Being Made Adequate

 2 Corinthians 3:4-11

And such confidence we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.  But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?  For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.  For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it.  For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

Sermon for the 12th Sunday after Trinity                    9/07/25

Being Made Adequate

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Our text this morning is about the ministry.  It is fashionable today to refer to anything one does in the church as a "ministry".  We have the ministry of the LWML and the ministry of the evangelism committee.  There is, among some congregtions, the kitchen ministry of the good women who serve potlucks and the ministry of compassion when we deliberately organize to do socially useful things.  The idea that everything we do is "ministry" is so firmly rooted in our Synod that at a recent convention we passed a resolution entitled, "To Support Quilting Ministries" which encourages you all to visit the members of your quilting group (if you have one), thank them for their service to the church over all these years, and encourage more people to become involved in quilting "ministry".

Our text deals with ministry in a more theologically technical sense.  This speaks about the ministry of the Word, and divides Law and Gospel as it does so.  Paul boasts in our text about his work among the Corinthians, and the result of his labors, and then gives the glory to God.  The thing that makes the difference, according to our text, is not the messenger, but the message.  It is not the qualities of the pastor in terms of charm and eloquence, but it is the work of God.  Our theme is "being made adequate."

Paul is speaking of the Corinthians as being his "letter of commendation" from Christ to the church and to the world.  But he apparently is sensitive to the thought that people think he is bragging.  So Paul writes, "And such confidence we have through Christ toward God."  What that expresses is that Paul believes that his success as an Apostle is from God.  He continues with that thought, "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant."

This is the heart of the passage.  Paul confesses that in and of himself, he is not particularly competent or even adequate   for the task he is performing, and the work he does is not successful because of his talent or intelligence.  He acknowledges, instead, that everything comes from God.  His competence, and his success is God-worked.  God has made him adequate to the task.

That is the truth of the Holy Ministry.  No one who holds the office of the ministry is competent for the task, in and of himself.  Our adequacy is also from God.  Surely there are pastors that you have liked more than others.  Some were better speakers.  Some were just wonderful at calling on people and making them feel right at home.  Some fit in like a glove, while others may have seemed odd and out of place.  The truth, however, is that you may like them or not, but the power and adequacy for doing the work of the ministry is God-given.  Faith does not come by the eloquence of the preacher, or his intellectual arguments, or his personal appeal.  Faith comes by hearing, and that hearing is by the Word of God. 

We confess that much in the Small Catechism, in the meaning to the Third Article of the Apostles' Creed, "I believe that I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ , my Lord, or come to Hm; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me, just as He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it in Christ Jesus in the one true faith."

God creates faith, because, "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised."  So, our faith does not depend on us OR on the skill of the preacher, but on God.  As long as your pastor is faithful and teaches the whole counsel of God faithfully, God is at work through him, making him adequate for the work which God has called him to do and granting the success which God Himself has planned for His Word in this place.

Of course, the pastor must preach the whole counsel of God - both the Law and the Gospel.  That is what the part of the text is about when Paul writes about the ministry of condemnation and the ministry of righteousness.  The ministry of condemnation, which he also calls the ministry of death, is the preaching of Moses - or of the Law.  The new covenant - or better, the New Testament, is not of Law or of the letter of the law, but of the Spirit.  It is the New Testament of the grace of God in Christ Jesus.

I want you to take note of the fact that Paul does not dismiss the Law.  He says that it has glory - it is true and valid yet today.  It is simply outshined.  The glory of the covenant, or testament, of righteousness in Jesus Christ is so great and the Gospel is so wonderful that the Law recedes into the shadows.  It is like taking a brightly burning candle from a dark room out into the bright sunshine.   If you do that, it will look like the candle has gone out.  You will see the wick as though it were not burning, but don't touch it!  It is still true and valid, hot and on fire!

So it is with the Law in the face of the Gospel.  Is the Law true.  Yes!  It is the Word of God.  The condemnations and judgments of God have not changed.  The Ten Commandments are still in force.  But in the face of the Gospel, they shrink away, because your sins are forgiven!  Does this mean that sinning is no longer a problem?  No.  Sin is always a problem, and a deadly danger.  But when we repent, God is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness - because Jesus has already paid the penalty by dying in our place on the cross.  The judgment of God over your sin is seen on the cross, just as clearly as the forgiveness of your sins is seen in the glorious resurrection of Jesus.

The Law is still true, and good.  But the Gospel is better.  It is not ‘more true', it is merely also true.  And forgiveness trumps condemnation, and the righteousness received by grace through faith trumps sinfulness, and eternal life trumps death.  This is all received by those who believe, for it is the plan and will of God that faith lays hold of the riches of Christ which He won for us in His passion, death, and resurrection.  "He that believes and is baptized, shall be saved."

Which would you rather live under, God's judgment of your works or the free gift of everlasting life?  It is, as they say, a "no-brainer."  Yet it is not by your choice but by the grace of God.  We are adequate for salvation because of being made adequate by Christ.  And with Paul we must confess, "such is our confidence towards God through Jesus Christ."

And, as it is true for each of us, that our adequacy is from God, so it is also true for your pastor.  Love ‘em or dislike him as a person, if he preaches the word of God clearly, and in its purity, he is being made adequate for the task by God.  He will give you what you need, by the grace of God.  And God's Word will prosper in you and among you by the power and work of God.

So, look past the man to his doctrine.  Ignore his weaknesses, for we all have them.  Never mind how you feel about the man, personally.  But attend to the Word he preaches.  If he does that right, he has been made adequate by God who alone works blessings, faith and salvation in His Church.  Rejoice in the Word, encourage your pastor to keep preaching it faithfully and clearly, and give thanks to God who alone makes us adequate for eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

(Let the people say Amen)