“We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed” (2 Corinthians 6:3).
An acquaintance of the late actor and comedian W. C. Fields once noticed a large Bible on a shelf in his extensive home library. Fields (who was an atheist and a person who regarded all religions with the suspicion of a seasoned con man), was asked to explain why he possessed a copy of the Scriptures. In his characteristic deadpan manner, Fields replied, “Looking for loopholes.” (1)
Much like W. C. Fields, there is no shortage of those who are seeking to uncover a loophole or two in the message of the gospel. Perhaps the most common means of avoiding that subject involves the moral failings of some who claim to represent Christ. That objection will be the subject of our look at this portion of Scripture.
Here in 2 Corinthians 6:3, Paul the Apostle will transition from a discussion of God’s grace and the need for salvation to some of the challenges he faced in ministry. In doing so, this passage will draw our attention to a sobering reality: for better or worse, people often judge Christ and the God of the Scriptures by those who claim to represent Him.
Paul understood this reality and addressed it by saying, “We try to live in such a way that no one will ever be offended or kept back from finding the Lord by the way we act, so that no one can find fault with us and blame it on the Lord” (TLB). In a similar manner, we should also seek to live the kind of life that does not provide the basis for a legitimate accusation or justifiable criticism against Jesus.
Of course, there will always be some who will seize upon an offense (real or imagined) in attempting to discredit the gospel or justify their personal inconsistencies. However, the mistakes, moral deficiencies, or hypocritical actions of others should not prevent us from prayerfully seeking God’s help in living the kind of life that honors Him. As Paul said in an earlier message to the Corinthians, “…if you eat or drink, or if you do anything, do it all for the glory of God. Never do anything that might hurt others—Jews, Greeks, or God’s church” (1 Corinthians 10:31-32 NCV).
Finally, we should remember that the conduct of others does not relieve us of our accountability before God for, “All of us must appear in front of Christ’s judgment seat. Then all people will receive what they deserve for the good or evil they have done while living in their bodies” (1 Corinthians 5:10 GNB).
(1) Stephen C. Jordan, Hollywood’s Original Rat Pack: The Bards of Bundy Drive [pp. 151-152]