By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
It describes those who prove themselves God's ministers as holding faithfully to truth and life whether honored or dishonored, well spoken of or slandered, counted false yet remaining true, with their standing decided not by public opinion but by the truth they teach and live. It belongs to the appeal not to receive God's grace in vain in the now-accepted time of salvation, giving no offense to the ministry but enduring affliction and labor in pureness, kindness, unfeigned love, the word of truth and the power of God. Following Christ in this way means denying self and lifting the cross through changing honor and dishonor, so that being treated as deceivers does not make disciples untrue. Faithful workers therefore press steadily on through good report and evil report without letting praise or blame change their loyalty, instant in season and out of season. The Lord does not forsake those who so continue, and those who hold fast and practice the truth whether met with evil report or good report He will confess before the Father, clothe in white, and keep their names in the book of life.
Meaning and Context
Those who approve themselves as God's ministers do so by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true. They may be treated with honor or with dishonor and receive either good or evil reports, being spoken of both well and badly while remaining truthful even when regarded as deceivers. Their faithfulness is not decided by public opinion but by the truth they teach and live, holding integrity amid opposing judgments as a principle of Christian life.
Its immediate setting is the appeal of workers together with God beseeching others not to receive the grace of God in vain, for now is the accepted time and now is the day of salvation, with no tomorrow that is ours, and to give no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed. That approval is lived out in much patience under affliction, necessity, distress, stripes, imprisonment, tumult, labor, watching and fasting, and in pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Ghost, love unfeigned, the word of truth, the power of God, and the armor of righteousness. Obeying the truth in this way brings the favor of God but also suffers the opposition of the enemy, so the time will not always be easy, and for work connected with eternal interests it requires faithful exactitude, correcting small mistakes at once and doing every stroke well, whether in cultivating land or in erecting buildings, and representing Christ in character by being kind, tender, loving and Christlike, correcting thoughts, words and acts.
The chapter from first verse to last is of great importance and lays down conditions as principles that in no case should be neglected. It places every soul who takes the name of Christian under obligation to answer a character of excellence in humanity and to reveal Christ's character in works as His appointed chosen representatives to an apostate world. It is Paul's own picture of his work that sets what a gospel minister should be as an example of the truths he teaches, showing a true minister approving himself by working on through honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, counted as a deceiver and yet true.
The teaching is part of the higher education contained in the Word of God, the light and instruction given to the early disciples and given through the Word, than which there is no higher education. Students are to study diligently to comprehend it, to advance just as far as the Word will take them, and to work intelligently for this higher education, with righteousness as the sign of understanding the will of God committed through His messengers. The chapter's instructions, including this teaching, are to be put into practice and serve as encouragement and protection against error. Reading the surrounding passage in this way supports working with others and speaking as God's mouthpiece, while giving courage and hope even when weary.
Separation and Holiness
The verse belongs to God's command and appeal to come out from among unbelievers and be separate. It is directed to the people in their present spiritual condition, in connection with the Laodicean message, calling them for Christ's sake to open their eyes to discern spiritual things. That exhortation is more appropriate now than ever, because the Lord is soon to come and perilous times are before us. Complying with its conditions, for God to receive believers and be a Father to them as His sons and daughters, requires separating in spirit and in practice from the world. Laying hold of these promises as special blessings requires earnest work of cleansing from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God, since right thoughts and pure and holy purposes do not come naturally but must be sought for and encouraged.
For a medical worker this means he is not his own but bought with a price, a servant to do God's bidding and learn daily of Him. It means receiving the grace of Christ the great Medical Missionary and His divine wisdom, wearing Christ's yoke in meekness and lowliness, and hiding self in Christ. It means working in connection with believing physicians and standing shoulder to shoulder with brethren. It forbids setting up in business for self and uniting with unbelievers in medical work or linking up with the world.
Whoever enters the strait gate and travels the narrow path made for the ransomed will move forward through respect and shame, through slander and praise. Such a traveler cannot choose a course that saves loss or inconvenience or avoids mockery, any more than Noah could when building the boat on dry land or Israel could when given special directions. At every step Satan and evil angels oppose, earthly authorities interpose, and tribulation comes with wounding of spirit, harsh speech, ridicule, persecution, and demands to conform to laws and customs that would make him disloyal to God, so that the world rubs hard against him and he finds the cross in the way to life. He must therefore obey all of God's binding requirements, including the sacred Sabbath of the fourth commandment as the sign between God and His people in the third angel's message, careful in every word and act to give God honor and united to Christ, or be swept away by the downward current with the rebellious.
