Turn to 2 Corinthians 4. We will read the whole chapter.
Therefore, having this ministry, as we have had mercy shown us, we faint not.
But we have rejected the hidden things of shame, not walking in deceit, nor falsifying the Word of God, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of man before God.
But if also our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those that are lost, in whom the god of this world has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine forth for them.
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus, Lord, and ourselves your bondmen for Jesus’ sake.
Because it is the God Who spoke that out of darkness light should shine, Who has shone in our hearts for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassingness of the power may be of God and not from us: every way afflicted, but not straitened; seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up; persecuted, but not abandoned; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body.
For we who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So that death works in us, but life in you.
And having the same spirit of faith according to what is written, “I have believed, therefore have I spoken,” we also believe, therefore also we speak, knowing that He Who has raised the Lord Jesus shall raise us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you.
For all things are for your sakes, that the grace abounding through the many may cause thanksgivings to abound to the glory of God.
Wherefore we faint not; but if indeed our outward man is consumed, yet the inward is renewed day by day. For our momentary and light affliction works for us, in surpassing measure, an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things that are seen are for a time, but those that are not seen are eternal.
We mentioned before that the second letter to the Corinthians is almost like Paul’s autobiography. We see in this book Paul, a man in Christ, and this man in Christ is characterized in every way by spirituality.
We mentioned before: what is spiritual life? We are now considering together this matter of spiritual ministry.
Last time we mentioned that the first ingredient of spiritual ministry, or the nature of spiritual ministry, is writing the letter of Christ. As we minister to one another, as we minister to the body of Christ according to the gift and grace that God has given to each, we are actually writing the letter of Christ.
Word by word, phrase by phrase, clause by clause, sentence by sentence, we are spelling out Christ. We are writing Christ in the lives of those to whom we minister.
Even though we may be used of God to write that letter, yet the letter is Christ, not us. It is the impartation of Christ. True ministry is imparting Christ to other people.
It is a ministry of the new covenant: not of letter, but of Spirit; not with ink, but with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a ministry of life, a ministry of righteousness, a ministry of the Spirit.
And if we really know what spiritual ministry is, probably we will faint under it. Why? Because who is competent? Who is able to impart Christ to other people? Who is able to write Christ in the lives of other people?
And yet Paul said, “Having this ministry, we faint not.” Naturally speaking, we will all faint under such ministry. Yet because mercy has been shown us, therefore we faint not.
Instead of fainting under the seriousness and greatness of spiritual ministry, we rise up in grace to fulfil that ministry into which God has called us.
By the grace of God, we respond to this call of ministry by offering ourselves to Him, that we may be suitable, usable, and available vessels of this ministry.
You remember Paul said, if the gospel is veiled, it is not because of us; it is because of the unbelieving, whose eyes are blinded by the god of this world.
This ministry is the gospel of Jesus Christ. This ministry is the radiancy of Jesus Christ. This ministry is the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
God has shone this ministry into our hearts. He has deposited in us Christ Jesus, Who is life and Who is light. Therefore, we have this light in us; we have this Christ in us; we have this gospel in us.
We ought to be able to impart Christ to other people. We are able to shine forth the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. There should not be anything within us that veils or hides the light and life of Christ in us.
As far as Paul was concerned, he had put away everything of shame—hidden things, everything that might hinder the shining forth of the gospel of Jesus Christ—that it might not be veiled on his part.
If anything is veiled, it is not because of him. As far as he is concerned, he has laid aside all the obstacles. He is open and transparent, so that the light may shine forth through him without any obstruction.
Dear brothers and sisters, if this is true of Paul, it ought to be true of us. We have this ministry. We have this gospel. We have Christ in us. We have His life, which is the light of men.
We ought to be able to shine forth Christ, to minister Christ to other people. There should not be anything that will veil the gospel from coming home. We ought to be open and transparent, that Christ may not be hindered in any way. But are we so?
You remember Paul mentioned this matter of the veil in 2 Corinthians 3. He mentioned how Moses put a veil upon his face, so that the children of Israel would not be able to see the end of that which was passing away.
