06 Why Paul Did Not Lose Heart and What We Can Learn From Him (2 Corinthians 4)

Krisan Marotta: Welcome back to the Wednesday in the Word podcast. I'm Krisan Marotta, and this is my podcast about what the Bible means and how we know. Today is the sixth talk in our series on 2 Corinthians, and we will be studying 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Have you ever reached a point where it feels easier to quit than to keep going? A point where all the pushback, confusion, and plain old fatigue whisper, why bother? Just give up. Well in 2 Corinthians 4, Paul faces that same pressure yet twice. He says, I do not lose heart, and today we'll explore why. Thank you for making Wednesday in the Word a part of your day. I am really glad you're listening. We are continuing our study of 2 Corinthians. We're in the middle of a section that began back at the end of chapter 1. So let's review how we got here. You'll recall that Paul has a very troubled relationship with the church in Corinth. He began defending his ministry almost immediately in this letter. Paul had promised to come visit them again, but then did not. And when he changed his plans, that caused some in Corinth to question Paul's commitment to them. They think he can't be trusted because he said he would come visit and then he didn't. And Paul explains why he changed his plans. He says he chose not to visit them again because his relationship with them had deteriorated after a rather painful visit he had with them. And he thought that if he came as he had planned, his visit would be even more painful and he decided to spare them and himself. He insists that his conscience is clear and that he has behaved toward them only with sincerity and compassion and concern. As we talked about in the last podcast, Paul's defense revolves around three ideas that he has been repeating through this section. The first one is that Paul is not adequate to produce the results his ministry has been producing. He says he's just a man, he's a weak man, he's not capable of coming up with such a powerful and wise thing as the gospel. It is beyond him. So he kind of agrees with them that he's just a plain ordinary guy. The second theme that runs through this section is that Paul speaks with openness and integrity. He is not a salesman. His goal is not to manipulate others into believing the gospel. Instead, Paul speaks sincerely as if he were standing in the presence of God himself. And the third theme is this idea that the gospel is all about God working a spiritual transformation in his people. This ministry that Paul has is a great and powerful ministry because it is a ministry of transformation. As we saw in the last podcast, the implication of this is that Paul's gospel and Paul's ministry is greater than the Old Testament ministry, which means in a kind of audacious claim, Paul's ministry is greater than that of Moses. So as we've seen, Paul is walking this fine line. He's making this claim about the huge impact of the gospel he preaches, but he also wants to make clear that he is not bragging about himself. His job is to preach the gospel. Understanding the gospel is a matter of life and death. Therefore, his ministry is incredibly important, but it's not because he, Paul, is a big deal. It's because his message is a big deal. He's not adequate to produce such a result. It is God working through him that brings that result about. And he's going to talk more explicitly about that in the section we're looking at today. We're going to start with chapter four, verses one through seven. And let me remind you once again, Paul is speaking in the first person plural, but he is talking about himself. He says we, but in this context he means I, Paul. Here are the first seven verses. Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we hand this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. Here Paul describes what his ministry is all about. He proclaims the message that brings people face to face with God. His glory becomes their glory. This is a great ministry beyond description, and in his mercy God gave that ministry to Paul. So, of course he's not ashamed of this gospel. He proclaims it openly, he doesn't change it, adulterate it, he doesn't try to make it more attractive to some people. It might make him more popular if he changed it, but he's not going to do that. He proclaims it for what it is, and he leaves it to every person who hears to decide what to do with it. He says he knows that many will reject what he says, but that doesn't make him ashamed or reticent. If the gospel is veiled, which it is to some, it is veiled to those who are perishing. So if people don't get it, they don't understand it, they are the ones who are perishing. Their eyes have been blinded by Satan. Paul's not the issue. The problem of response is not in the way Paul is presenting the gospel. It's not in whether he's entertaining or sophisticated or charismatic enough. It's not about Paul. Paul is not preaching Paul, he is preaching Christ. He is just a servant who proclaims the gospel of Christ. Paul changes his metaphor of glory a little bit here. We talked about in the last podcast how he was using glory. In 4 6, he says, For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now in the end of chapter 3, Paul compared his ministry to the ministry of Moses. God showed himself to Moses as a bright light, and that light was transferred to Moses' face. When the glory is transferred to Moses' face, then it gives Moses' ministry a certain kind of glory as well. When Moses returns to the people and he gives them the law, he says, This is the command I have gotten from God. The people see the light on his face, and that light testifies to the fact that Moses has been with God. His face is glowing from having been in the presence of God. And Paul describes that as his face is glowing with the glory of God. It's a sign that Moses is speaking