As some of you may know, I am daily reading through Scripture in its order. Today’s devotion included 2 Corinthians 2:17. “For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.” (Emphasis added). This verse continues the thought of the prior post on “The Sovereignty of God”. “The Sovereignty of God” includes the preaching of the Gospel.
Calvin in his Commentary of this verse states: “But as of sincerity. The word as here is superfluous, as in many other places. In contrast with the corruption that he had made mention of, he makes use, first of all, of the term sincerity, which may be taken as referring to the manner of preaching, as well as to the disposition of the mind. I approve rather of the latter. Secondly, he places in contrast with it a faithful and conscientious dispensation of it, inasmuch as he faithfully delivers to the Church from hand to hand, as they say, the Gospel which God had committed to him, and had given him in charge. Thirdly, he subjoins to this a regard to the Divine presence. For whoever has the three following things, is in no danger of forming the purpose of corrupting the word of God. The first is — that we be actuated by a true zeal for God. The second is — that we bear in mind that it is his business that we are transacting, and bring forward nothing but what has come from him. The third is — that we consider, that we do nothing of which he is not the witness and spectator, and thus learn to refer every thing to his judgment.”
The total “Sovereignty of God” includes the preaching of the Gospel. As Calvin states herein, we “bring forward nothing but what has come from him.”
When we approach the preaching and teaching of God’s word as an offer in the sense that we appeal to the alleged “free will of man”, we are peddling God’s Word. But, when we approach the preaching and teaching of God’s Word as included within “The Sovereignty of God, then we are do so in sincerity. Note that Calvin, in his Commentary above, does not view sincerity in the key verse above of 2 Corinthians 2:17 as the manner of preaching but rather as the disposition of mind. In other words, so to speak, one could preach and teach truly and clearly the Gospel with a sincere desire that people would be saved, and yet not be really sincere in the sense of this verse. In order to be truly sincere, one must have the disposition of mind that the sovereignty of God is powerfully and effectively and perfectly at work in the preaching and teaching of the Gospel to accomplish God’s will for salvation.
Romans 1:16 states this sincere disposition of mind so well. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Emphasis added).
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 