THE FOG OF DESPAIR

We can easily become discouraged in ministry. Our initiatives fail. Success appears illusory. The hearts of people grow cold. Broken promises strand us without resources. Conflicts erupt over petty differences. Harsh words corrode our spirits. Losses pile up. The way ahead becomes shrouded in the fog of despair. Paul understood all too well these realities when he wrote, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart" (2 Cor. 4:1).

The verb translated "we do not lose heart" (ἐγκακοῦμεν also spelled ἐνκακοῦμεν) is a present tense verb indicating a persevering refusal to lose heart. It means to become weary, tired or to despair (BAGD, p.215). The word can mean "cowardice" (Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary, p.215). The sense of the word is less about physical exhaustion and more about something being distasteful or revolting (Martin, 2 Corinthians, p.77). Paul does not face people in ministry with a sense of revulsion. When ministry becomes distasteful, we pull away from people. We pull back from the work. Paul says that we do not develop a distaste for the ministry. We persevere in our determination not to pull away from the work.

How do we avoid developing a distaste for ministry? Distaste for ministry grows whenever we lose sight of the glory of His grace and mercy at work in our own lives as the foundation for ministry to others. Paul says, "For this reason (Διὰ τοῦτο) we do not lose heart." The introductory clause looks forward to the next two clauses in the verse (Rienecker and Rogers, Linguistic Key, p. 462). We do not lose heart "since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy." The participial clause "having this ministry" (ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην) is best understood as causal (Dana & Mantey, Grammar, p.275). The possession of this (ταύτην) ministry (διακονίαν) causes us to avoid finding God's work distasteful and so pull away from His call to serve others.

The ministry Paul is talking about looks back to the ministry of the new covenant in chapter 3. We are not adequate in ourselves, but God makes us adequate as ministers of the new covenant of life, not the old covenant of death (2 Cor. 3:4-6). Our confidence comes from knowing that the "ministry of the Spirit" (ἡ διακονία τῆς πνεύματος) is glorious (2 Cor. 3:8). The source of the new covenant ministry is God. The content of the new covenant ministry is grace. The end of the new covenant ministry is glorious, so we do not despair no matter how bleak the winds might be blowing in life.

Mercy is the foundation for persevering ministry. Paul writes "just as we have received mercy" (καθὼς ἠλεηθημεν) we do not despair. The verb is passive meaning that God shows us mercy. Grace and mercy go hand in hand. Grace refers to the sins forgiven. Mercy refers to the misery we feel because of the sins. God's removal of our misery over sin is the mercy we experience from Him (Trench, Synonyms, p.169). God forgives our sins, and God removes the misery of those sins. God's mercy removes our misery so we can offer His mercy to others in their misery. For this reason, we do not despair as long as we focus on the mercy we have been shown by God.

We do not become discouraged because His ministry energizes us as His mercy humbles us. The ministry is not dependent on us but on Him so to despair in the ministry is to despair in God. A sense of dependency grounds our ministry in His grace. We are what we are and do what we do not by our abilities but by the power of His Spirit which culminates in unfailing glory (2 Cor. 3:6-8). Humbled by His mercy toward us we persevere in ministering mercy to others. Mercy removed our misery. How can we fail to offer that same mercy to others?