Two weeks ago, we looked at 2 Corinthians 4:3 and considered what it had to teach us concerning the nature of Gospel ministry. The conclusion to that post was that the purpose
of Gospel ministry was not to amuse the goats, but to call the sheep.
Last week, we moved onto verse 4 and discovered the world’s problem: they are blind to the glory of Christ. Therefore, the Church’s mission is to solve that problem. If we’re doing something that won’t solve that problem, we need to stop.
The question is, then, what solves that problem? How can the Church
be instrumental in the opening of blind eyes? Well, Paul gets to that in
verse 5. Just as we must know the purpose and the problem of Gospel
ministry, we must also know the proclamation.
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
What does it mean to “not preach
ourselves?” It means that we don’t put ourselves—the messengers—forward
as the appeal to unbelievers in our ministry. We don’t make our
methodology or our style the draw. We
don’t appeal to that which is fleshly or worldly in the unbeliever in
order to attract and compel their participation. Instead, we do
everything we can to get ourselves out of the way so as to be merely
incidental—merely the finger that points to the substance, to the content of the message: that Jesus Christ is Lord.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 really sheds light on what it means for Paul that he not be preaching himself. He says... Keep Reading >>>
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