Now, if you go back to Exodus 34, you will find that Moses, when he went up to the mountain the second time, spent forty days and forty nights in the presence of God to receive the two tables of law.
When he came down the second time with the two tables of law and spoke to the children of Israel, he did not know that the skin of his face shone. He did not know that.
Because he was with the Lord, his face shone. The children of Israel dared not look at his face, so he put a veil upon his face. But whenever he went into the presence of the Lord, he took that veil away. This is the history that you find in Exodus 34.
But in 2 Corinthians 3, the Spirit of God says Moses put the veil upon his face so that the children of Israel would not be able to see the end of that which was passing away.
On the one hand, the children of Israel dared not look at his face because his face shone. They dared not look at the glory of God that was shining forth through Moses. But at the same time, that which was connected with Moses was passing away. So the veil was put upon his face, that the people would not be able to see the end of that which was passing away.
Then the Holy Spirit applies this in a different way. Instead of the veil being upon Moses’ face, the Spirit of God says that whenever the children of Israel read the book of Moses, they have a veil upon their hearts.
The veil is not on Moses’ face now. The veil is upon the hearts of the children of Israel when they read Moses. What does that mean? It means that they cannot understand the law.
Though they read the book of Moses, the book of the law, they cannot understand the meaning of the law. They misunderstood the law completely. They thought that the law was for them to keep, and that by keeping the law they could live.
They did not know that the law gave them the knowledge of sin. The law is a schoolmaster that leads them to Christ. They did not know that because the veil was upon their heart. They could not understand the true meaning of the law given.
But whenever their heart turned to the Lord, that veil was taken away. In other words, whenever their heart turned to Christ, then the veil was taken away because they understood fully the meaning of law and also the meaning of grace.
Here Paul again changes the application of the veil. But before that, we should mention this: you remember when Christ was crucified on the cross. At the time when He died and said, “It is finished,” the veil in the temple in Jerusalem was rent in two from top to bottom.
In other words, when Christ died on the cross, the veil was torn in two. Why?
In Hebrews 10, we are told that God has opened for us a new and living way, dedicated for us, that we may enter into the holiest of all through the veil, which is His flesh.
In other words, when the Word became flesh and tabernacled among men, Christ in the flesh was the veil. His flesh was the veil that separated the holiest of all from the holy place.
In Him is God. The glory of God dwells in Him. Yet because He took upon Himself flesh, the people in the world could not see the glory of God. It was hidden within the flesh.
When they saw Jesus, they thought He was a man of Galilee, a carpenter, the son of a carpenter, a prophet, or a teacher from heaven. They could not see the glory of God. Why? Because He was hidden by His flesh.
Only those who had spiritual eyes could see the glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father. In John 1:14, the Word became flesh and tabernacled among men—and we contemplated His glory, glory as of an only begotten with a father.
Only people with spiritual eyes could see through that veil, through that flesh, to the glory of God. Ordinary people could not see it. Even though He was full of grace and truth, they could not see the glory of God because it was veiled by His flesh.
Only once was that veil lifted for a little time: when He was transfigured on the Mount of Transfiguration. The veil was lifted for a little while, and the glory of God shone forth.
But thank God, when our Lord Jesus was crucified, when His flesh was broken on Calvary’s cross, the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom.
So His flesh is the veil, and that veil is already rent. Because that veil is rent, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is now visible. We can behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face and be transformed from glory to glory according to His image by the Lord the Spirit.
This is Christ. Therefore, there is no reason why there should be any more veil. The veil is rent.
But in the same principle, as God puts the gospel of Jesus Christ—as God puts Christ, His life and light, in us—our flesh again becomes a veil.
Our flesh can hinder the coming forth of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Unless this veil is also rent, the gospel will be hidden.
But as far as Paul is concerned, this veil is rent. Therefore he said that if the gospel is veiled, it will not be because of him; it is because of those who do not believe.
Dear brothers and sisters, what is the secret of spiritual ministry? The nature of spiritual ministry is the imparting of Christ—ministering Christ to people, writing Christ in the lives of people. That is the nature of spiritual ministry.
