Tag: Stay the Course

June 10, 2025

Second Corinthians 4:1
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

Verse Context

The Apostle Paul wrote Second Corinthians to defend his ministry, affirm God’s power in human weakness, and strengthen the church’s resolve amid trials. Written around AD 55–56, this letter addresses a church Paul dearly loved but had to correct. In chapter 4, Paul speaks about the nature of true ministry, it is not glamorous, easy, or self-promoting. Rather, it is grounded in God’s mercy, upheld by His Spirit, and carried out despite affliction.

The phrase “this ministry” refers to the ministry of the New Covenant (see 2 Corinthians 3), where believers serve not by the letter of the law, but by the Spirit, bringing life, not death. Paul reminds us that his endurance isn’t based on strength, charisma, or applause, but on the mercy he has received. He doesn’t quit (we faint not) because his calling came from the God who gave him mercy, not man.

As Charles Hodge (1797–1878, Presbyterian theologian) noted: “The mercy received by ministers is the constant source of their strength and the ground of their perseverance.”

Broader Context

Second Corinthians is one of Paul’s most emotionally transparent letters. It oscillates between pain and encouragement, conflict and hope. Chapter 4 contrasts the frailty of human vessels (“earthen vessels,” verse 7) with the power of God who works through them. Paul is reminding all Christians that the work of the Gospel is not accomplished through personal ability or public praise, it’s driven by mercy, sustained through grace, and displayed in perseverance even when unseen.

Verse 1 sets the tone for the entire chapter: ministry is hard, but it is also anchored in mercy. Therefore, we do not give up.

Paul later writes in Second Corinthians 4:8–9:
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

These verses show the real weight Paul carried, and why “we faint not” is not a casual phrase, it’s a declaration of faith in action.

A personal note: I was recently discussing scripture with a human friend, my best friend, and felt myself getting upset. We all must be careful to allow the scripture to talk to us, and not to talk to it. What I mean is, God gave us the word to have and to follow, but also to guide us to our deeper understanding of its meaning. Sometimes we have to dig deep and sometimes we have to trust that God means simply what He says. We get into this habit of interpreting the Bible. This is a delicate exercise because we do not want to interpret it in such a way that it allows us to be wrong. That is us talking to scripture. We want to interpret what the write is saying not what we are saying. At the end, I am called by God, no matter who thinks what. I am also a sinner. God, not man, is my refuge. We cannot lose heart, we must endure.

Application

1. Appreciating God’s Greatness

God does not call us to serve Him because of our strength. He entrusts us with ministry because of His mercy. Whether you are a pastor, teacher, parent, or quiet intercessor, your labor is not in vain because He sustains it. The greatness of God is seen in the fact that He continues His work through broken vessels like us, and gives us the strength not to faint.

2. For the Believer

This verse speaks to the wearied servant, the one who has faced criticism, exhaustion, and obscurity. Today’s reminder is simple: You have this ministry. Not someone else’s. Not a hypothetical one. The one God has given you, sustained by His mercy.

Call to Action:
Reflect on what God has entrusted to you, your household, your testimony, your prayer life, your ministry, your witness, and remember it is yours because of mercy. Don’t give up. God didn’t choose you based on your strength. He called you in mercy, and that mercy still holds you today.

3. For the Unbeliever

This verse reminds you that the Christian faith is not about earning or deserving a role. It’s about receiving mercy. Ministry isn’t for the perfect; it’s for the redeemed. If you are exhausted from trying to fix your life without peace or purpose, Jesus offers mercy, and through that mercy, a life of eternal purpose. Accept Him today, and you too will “faint not.”

Final Encouragement

No matter how tired, rejected, or small you feel, if God has placed you in ministry—any ministry—He will carry you by mercy. Mercy is not the beginning of ministry—it is the foundation of endurance. And because of that, you faint not.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the ministry You have given each of us. Whether public or private, visible or hidden, it is a gift of Your mercy. Strengthen us today to not give up—to press on, not in our own strength, but in the mercy that saved us. Encourage the discouraged. Renew the weary. Empower the hesitant. Let Your mercy be the fuel of our obedience. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Closing

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Shalom Shalom.