Necessarily Weak

One essential corollary to the truth that the gospel is the power of God for salvation is the truth that this gospel does not need any other power to back it up or to make effective. In fact, God has chosen that the power of this gospel will be seen most clearly when it is proclaimed in a position of weakness, with all outward indication that it is in the process of being defeated by the powers of sin, the world and the devil. It is then clear that the gospel is the power of God.

2Corinthians 4:1-12:

4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

1. Paul’s confidence is in the ministry of the gospel by which people are brought into the knowledge of God and transformed into Christ’s likeness with ever-increasing glory (3:18). But clearly there are things that may lead a person to possibly lose heart. Not losing heart means for Paul that he doesn’t resort to other means for furthering the gospel – such would be secret and shameful because they would cover up the gospel somehow. Rather than this, Paul is so sure that the gospel is the power of God for salvation that he continues to set forth the truth plainly. He preaches Jesus Christ as Lord.

2. In some cases there are those who do not see or recognise this power of God for salvation. The truth of the gospel is veiled to their minds, and this is a result of Satan’s blinding their minds. Rather than receive the gospel, these hearers resist it, and also resist the gospel’s proclaimers. And so the gospel comes to people in “jars of clay.” It is essential that the gospel bearers be known as “jars of clay” so that the gospel’s source of power is truly recognised.

3. The term “jars of clay” speaks of weakness, fragility, not strength, victory. A light or a treasure in a clay jar is not visible, but if the jar gets broken or damaged, then the light comes out, the inner treasure becomes visible. The gospel’s real power and glory is known as the vessels become broken in the proclamation. Paul knew much about this weakness – he suffered deeply for the proclamation of the Gospel (see 2Cor. 11:16ff.) Here he speaks of being hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. None of these things finally destroy him (there is the resurrection of the dead, which is his great hope!) but they have their impact on the vessel – “death is at work in us”. As these troubles come, then the light and power of the gospel – which is love – shine through, and the gospel works its power – “but life is at work in you.”

The suffering and weakness of the proclaimers is essential because it is only in the face of suffering and opposition that the true nature of love comes to clarity. There was no other way for Christ to demonstrate and enact the love of the Father except that he die on the cross, bearing in himself the hatred and opposition and sneering of the crowds and the race. Jesus was himself the jar of clay. He clearly taught us that the servants are not above the master. “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also … If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:20, 18) The gospel which required the suffering and breaking of the Son of God can only be proclaimed in the suffering and breaking of those the Son of God calls into the fellowship of his sufferings.

The legacy of Christendom has given us an expectation of being able to speak to society from a “privileged position.” Those days are long past in the West; and we must admit that it never was actually very helpful for the gospel. In mission history gospel proclamation was often attached to systems of educational, health, administrative “superiority”. Many communities felt compelled to receive the missionaries and their message not because of their conviction about its truth but because of the access this gave them to other benefits. We will do well to not regret the passing of this state of affairs.

Post-modernism has a strong critique of the mis-use of power; Christian proclamation is particularly the focus of the critique. While not embracing the post-modern worldview, we should thank God that this critique may free us from an idolatrous love of power, financial strength and social clout. We are being brought again to see that the only basis for the gospel’s reception is the gospel itself. And we are being brought to see that the triumph of the gospel is finally seen in that even though it is deeply opposed finally it wins even opposing hearts. Saul become Paul, the thief on the cross, the Gadarene demoniac – all give witness to this great truth.

What's The Passion About Passion???

Something seems to have happened in the past decade. It seems that everybody in the church thinks that passion is a good thing. People are encouraged to act on the basis of passion; to follow their passions as a basis for the decisions they make in life; to develop a passion; evangelism is seen as the outflow of a passion for the lost. Many new Christian songs take up this basic idea; many books lining the shelves in Christian bookshops will take up the word in the title.

It hasn't always been this way. Where once (in my young adult years, an age not too far gone in the "golden" past) the focus had been on commitment, now the focus is on passion. I am always interested when there is a change in the language of our Christian culture. I wonder where it comes from. (I'm not convinced, by the way, that the focus on commitment was any better, but one thing about commitment was that it had the human will in its focus; passion has human emotion as its focus. See http://www.newcreation.org.au/books/covers/238.html to download Grant Thorpe's really helpful critique of commitment theology.")

There seems to me to be a double origin to this current fad. Firstly, as has often been the case in recent Western church movements, we seem to have borrowed the language of business and motivaton speakers. E.g. “Pursue the Passion follows the lives of people passionate about their careers and encourages everyone to pursue their own passions in life.” - a blurb for a website for a young group of guys travelling the US with their motivational message.