But how can we minister Christ? Or, to put it negatively, why are we not able to minister Christ to people? What is the reason? You will find that the reason is in the veil.
If the veil is rent, then the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ will shine forth. If the veil is not rent, then the glory of God is hidden within us.
To explain this, Paul says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels.”
What is the treasure? Of course, we know there is only one treasure: it is Christ. He is the treasure. The treasure is precious, worthy, radiant, and living.
Who are the earthen vessels? Of course, we are. We are made of earth. As earthen vessels, we are common, cheap, unworthy, fragile, weak, and opaque—vessels not originally fit for noble purposes.
Yet the grace of God is such, and the gospel is such, that He has put the treasure in earthen vessels. No one would do that. The treasure and the earthen vessels are so very different; they seem to be at opposite poles.
Yet the treasure is not against the earthen vessels, nor are the earthen vessels against the treasure. It is the treasure in the earthen vessels together. Now that is grace.
But because the earthen vessel is opaque, the radiancy of the knowledge of Jesus Christ cannot shine forth. The earthen vessel that contains the treasure keeps the light within. That is, the ministry does not come forth.
The potential of ministry is there: it is Christ. We preach Christ Jesus, Lord, not ourselves. So in every brother and sister, the potential of ministry is there. But, being earthen vessels, we can hinder the ministry from coming forth.
One thing is needed: the earthen vessel must be broken. If the earthen vessel is broken, then the radiancy of the gospel of Jesus Christ will shine forth. The surpassing greatness of His power will be manifested.
Therefore, you find that the secret of spiritual ministry is brokenness.
Unless there is brokenness in our lives, unless our flesh is broken, unless our outward man is consumed, ministry will never come forth.
Brothers and sisters, that is the reason why ministry is very costly. Do not think that we can minister Christ to the body of Christ, or to our brothers and sisters, without paying a tremendous cost.
It costs our life. It costs the putting to death of our flesh. Our flesh is a veil, and unless that is put to death, true ministry will not be able to come forth.
Our tendency is that we like to preserve the earthen vessel. We like to keep it intact. Not only that, we like to strengthen it, reinforce it, and beautify it.
We like to feel that we are strong, able, and spiritual—that we can do it. Even in the service of God, you find this is our natural tendency.
If we do not love God, if we have no desire to serve Him, then we do nothing. But if we do love Him and want to serve Him, how do we serve?
Instead of seeing that our earthen vessel must be broken, we use all that is inherent in that earthen vessel—our soul, glory, and all these things. We take hold of ourselves and try to serve God with the power of the earthen vessel.
Sometimes we feel that the power of the earthen vessel is too small, so we ask God to give us power. Sometimes we feel insufficient, so we ask Him to help us and build us up.
The more we serve, the stronger we become, the more reinforced we become. But, dear brothers and sisters, it is the earthen vessel that is expressed; the light within is still hidden.
We are imparting ourselves; we are not imparting Christ. We are preaching ourselves; we are not preaching Jesus Christ, Lord. What people receive is us, not Christ. This is not ministry.
But it is our natural tendency. We always want God to strengthen us and build us up, that we may serve Him. But you know who is being served? Not God. You are being served.
The secret of spiritual ministry is that the earthen vessel must be broken—not strengthened, but broken. The veil must be rent.
But how is the veil rent? You know, the veil between the holiest of all and the holy place was a very heavy veil. Some people say that even if you took two strong oxen and pulled them in different directions, you could not tear it. It was very heavy and very thick.
When it was rent, it was not rent from bottom to top; it was rent from top to bottom. In other words, no man could rend it. It is God Who does it.
Dear brothers and sisters, how can this earthen vessel be broken? How can the veil that is our flesh be rent? Nobody can do it, and nobody will do it. Please do not try to do it, because you cannot. It has to be rent from top to bottom. In other words, God will do it.
But before God can do it, there is one thing we must do. We must not try to rend ourselves. You love yourself so much that you will not do it.
