Many years ago, there was a Methodist minister who became so discouraged in ministry that he wanted to quit. This Methodist minister wrote to a Scottish preacher named Alexander White, telling him he wanted to give up the ministry because too many things were not going well. Alexander White wrote back to him and said, “The angels around the throne envy what you are doing.”
You need to understand that to serve in the ministry is a privilege the angels themselves do not have. That is why the Bible says that when we do all these things—the very things “which the angels desire to look into.”
1 Peter 1:12 (KJV):
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Such a privilege is unfathomable—even angels don’t have it. Angels do not preach redemption; they do not preach Christ. But we have been given that opportunity. To serve in His vineyard is therefore the highest privilege of unfathomable proportion.
Now, I’d like to read from 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 1 and 2:
2 Corinthians 4:1–2 (KJV):
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Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
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But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
These two verses are very powerful. In them, we are told what to preach in ministry and how to live in ministry—how to conduct ourselves and how to walk in the calling we have received.
Let’s look closely at verse 1:
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not.”
“…this ministry…” uses the definite article, meaning Paul is referring to a specific ministry. But notice he says, “Therefore seeing…” You need to see the ministry you have received. You can’t just be doing ministry without seeing the ministry to which you’ve been called.
Do you see it? It says, “Therefore seeing we have received this ministry.” There is a ministry we have received, but you must first see it. The chapter begins with “Therefore.” Anytime you read the Scripture and see the word “Therefore,” ask yourself—what is it there for? It links to the previous thought. So, we don’t fully understand what ministry he’s referring to unless we go back to what was said earlier. Let’s go back to 2 Corinthians 3:6–18.
2 Corinthians 3:6 (KJV):
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
So which ministry is he talking about? It is the ministry of the New Testament. The Bible says that God has made us able and competent ministers of the New Testament—we are ministers of the New Testament. It says we have received this ministry, and we must see it. Because many who are New Testament ministers are actually operating under the Old Testament system, Paul says you have to see what you have received.
He says, “Seeing we have received this ministry.” And back in 2 Corinthians 3:6, he says we have been “made able ministers of the new testament.” Then he adds, “not of the letter.” The letter refers to the law. When he mentions “the letter,” he is speaking of the law—“not of the letter”—that is, not of the law—“but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.”
Now let’s go to verse 7:
2 Corinthians 3:7 (KJV):
But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious…
From verse 7 onward, Apostle Paul gives us a contrast between the New Covenant and the Old Covenant. He establishes that what we are committed to is the ministry of the New Covenant. He wants us to see the difference between the two covenants. So he says, “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones…”—he calls the Old Covenant the ministration of death.
The law, which was given to Moses—the Ten Commandments—is called the ministration of death. The verse says, “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones…” That refers to the Ten Commandments, which were written and engraved on two tablets of stone. They are called the ministration of death.
The very day Moses descended from the mountain carrying those two tablets, three thousand people died. The law actually ministers death. The law is called the ministration of death.
The reason the law was given was to show us how weak we are so that we could acknowledge our need for a Savior. The law is God’s standard revealed to man—it exposes man’s wretchedness, showing that he cannot serve God by his own power, flesh, or self-will. The law exposes our weakness and brings us to Jesus Christ.
As the Bible says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” So, the law was the means by which we were led to Jesus.
The Bible continues:
But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
Verse 8 (KJV):
How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?
This is the key: the Old Covenant, which is the law, is called the ministration of death, while the New Testament is called the ministration of the Spirit. There is a clear contrast between the two. I want to show you the ministry you have been entrusted with. The New Covenant is called the ministration of the Spirit.
“How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?”
Remember that when the law was given, it was exactly on the day of Pentecost at Mount Sinai. And by the grace of God, the day the Church was born in Acts chapter 2—the birthday of the Church—was also on another Pentecost. On that birthday, the Spirit was given. In the Old Covenant, when the Old Testament was inaugurated, it was the law that was given. But in the New Testament, when the New Covenant was ushered in, what was given?—the Holy Spirit.
Now your ministry is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. What this means is that you cannot carry out this ministry without the Holy Ghost. In fact, you have to be filled with the Holy Ghost. The infilling of the Holy Ghost is not just a one-time experience—it’s a continual experience.
Ephesians 5:18 (KJV) says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”
The Greek here is in the present continuous tense—it means to be constantly filled with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 4:31 (KJV) says, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
In Acts 13:52 (KJV), the Bible says, “And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.”
So in Acts 2 they were filled, in Acts 4 they were filled, and in Acts 13 they were filled. It’s a continual experience.
When you are filled with the Holy Ghost, the work is different.
