WHO ARE WE PART 3-1 A FRAGRANCE OF CHRIST
The Character of a Ministry Born of the Revelation of Jesus Christ
Scripture Reading:
“14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ and manifests the savor of the knowledge of Him through us in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing: 16 To some a savor out of death unto death, and to the others a savor out of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not like the many, adulterating the word of God for profit; but as out of sincerity, but as out of God, before God we speak in Christ.” (2 Cor. 2:14–17, RcV)
Introduction
Brothers and sisters, in this passage of Scripture, Paul uses a very particular and powerful picture to describe the Christian ministry of the word. He does not first speak of knowledge, nor does he first speak of eloquence. He does not first speak of gifts, ability, or even spiritual power. He speaks of a fragrance—the fragrance of Christ.
Paul says that God, through us, manifests in every place the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. Therefore, the true ministry of the word is not merely the correct speaking forth of words about Christ. The true ministry of the word is Christ expressed through a vessel that has been gained by Him; it is a fragrance that people can truly sense, something that becomes their subjective experience and leaves people without excuse.
Words can be learned. Outlines can be borrowed. Doctrines can be explained. But fragrance can only be released from what has already been wrought into our life. Before Paul could become a vessel of the fragrance of Christ, he first had to be conquered by Christ. Christ first gained this vessel and brought him under His own authority; only then could Christ express Himself through Paul.
Therefore, this passage does not merely explain what the servant of God speaks. It explains what kind of servant of God can truly be the fragrance of Christ, and can truly minister the word to others and minister Christ to others.
1. The Ministry of New Testament—the Fragrance of Christ—Begins with God Leading Us in Triumph in Christ
“Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ” (v. 14).
Please notice: Paul’s ministry did not begin with himself. He did not say, “Thanks be to God, who enabled me to be educated at the feet of Gamaliel.” Nor did he say, “Thanks be to God, who gave me the knowledge of the law.” Still less did he say, “Thanks be to God, who gave me the ability to interpret the Scriptures.”
Education, knowledge, and ability are all things that the natural, fleshly man pursues. Fallen man always assumes that without these kinds of equipment, it is absolutely impossible to carry out the ministry of word for God. Church history gives us a serious warning: if the second generation does not receive the revelation of Jesus Christ from God, then when they come to serve God, they can only trust in education, knowledge, and ability.
Paul’s ministry did not begin in this way. He says that the of New Testament ministry begins with God. He thanks God, because everything is of God: it is God’s will, God’s plan, and God’s desire to accomplish His purpose. The beginning of the New Testament ministry is not the tradition of the fathers, not the Bible merely interpreted and annotated; it is not creeds, words, or empty rituals; it is not a human organization, nor is it worldly love. This New Testament ministry is not initiated by man, planned by man, promoted by man, or even transmitted and passed down by man. The New Testament ministry begins with “Thanks be to God.” Everyone who is called to have a share in the New Testament ministry must begin here. There is no shortcut and no convenient side door.
The New Testament ministry begins with God and also begins with Christ. Or we may say it this way: it begins with God in Christ. The true New Testament ministry, the true ministry of the word, always begins with what God has already accomplished in Christ. It does not begin with human resources, so-called “spiritual inheritance,” human qualifications, or human methods. These are nothing more than the tradition of the fathers. The New Testament ministry must begin with God in Christ.
As one hymn says, “O God, Thou hast called us to behold Thy Son; He is the treasure of Thy heart; He has accomplished Thy will.” On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished!” His work on Calvary has been accomplished. God’s heart’s desire has been fulfilled. God’s good pleasure has been satisfied. God has accepted His Son and the work of His Son.
Therefore, God has raised His Son from the dead and exalted Him at His right hand. God has crowned Him with glory and honor. Concerning what the Son of God has accomplished, “all heaven gathers to sing,” “every mouth joins in harmonious praise,” “every knee bows before the Son,” and “the whole expanse is filled with Amen! Amen, for all have received grace together.”
And the elder beside the throne declares: “He has prevailed to open the book and to loose its seven seals” (Rev. 5:5). He has overcome the ruler of the world, Satan. He has condemned sin in the flesh. He has overcome the power of sin. He has destroyed the devil, who had the power of death. He has made a public display of all principalities and powers, triumphing over them. Because of Christ’s victory, He has the qualification and the authority to open and execute God’s final judgment and to bring in the kingdom of God.
Therefore Paul says, “It is God who leads us in triumph in Christ.” The battle at Calvary was not fought by us. The victory of the cross was not accomplished by us. We did not create that victory. Christ has already triumphed, and we are brought by God into the triumph of Christ.
It is also God who, through revelation, causes us to see the victory of Christ and the glorious harvest of Christ’s cross. We do not produce revelation by our own cleverness. Rather, God reveals Christ and the victory of Christ to us, and then brings us into Christ’s triumphal procession.
The picture Paul uses here is that of a Roman general returning in triumph after victory. In this picture, Christ is the victorious General, and Paul is one who has been captured and led in His triumphal procession.
From the very beginning, Paul’s ministry was God leading Paul in Christ, in the victory of Christ. In Christ’s triumphal procession, Paul was a man conquered by Christ. The first step in becoming a minister of the New Testament is that, because we have been conquered and captured by Christ, we can be led by God. God has no leading outside of Christ. God has no leading outside of the victory of Christ. To be led by God, we must be in Christ, and we must first be conquered and captured by Christ. Paul testifies, “God always leads us in Christ, in the triumph of Christ.” There is no exception.
In Ephesians 4:8 Paul testifies, “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive.” Paul was one of those captives. Before Paul could carry the fragrance of Christ, Christ first had to conquer and gain him through what He had accomplished by the cross.
Before Paul could preach, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” he himself had to come under the authority of that Lord. Before he could minister the cross, the cross had first to judge his confidence in the flesh. Before he could speak of resurrection life, he had first to be brought to the end of his natural resources. This is the first mark of a ministry that comes from revelation: the one who preaches Christ must first be conquered by the Christ whom he preaches.
A ministry that remains in the letter may speak only of second-hand teachings and subjects that the preacher has mastered. But a ministry of the word that comes from revelation proceeds from a preacher who has been fully conquered and captured by Christ. A true preacher does not merely possess the second-hand riches and messages of those who went before him. Rather, within those riches and messages of the predecessors, he receives first-hand revelation from God, and he is conquered, captured, and gained by the Christ who has been revealed.
He is not above the word of God, as though God’s word were something for him to handle and merely preach. He is under the word of God; the word of God has first handled him. The word he is to speak has first become real in him, has become his subjective experience, and has become what he testifies. Truth is not something for him merely to explain; truth has already searched him, judged him, broken him, enlarged him, and transformed him.
True ministry begins here—from allowing God to lead us in Christ, in the victory of Christ.