RECONCILIATION AND FAILURE OF THE LAW113

second message full of heart revelations and personal touches, but above all, a real systematic unfolding of the

ministry of the reconciliation.

The space at our disposal will not allow us to review the whole of this epistle, nor to enter into the questions that

have been raised with regard to its composition. We must leave untouched the revelations of the apostle's own heart

and sympathetic nature, and focus our attention upon the two great features contained in the words, `The ministry of

the reconciliation'.

Ministry (diakonia) runs through this epistle as part of its structure. Speaking of the new covenant as contrasted

with the old he speaks of one as `the ministration of death' (3:7), and `the ministration of condemnation' (3:9); and

of the other in strong contrast as `the ministration of the spirit' (3:8) and `the ministration of righteousness' (3:9).

God had made the apostle and his associates `able ministers of the new testament (covenant)' (3:6).

Closely connected with the ministry of the new covenant is that of the reconciliation, which is referred to in

chapter 5. We observed in 1 Corinthians 1:6 that the collection for the saints at Jerusalem had the reconciliation as

its basis, and here in this second epistle the word diakonia is used of this service (8:4; 9:1,12,13). The last reference

(9:12,13) contains a statement which is luminous in the light of the reconciliation:

`For the ministry of this service not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but also aboundeth through the many

thanksgivings to God, for they, through the proof of this ministry, are glorifying God for your avowed subjection

to the gospel of Christ' (Author's translation).

At the end of this chapter we give the structure of the epistle as a whole for the benefit of any who desire to carry

these studies further. Here we consider one member only.

A 2:17 to 4:7.  The ministry of the new covenant. `No need of commendation'.

B 4:8 to 5:11.

Resurrection power in great tribulation.

A 5:12 to 7:3.  The ministry of the reconciliation. `Commendation of sufferings'.

Exceeding joyful in tribulation.

It is not accidental that the subject of ministry is alternated with the apostle's experiences, for these experiences

emphasize the utter failure of the flesh and the necessity for the resurrection, and so complement the doctrine. In the

first chapter this experience meets us:

`For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, as to our tribulation which happened to us in Asia, that

exceedingly beyond power were we weighed down, so that we despaired even of life. But we ourselves have the

sentence of death within ourselves, that we might rest our confidence not upon ourselves, but upon God who

raiseth the dead' (1:8,9 Author's translation).

This same twofold experience is found expressed in connection with the apostle's ministry:

`But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us ...

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest

in our body ... in our mortal flesh' (4:7,10,11).

`... approving (commending) ourselves as the ministers of God ... as dying, and, behold, we live' (6:4-9).

To the last chapter this twofold experience follows us, for there we read: