Paul Defends His Authority (Ministry) (continued)
Learning, From Paul’s Example, How to Defend Your Ministry.
Defending your ministry.
Knowing that you in fact have a ministry.
2 Corinthians 10:7-12 NLT
Paul Defends His Authority (continued)
7 Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do. 8 I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority.
9 I’m not trying to frighten you by my letters. 10 For some say, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” 11 Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away.
12 Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!
Examine the scriptures:
2 Corinthians 10:7-12 NLT
Paul Defends His Authority (continued)
7 Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do.
We can know that we belong to Christ.
Romans 10:9-10 NLT
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Romans 10:13 NLT
13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
John 3:16 NLT
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 5:24 NLT
24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
This is all a part of God’s plan for us.
Ephesians 1:5 NLT
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
No one can snatch us away from Christ.
John 10:28-29 NLT
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.
- We can be certain of our salvation.
8 I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord.
1 Corinthians 12 NLT
One Body with Many Parts
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. …
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
Romans 12:3-8 NLT
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
- God has given us different gifts (different roles) for doing certain things well.
But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down.
The responsibility of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church.
Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Build others up
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT
11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
Ephesians 4:29 NLT
29 Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT
24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Romans 14:19 NLT
19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
2 Corinthians 13:11 NLT
11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
John 17:23 NLT
23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
- Aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
- Our role is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church.
So I will not be ashamed of using my authority.
Use the gift God has given you.
1 Peter 4:10-11 NLT
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
- Use the gift God has given you.
9 I’m not trying to frighten you by my letters. 10 For some say, “Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!” 11 Those people should realize that our actions when we arrive in person will be as forceful as what we say in our letters from far away.
- Actions can be as forceful as what we say.
12 Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are!
God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.
1 Corinthians 1:19-21 NLT
19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.
- You do not have to be important and “wonderful” to share Biblical truths with other people. Rely on the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say.
But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!
- Don’t compare yourself with other people. (They are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!)