the truth and he is a messenger from God. But when Moses came down the mountain with that shine on his face, the people were afraid, so Moses covered his face with a veil as an accommodation to the fact that the glory of God was too much for them to handle. They were afraid of it and didn't want to see it. Now here in 4.6, Paul changes that metaphor a bit. The veil keeps people from seeing the light of the gospel, of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Up to this point, Paul has been talking about the glory of God on the face of Moses and the glory of God through the work of the Spirit becoming ours. Now he brings Jesus into the picture. Jesus Christ is the image of God, and in Christ we see the glory of God in the form of a man. Paul speaks of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ, and that language is informed by what he was just saying about Moses. There is a sense in which Christ is the true Moses. Moses went before God and the physical glory of God came off on his face, but Christ is the man who truly and totally reflects the glory of God to us. He is the image of God. In him we see the glory of God. If you want to see what the glory of God looks like when it truly and completely comes off on a man, well you look at Jesus. And this glory isn't the external shine on his face that we saw with Moses, it's coming from the inside. When he was on this earth, Jesus was not always standing in God's presence in the way that Moses was when he was on the mountain. So we don't see his face shining the way Moses' did. Instead, we're not talking about a literal shine. We're talking about the glorious character and wisdom of God that Jesus shares with him. Now remember, Paul is talking about himself and his ministry. The we here in these verses refers to Paul. And these last two metaphors that he uses, I think we need to understand them as referring specifically to Paul. Although it is true they work fine when they're applied to us today as believers, I think we need to see in the context, Paul is talking about himself. His first metaphor is darkness and light. He says, For God who said, Let light shine out of the darkness, has shown in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God. I think Paul is talking about himself and his ministry as he has been all the way through the first four chapters. Paul was in darkness. He didn't understand the gospel, he rejected it. He was trying to arrest Christians and kill the people who believed the gospel. But God, who shines light in darkness, came into Paul's life, shown the light of truth to him, and now Paul has that light of truth to take to the world. And Paul is saying that God, for his own reasons, chose to come to the foolish dark heart of Paul and shine the light of truth and wisdom into it. And God commissioned him to be one of those people who would carry that light to the nations. That's what he's proclaiming about his ministry. So although he himself was in darkness, God brought him into the light of truth so that he could proclaim it. And then the second metaphor is the earthen vessel that holds this treasure. We see that in 4 7. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. Again, this is the theme Paul has been discussing all the way up to this point. He's saying it's not me. I, Paul, am not adequate to do this ministry. I couldn't have come up with the gospel myself. I couldn't be producing the incredible results that this gospel is producing. I'm just like a cheap clay pot that is holding this incredibly valuable treasure. The cheap clay pot highlights how great the treasure is in comparison. And he's claiming that for himself. Paul's saying, My weakness, all those things you Corinthians are criticizing me about, that just makes it clear that the power of the gospel is God's doing, not mine. And this is speaking right into the historical situation of the letter. The Corinthians are not impressed with Paul as a person or a teacher. They think he needs to be more impressive. They want him to be more articulate and eloquent. They think he ought to change his message so it appeals to the sophisticated elites of Corinth. And if he did all that, if he made some, you know, changes on the outside, then he could be more of a success. But Paul's very point is the treasure of the gospel has been put in to me a weak earthen pot. And the contrast between my weaknesses and the effect of the gospel makes it clear that this message is a message from God. It doesn't matter how impressive or unimpressive I am, because God is working through me. Later in this letter, he's going to say, Well, you Corinthians don't think my speech is very impressive, and I may be unimpressive in speech, but I am not so in knowledge. And he's getting at the same thing here. I am just a vessel. I agree with you. I am no one, but this cheap earthen pot contains a great treasure, and you can't throw away the pot without throwing away the treasure. And believe me, you don't want to throw away the treasure. So here's how Paul wants the Corinthians to think about him. Yes, I'm a weak man. I have wept many tears writing to you. I was so worried about you that I passed up an opportunity for ministry. I'm not the kind of speaker that you want to listen to, but my ministry as an apostle is strong. I proclaim a message of forgiveness and spiritual transformation, and I proclaim that message with openness and integrity. And the fact that I am a man with many weaknesses only highlights that I, Paul, am not the one doing it. The gospel is the work of God. And that's how Paul wants the Corinthians to see him instead of the way many of them are thinking about him right now. The gospel is about transformation, and that transformation begins now in this life. And Paul has told them, look at your own lives. You can see the changes in your lives right now. You are my letter of recommendation because you can see the Spirit of God