Scripture Reading: 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Thes. 2:7, 11; 2 Cor. 2:12-17; 5:20; Eph. 6:20
Ⅰ
The Lord needs many who, as a workman in carpentry, cut straight the word of the truth, unfolding the word of God in its various parts rightly and straightly without distortion—2 Tim. 2:15.
Ⅱ
The apostles were nursing mothers and exhorting fathers; in cherishing the believers as their own children, the apostles considered themselves a nursing mother, and in exhorting them, they considered themselves a father—1 Thes. 2:7, 11.
Ⅲ
The believers are captives of Christ in His triumphal procession for the celebration of Christ's victory—2 Cor. 2:12-14a:
A
Paul uses the metaphor of a procession held in honor of the victory of a Roman general to illustrate what he was in the ministry—v. 14a.
B
Paul and his co-workers had been conquered by Christ and had become His captives in the train of His triumph, celebrating His victory; therefore, Paul's ministry was a triumphal procession of the victorious General, the Lord Jesus, leading many captives—Eph. 4:8; Col. 1:18b.
C
As such captives, we are witnesses that formerly we were enemies of Christ, but we have been defeated, subdued, captured, and made submissive to Him:
１
In our experience much of the time we must admit that instead of being captives to Christ, Christ is a captive to us—cf. Acts 26:14.
２
A captive of Christ is daily conquered, defeated, and captured by Christ; for this we should pray, "Lord, defeat me and make me Your captive."
３
A captive of Christ lives and serves in the spirit—2 Cor. 2:13; Rom. 1:9:
ａ
A captive of Christ cares for the rest in his spirit, not for the outward circumstances or environment—2 Cor. 2:12-13; cf. 7:5-6.
ｂ
A captive of Christ exercises his spirit of faith—4:13.
Ⅳ
The believers are incense-bearers scattering the fragrance of Christ— 2:14b-17:
A
As captives of Christ in Christ's triumphal procession, we are simultaneously incense-bearers; through us God manifests the savor of the knowledge of Christ in every place—v. 14b.
B
Actually, to scatter the incense of Christ is to live Christ—Phil. 1:19-21a.
C
Because we have been captured, subdued, possessed, and gained by Christ, He has the liberty to saturate us to make us a fragrance of Christ—2 Cor. 2:15.
D
The ministers of Christ, the lovers of Christ, are prepared to give forth Christ's fragrance in all circumstances and in any kind of environment—S. S. 4:10-16:
１
All problems come from within, not from without.
２
If there is a fragrance inside, outward circumstances will only serve to bring out the smell of the fragrance—Phil. 4:11-12.
E
The scattering of Christ as fragrant incense has an effect; it is a matter of life or of death—2 Cor. 2:16.
F
Those who scatter the fragrance of Christ are not like the many, adulterating the word of God for profit; but they speak out of sincerity, out of God, before God, and in Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ—v. 17; cf. 13:3.
Ⅴ
Like the apostle Paul, the believers may be ambassadors of Christ—5:20; Eph. 6:20:
A
An ambassador of Christ is one who represents God, the highest authority in the universe:
１
God has given all authority to Christ, who is the Lord of all, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords—Matt. 28:18; Rev. 19:16.
２
The Lord needs some ambassadors on earth who are qualified to represent Him—Matt. 28:19.
３
A new covenant minister is one who has been authorized with the heavenly authority to represent the highest authority—2 Cor. 3:6; 5:20:
ａ
The apostles were commissioned to represent Christ to accomplish God's purpose—Matt. 10:40; John 13:20; Gal. 4:14b.
ｂ
All the members of the Body are representatives of the Head, His ambas-sadors—Acts 9:6, 10-17; 22:12-16.
B
As an ambassador of Christ, Paul was "the acting God"—2 Cor. 1:3-4, 12, 15-16; 2:10; 10:1; 11:2:
１
Paul was one with Christ to be the acting God in comforting the believers— 1:3-4.
２
Paul conducted himself in the singleness of God, for he was an imitator of the simple God and he lived God—v. 12.
３
Paul's coming to the Corinthians was the coming of God as grace—vv. 15-16.
４
Paul forgave a particular matter in the person of Christ—2:10.
５
Paul entreated the believers through the meekness and gentleness of Christ— 10:1.
６
Paul was jealous over the saints with the jealousy of God—11:2.
C
As ambassadors of Christ, we carry out the ministry of reconciliation, repre-senting Him to bring sinners back to God and to bring believers absolutely into God and to make them absolutely one with Him—5:18-20.