Christian ministry begins not with human ability or success, but with God’s transforming presence at work through frail and imperfect people. Peter Jolliffe (1933–2012) uses St Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians to show how the ‘veil’ of self-reliance and spiritual blindness is removed through Christ, enabling believers to reflect the glory of God and to become, little by little, more fully conformed to his likeness.
At the heart of these reflections lies a paradox: the treasure of the Gospel is carried in ‘earthen vessels’. Christian service is marked not by worldly achievement or personal distinction, but by humility, vulnerability, and dependence on Divine grace. Jolliffe considers faithfulness, suffering, ministry, integrity, and the hidden ways in which God works through weakness, reminding readers that the true measure of discipleship is not success but obedience. Clear, challenging, and deeply rooted in Scripture, these meditations offer a compelling vision of ministry as participation in the life, death, and glory of Christ.