making changes in you right now. It's already visible. You can see, just look around you. The changes you see in your own life and the lives of others speak to the truth of my gospel. This is true for us today as well, all of us who proclaim the gospel. Speaking as a person with many flaws and weaknesses myself, I am counting on that transformation of the spirit. And like Paul, I've been criticized for not being entertaining enough, not marketing this podcast well enough, not telling more funny stories. And all I can say is, well, you know, like Paul, I'm counting on God to overcome my many flaws and spread his word to his people. And it is a wondrous and amazing thing to watch people growing strong in the faith together. We find the strength to persevere through trials. We see moments where we joyfully show mercy and compassion and kindness in ways that we wouldn't have in our younger or pre-Christian days. And that's a beautiful and exciting and hopeful thing. One day we will perfectly reflect God's glory and moral beauty, just as Jesus does now, and that's a day we eagerly and joyfully long for. So what Paul says here of himself, I think is also very true of us believers today. We are not adequate for the tasks that God asks us to do. There's a sense in which that is true of all of us, but God in his mercy and compassion gives us a role to play in his kingdom, and we can joyfully embrace it with the confidence that God is at work, just like Paul did. So what Paul says here of himself, I do think is true of believers today, and we can apply it to ourselves and understand it that way. But our task as Bible students is first to understand what he means in context, and having understood the context, then we take the step of asking, what does that mean today? I really like the way Paul uses this metaphor of glory in this section. Moses went before God and the physical glory of God was imparted to his face. He literally glowed, and then he compares that to Jesus and says, Well, Jesus did for real, in a very real way, what we saw on Moses' face physically. Jesus is a perfect reflection of God's glory. In Jesus we see God's holy character, his wisdom, his righteousness, his justice, his compassion, and his mercy. As the image of God, Jesus shows us the wisdom and the character of God. He didn't glow like Moses did, but he did continually reflect God's glory for us. And then Jesus came to impart that glory to us. It will be as if each one of us has gone into the Holy of Holies and looked directly at God and had his glory rub off on us. One day we will share completely in the wisdom and moral beauty of our Creator, and we will be like Jesus who is like God. That's the hope of the gospel. That's what Paul means when he talks about the hope of the glory of God. All right, let's look at the next section. This is eight through twelve. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Notice that twice in this chapter Paul says, I do not lose heart. He says that in 4.1, he started the section by saying, We do not lose heart, and again he means I, Paul. And then toward the end of the chapter in 4.16, he says, We do not lose heart again. As Bible students, then we want to make sure we understand what could cause Paul to lose heart and why is he not losing heart. I would argue that Paul is talking about the rejection and suffering he experiences as an apostle. He has been talking about having this ministry that was greater than the ministry of Moses, and I think he's still talking about that. And he's saying, when I think about the way many people reject my message, I could lose heart. I could become ashamed of the gospel because it gets me in so much trouble, and so many people reject it. I could water down the message so that more people would respond positively, but I don't do that, I speak the plain truth instead. I know that many cannot see the glory of the gospel, Satan has blinded their minds. There's nothing I can do about that. I just speak the truth of the gospel and let the chips fall where they may. Their hostility doesn't change my strategy. But no matter how much hostility and rejection Paul endures, he does not lose heart. He knows ultimately the gospel is going to win. The gospel will find its people. And he is confident that God will use the gospel to save everyone God wants to save, no matter how much rejection Paul faces. So he's unapologetic. He says, I'm going to continue to speak the gospel plainly. Some will reject it and some won't, and that's just the way it's going to be. So here's how I think all that fits into the flow of his argument. Paul might lose heart and all the rejection he experiences if the gospel were about him. People reject Paul, they claim there's something wrong with Paul, they argue he needs to do a better job of selling himself, and we can all understand that. I mean, if I'm a salesman and I'm not making sales, then I would assume that's a direct reflection on me. Somehow I'm not selling the product right, I'm not getting the job done. But Paul is saying, this isn't about me, it's about Jesus. I'm just a servant and a slave of Jesus. I'm a weak and foolish man. I could never have come up with the gospel myself. This is about Jesus, and people are going to reject him. So Paul doesn't lose heart, he doesn't panic and or get despondent at all the rejection he experiences because he knows God has entrusted him with a great treasure, and God will make sure that his people hear it. Paul doesn't need to sell himself, he doesn't need to sell the gospel, he merely needs to shine forth the light of the gospel, and people will respond as they will. Now remember, Paul is still talking about himself and his ministry as he has been throughout the whole letter up to this point. And it is true, it could be said of all Christians that we are earthen vessels that contain a great treasure. I've heard that taught many times, and there's a very real sense in