2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Q.1. On what basis did Paul make his appeal? What makes the Gospel urgent? How were the Corinthians to exercise their ministries? What is the price we must pay for serving Christ? – (2 Cor.6:1-10)
After his lofty insights on the Atonement, Paul went on to apply an appeal coming from these provisions we have in Christ. He seemed to be applying the Gospel to two kinds of people in the Corinthian Church. Firstly, he addressed those who had received the grace of God. They should respond by operating as Christ’s ambassadors (2 Cor.6:1). Secondly, he challenged those who had not fully embraced the calling of the Gospel, to do so, because – now is the day of salvation (2 Cor.6:2). In the Old Testament, Isaiah had given a strong appeal to Israel, that they should live out their Covenant. He also highlighted their responsibility to be a light to the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth (Isaiah 49:6-8). We must do both. However, sharing the Gospel is far from easy, and all the circumstances Paul went on to describe, are trials and challenges: Later in Chapter 11, he gave a more detailed summary of his trials. Here he listed them more in categories, and also gave the character qualities that should be displayed by faithful servants of God. Needless to say, all of these are hard to bear, and therefore hard to consistently live by: (i) He spoke about the extremes that he had to endure – 4 … in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in sleeplessness, in hunger (2 Cor.6:4-5). (ii) Then he added qualities that are not natural to develop because they are produced by the Holy Spirit – 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left (2 Cor.6:6-7). (iii) Paul also documented the difficulties of the ministry that add to its uncertainty – 8 by glory and dishonour, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things (2 Cor.6:8-10). Like His Master, Paul did not want to misrepresent the pressure and pain of serving the Lord. No person reading the Bible could conclude that tests and trials are foreign to the Christian’s walk.