The Role of the Spirit & The Gospel   Paul argues that his authority as an apostle of the Gospel of Christ and his "commendation" is in Christ Jesus from God and empowered by the Holy Spirit "so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than what is in the heart" (2 Cor 5:4). In so doing, Paul does not commend himself on the basis of worldly criteria held in esteem by the outspoken minority opposing him within the community of Christian believers at Corinth (2 Cor 4:7). Rather, Paul commends himself on the basis of the Holy Spirit's effective enablement through his own weaknesses and hardships, and predicated upon Christ's redemptive incarnation, death, resurrection, and exaltation. The evidence of God's approval of Paul and his apostolic authority, he reasons, is the very existence of the Corinthian Church. And, unlike the so-called "super apostles" opposing him, Paul's purpose for defending his apostolic authority was not carnal (1:23); nor was it with worldly ambitions (2 Cor 4:5). Instead, he was motivated by the indwelling Holy Spirit whose purpose is reconciliation in which one had free will to partner, or not to partner by grace through faith in the message and ministry of reconciliation. To illustrate this relationship Paul compares/contrasts the glory of the Old Covenant with the New Covenant (2 Cor 3:1-18), and identifies himself as a mere clay vessel insignificant in an of itself and regardless of aesthetics (2 Cor 5:12B). Paul reasons that its the treasure inside, or the Holy Spirit, the vessel's designated purpose, and rightful use that makes it of eternal value (2 Cor 4:7; 4:1-18). The jar, or "earthly tent" is temporal. Moreover, how this temporal vessel is used is by grace (God's initiative), but because God's grace is appropriated through faith (man's response) the vessel will be rewarded on the basis of intended and empowered purpose relative to its actual use by appropriation or lack therof. Interestingly, it is written elsewhere that how we repond to God's grace largely determines how a vessel is used. Paul's aim was to attain "an eternal weight of glory" surpassing anything this world has to offer-not only for himself, but for those to whom he was writing. Yet, this is to be realized fully with the final consumation in the end of things, and the current experience of the Holy Spirit in their midst is a means to a greater end; not the end itself. The gospel not only saved from, but saves to. That is why it is also written those who embrace it are "being saved" in the perfect/present tense. For Paul, embracing the gospel means having been saved from God's wrath and the power of sin by grace through faith we are being saved unto righteousness by grace through faith in order to be the people of God and partner with Him in the ministry/message of reconciliation, and unto the final consumation if one perseveres in the gospel by grace through faith. Thus, Paul was helping the Corinthians realize that rejecting Paul's message and means of this ministry of reconciliation was really rejecting the gospel or the very thing that saves them-"We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:20). In the course of explaining that his motivation was not carnal or driven by worldly ambitions, Paul articulates the gospel not only to provide answers to those in opposition with hopes of reconciliation, but to encourage the Corinthians to persevere in this gospel partnership in union with God in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.

The Gospel Articulated   The apostle Paul writes: "For Christ love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 5:14-6:2). In the context of "Be reconciled unto God" and "God made him to be sin for us that in him we might become the righteousness of God" Paul writes, "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain" (2 Cor 6:1). Reconciliation with God in Christ obliges those to whom it pertains to His purposes-righteousness and the ministry of reconciliation. The opposition criticizing Paul would have none of it.

The Gospel Compelled By Love   The remainder of the letter is the anti-thesis of "receiving God's grace in vain" by explaining how those, Paul and other like-minded communities of believers, are following Christ's example by "spending and being spent" in this gospel partnership with God in Christ (2 Cor 8:3; 12:3)-and by implication evidence of the present paradigm of the cross effectually activating the Holy Spirit's work through those persevering in the true gospel. For example, Christ Jesus "though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Cor 8:8). As the love of God compels Christ in the ministry of reconciliation, Paul contends that the love of Christ compels those in partnership with Him in this ministry of the gospe; if the Spirit of Christ is indeed "in you" and one yields by grace through faith. Thus, Paul encourages the community of believers in Corinth to redirect their focus from the vain purposes of the so called super apostles, and to prove their sincerity of their love in obedience that accompanies their confession of the Gospel of Christ by cheerfully contributing out of their abundance to the relief donation being collected from other poor churches to help the struggling church in Jerusalem-at the least according to their means as they pledged. In other words, Paul encourages the Corinthians to model those with a proper perspective of the cross in the message/ministry of reconciliation through sacrificial giving, which on such terms is in part the evidence of the Holy Spirit's work in their lives. Spending is only one side of the same gospel partnership coin; being spent is the other. Paul explains being spent in disclosing his own hardships in the gospel as well. In either case, there is a present cross in terms of spending and being spent, which the opposition denied.

Evidence of Persevering in the Gospel   Paul's second purpose is tied to the first, and shows by contrast that those preaching "another Jesus," having another spirit and another gospel are false-apostles leading people away from the true gospel, or the power resulting from not only the past, but the present paradigm of what the cross of Christ represents in the lives of those embracing it. It is noteworthy that Paul believed that a believer could abandon the faith by accepting a different Jesus, believing another gospel, and receiving another spirit than the one they had. (Cf. Rom 11, Gal 5:6). Paul writes, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches another Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel, you put up with it." (2 Cor 11:3-5). This is quite an indictment considering the stakes for embracing "another gospel," and with the leadership permitting it. Paul does not want them to be ignorant, and goes on to explain that those teaching another gospel "are false apostles, deceitful workman, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve" (2 Cor 11: 13-15). Moreover, Paul's reference to Eve's deception has striking parallels with the present situation in Corinth. Like Eve, the Corinthians are entertaining what should have been rejected from the onset. It is noteworthy that the devil not only intentionally quoted God's word out of context, but skillfully called the very integrity of the word of God itself into question in deceiving Eve into believing the lie that she could become like God (Gen 3:1, 4-5; cf. Isaiah 44:5-6 & Isaiah 45:12). All along, the devil has worked hard to lead people away from the cross promising notoriety, power, kingdoms, and even godhood. While it certainly is the path of greatest resistance, the power of God comes by way of the cross not only as a past but a present paradigm. It really is a fight of faith in a Biblical framework. And, any displays of the supernatural accompanying God's eschatological or end-time purposes are in bringing to fruition the ultimate fulfillment of the gospel-not man's entertainment according to the context of this letter. See Romans and The Mysteries & Ephesians for specifics about the ultimate gospel fulfillment. In any case, the evidence of persevering in the gospel in union with Christ is embracing the cross as a present and active paradigm worked out practically in dying daily to self by appropriation, being transformed to reflect the life and character of Christ, and bearing the fruit of the spirit. In addition, being compelled by the love of Christ to "spend and be spent" in partnership with God in Christ in the ministry of reconciliation is also a practical indicator of being in the faith. That is why Paul challenges, "Examine yourself whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless of course, you fail the test?" (2 Cor 13:5). Paul knew Christ was in him as he was compelled by his love in this unique gospel partnership confirmed by his Christ-like character, self-sacrificial lifestyle, and empowered ministry in accordance with the gospel. Does the love of God compel you in this unique gospel partnership? (2 Cor 5:14).

This letter is unique in showing that the gospel not only includes God in Christ reconciling in himself one people consisting of Jews and Gentiles embracing the message of reconciliation unto salvation, but includes being compelled by his love in spending and being spent in the ministry of reconciliation by grace through faith. In Christ we become partners with God in the ministry of reconciliation; not mere passive members of his body. Therefore, it is important to examine whether we are compelled by the love of Christ in us, stand firm in this gospel, and in this gospel partnership.