Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 2 Corinthians 4:1-4
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul devotes much time to explaining what it means to be a minister of the New Covenant. This Covenant, he says, far surpasses the Old Covenant. It has an intrinsic power and glory that is magnificent and indescribable.
The verses above build on this teaching and lead to a profound conclusion: The New Covenant message is so glorious that it does not need any human interference to increase its appeal. It cannot be marketed or promoted. It does not require sponsorships or endorsements. A glib sales pitch by a smooth talking, dynamic individual is a waste of time.
And so the gospel is best presented plainly, Paul explains, directed at the conscience and not the emotions. This is why the best candidate for delivering it is a weak and unimpressive one. A few verses on we read “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” To the same Corinthians Paul wrote that God chooses people who are not wise, influential or of noble birth.
The marketing revolution of the past few decades has taught us to package and promote our products, causing some of us to forget the basic lesson above. Spicing up our gospel presentation may appear to attract more souls, but in the long run it may very well obscure the glory of the gospel rather than reveal it.
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