What Ministry Is All About, Part 14
In our message, GODLY JEALOUSY (2 Cor. 10:12-11:4), we continued our focus in the third and final section of the book of Second Corinthians which emphasizes the defense of the Bible. Christians are to “contend earnestly for the faith” with both lost people and also in our own lives by guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Jude 1:3-4; Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:3-5).
One of the ways we do this as God’s children is to understand that our worth- our value- is NOT based upon “comparing” ourselves with others (2 Cor. 10:12; Gal. 2:20, etc.). The Bible says people who do this “are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12b). The Greek phrase here for “not wise” is also in Matt. 13:13; Acts 7:25, and Rom. 3:11 and speaks of a person who ‘cannot put two and two together.’ It means being foolish or stupid. It is “not wise” for those who are “in Christ” to base our identity or value upon the external standards or positions of others because we are infinitely valuable to the Lord (Eph. 1:3-14; 2:8-9, etc.). We will always be His as that was settled at Calvary by our Savior (John 1:29b; Heb. 13:5, etc.).
But we can seek to see how we are doing in our walk with Him by asking questions like, “Am I where God wants me to be?” (2 Cor. 10:13-14); “Is He glorified in my ministry?” (2 Cor. 10:15-17); and “Can the Lord commend my work?” (2 Cor. 10:18). The Bible shows us living faithfully that way has the effect of greatly advancing the gospel- even to “regions that lie” far beyond us (2 Cor. 10:15-16 NET). Scripture also indicates here again that our work as God’s children will be tested by fire (2 Cor. 10:18; 1 Cor. 3:13-15, etc.) with only what is done by faith going into His kingdom at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 4:1-2, 5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10; Heb. 4:12-13; 12:28-29, etc.). God is to receive all the glory today and He certainly will receive all the glory in the future (2 Cor. 10:17; Jer. 9:24, etc.).
Paul then goes on in chapter 11 to engage “in a little folly” by speaking some of his credentials- which were impressive from a human point of view (2 Cor. 11:1). He did this not to receive praise for himself but in an effort to get the church at Corinth to believe God’s Word- the Bible- written through him (2 Cor. 11:22ff). He first brings up a metaphor of him being a spiritual father to them with “godly jealousy” (2 Cor. 11:2a). As their spiritual father who founded the church, he was jealous over them in their engagement phase before Jesus returned wanting to present them “as a pure virgin” to Him (2 Cor. 11:2b). Most of the time we think of jealousy as a bad thing, but Paul’s “godly jealousy” reflected the jealousy of our Lord and is something we all should be filled with as well (Eph. 5:18, etc.). The Bible shows us that even God’s “name is Jealous” (Ex. 34:13-14; John 17:17, etc.) and He “will not give [His] glory to another” (Isa. 42:8; 48:11; Ezek. 39:25, etc.). As Christians, we “have [been] betrothed [i.e. engaged] to one husband [i.e. that is, Jesus]” and the Lord wants us to be living for Him both now and when Christ returns for us (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 11:2b; Rev. 19:7-8, etc.).
The Bible shows us here the tragedy of the Fall of man in the garden of Eden was about to be reenacted as “the serpent” (AKA Satan) was seeking through his trickery to corrupt “the minds” of Christians from the truth of God’s Word at Corinth (2 Cor. 11:3, 13-15, etc.). People of faith can drift from the truth (Jer. 2:2; Rev. 2:4, etc.) if we let the enemy place strongholds in our minds through the questioning (Gen. 3:1); denying (Gen. 3:4), and replacement of the Bible in our lives (Gen. 3:5; 2 Cor. 10:3-4; 1 Cor. 10:12; James 1:22, etc.). The “serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan” is an imitator who copies what God does and then tries to convince us that his offer is better than the Lord’s (2 Cor. 11:3, 14; Rev. 12:9, etc.). He does this by using counterfeits: counterfeit ministers (2 Cor. 11:13) and counterfeit truths to include “another Jesus… a different spirit… or a different gospel” than the true one which is the only means to be saved by grace through faith (2 Cor. 11:4; John 14:6, etc.). Tragically, all who trust in these counterfeits who have never come to God His way through the Jesus of the Bible have never had their sin forgiven and remain lost (John 1:12-13, 29; 3:16; Acts 4:12, etc.). The Lord wants Christians to hold onto “the simplicity that is in Christ” so they are single-mindedly devoted to Him now and when He returns- being effective ministers for Him (2 Cor. 10:3-5; 11:3b, etc.). *For more information on this message, please see SBFC’s May 18, 2025 sermon above.