The verse also confronts a man whose whole center and circumference is self, who like a whirlwind draws in everything within reach and grasps and retains every advantage. He is spiritually deceived in heart, spirit, soul, flesh and bones, and is ruled by selfishness. By his presence he puts other souls in peril, and by his wayward heart he puts his Saviour to shame when blessing was offered him. It calls him to fall on the Rock and be broken, to humble his heart before God without delay, to surrender whole heart, soul, strength and mind, and to undo what he has done, with the assurance that hope for him yet remains.
Steadfast Discipleship Under Trial
Following Christ means denying self, lifting the cross and bearing it after Jesus the great Pattern through evil report as well as good report, through honor and dishonor and changing circumstances. Being treated as deceivers does not make disciples untrue, and walking with Jesus through such opposition is part of knowing the truth. Becoming a disciple in this way requires enduring loss of reputation and human approval and continuing through hardship. Few do this now because professed believers have compromised to make religion easy instead of accepting warfare, self-denial, putting away all sin, and walking the same strait and difficult path to heaven as in Christ's day.
Faithful workers remain steadfast to the truth through good and evil reports so that praise and blame do not change their loyalty and fidelity does not depend on how others speak of them. They press steadily through evil as well as good reports, steadfast in purpose and not fitful, instant in season and out of season. This steadfastness is built by building the house upon the solid rock and is part of the timbers used in building character, which in times of perplexity and distress under heavy strain will plainly show what kind of timbers were used. Those who live it have passed through many conflicts and perils that try faith, when truth is questioned and strange sentiments not from God are brought in while Satan seeks to tear down the waymarks of truth.
Their steadfastness makes them aged standard-bearers and faithful pioneer workers whom young men should join to be strengthened and taught, and who should recount past experiences in just such crises to point out the right way and condemn the wrong. Luther reflected this readiness in declaring readiness to obey the emperor through good or evil report, in life or death, except where obedience would contradict God's Word. His fidelity in ordinary affairs was unshaken, but he would not submit to human authority in matters of eternal life, because spiritual submission is worship due only to the Creator. Those who share in Christ's glory must share in His sufferings, so these trials of honor and dishonor and evil and good report will come and must be prepared for.
Ministers and church members alike are to measure themselves by these words, examine whether they have left undone what God expects of those who have the light of truth, be thoroughly converted, do what they should do, and shine brightly amid the moral darkness of the world. Being a Christian in this sense means being a man of faith and therefore a man of principle and sterling integrity who follows the Lamb wherever He goes, with Jesus as all and in all through criticism and praise. Faith revealed in action builds for time and eternity, and through living connection with God makes a noble and serviceable servant whose convictions are firm, whose knowledge of truth is assurance forever, and whose character is so strong that nothing frightens him and no flattering inducement bribes him to forsake his post of duty.
Every laborer in the Lord's vineyard keeps working through evil report as well as good report, using that steadfast labor to encourage and educate the indolent who lift no responsibilities, teaching them they must work to strengthen the church. That labor trains young converts to work with an eye single to God's glory and urges those at ease to show earnest, zealous effort in advancing light, so that Jesus comes into the midst as a tower of strength and the church grows in grace and knowledge of the truth. Steady progress in a good work and frequent repetition of one kind of faithful service is of more value in God's sight than doing one great work, gives character to efforts, continues steadily in God-given duties even when regarded as deceivers, and wins a good report in heaven. Disciples follow Him through hardship and welcome alike, serving the needy, denying self, and answering reviling with compassion rather than retaliation, remaining faithful even when others misrepresent them. The same faithfulness maintains right principles even when refusing to compromise brings criticism or reduces support.
In return for Jesus giving His life to bring life and immortality to light, giving to Him and keeping the cross in view gives a divine impulse to render body, soul and spirit to God. Through faith this gives right to all the treasures of heaven given with Christ to qualify for usefulness and duty to God's glory.
Assurance and Final Reward
The Lord does not leave those who keep following Him through good report and through evil report. That following includes staying faithful while unjust evil report is seen and felt in real experience. Faithful workers may continue their work under both, even when accused of deception, while remaining true to their message and supported by God.
