Verses 2 and 4 present another important point about being successful evangelizers: we need to tell the truth about the glory of God in Christ. Verse 2 says that we refuse to do anything underhanded but \u201cby the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone\u2019s conscience in the sight of God.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
St. Paul is warning us against the wrong sort of success orientation. We can want so much to succeed at evangelism that we will try anything that works \u201d\u201c like dressing up a story to make things sound better than they are, or relying on dazzling evangelistic presentations to bring people to conversion. This verse does not rule out a concern for the methods we use to present the gospel, but it does make us consider how we are stating the truth.<\/p>\n
Even more crucial is verse 4: \u201cWhat we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus\u2019 sake.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
We are not winning people to ourselves. We are not trying to convince them to accept us as their lord. We have something people need. They would want it if they realized what it would do for them. We are like waiters bringing food to hungry people or nurses administering medicine to patients who are in danger of death.<\/p>\n