2 Corinthians 6:3 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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2 Corinthians 6:3

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Now here are the conditions for the blessing of God – a consistent life is vital. First of all, not being a stumbling block in any way to unconverted people. Paul says, ‘that the ministry be not blamed.’ He does not mean the work of the preachers only, the ministry in that sense. He is still talking about the ministry of reconciliation. Paul is including the Corinthians, including us. We, who have this ministry of reconciliation, this message of the gospel; we must not live so that it brings discredit upon the gospel. Do not allow the service of soul winning to be blamed for your conduct, that you shall not bring the gospel into disrepute. The Greek word translated there ‘blamed’ we are told occurs only twice in the whole of the New Testament, and both times it is in this Second Letter to the Corinthians. The other time is in chapter 8. But blamed is not the whole meaning of the term. It is a classical Greek word and it means something like this – that the service of reconciliation be not mocked, scorned. And our translators have chosen to convey the force of this with blamed, which is very good. But strictly it is mocked or scorned.

Application

Ministers sometimes, preachers commit grave offences and you read about it from time to time. Terrible things. They commit adultery or molest children, and they bring the gospel into terrible disrepute, and cause cynics and outsiders who we are trying to win to mock and to scorn. But a generally godless life does the same. If a Christian is inconsistent in the office, at work, then there is no blessing for that person; God cannot use that person. And maybe the people who are associated with that person suffer also.

Some people as Christians behave in a way which is greedy and dishonest or rude and inconsiderate and unkind, and the gospel suffers, and blessing is withdrawn. And some people make foolish statements. Even right now at the time of pandemic, you have some of these Charismatic men saying, ‘Oh the pandemic is sent for this particular sin or for that particular sin.’ Well, however do they know a thing like that? Oh, they say, ‘God told me.’ Well that is outrageous. They say foolish things, and it brings the gospel into disrepute. Obviously a consistent life is vital.

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2 Corinthians 6:3 Commentary and Bible Study