2 Corinthians 1:23-24 “Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. (24) Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.”
We have seen in the previous section that there are no levels of seniority among the ministry gifts and that all are equally accountable to the Lord. Nevertheless the Lord Jesus has given His ministry gifts, authority in the church. Their authority however is not some form of hierarchical government in the church. The apostle Paul confirms that truth to us when he tells us in the above quoted passage of scripture that as the Lord’s apostle, he has no authority to exercise dominion over the faith of any of the Lord’s saints, but rather he is a fellow worker together with us. In other words each saint is directly accountable to the Lord and does not report to Him through another saint, even if that saint is an apostle or some other ministry gift. Nevertheless, in this passage Paul does allude to his authority when he tells the church at Corinth that he spared them by not visiting them.
2 Corinthians 13:10 “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul confirms the truth to us that the Lord had given him authority in the church. Paul goes on in this passage to elaborate on the purpose of the authority given i.e. for the building up of the church and not for its destruction. Notice that he uses the term “sharpness”, in connection with the authority which the Lord had given him, thus alluding to the fact that to have an encounter with ministry gift authority is not a pleasant experience.
2 Corinthians 10:1-11 “Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. (2) But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. (3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. (4) For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, (5) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (6) and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (7) Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ's, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ's, even so we are Christ's. (8) For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed-- (9) lest I seem to terrify you by letters. (10) "For his letters," they say, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible." (11) Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.”
So just what does it mean when the Holy Spirit refers to the authority that He has given to the ministry gifts, for the edification and not for the destruction of the church? The above quoted passage of scripture gives us some insight into the authority given to the ministry gifts, for in this passage the apostle Paul speaks about being ready to punish all disobedience. But I want you to notice that Paul only introduces punishment to those whose obedience is fulfilled. So what does that mean? It means that only those who have matured as believers can expect to incur punishment if they become disobedient to the Lord’s commandments. In this passage Paul elaborates on the type of disobedience that attracts ministry gift judgement, i.e. arguments that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. In this passage Paul warns certain members in the church at Corinth not to think of the Lord’s ministers in the natural, because the weapons given to them by the Lord to deal with the rebellious are spiritual in nature.
Michael E.B. Maher
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