Keeping personal faith and trust through evil report as well as good report means not letting faith fail or giving way to discouragement and gloomy, depressing feelings. It means remembering that the believer is not alone, because God does not change, every step is watched by the Lord who is nigh and active for His children, and vigilant ministering angels encompass them and bear them up in their hands lest they fail and become discouraged. It calls for loving God and fearing His holy name as high and exalted with the train of His glory filling the temple. While this is done the Holy Spirit works to make life trustful, pure, clean and holy, and God revives the heart of the humble and contrite as surely as angels ministered to Jacob.
As the Sun of Righteousness, Christ calmly carries His work forward and shines on through favorable and hostile report, through darkness and through all the antagonism of Satan and his human agencies. Through all that resistance He searches out evil, restrains sin, and revives the humble and contrite who hold to Him as having the words of eternal life. The evil report in that resistance is the charge by Christless men in responsible places that the teachings of Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit produce undue excitement and fanaticism and unfit people for life's duties, calling darkness light and light darkness.
Holding fast to the faith before the world and practicing and teaching the truth whether met with evil report or good report makes men true and loyal and faithful with pure and spotless character. Christ will confess their names before the Father and before His angels, clothe them in white raiment and walk with them in white, and will not blot their names out of the book of life. Every true, devoted, loving child of God makes the Bible his guide and close companion through evil report as well as good report. To such the Word of the Lord is supreme, the sovereign standard, and the Scriptures are the lamp of life.
For work connected with eternal interests this faithfulness requires faithful exactitude, correcting small mistakes at once and doing every stroke well, whether in cultivating land or erecting buildings. Obeying the truth brings God's favor but also the enemy's opposition, so the time will not always be easy. This requires representing Christ in character by being kind, tender, loving and Christlike, correcting thoughts, words and acts, and living Christ's prayer in John 17 so the world sees that God sent His Son to save sinners and takes knowledge that His people have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Following Jesus through either favorable or hostile report, including being mocked or treated as deceivers, yet remaining steadfast and true to Christ and bearing His cross is a sacred honor.
It describes those who prove themselves God's ministers as holding faithfully to truth and life whether honored or dishonored, well spoken of or slandered, counted false yet remaining true, with their standing decided not by public opinion but by the truth they teach and live. It belongs to the appeal not to receive God's grace in vain in the now-accepted time of salvation, giving no offense to the ministry but enduring affliction and labor in pureness, kindness, unfeigned love, the word of truth and the power of God. Following Christ in this way means denying self and lifting the cross through changing honor and dishonor, so that being treated as deceivers does not make disciples untrue. Faithful workers therefore press steadily on through good report and evil report without letting praise or blame change their loyalty, instant in season and out of season. The Lord does not forsake those who so continue, and those who hold fast and practice the truth whether met with evil report or good report He will confess before the Father, clothe in white, and keep their names in the book of life.
Meaning and Context
Those who approve themselves as God's ministers do so by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true. They may be treated with honor or with dishonor and receive either good or evil reports, being spoken of both well and badly while remaining truthful even when regarded as deceivers. Their faithfulness is not decided by public opinion but by the truth they teach and live, holding integrity amid opposing judgments as a principle of Christian life.
Its immediate setting is the appeal of workers together with God beseeching others not to receive the grace of God in vain, for now is the accepted time and now is the day of salvation, with no tomorrow that is ours, and to give no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed. That approval is lived out in much patience under affliction, necessity, distress, stripes, imprisonment, tumult, labor, watching and fasting, and in pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, the Holy Ghost, love unfeigned, the word of truth, the power of God, and the armor of righteousness. Obeying the truth in this way brings the favor of God but also suffers the opposition of the enemy, so the time will not always be easy, and for work connected with eternal interests it requires faithful exactitude, correcting small mistakes at once and doing every stroke well, whether in cultivating land or in erecting buildings, and representing Christ in character by being kind, tender, loving and Christlike, correcting thoughts, words and acts.
The chapter from first verse to last is of great importance and lays down conditions as principles that in no case should be neglected. It places every soul who takes the name of Christian under obligation to answer a character of excellence in humanity and to reveal Christ's character in works as His appointed chosen representatives to an apostate world. It is Paul's own picture of his work that sets what a gospel minister should be as an example of the truths he teaches, showing a true minister approving himself by working on through honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report, counted as a deceiver and yet true.
