God’s Ambassadors (Part 1)
2 Corinthians 5:11-17
Paul constantly faced criticism and accusations from fellow Christians who doubted him as a leader. Paul wants the Corinthian Church to accept him and the role God has given him as a spiritual leader. In this passage, Paul continues to defend himself. He opens his heart to the Corinthian congregation to a degree not found in his other letters.
As Paul shares his story, there is a great deal for us to take from this passage and apply to our lives.
2 Corinthians 5:11-17 (NLT)
We Are God’s Ambassadors (Part 1)
11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. 13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. 14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Examine the scriptures:
2 Corinthians 5:11-17 (NLT)
We Are God’s Ambassadors (Part 1)
11 Because we (Paul and his co-workers) understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord,
Paul was highly motivated to serve the Lord.
“Fearful responsibility”
Fear: (as used in scripture) can mean healthy reverence, awe, and reverence, terror, carefulness, concern fright, or dread.
Ultimate respect.
Fear of the Lord is a good thing.
Proverbs 1:7 NLT
7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 9:10 NLT
10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Fear: (used here) healthy reverence, awe and reverence, carefulness, concern.
Ultimate respect
Fear: Highest possible level of respect resulting in a heartfelt desire to please and rightly serve God.
Why would Paul feel this way?
Paul knew what God had done for him.
Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Paul clearly understood the ministry God had given to him.
Previous verse:
2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT
10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
Paul knew that God would hold him accountable for what he did with his life.
We too should understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord.
- We all have good reasons to be motivated to serve God.
we (Paul and his co-workers) work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.
Persuade in Greek, means to seek someone’s favor, as in getting the other person to see you in a certain favorable or desired way.
Galatians 1:10 NLT
10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Paul was not trying to win the approval of people.
Paul wanted the Corinthian church to know that he was sincere, genuine, and a bearer of truth.
Paul had a genuine concern for the Corinthian church.
Sincere: free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings.
- It is important that people know you are sincere about your concern for them.
12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart.
“Show” vs. sincerity.
External vs. from the heart.
Money, popularity, self-Importance vs. the Gospel of Salvation.
1 Samuel 16:7 NLT
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
- A sincere heart is far more important than a spectacular ministry.
13 If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God.
Willingly and joyfully enduring affliction for the Gospel.
An accurate description of Paul.
And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.
Carefully and clearly sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Corinthian Church.
Paul, the teacher and loving spiritual father.
Sometimes our behavior may appear crazy, other times our behavior appears to be logical. Our goal is to bring glory to God and benefit people.
- We want our efforts to bring glory to God and to benefit people.
14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
1 Corinthians 9:16 NLT
16 Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
Romans 12:1-2 NLT
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
- Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
Titus 2:11-14 NLT
11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
1 John 3:16 NLT
16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
- God’s design for us is to live for Christ, not for ourselves.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
An earthly king who would free the Jews from the Romans.
Romans 1:3-4 NLT
3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Philippians 2:6-11 NLT
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
- Stop evaluating others from a human point of view.
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Colossians 1:13-14 NLT
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Colossians 1:21-22 NLT
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
Titus 3:5 NLT
5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
- Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
