Mighty Ministry
It’s undeniable that the Apostle Paul was a heavyweight in the ministry. His commitment and passion have elevated him to one of the most revered apostles of Scripture.
It is interesting to note his testimony to the Corinthians regarding the validity of the ministry he and his companies were engaged in.
2Corinthians 6:3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Many of these descriptions might be discounted in our modern expressions of what qualifies someone as a valid minister of the gospel. If nothing else, they definitely would not be sought after.
Can most ministers declare that in all things, they commend themselves as ministers of God?
What is there in this list that would cause shame or embarrassment to you as a minister or someone else who is a minister? Why should a minister of the gospel ever be ashamed or embarrassed for going through anything on this list?
When we get the gospel right and then get the gospel in, we are enabled by the power of the Spirit to get the gospel out under any circumstance.
Mighty men and women of faith were getting the gospel out while being burned at stake, beheaded, imprisoned, and living in abject impoverish circumstances due to rejections and persecutions. The gospel was not stopped because their circumstances did not align themselves with a particular idea of what it should look like in the natural regarding socioeconomic realities, geographic placements, ethnic hindrances, religious or political oppositions, or any other excuse that has now become common.
Paul preached the gospel in and from prison and was used by the Holy Spirit to write most of the New Testament.
2Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
Maybe you are a minister having a rough time. I hope you will take some encouragement from this posting. Maybe you know a minister going through a rough time. I hope you will go out of your way to appreciate them and encourage them today. Circumstances do not determine the might of a ministry.
