Gò0dNews for Everyone
Don’t Lose Heart in Ministry and Life
2
by Jonathon Wright
Corinthians 4:7-9 “But we have this treasure in
However, God was not through. Shortly after this,
earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may
there was news that Crispus, the synagogue ruler, accepted
be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on
Christ. God touched the heart of this ruler, and many others
every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in
believed in the Lord. God is the only one who can change
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not
such hard hearts as these Jews in Corinth. No wonder Paul
destroyed” (NKJV, See also Acts 18:1-17 for background).
needed to encourage them to keep sharing the Gospel and
Paul is quite the motivational speaker in this chapter.
not lose heart. When Paul came to Corinth, he needed a lot
In 1 Corinthians 4:1, 16, he encourages them not
of encouragement. We learn from 1 Corinthians 2:3 that
to lose heart and ends the chapter with this same
he came to them with much fear and trembling.
appeal. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 is right in the
Also, in Acts 18:9-17, the Lord spoke and
middle of this chapter. It describes some
encouraged him in a dream not to fear
of the struggles that Paul endured in
because no one would harm him. Many
life for the sake of the Gospel. Life and
Jews hated Paul and eventually brought
ministry can, at times, be hard, and we
him before the judgment seat. They wanted
all need encouragement not to lose heart.
to appeal to have Paul executed, but the
As you read these words, notice
judge would not sentence Paul to death
Paul’s use of the word we in verses 7
and told them to handle these things
and 8. Paul, a mighty man of faith,
among themselves. Paul did not even
identified with the ordinary man. He
have to make a defense. God fulfilled
was a person like you and me. It is
the promise of that dream. Later, God
easy to think that Paul was always
showed up again because the opening
bold and full of faith, but his ministry
address of 1 Corinthians 1:1 talks
in Corinth tells us otherwise.
about how the Sosthenes, the leading
Paul spent a year and a half in
prosecutor, was their brother or part
ministry at Corinth. His ministry had ups
of the family of God.
and downs. It started when Paul testified
Many times, God will come
in the synagogue that Jesus was the Christ. “But
through for us in the hard times. He
when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his
does this in hopes that we will share our
garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be upon your own
testimony to encourage others. The things the Lord did in
heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles’”
Paul’s life would later become treasured memories of God’s
(Acts 18:6, NKJV).
power which empowered his ministry. This is the reason he
Paul departed from the synagogue, possibly scared for
could keep a realistic but optimistic attitude in hard times.
his life. He came to the house of Titus Justus, a God-fearing
We need to do the same because God can turn things around
Gentile, who befriended and took him. Thus began the
and show His power in our weakness.
title. No other church Paul established was referred to by this name.
46 // February 2022
About The Author
Church of God in Corinth. See 1 Corinthians 1:2 for this Jonathon Wright currently lives in Cleveland, Tennessee, and has been a member of the Church of God for about twenty years. He is a graduate of Lee University and Beacon University where he earned a BA and MA in Biblical Studies. He loves studying the Bible and has done so for over thirty years, but only now has God given him a desire and the opportunity to be a writer. He is currently beginning the process of writing a book on Genesis entitled, God’s Good Prophetic Plan: From Beginning to End.
