"By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true."
In this scripture, Paul talks about how God's servant receive approval.
One part of this approval is honor and a good report. And the other part also includes dishonor and an evil report. We can easily understand why honor and dishonor are the conditions of approval as God's servant. However, it is difficult to understand why dishonor and an evil report can be conditions to be approved as God's servant. However, scripture says so. When we introduce or recommend any person to other people, for example when applying job, we just write down his good report, would never write down an evil report to employer. For example, we write "He writes beautiful letters. His character is the best. He has many friends in school." But we would never write "He makes many troubles in school. Everybody hates him."
If we write like this, he will never be "approved."
This is true before men and women in this world. But not true with God.
Of course to have a good report is a condition of approval as God's servant before Him. But to have an evil report is a condition.
Of course, for Paul, it is desirable to have a good report in front of people. However, he insists that his experience, to have dishonor and an evil report for the sake of God's will and His word is also a conditon of approval as God's servant.
If we read the scripture, we can find the fact that God's servants like Jesus or Paul received many evil reports and dishonor and not only good reports.
If any servant gives priority to God's will and receives an evil report, this fact is the very proof of God's servant as far as God goes.
Luke 6:26 says " Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets."
Real servants of God should not care just about their reputations among men and women.
I suppose, Paul is insisting on the following truth in this passage, "When you really walk as God's servant, you can not avoid having dishonor or evil reports."
In other words; he insists that "the fact I received dishonor or a bad reputation for the sake of Christ is a symbol of my approved condition."
Therefore, when we want to do God's will, we have no need to care so much about bad reputations from our those in a position to do so.
Of course, if we can receive good reports, that's better. But if you received a slur for the sake of doing God's will, you should receive it in faith and without hesitation and continue to walk as a true servant of God.
end.