In 4:1 Paul speaks of having “this ministry.” This is the ministry described in 2:12 through 3:18. “This ministry” indicates that we, all the apostles of Christ, though many, have one unique ministry—the ministry of the new covenant for the accomplishing of God’s New Testament economy. All the apostles’ works are to carry out this unique ministry of ministering Christ to others for the building up of His Body.
In verse 1 Paul speaks of ministry in the singular. This is a strong proof that the co-workers all had one ministry, the unique ministry. Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament there is one unique ministry. The unique ministry in the New Testament is the ministry of righteousness and of the Spirit. In this ministry Christ is ministered to others.
Today it is common for preachers to talk about different ministries. Although I would not say that it is wrong to speak of ministries, we need to be careful in speaking concerning ministry in this way. What is crucial here is what we mean by the words ministry and ministries. In 2 Corinthians the ministry is unique; it is not spoken of in the plural. “This ministry” is the unique ministry of the New Testament.
In chapter one of Acts Peter refers to the ministry. There was the need for someone to fill the gap among the Apostles, for someone to join the eleven in bearing the ministry. The twelve Apostles all had one ministry. This ministry was to preach Christ in resurrection. In 2 Corinthians the apostles also have one ministry—to minister Christ to others.
The first aspect of the way the apostles conducted themselves was that they did not lose heart. I can testify that because I also have a part in this ministry, I do not lose heart. The ministry is an incentive and a motivation. This ministry strengthens me, supports me, backs me up, and causes me not to lose heart. Even the opposition is a sign that this ministry is under the Lord’s blessing and that it is effective. We do not lose heart, no matter how much the opposition may rise up against us.
In verse 2 Paul says, “But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience before God.” We need to have a conscience that can declare to the angels and the demons that we do not have any hidden things of shame, but are transparent and crystal clear.
The Greek word rendered adulterate primarily means to ensnare; then to corrupt, as in the case of gold or wine that is not pure. The meaning is narrower than that of the word for peddling in 2:17, which adds the sense of being for the sake of gain. To adulterate gold is to mix it with some inferior metal for the purpose of selling it at a price higher than its actual value. Likewise, to adulterate wine is to mix it with another kind of liquid for the purpose of presenting it as if it were wine of good quality. Even in the first century, certain so-called preachers adulterated the Word of God in this way. They added inferior things to the Word.
Some preachers today adulterate the Word of God. In their sermons they may use verses from the Bible, but they add adulterating elements. They claim that what they preach is God’s Word. Actually, only a small percentage may be the Word, with the remainder being the adulterating elements that have been added to the Word. In this way, they adulterate the divine gold and the divine wine in the Bible. Paul’s way of conducting himself was absolutely contrary to this. He certainly did not adulterate the word of God, but presented the pure gold, even the refined gold, of the Word.
By the manifestation of the truth, Paul and his workers commended themselves to every man’s conscience before God. The truth here is another expression of the Word of God (John 17:17). It means reality and denotes all the real things revealed in God’s Word, which mainly are Christ as the reality of all the things of God. The manifestation of the truth refers to the apostles’ living of Christ. When they live Christ, who is the truth (John 14:6), they manifest the truth. As Christ is lived out of them, the truth is manifested in them. By this, they commend themselves to every man’s conscience before God. The apostles behave themselves not in the way of adulterating the word of God, but of manifesting the truth for the shining of the gospel of the glory of Christ, by the excellent power of the priceless treasure, the very Christ who entered into them and became their content (2 Cor. 4:7) through the enlightenment of God’s shining (v. 6).