchange; literally, “in an exchange that is exact.” Paul begged them to love him as he loved them—sacrificially, consistently, and permanently. He could speak to them as to children because they were his spiritual children (1 Cor. 4:14–15; cf. Gal. 4:19; 1 Tim. 1:2, 18; 2 Tim. 1:2; 2:1; Titus 1:4; Philem. 10), which made their rejection of him all the more painful.
Here is a tender, almost melancholy scene. The noble apostle did not hesitate to plead for the love of the most troubled of his churches. He was not too proud to open his heart and let them see that he was hurting. Even the discussion of separation that follows (2 Cor. 6:14 – 7:1) reveals Paul’s longing for the Corinthians to break away from the false teachers and return to him.
Then he reached out to them again, pleading, Make room for us in your hearts. The translators rightly added the phrase in your hearts, which does not appear in the Greek text, because it fits the context (cf. v. 3; 6:11, 13). Having reminded them that his heart was wide open to them, Paul begged the Corinthians to open wide their hearts and make room for him. The apostle knew that as long as they clung to their sinful associations with his enemies, their love relationship with him could not be restored. That made it all the more urgent for the Corinthians to follow his instructions in 6:14 – 7:1 and sever all ties with the false teachers.
Ray Stedman: As I travel around the country, I find this is probably the number one problem in churches today. Christians actually think it is right for them to be closed in on themselves, to be private persons, unwilling to communicate who they are and how they feel and where they are in their lives. . . Here is the problem with many churches in this country. They are filled with Christians who will not open up, will not communicate their needs and struggles to one another. Their mouths are not open. . . This is what concerns Paul here. So he urges the Corinthians, “Open up, communicate, show acceptance. It is basic to all else.” That is Problem #1. If you do not respond to love, then do not wonder if your life remains cold, barren, lonely, empty and meaningless. When you are loved, deliberately love back and life will begin to expand.
Steve Zeisler: The Corinthians’ love was restricted and reserved–and that is also a stumbling block. They withheld affection from Paul as they grew enamored of his opponents. A competition for status between Paul’s apostleship and the one claimed by those who came later to Corinth had left him devalued and loved less as a result. The apostle’s point here is that a love that must meet certain standards, that imposes rules and regulations, that must be earned before it expresses itself, is a stumbling block. “Open wide your hearts,” says Paul. The love that ought to be apparent in the Christian community is one that takes no regard for its own advantage, that no longer views anybody “according to the flesh,” as he pointed out in chapter 5.
David Garland: They are his children, and he brings up this filial relationship because it permits him to speak as he does — demanding a return for parental affection from children. As their spiritual parent, Paul has loved and nurtured them; and they owe love to him in return. Sirach 7:28 highlights this universally accepted duty of children: “Remember that it was of your parents you were born; how can you repay what they have given to you?” (NRSV). Philo writes that “none can be more truly called benefactors than parents in relation to their children.” Paul therefore has every right to expect and to demand love from his children in return for the love he has shown them.
He calls for them to be reconciled to God (5:20) and to open their hearts to him. For Paul the two are intertwined. This interconnection makes sense if the issue at the bottom of the dispute concerns their associations with idolatry. They cannot be reconciled to God and to Paul if they continue in heathen practices. Some have noted the connection of enlarged hearts to the OT warning against worshiping other gods in Deut 11:16: “Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, serve, and bow down in worship to other gods.” The LXX has “Do not broaden your hearts.” In Deuteronomy the enlarged heart has a negative connotation and is related to pride swelling up in the people because of the bounty of the land, whereas Paul uses the idiom in a positive sense to refer to open and joyous affection. It is remotely possible, however, that Paul intends that they enlarge their hearts for him rather than for idols.
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PREACHING CHRIST:
1) How does the ministry of Christ provide the best model of transparent integrity in the ministry and affectionate open dialogue as He shared His compassionate heart with His disciples?
2) As we minister as ambassadors for Christ, we are only the channel for the exhortations and instruction that Christ actively provides.
3) Our suffering and hardship is not worthy to be compared to what Christ endured in a compressed time period during His earthly ministry.
4) Christ is the ultimate Suffering Servant. As we meditate on Paul’s list of ministry experiences and spiritual character we always need to come back to the person of Christ as the ultimate role model in each area.