2Co 4:1 ¶ Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
What is our ministry?
2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6 ¶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2Co 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
I like the ESV rendering of this verse: But we have renounced the disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's Word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend our selves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
The Word of God doesn't need cosmetics or fancy wrapping to entice people to believe it. That would be to "peddle the Word of God" like a salesman. It is underhanded and cunning to dress the Word of God up to make it out to be something that is pleasing to man's feelings and felt needs. Paul preached the truth of God's Word openly and not couched in feel-good terms.
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