There is a difference between a pump and a fountain. Have you ever tried to pump water using your own strength? If you are a lady, you might look around for a man because it takes a lot of effort and energy. You use your muscles to get the water to come up. But with a fountain, it’s different—it’s a free-flowing stream of water. There’s no strain or struggle. That’s the difference between doing ministry in your own strength and doing ministry with the Holy Ghost—engaging the person and power of the Holy Spirit, spending quality time with God. When you are filled, it becomes like a fountain—things begin to flow effortlessly.
Smith Wigglesworth once said, “It is a luxury to be filled with the Holy Ghost.” In fact, he said, “I would rather have the Spirit rest upon me for five minutes than have a million dollars.” Can you imagine that? I know many of you would choose the million dollars, but he knew what it meant to have the Holy Spirit rest upon him. There’s a difference between the Spirit being in you and the Spirit resting upon you.
So the law is called the ministration of death. When you try to keep the law by yourself, you encounter death. The New Testament is called the ministration of the Spirit.
Now let’s continue from verse 9:
2 Corinthians 3:9 (KJV):
“For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.”
So then, the Old Testament has two designations—two names. It is called the ministration of death and the ministration of condemnation. That is the law. The New Testament, on the other hand, is called the ministration of the Spirit and the ministration of righteousness.
So the ministry of the New Testament is the ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness. The Old Testament—the law—gave us death and condemnation.
The Greek says, “If the ministry of condemnation came in glory…” If I ask you, “How did you get to this meeting?” you might say, “I came by a taxi.” That doesn’t mean the taxi belongs to you—it was simply the medium through which you arrived.
So the ministration of condemnation, which is the law, came in glory. It was ushered in with glory. The law condemns the best of men; grace justifies the worst of men. The law is called condemnation.
“…much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.”
The ministration of righteousness has to do with what Jesus did on the cross.
Now, we are called to preach Christ and His work.
The reason for the cross is this: He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Martin Luther called this the Glorious Exchange: Jesus took my place, and I took His place.
John Calvin called it the duplex imputation—all my sins were imputed to Christ, and all His righteousness was imputed to me.
When He took my place, He received all that I deserved. Now that I have taken His place, I receive all that He deserves.
Righteousness means I am now in the Son’s place because He took my place of sin. He didn’t become sin by sinning; He became sin by receiving my sin. I don’t become righteous by acting righteously; I become righteous by receiving His gift.
And this is the cardinal truth of the New Testament, because the Bible says that the ministration of righteousness abounds in glory.
What is glory?
If I have a bucket of water here and it feels heavy, that heaviness or weight is what “glory” means. Glory is the weight of God’s presence—His presence that is heavy with all of His blessings. When the presence of God is weighty and full—with healing, wisdom, joy, peace, health, prosperity, holiness, and every good thing—it is called glory.
The opposite of glory is curse. Where there is no glory, there is curse. In Hebrew, “glory” means weight—to make heavy—while “curse” means to make light.
So the Bible says, “For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” The law came with glory, but righteousness abounds in glory.
Do you know what that means? It exceeds in glory. That means that if you are conscious of what Jesus did for you on the cross—by taking your place of righteousness—your glory increases. Your marriage is blessed, your finances are blessed, your health flourishes, your walk with God deepens. All of this is called glory, because you have embraced what Jesus did in His finished work.
What we preach is Christ, and Him crucified.
The next verse:
2 Corinthians 3:10 (KJV):
“For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.”
Do you want the glory of God to excel in your life? There is an excelling glory. The Greek word is huperballo, from which we get “hyperbole.” It means a glory that becomes increasingly greater and greater. When you receive what Jesus did and have faith in His finished work, the glory will increase.
We are supposed to live a life of peace, joy, harmony, health, prosperity, and fellowship with God. Jesus did all of these for us—your life should move forward, getting better and better. You are to usher others into the glory of God, enjoying Jesus in all His beauty, wonders, and marvels—but it all comes by the consciousness of what Jesus has done.
“…by reason of the glory that excelleth.” Anytime you read the KJV and see a word ending with “-eth,” it means a present continuous tense—a continuous, repeated action. So, “excelleth” means that with righteousness, the glory of God keeps increasing and magnifying in your life. It becomes greater and greater and greater.
Now in verse 9: “For if the ministration of condemnation be glory…”—our ministry is not to condemn anyone. Anytime you condemn people, you are functioning under the Old Testament. We are to correct with the Word, not condemn.
Romans 8:1 (KJV):
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
We do not condemn. The ministration of condemnation is the law. Under the law, we come under condemnation. The word “condemnation” in Greek is katakrisis. “Kata” means something coming down to dominate your life, and krisis is where we get the word “crisis.” That means under the law, your life is dominated by crisis—moving from crisis to crisis. But that’s not our portion! Christ has already redeemed us from the curse of the law. We are not under the curse—we are in His glory, enjoying the goodness and mercies of God, fellowshipping with Him in joy, peace, health, and abundance.
So these verses show two glories—the glory of condemnation and the glory of righteousness.
