The Ministry and the Minister

The manner of presentation of the ministry of Christ in Second Corinthians differs greatly from that in Ephesians. In the latter epistle we have the mystery of Christ and the Church unfolded, and our heavenly blessings in association with a risen Christ. In connection with this, ministry is found as the gracious provision of the Head for the need of His members below. It comes out, as it were, as part of a circle of teaching concerning the Church, its blessings and endowments.
We observe a different aspect in Corinthians. The Apostle is seeking the full spiritual restoration of his children in the faith. They had erred; Satan had gotten in. Their hearts had been estranged from the Lord and from the man who had been so greatly used in their blessing. Their ways and words had forced the Apostle to speak of himself and his ministry-this to a larger extent than he would have wished to have done. Consequently, ministry in this epistle has largely an experimental character. The deep feelings and emotions of the wounded servant are to be observed throughout. To simplify the matter, I would just mention that the subject is presented thus: in chapter 3, we have the ministry; in chapter 4, the minister; in chapter 5, his motives; in chapter 6, his moral traits.