Before we begin to look more deeply into this New Covenant passage in 2 Corinthians, we need to get one very important thing clear. It isn’t actually stated until further on into the passage although it is implied all along. Until you hear it clearly, you may miss it, because, as we said earlier, this perspective is contrary to our normal way of thinking. What I am referring to is found in the first verse of Chapter 4: “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” The key phrase being “this ministry.”

What ministry? Whose ministry? How does it work? Who’s in charge of it? I mean, ministry is ministry, isn’t it? No, and herein lies the difference. “This ministry” that Paul is referring to here is God’s ministry. It is not ours. It is not even us. It is God working in and through us, and in many cases in spite of us. This is not, nor ever has been, what we do for God. It’s what God does for us.

This ministry is not anything we have known previously. It can’t be measured by numbers or quotas; it can’t be categorized; it doesn’t keep score; it’s not based on anything human.

It’s not that ministry, it’s this ministry. God’s ministry. “We have renounced secret and shameful ways,” Paul says, “we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God” (4:2). That is a ministry based on our devises and our cleverness. That would be our ministry based on pride, talent, personality, charisma. Instead, this is His ministry. It doesn’t have anything to do with us. He is in complete charge of it. This ministry entails everything from God and nothing from ourselves. That’s why it’s this ministry — His ministry — not our ministry.

This is crucial to understanding the New Covenant. If we don’t get this, we won’t even make it to first base. It starts and ends here. It’s this ministry, and because it is His ministry, we do not lose heart.