Secondly, we are living in the legacy of a philosophical and social movement called Romanticism. This movement, beginning in the late 1700’s, was a reaction to the scientific and rationalist thrust of the Enlightenment, and placed great emphasis on emotional reaction to the (spiritual) powers of nature as a more authentic truth than the analysis given by the rationalists. Charles Baudelaire: "Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor exact truth, but in the way of feeling." This movement has had its most recent flowering in the “hippy” and “new age” movements.

One main effect in the Church of this movement towards “passion” is a shift of emphasis in where we seek for the gospel to make its impact – a shift from the will to the emotions. This is – I believe – a fatal error for strong and vibrant faith in the long run, even though those who operate in this way definitely have in mind the stimulating of vibrant faith. I'm sure that they believe that, by evoking a strong emotional response to some aspect of the message of Christ, people will be motivated towards useful action for the kingdom. In fact, what seems to happen is that people become addicted to the emotional experience, seeking “hit” after “hit” but who rarely are transformed by this experience in such a way that the plaguing temptations to sin that they face are overcome and that they develop a strong and steady faith.

Jesus has a clear thrust in his teaching that emotional and enthusiastic responses to his teaching were not adequate. It is not only those who hear his word, but those who put that word into practice that inherit the kingdom. There will be those who have called out to him, "Lord, Lord!" in this world who fail to enter the world to come, but who rather enter hell. Jesus told a parable about two sons (Matt. 21) who are asked by their father to do a task. The first refuses outright, but then later duty works in him and he goes and does it. The second enthusiastically, passionately responds, but does not do what was asked. Who does the father's will?- clearly the first. (In the parable, it is clear that the work in Jesus' mind is believing in him, trusting in him as the revelation of the grace of God in history,)

Titus 2:11-15 is an important passage in this matter. Here, as in many places in the New Testament, rather than being passionate the focus of exhortation is on Christians being self-controlled (Gal. 5:22-23; 1Thess. 5:6-8; 1Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:8; 2:2,5,6,12; 1Pet. 1:13; 4:7; 5:8; 2Pet. 1:5-9.) In fact, passion is seen very negatively in the New Testament as whole (Rom. 1:24; 6:12; 7:5ff; 13:14; Gal. 5:16-17,24; Eph. 4:22; 1Tim. 6:9; 2Tim. 2:22; Tit. 3:3; Jam. 4:1; 1Pet. 1:14; 2:11; 2Pet. 1:3-5; 1John 2:15-17.) The usual word for self-control is literally “inner strength” (ενκρατεια) – the idea being that of inwardly-working strength: a person is not ruled by the (emotional) forces (e.g. lust, ambition, fear) found operating within him or her, but rather has these forces in hand. Self-control generally has the sense of either perseverance, steadfastness, or restraint with reference to sexual matters. It has a verbal form that means “to abstain from something.” The word for passion (επιθυμια) has the idea of desire or enthusiasm intensified to be a ruling power. It is this kind of ruling inner power that self-control must take in hand and rule, subjecting it to the will of God.

Paul in this passage makes clear that grace of God teaches or trains us. There is a behavioural outcome to the gospel’s work in us. What God has done for us in Jesus Christ is brought home to us in the work of the Spirit in such a way that we ourselves now submit to and follow the leading of the Lord, rather than the leading of ungodly and worldly passions. Teaching and training is a long-term and ongoing process, not an immediate “download” of material. Self-control is itself taught and learned in a setting requiring persistence and perseverance!

In this passage, self-control (not actually ενκρατεια here but rather σωφρονως) is linked with uprightness (righteousness – carefulness to do the will of God) and godliness (“good religion” – honourable piety.) Self-control is then not simply mastery over oneself, but the determined doing of the will of God.

The grace of God that has appeared in the Lord Jesus Christ – in his incarnation and his resurrection from the dead – is what teaches us to be self-controlled. The very essence of sin is to be driven along by passions. Sin affects us deeply so that not only do we do wrong, but our desires are for the wrong (see esp. Eph. 2:1-3). It is the grace of God which trains us towards a God-pleasing life by changing the heart so that, even though we find sin still dwelling in us, in fact our longing is towards the will of God. Sin still dwells in our passions – and if we give ourselves over to them, even for godly purposes, finally they will lead us astray. The only trustworthy thing in our lives is outside us, the grace of the Lord Jesus. We must keep looking there, learning the depths and nature of that grace, and letting it transform and keep our wills in obedience to the Father. This grace does train our desiring too, so that we say with Christ, “Not my will, but yours be done.”