But one thing we must do is tell Him, “Lord, for the sake of Your ministry, I am willing to be broken. For the sake that Your life may be manifested in others, I am willing to die.”
For the sake of Jesus, I am willing to bear in my body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be manifested. In other words, we need to be willing.
We need to offer ourselves to Him: “Lord, here am I. I am not going to preach myself; I am going to preach Jesus Christ, Lord. I am not going to minister myself to people; I am going to minister Christ to people.”
“And for the sake of that ministry, I am willing to be broken. I am willing to be rent. I am willing to die. Lord, I am in Your hands. Do it for Your sake.”
That is all we can do, and that is all we are required to do. As we yield our lives to Him for this purpose, you will find that the Holy Spirit will arrange our circumstances and environment to break us.
Here Paul says, “Every way afflicted, but not straitened.” Another translation says, “Sorely pressed, but not hemmed in.” Another translation says, “Handicapped on all sides, but not frustrated.” Think of that.
In order that the ministry may come forth, and where the willingness is there, the Holy Spirit will so arrange your environment—we call it the discipline of the Holy Spirit—so as to sorely press you.
When you are pressed a little bit, you can withstand. But when you are pressed beyond your measure, then you will break. Sorely pressed, but not hemmed in; handicapped on all sides, but not frustrated. Why? Because there is resurrection.
“Seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up.” Another translation says, “At our wits’ end, but not at our hope’s end.” As far as our wits are concerned, we are at the end. We do not know what to do now.
Brothers and sisters, do not think that you come to your wits’ end so quickly. Oftentimes it takes years to come to your wits’ end because you are so witty. It took Jacob twenty years to come to his wits’ end. But that is not hope’s end; it is the beginning of hope.
“Persecuted, but not abandoned.” Yes, persecuted by men, but not abandoned by God. “Cast down, but not destroyed.” I like the other translation: “Knocked down, but not knocked out.”
Brothers and sisters, oftentimes we are knocked down. Well, knowing our strength, it is not easy to knock us down. But sometimes we are knocked down, and we bounce back. We are never knocked out.
“Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus.” What is the dying of Jesus? The word there is not the death of Jesus; it is the dying of Jesus, or the slaying of Jesus.
What does that mean? It means the putting to death of Jesus—or, in some translations, the deadening of Jesus. The death of Jesus is so powerful that the death of Jesus is being applied to our body, applied to our flesh.
When the death of Jesus is applied to our flesh, it puts the flesh to death. It slays us. Always bearing about in the body the slaying of Jesus.
I would underline that word always. Not just once in a great while, but always. Paul said, “I die daily.” Daily. Oh, brothers and sisters, do we have such experience?
If we are lacking in such experience, no wonder ministry is hindered. How can ministry come forth from the earthen vessels when the earthen vessels are not broken? We are just what we are.
Dear brothers and sisters, oftentimes you find people, after many years of service, are only getting stronger and stronger instead of weaker and weaker. Is there brokenness in our lives?
Are we always bearing the dying of Jesus in our body, that the life of Jesus may be manifested? Are we being delivered to death for the sake of Jesus?
This is different from Romans 8. In Romans 8:13, Paul says:
But if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
In Romans 8, this is in the area of sin. How can we be delivered from the power of sin? On the one hand, by knowing that our old man was crucified with Christ; on the other hand, by putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit.
Whenever sin tries to raise its head through our body, the Holy Spirit immediately reminds us that our old man was crucified. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we deliver the deeds of the body to death. That is to say, we have nothing to do with sin.
So Romans 8 tells us the secret of being delivered from the power of sin. It relates to spiritual life: how can we live? How can we live our spiritual life? How can we live an overcoming life, a life that will glorify God?
We have to put to death the deeds of the body by the power of the Holy Spirit. But in 2 Corinthians 4, this being delivered to death for the sake of Jesus is not basically concerned with sin. It is concerned with the flesh.
It is not basically in the area of spiritual life; it is basically in the area of spiritual ministry. Of course, life and ministry can never be completely separated—that is true. But the emphasis here is the putting to death of the flesh.