The teaching is part of the higher education contained in the Word of God, the light and instruction given to the early disciples and given through the Word, than which there is no higher education. Students are to study diligently to comprehend it, to advance just as far as the Word will take them, and to work intelligently for this higher education, with righteousness as the sign of understanding the will of God committed through His messengers. The chapter's instructions, including this teaching, are to be put into practice and serve as encouragement and protection against error. Reading the surrounding passage in this way supports working with others and speaking as God's mouthpiece, while giving courage and hope even when weary.
Separation and Holiness
The verse belongs to God's command and appeal to come out from among unbelievers and be separate. It is directed to the people in their present spiritual condition, in connection with the Laodicean message, calling them for Christ's sake to open their eyes to discern spiritual things. That exhortation is more appropriate now than ever, because the Lord is soon to come and perilous times are before us. Complying with its conditions, for God to receive believers and be a Father to them as His sons and daughters, requires separating in spirit and in practice from the world. Laying hold of these promises as special blessings requires earnest work of cleansing from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God, since right thoughts and pure and holy purposes do not come naturally but must be sought for and encouraged.
For a medical worker this means he is not his own but bought with a price, a servant to do God's bidding and learn daily of Him. It means receiving the grace of Christ the great Medical Missionary and His divine wisdom, wearing Christ's yoke in meekness and lowliness, and hiding self in Christ. It means working in connection with believing physicians and standing shoulder to shoulder with brethren. It forbids setting up in business for self and uniting with unbelievers in medical work or linking up with the world.
Whoever enters the strait gate and travels the narrow path made for the ransomed will move forward through respect and shame, through slander and praise. Such a traveler cannot choose a course that saves loss or inconvenience or avoids mockery, any more than Noah could when building the boat on dry land or Israel could when given special directions. At every step Satan and evil angels oppose, earthly authorities interpose, and tribulation comes with wounding of spirit, harsh speech, ridicule, persecution, and demands to conform to laws and customs that would make him disloyal to God, so that the world rubs hard against him and he finds the cross in the way to life. He must therefore obey all of God's binding requirements, including the sacred Sabbath of the fourth commandment as the sign between God and His people in the third angel's message, careful in every word and act to give God honor and united to Christ, or be swept away by the downward current with the rebellious.
The verse also confronts a man whose whole center and circumference is self, who like a whirlwind draws in everything within reach and grasps and retains every advantage. He is spiritually deceived in heart, spirit, soul, flesh and bones, and is ruled by selfishness. By his presence he puts other souls in peril, and by his wayward heart he puts his Saviour to shame when blessing was offered him. It calls him to fall on the Rock and be broken, to humble his heart before God without delay, to surrender whole heart, soul, strength and mind, and to undo what he has done, with the assurance that hope for him yet remains.
Steadfast Discipleship Under Trial
Following Christ means denying self, lifting the cross and bearing it after Jesus the great Pattern through evil report as well as good report, through honor and dishonor and changing circumstances. Being treated as deceivers does not make disciples untrue, and walking with Jesus through such opposition is part of knowing the truth. Becoming a disciple in this way requires enduring loss of reputation and human approval and continuing through hardship. Few do this now because professed believers have compromised to make religion easy instead of accepting warfare, self-denial, putting away all sin, and walking the same strait and difficult path to heaven as in Christ's day.
Faithful workers remain steadfast to the truth through good and evil reports so that praise and blame do not change their loyalty and fidelity does not depend on how others speak of them. They press steadily through evil as well as good reports, steadfast in purpose and not fitful, instant in season and out of season. This steadfastness is built by building the house upon the solid rock and is part of the timbers used in building character, which in times of perplexity and distress under heavy strain will plainly show what kind of timbers were used. Those who live it have passed through many conflicts and perils that try faith, when truth is questioned and strange sentiments not from God are brought in while Satan seeks to tear down the waymarks of truth.