which That is true, but that's not what Paul is saying here. He's not talking about all believers, he's talking about his own ministry. First, he used this imagery of light in the darkness, and he said he's not smart enough to be an apostle, but God has shown the light of the truth of the gospel into his dark mind. Then Paul says he's not strong enough in himself to be an apostle, but it's the power of God that it's is at work in him. He's just a clay pot, very unimpressive, not particularly attractive or strong, but that only highlights how great the thing inside the pot is, how great the treasure is that the pot is holding. And so it only highlights all the more that the power of God is at work in this very weak vessel named Paul. And he makes clear what he has in mind. He describes himself as afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, but not struck down, not shaken, and not destroyed. And that's a theme we've seen running through the letter. He says that he carries about in his body the dying of Jesus. Now, Paul talks about Jesus' death in a variety of ways, and sometimes he talks about how we as Christians relate to the death of Jesus, but in this context in 2 Corinthians 4, I'm fairly confident that he is talking about his own ministry. He's making the connection that just as Jesus suffered and died in his ministry, so Paul suffers in his ministry. Jesus proclaimed the truth and the world hated him for it and eventually killed him for it, and the same thing is happening to Paul. He is always on the point of death because of the way the world reacts to the gospel. But that's only half the story. He is just a clay pot with no particular merit or strength. He's afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. But the other half of the story is the power of God shines through him. He may be afflicted, but the power of God keeps him from being crushed. He may be perplexed, he may face such hostility that at times it's hard to see the next step forward on the path. I think that's what the idea is behind being perplexed, but he does not fall into despair. He may be persecuted, but God has not forsaken him. He may have been struck down by his enemies, but God will not let them destroy him. Yes, he suffers, but he does not despair. So he carries in his body the dying of Jesus. You can see the scars on Paul. You can see the marks left by the beatings and the bruises. But that is only so that God can demonstrate the power of the resurrection in him. Paul's life demonstrates the living Jesus at work, helping him to stand under a burden that no one person can take on alone. The burden of being an apostle of Jesus Christ is a burden that no one really can do by themselves, but Paul takes it on because the power of God is at work in him. And what's the result of all this? Just as Paul has been saying from the beginning of the letter, his sufferings are for the sake of believers like the Corinthians. And so he says it again in 12. So death works in us, but life in you. And here's how I understand what he's saying there. As an apostle, I share in the sufferings of Christ because people are trying to kill me just like they tried to kill Jesus. I face death every day just as Jesus faced death. And why do I endure all this suffering? So that I might impart the gospel to you and you might find life. I'm suffering the threat of death so that I can impart the message of life to you, which is what he's said in other places. This is the kind of ministry God has given Paul. And the reason he does not lose heart is because this is a ministry of God. He knows that God is working through him. Now we might think, well, God's being a little unfair to Paul. It sounds like Paul's doing all the suffering and dying and the Corinthians are reaping all the benefits. And Paul goes on to remind them in the next verses that he's also doing this for his own sake. It's not unfair of God he's doing this because he believes it too. So let's look at thirteen through fifteen. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, I believed and so I spoke. We also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God. So he's saying, I proclaim this gospel for your sake, and ultimately my sufferings are for your sake, but I also proclaim it because I believe it. I myself believe the message that I am calling you to believe. I have the hope that I too will be raised by Jesus and will stand before God with you and all who respond to my message. And it is together with you because, let me remind you again, I'm suffering all this for your sake, but my hope is that I will stand there with you because I believe this message I'm proclaiming. Now Paul quotes Psalm 116, verse 10. The psalm was written by a person who has suffered, but even though he suffered, he maintained his faith in God. God ultimately rescues him, and so he believes and he speaks. Well, that's what Paul is doing. Even though he suffers, he continues to speak the gospel because he believes it just like the psalmist. He believes, therefore he speaks. And the more people who believe the gospel, the more people who can give thanks to God for his grace. Now remember, all of this in one way or another has been an elaboration on the fact that Paul does not lose heart in the midst of rejection and suffering. And he uses that language again when we come to verse 16. Let's look at 16 through 18. So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. This light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Let's start with what this section contributes to Paul's argument. This passage is often taken out of context. I myself have taken it out of context. When I read it, and he says, though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed. Well, of course he's talking about getting old. I'm getting old, my body is decaying, but my soul is being renewed. That is a fine and true idea. And all of us Christians face the decay