The Glorious Gospel: (chap.3)
An eternal documentation: (3:1-3):
Paul gives a superior dimension of recommendation. He does not need any recommendation from any one. Now-a-days we have sophisticated gadgets of communication. We can easily find out the testimony of the travelling preachers. But in the 1st century a false prophet or apostle could travel from city to city and easily say, “Paul sent me, so you should support me.” To avoid this, letters of recommendation were often sent with Christians as they travelled. Paul himself sent letters of commendation on many occasions (8:16-24; Rom.16:1-2; 1 Cor.16:3; 16:10-11).
Of course there is nothing wrong with a letter of commendation written on paper. But for Paul Corinthians are “living letter” to prove his ministry.
Today many preachers come up with degrees and doctorates of the ministry with ordinations from many big churches. But their lives and sermons are very ordinary without any enthusiasm. As there is a saying “emptying the church by their degrees” is true today. We may have many credentials, certificates given by top Theological colleges, but ultimately all that comes to nothing if no soul is won. The true credentials of the ministry are changed lives and the living epistles. Let’s show our ministry through the converted lives.
Many godly servants think the main reason God granted miraculous signs and wonders among the apostles in the book of Acts was so they would serve as a “letter of commendation” to their apostolic ministry. If this was the case, it makes sense that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit would cease when the apostles passed from the scene, because there would no longer be an apostolic ministry to authenticate. However, it is significant that Paul does not say “miracles are our epistle of commendation.”
- Paul’s letter of recommendation has an author, i.e. the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is saying, “God used me to make you the Christians.”
- Paul’s letter of recommendation uses an ink i.e. the Holy Spirit.
- Paul’s letter of recommendation has a paper i.e. the hearts of the Corinthian Christians, which has a permanent impression. (thoughts taken from David Guzik commentary)
Our sufficiency is in God: (3:4-6):
Paul considers himself sufficient in God’s hand. With God’s sufficiency, it is enough for him to launch in the ministry of converting lives. Paul with his own strength, capability is too less but the sufficiency comes of God to do such big jobs.
Many people refuse to be used by God because they think of themselves as not ready. But in a sense, we are never ready or worthy. If we were, the sufficiency would be in ourselves, not from God. We must think that if Paul is not sufficient of himself, what are we? Where do we stand? We are not sufficient of our selves but our sufficiency comes from God.
“Our sufficiency is of God; let us practically enjoy this truth. We are poor, leaking vessels, and the only way for us to keep full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual flow of boundless grace. Then, despite its leakage, the cup will always be full to the brim.” (Spurgeon)
When Paul says, “The letter kills,” he is referring to the old covenant with its laws, rules and regulations. Often the confused people say, “It is wrong to follow the letter of the Bible; we must follow the spirit of it.” Here Paul meant “the letter,” to be OT law. It brought death because no one every fully kept it and so it justly condemned people to death (Rom. 7:9-11). But the New Covenant brings life by God’s Spirit. Paul uses different phrases when referring to the OT law: the letter (3: 6); ministry of death (3:7); ministry of condemnation (3:9).