Their steadfastness makes them aged standard-bearers and faithful pioneer workers whom young men should join to be strengthened and taught, and who should recount past experiences in just such crises to point out the right way and condemn the wrong. Luther reflected this readiness in declaring readiness to obey the emperor through good or evil report, in life or death, except where obedience would contradict God's Word. His fidelity in ordinary affairs was unshaken, but he would not submit to human authority in matters of eternal life, because spiritual submission is worship due only to the Creator. Those who share in Christ's glory must share in His sufferings, so these trials of honor and dishonor and evil and good report will come and must be prepared for.
Ministers and church members alike are to measure themselves by these words, examine whether they have left undone what God expects of those who have the light of truth, be thoroughly converted, do what they should do, and shine brightly amid the moral darkness of the world. Being a Christian in this sense means being a man of faith and therefore a man of principle and sterling integrity who follows the Lamb wherever He goes, with Jesus as all and in all through criticism and praise. Faith revealed in action builds for time and eternity, and through living connection with God makes a noble and serviceable servant whose convictions are firm, whose knowledge of truth is assurance forever, and whose character is so strong that nothing frightens him and no flattering inducement bribes him to forsake his post of duty.
Every laborer in the Lord's vineyard keeps working through evil report as well as good report, using that steadfast labor to encourage and educate the indolent who lift no responsibilities, teaching them they must work to strengthen the church. That labor trains young converts to work with an eye single to God's glory and urges those at ease to show earnest, zealous effort in advancing light, so that Jesus comes into the midst as a tower of strength and the church grows in grace and knowledge of the truth. Steady progress in a good work and frequent repetition of one kind of faithful service is of more value in God's sight than doing one great work, gives character to efforts, continues steadily in God-given duties even when regarded as deceivers, and wins a good report in heaven. Disciples follow Him through hardship and welcome alike, serving the needy, denying self, and answering reviling with compassion rather than retaliation, remaining faithful even when others misrepresent them. The same faithfulness maintains right principles even when refusing to compromise brings criticism or reduces support.
In return for Jesus giving His life to bring life and immortality to light, giving to Him and keeping the cross in view gives a divine impulse to render body, soul and spirit to God. Through faith this gives right to all the treasures of heaven given with Christ to qualify for usefulness and duty to God's glory.
Assurance and Final Reward
The Lord does not leave those who keep following Him through good report and through evil report. That following includes staying faithful while unjust evil report is seen and felt in real experience. Faithful workers may continue their work under both, even when accused of deception, while remaining true to their message and supported by God.
Keeping personal faith and trust through evil report as well as good report means not letting faith fail or giving way to discouragement and gloomy, depressing feelings. It means remembering that the believer is not alone, because God does not change, every step is watched by the Lord who is nigh and active for His children, and vigilant ministering angels encompass them and bear them up in their hands lest they fail and become discouraged. It calls for loving God and fearing His holy name as high and exalted with the train of His glory filling the temple. While this is done the Holy Spirit works to make life trustful, pure, clean and holy, and God revives the heart of the humble and contrite as surely as angels ministered to Jacob.
As the Sun of Righteousness, Christ calmly carries His work forward and shines on through favorable and hostile report, through darkness and through all the antagonism of Satan and his human agencies. Through all that resistance He searches out evil, restrains sin, and revives the humble and contrite who hold to Him as having the words of eternal life. The evil report in that resistance is the charge by Christless men in responsible places that the teachings of Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit produce undue excitement and fanaticism and unfit people for life's duties, calling darkness light and light darkness.
Holding fast to the faith before the world and practicing and teaching the truth whether met with evil report or good report makes men true and loyal and faithful with pure and spotless character. Christ will confess their names before the Father and before His angels, clothe them in white raiment and walk with them in white, and will not blot their names out of the book of life. Every true, devoted, loving child of God makes the Bible his guide and close companion through evil report as well as good report. To such the Word of the Lord is supreme, the sovereign standard, and the Scriptures are the lamp of life.
For work connected with eternal interests this faithfulness requires faithful exactitude, correcting small mistakes at once and doing every stroke well, whether in cultivating land or erecting buildings. Obeying the truth brings God's favor but also the enemy's opposition, so the time will not always be easy. This requires representing Christ in character by being kind, tender, loving and Christlike, correcting thoughts, words and acts, and living Christ's prayer in John 17 so the world sees that God sent His Son to save sinners and takes knowledge that His people have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Following Jesus through either favorable or hostile report, including being mocked or treated as deceivers, yet remaining steadfast and true to Christ and bearing His cross is a sacred honor.