For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake,For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
3 sermons cite this verse
… of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4.4. Then Paul says, For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. That is going to be one of the tests, always, of what we're doing and why we're doing it. Are we preaching ourselves, or are we preaching Jesus Christ? Are we preaching the Bible, or are we propounding our own views? Are we bringing people under the sound of the Scriptures so that as sensible people they can understand what is being said, and they can go back always to the Scriptures to verify whether it is there or not? That's the test. It may not be brilliant. It probably won't be brilliant. But most of us haven't been brought up on gourmet food, whatever it really is. We've been brought up on the basics. Our moms made us the basics. They fed us the good stuff, the solid stuff, and we blessed them for it. …
… so you also ought to wash one another's feet. I think if anyone had asked the Apostle Paul, what is the heartbeat of your ministry? I think he might have said, well, have you not read 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5? We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord. And were I writing that verse, that's where the sentence would end. But it's not where Paul's sentence ends, is it? His sentence ends with, and we are your bond slaves for Jesus' sake. And in many ways, that is the key to pastoral integrity. It's the key to not abusing your people. It's the key to not making the sheep food for your own ambition. That when you stand before them, when you live among them, you're constantly on your knees before them. Because you believe that whatever giftedness you may have, it has been given to you, not for your sake, not for your aggrandizement, but for the sake of their blessing and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. …
… Then the apostle Paul says, For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. Well, Paul, if you preach Jesus, God's going to bless you, and the world's going to be good to you. You won't have any problems. Well, just hold on and see if that is true. He says, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure, that is the glory of God, in earthen vessels, in clay pots, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. We are like a clay pot. And the only thing that makes us worthwhile or anything good about me, you, or any other person on the face of this earth is Jesus Christ, the treasure that is in the clay pot. And then Paul describes the difficulty that he got in. …