The dying of Jesus, the slaying of Jesus, is in the area of the flesh, so that the veil may be rent and the glory of God in the holiest place may shine forth.
Brothers and sisters, this may explain why, sometimes in your life, you find situations that you cannot explain. It has nothing to do with sin.
As you wait upon the Lord, so far as your individual life is concerned, you do not understand why these things are necessary. They do not seem to be necessary as far as your life is concerned.
But, brothers and sisters, if you know the heart of God, if you know that God has called you to minister Christ, then it explains. It is for the sake of Jesus. It is not for your sake.
It is for the sake of Jesus, that the life of Christ may be manifested in other people. Are we willing to be broken?
You remember the story of Gideon and the three hundred. In one hand they held a pitcher with a torch hidden in it, and in the other hand a trumpet. As they came to the enemy’s camp, they broke the pitchers so that the torch, the light, might shine; and they blew the trumpet. You know, a great victory was won.
You remember the story of our Lord Jesus using five loaves and two fishes to feed five thousand. How? The five loaves and two fishes had to be given to the Lord, out of your hand into the hand of the blessed Lord.
He will bless them, and He will break them, and He will multiply and distribute them. This is the secret of ministry.
Again, I will re-emphasize: in ministry here, we are not talking about special ministry. We are talking about body ministry. Everybody is involved in this ministry.
The nature of this ministry must be imparting Christ, and the secret of this ministry is brokenness.
The strange thing is this: as we are broken, remember, it does not mean that we are destroyed or annihilated. God never destroys or annihilates our personality.
It is true that our flesh must be broken. Our outward man—our flesh, our outwardness—has to be consumed, and it will be consumed when we are put into situations like those we just described: knocked down, but not knocked out.
It has to be consumed, but our inward man is renewed day by day. In other words, in the process of being broken, we are not destroyed; we are completed. We are completed. We are beautified.
The inward man, the man of the spirit, is being built up and renewed day by day.
Of course, it takes faith. Why? Because without faith, we will always look at things seen. If you look at things seen, you will be disturbed.
But we look at the things that are unseen, because we know that the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Even though there will be afflictions involved—affliction to our soul, like iron entering into our soul, as with Joseph—Paul said this is just a momentary and light affliction.
It works for us, in surpassing measure, an eternal weight of glory. Oh, brothers and sisters, it is worth it.
I do look to the Lord that this body ministry may be manifested. It is my prayer that every brother, every sister, every member in the body of Christ should have a part in this ministry of the body.
But again, we find that this is not so. It is not because it is not there.
On the one hand, the spiritual life of God’s people does not grow as it should, and because spiritual life does not grow, ministry is not able to be produced. That is true. How we need to grow in spiritual life.
But on the other hand, I believe there are ministries already there. God has already shone into our hearts. We have Christ in us. We have His life in us. We ought to be able to minister Christ to one another, to build up one another.
But why can we not? It is because we love ourselves so much. We give in to our flesh. We build up our flesh. We strengthen our flesh.
The result is that all our service is just preaching ourselves, not preaching Jesus Christ, Lord. Oh, how we need to be broken. How we need to see that veil rent, that Christ may pour forth.
I remember the story of Mary, how she came to the Lord. She broke the alabaster flask, that the pound of pure nard might pour forth upon the Lord, and the fragrance filled the house. This is the way we should do, because He is worthy.
Our Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee because Thou hast already shone into our hearts. We have seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We have this treasure in our earthen vessels.
Oh, how we desire that it may not be ourselves, but that it may be Christ Who is ministered. Lord, we offer ourselves to Thee afresh.
We confess that we cannot, we will not, and we are not able to rend ourselves. But Lord, for Thy sake, for the sake of Thy body, for the sake of the ministry, we are willing to put ourselves in Thy hands.
We ask Thee, O Lord, that Thou wilt bless us, Thou wilt break us, and Thou wilt distribute us.
We do desire to see the body of Christ built up. Lord, do not allow any one of us here to be passive.
But, Lord, may we all function under the headship of Christ, that we may build up ourselves in love. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.