Now let’s go back to verse 18:
2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV):
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
From glory to glory, we are changed to become like Him. As we behold Jesus, we become like Him. We are changed from glory to glory.
Now, you have to interpret “from glory to glory” in context. We are changed from the gory condemnation of the law to the glory of righteousness under grace. That is the context. Paul is contrasting two kinds of glory—one that fades and one that increases. Under the law, glory constantly fades, but in the New Covenant, our glory is ever increasing. As we behold Jesus—His love, His nature, what He has done for us—we are changed from glory to the glory of His righteousness.
The next verse,
2 Corinthians 4:1 (KJV):
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not.”
Do you see the ministry we have? Our ministry is the ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness. Righteousness is the summary of what Jesus accomplished on the cross in His finished work. We are to preach Jesus—His loveliness, His beauty, and what He did for us. That is the crux of the New Covenant.
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not.”
Of course, all of us have received mercy. Remember in chapter 3:6, it says that we are not sufficient in ourselves—we are not competent in ourselves to think anything as of ourselves. So don’t think that as a minister, you are worthy, or that you are here because you are qualified or ready. We are not worthy, not ready, not qualified.
He didn’t call us because we are qualified; He qualified the called. He qualified us by His grace—we have received mercy.
The Bible says, “We faint not.” Now, the word faint is very essential. It has three meanings in ancient Greek. I’ll touch on it because I don’t want you to faint in your ministry.
The Greek word is ekkakeo, and it has three meanings. The first meaning is this: some versions translate it as “we do not lose heart.” In Greek, it describes a faint-hearted coward—someone too timid to speak what he has been told to say. It relates to what we preach.
So, the first meaning of faint not is not being a coward. It means we must be bold to declare what God has committed to us.
It wasn’t easy for Apostle Paul to preach in his time. It wasn’t a small thing to say that the law had been abolished. That was a bold and dangerous statement! To preach that righteousness comes by faith, not by the law, was radical. The righteousness by the law was abolished—it was obsolete—and a new righteousness came by Jesus Christ. Paul was bold to preach it, and that’s what it means when he says, “We faint not.” We are not cowards.
A coward is a faint-hearted person who cannot preach the cross, who cannot declare that Christ has forgiven our sins. When Jesus died, our sins were forgiven—past, present, and future. Our sins were not forgiven only in the past tense (aorist), but in the perfect tense—completely and eternally forgiven. That’s what Jesus did.
We have been justified. Paul was bold—and we must be bold too—to preach Jesus and proclaim what He has done.
Apostle Paul even said, “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, let him be accursed.”
The gospel is sure. The gospel is true. It is the gospel of peace and the gospel of grace.
So the first meaning of “we faint not” is that we are not cowards—we must preach boldly.
Even Peter, the apostle, once ate with the Gentiles. But when the Jews came, he withdrew and separated himself, pretending he had nothing to do with them. Even Barnabas was affected. Paul had to stand up and rebuke Peter publicly.
That’s why Paul said in Galatians 2:19–21:
“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.”
Galatians 2:20 (KJV):
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
This is the boldness we are called to walk in—the boldness to preach Christ, His finished work, and the righteousness that comes by faith.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Apostle Paul was preaching to Peter. Peter didn’t grasp the revelation as early as Paul did, but Paul was granted that privilege. At first, Peter was hesitant and hid little by little until he fully grasped the revelation.
Paul said in Romans 1:16 (KJV): For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Now, the second definition of the word “faint” in the phrase having received mercy, we faint not refers to having bad conduct or an evil character. So when Paul says we faint not, he is saying that now that we have received this ministry, we must watch our conduct. We don’t live carelessly or wickedly. That’s why in the next verse he continues:
2 Corinthians 4:2 (KJV): But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Now that you are in ministry, from today you have to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty. Literally, the word “dishonesty” means “shame.” What does this mean?—the hidden things of shame.
Here’s what it means: doing something undercover that is bad, while living in constant fear of being exposed and brought to shame. There is something you are doing that you know, if people find out, you will enter into great shame. Apostle Paul said that as far as ministry is concerned, there is nothing we are hiding. We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. It’s not like we are preaching one thing but doing something else in secret, afraid that when we are exposed, it will bring disgrace to the gospel.
If you have something hidden in your cobwebs, clean it up. Otherwise, it will put the gospel into disrepute.
What are the hidden things of shame? Maybe you’re here, and when you go home, you secretly enjoy pornography, making sure all your windows are closed so that in case one of your cell members passes by, they won’t see. Maybe you’ve been ordained, but masturbation has become constant—you’re afraid of being caught, so you do it in secret. Maybe you only give half of your tithe to Jesus, and you’ve not only robbed God in tithes but also in offerings.
Nothing should be hidden. That’s what Paul is saying—we have renounced it. Nothing should be hidden; not that we have a secret side chick apart from our wife.