of our physical body and the hope that God is transforming and saving our souls. And that's fine. And it's probably fine to apply what's being said here that way. But notice in the context, that's not what Paul is getting at. He has been talking about his afflictions as an apostle. He is afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. He is talking about the afflictions he bears as an apostle, carrying about in his body the dying of Jesus. And that's still what he's getting at when he's talking about his outer man is decaying. Pursuing this ministry is taking a toll on him. He is constantly being beat up and facing death. And later he gives a detailed description of the many things he has suffered as an apostle. He uses the words here momentary and light, and he's being erotic in a sense. He wants to contrast the afflictions of his life now with the glory that he's hoping for. So he calls them momentary and light, but this word afflictions is important. He's been using it throughout the letter. Remember, he started back in chapter one saying this is the very opening verses, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God, for as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ do we share abundantly in comfort too. So back in chapter one, Paul connected his afflictions with this thing he calls the sufferings of Christ, and that's exactly what he's doing here in chapter four. He is an apostle, and he's suffering the same sort of rejection that Jesus suffered, and he takes on all those sufferings, those afflictions for the sake of people like the Corinthians. That was in chapter one. So when we get into chapter four and he starts talking about afflictions again, he has already set up the sort of thing he's talking about. He's talking about the afflictions that he has undergone as an apostle of Jesus Christ. And the reason he doesn't lose heart, even though he's facing afflictions every day, is because he remembers that there is an eternal inheritance waiting for him. Now I would argue that Paul is still defending his ministry, as he has been doing from the beginning of the letter. Some of the Corinthians see him as a loser. They say, look, why aren't more people responding to Paul's message? Why is his life so painful and so messy? And why is he so unimpressive? If Paul were more successful, then we could take him seriously. But we just find it too hard to take him seriously because I mean, look at the guy, everyone's rejecting him. And so Paul is examining the fact that people reject his message and the fact that he faces hostility and suffering because of that message. And in spite of all that suffering, there are two reasons he doesn't lose heart. First, he doesn't lose heart because he knows the reaction is not really about him, it's about the gospel. If he faithfully preaches the gospel, some people will accept it and some will reject it, and that's just the way it is, it will always be that way. He admits freely that he himself is not the most impressive teacher. He's a foolish and weak man, but God has given him the wisdom of the gospel, and God has helped him stand in the midst of those sufferings. So he doesn't lose heart because he knows he's on the right path. Whatever the Corinthians may say about him, he's preaching the right gospel, he's trusting the right God, he's doing all these things for their sake and for the sake of his own salvation as well. And the second reason he doesn't lose heart is because he knows the outcome of all this suffering is going to be eternal life. And that's how he wants the Corinthians to think about him, his ministry, and the gospel. He is a faithful servant of God. When his current sufferings are over, he will enter into eternal life, and they, by the way, should be concerned that they will enter into that same eternal life and therefore respond to Paul positively. Now to wrap this up, even though Paul is talking about himself, I do think we can apply what he says to our own situation today. Paul repeats a simple conviction. I do not lose heart. He knows that the message he carries is God's, not his own, so the rejection and hardship doesn't shake him. He admits he's an ordinary jar of clay, yet God uses that weakness to show the power of the gospel. The setbacks he faces never overturn the deeper truth that God is with him and sustaining him. And we can adopt that same perspective. As we proclaim Jesus in whatever ways God calls us to proclaim him, we will face rejection and criticism too. And like Paul, our challenges will be very real. But like Paul, they're temporary. God is shaping an eternal future that outweighs the present trouble. God is in charge of the results, so we can trust him. We can faithfully take the next step forward, knowing that the results are in his hands, so we can keep speaking the truth and serving others, confident that the God who raised Jesus will raise us as well. And in that confidence, we do not lose heart. Thank you for listening to the Wednesday in the Word podcast. This is the podcast that explains not only what a passage means, but also shows you how to figure it out. The blog version of this podcast is on wednesdayintheword.com slash 2 Corinthians 6. You can hear all previous episodes in this series and find many other series on my website, wednesdayintheword.com. There's no charge, no spam, and no ads. Just free resources to help you grow in your understanding of scripture and learn to study it for yourself. If you've been blessed by this podcast, please follow it, rate it, and review it on your favorite podcast platform. It really does help others find the podcast. But most importantly, tell a friend what you learned and where you learned it. Our theme music is graciously provided by Reggie Coates. You can hear more of Reggie's music on heartfeltmusic.org. Thank you so much for listening today. I'm Krisan Marotta, and I'll see you next week at Wednesday in the Word.