The Evangelism Arena; Insights From 2nd Corinthians 4预览

Day Two: The Messenger: Remembering God’s Mercy

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart (2 Cor. 4:1, ESV).

In portions of 2nd Corinthians, the Apostle Paul defends his ministry from “false apostles.” These enemies of Christ and the gospel were seeking to discredit Paul and his ministry. They were also promoting deceptive teachings harmful to Christians (2nd Corinthians 11). In chapter four, as Paul provided reasons for the credibility of his ministry, he also revealed valuable insights regarding evangelism. Starting with the principle that “this ministry” (the ministry of the new covenant, in essence, evangelism; 2nd Corinthians 3) is rooted in the mercy of God. That’s an inspiring truth and a reason for not losing heart.

Every Christ-follower was once separated from God by sin. An object of the Lord’s wrath and one breath away from eternal punishment. Upon reconciling with God, the Lord not only takes away our sin but also grants us the honor of sharing the good news of His Son with others. Of “paying his mercy forward” through our witness. Note the following passage. . .

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18-19, ESV).

In those verses, some form of the word reconcile appears four times in a before-and-after sequence. First, God, through his mercy, reconciles us to himself. Then, he “gave” and “entrusted” to us the ministry and message of reconciliation. Irrespective of our age, gender, education, ministry position, or other factors, God desires to make his appeal to the world through you and me (2nd Cor. 5:20). While the size, scope, and opportunities for sharing the gospel will differ, all believers have a God-appointed role for participating in “The Arena.” A ministry that originated from the magnificent mercies of the one with all authority, who equips us with everything needed to be his witness.

Reflection: How can remembering the mercy of God past, present, and future (see 2nd Corinthians 4:13-18) help us “to not lose heart” in evangelism?

Further Study

2 Cor. 3:1-6
2 Cor. 4:13-18
2 Cor. 5:14-21