The Mission Strategy of Paul (short sermon)

The Mission Strategy of Paul (short sermon)
by Aleksandar Trajkovski

Let's open the word of God to the second epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians.

 2Co 4:1-6 ISV Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown to us, we do not get discouraged. 2 Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not use trickery or pervert God's word. By clear statements of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience before God. 3 So if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are dying. 4 In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus the Messiah.

I want to share with you some things that I have learned over the past twenty years about mission and evangelism. Because of time, we will not analyze the whole context of our text. Let's go straight to the text.

The main thought of the Apostle Paul in this passage is in verse 2. He says that In his ministry he has renounced secret and shameful ways. He did not use trickery or pervert God's word. Why he is telling us these things? There is a hint in the first verse. He said that, since they have their ministry through the mercy shown to them, they do not get discouraged. Instead, He says, they renounced secret and shameful ways.

What does this mean? When you work in the ministry of Christ in the mission field, it is easy to be discouraged. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, you will be persecuted, usually more than you would be at home. Constant persecution can be very discouraging. Secondly, you will feel that your fellow believers at home have forgotten you. And it can be the case. Paul says that everybody has left him. Many were ashamed of his chains. It can be very discouraging. Thirdly, there is a lack of fruit. Missionaries can labor for years and see no significant progress. And it can be very discouraging. What will happen then? They will be tempted to “adjust” the message of the Gospel, and how that message ought to be proclaimed. And that is exactly what Paul is speaking against here.

2 Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not use trickery or pervert God's word. By clear statements of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience before God.

I have a friend. He was a Seventh-Day Adventist. He used to come regularly to our church, not to have fellowship or to learn something, but to convert us to Adventism. His strategy was weird. His real intentions were usually hidden. It means that he used trickery and deception. Because of that, I had to learn more about Adventists. In one of their books, I read about their mission strategies. The strategy was something like this: We should go and preach the Gospel. If we can not preach Christ (i.e. If people don't want to listen about Christ) we should preach about God. If that kind of preaching is not possible, we should preach about health (a healthy way of living and healthy food). This is an interesting approach. But I have a hard time finding this teaching in Scripture. Where do the Apostles preach God instead of Christ? Where do they preach health instead of Christ? You can not find anything even remotely like that. In our text, Paul is clear when he speaks about his message. He said that they preach Christ (nothing else).

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus' sake. 

So I would suggest that this Adventist strategy is different than Paul's strategy. But this is not true about their strategy only. I have seen this kind of strategy, or even worse, practiced by some evangelical missionaries. They used secret and shameful ways and trickery, and perverted God's word to avoid persecution and to produce so-called “converts” and to plant so-called “churches”.

All of us are tempted to do the same. We do not like persecution, rejection and fruitless ministry. So, we will be tempted to pervert God's word in exchange for success and pleasant life.

How God's word is perverted on the mission field? Firstly, there is a tendency to reduce the Gospel message to the bare minimum. This is the easiest way to go astray. “God loves you. Receive Jesus in your heart.” But Paul did not preach a minimal Gospel. He preached the whole counsel of God. Of course, sometimes we do not have time to explain the whole counsel of God. If we have five minutes, we want to share the core of the Gospel. Paul does that in the epistles to the Corinthians. 

(2Co 5:21) He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him. (LEB) Or, in First Corinthians: 1Co 15:1-5 ISV Now I'm making known to you, brothers, the gospel that I proclaimed to you, which you accepted, on which you have taken your stand, (2) and by which you are also being saved if you hold firmly to the message I proclaimed to you—unless, of course, your faith was worthless. (3) For I passed on to you the most important points that I received: The Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures—and is still alive!— (5) and he was seen by Cephas, and then by the Twelve.

Secondly, there is a tendency to avoid preaching altogether. “We do not preach” – says the missionary. They have strategies to avoid preaching and teaching. Paul was different. He was not ashamed of the Gospel. He urged Timothy to preach the Word, in season and out of season.

2Ti 4:1-2 ISV In the presence of God and the Messiah Jesus, who is going to judge those who are living and those who are dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly appeal to you 2 to proclaim the message. Be ready to do this whether or not the time is convenient. Refute, warn, and encourage with the utmost patience when you teach.

Thirdly, the preaching of the Gospel is replaced with some other, in their mind, equally important things. Paul has never done that. He preached the Gospel and nothing but the Gospel, regardless of whether people liked it or not.

1Co 1:21-24 ISV For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe through the nonsense of our preaching. 22 Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach the Messiah crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the Messiah is God's power and God's wisdom.

People are more interested in some other things than the Gospel. But Paul did not care. He preached the Gospel because God had sent him to preach the Gospel. It is as simple as that. I can go on and speak about other things, but this will be sufficient to give you the idea.

 Conclusion 

So, what does all of this mean for our daily lives? I believe that all of us are called to preach the Gospel. Not to be preachers, but to proclaim the good news. And all of us are tempted to change the message and how the message ought to be proclaimed. This is not wise and it is not safe. We are not looking for praise from a man but for approval from God. We do not want to be successful and smart in the eyes of man, but faithful in the eyes of God. So, this is the counsel from Paul to all of us: “do not be discouraged but reject any secret and shameful ways, do not use trickery and do not pervert the word of God. But be clear in your preaching of the Truth and commend yourselves to everyone's conscience before God.