2 Corinthians 6:12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.
12 οὐ στενοχωρεῖσθε ἐν ἡμῖν, στενοχωρεῖσθε δὲ ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ὑμῶν·
Some exegetes make a big deal of the word σπλάγχνοις. It does technically refer to ones "guts" or "bowels." This was the word that was used to describe the heart of a person. It describes what makes a person tick, if you will. Paul describes how they were στενοχωρεῖσθε or "were restricted" in their feelings.
As we seek to plant a new fellowship within the body of Christ we are looking at various church constitutions. I read one that is based on the template provided by the Christian Law Association. This appears to be a favorite of those who are of the more Independent Baptist persuasion. I find the tone fascinating. Basically, it assumes that we want nothing more than to fall headlong into sin and, therefore, we must set up fences far enough away from sin so that we won't even get close to the sin.
That's all well and good, but what it fails to account for is the affections of the heart. It assumes that we will feel no affection for God. In fact, it doesn't even address that we should. All this does is then create a bunch of Pharisees who are good at being good. It doesn't deal with the matter of the heart.
We all need rules or else the New Testament would not have any. However, obedience starts with the heart. It begins with a heart that desires more of God. And as we experience more of Him then the temptations of the world begin to fade away. We are not as tempted to sin when we are satisfied in Christ. So rather than focusing on rules, let's instead focus on our σπλάγχνοις.
Showing posts with label 2Corinthians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2Corinthians. Show all posts
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Righteousness of God
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
21 τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ.
This is one of those verses that just about everyone has heard at some point. It makes for a great song too. But what does it mean? Paul uses the aorist subjunctive γενώμεθα for this. The subjunctive can be thought of as the mood of possibility. In other words, what Paul is saying is that Christ's death made it possible for us to become the righteousness of God.
Why is this necessary? We are sinners and God is holy. Because He is perfectly holy He cannot stand sin. Sin has no place in His presence; therefore, there must be righteousness instead. The witness of Exodus and Leviticus is that there must be blood as a payment for sin because God's justice must be satisfied. The problem is that even unblemished lambs do not permanently remove the stain of sin.
There had to be a perfect sacrifice for sin that worked once for all time. The most wooden translation of this verse is that "The one who did not know sin on behalf of us was made sin." Obviously the ESV is a lot prettier. The point is that Christ actually became sin for us on the cross.
Let that sink in a bit. There has only ever been one man who lived without sin and that one man had to take on the sin of the world. Imagine if you were to find out that some large debt you have was canceled. If you're a homeowner your mortgage is a great example. Then imagine that you find out that some close friend had actually sold all of his possessions so that he could pay off your debt. That would be unbelievable, right? It would be a gift so incredible that most of us would have a hard time accepting it. Imagine the gratitude we would feel toward that person afterwards.
That only begins to scratch the surface of what Christ endured on the cross. He suffered unbelievable physical and spiritual anguish. If you are in Christ, take a little time to consider this today. I know that I have been blessed by this.
21 τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ.
This is one of those verses that just about everyone has heard at some point. It makes for a great song too. But what does it mean? Paul uses the aorist subjunctive γενώμεθα for this. The subjunctive can be thought of as the mood of possibility. In other words, what Paul is saying is that Christ's death made it possible for us to become the righteousness of God.
Why is this necessary? We are sinners and God is holy. Because He is perfectly holy He cannot stand sin. Sin has no place in His presence; therefore, there must be righteousness instead. The witness of Exodus and Leviticus is that there must be blood as a payment for sin because God's justice must be satisfied. The problem is that even unblemished lambs do not permanently remove the stain of sin.
There had to be a perfect sacrifice for sin that worked once for all time. The most wooden translation of this verse is that "The one who did not know sin on behalf of us was made sin." Obviously the ESV is a lot prettier. The point is that Christ actually became sin for us on the cross.
Let that sink in a bit. There has only ever been one man who lived without sin and that one man had to take on the sin of the world. Imagine if you were to find out that some large debt you have was canceled. If you're a homeowner your mortgage is a great example. Then imagine that you find out that some close friend had actually sold all of his possessions so that he could pay off your debt. That would be unbelievable, right? It would be a gift so incredible that most of us would have a hard time accepting it. Imagine the gratitude we would feel toward that person afterwards.
That only begins to scratch the surface of what Christ endured on the cross. He suffered unbelievable physical and spiritual anguish. If you are in Christ, take a little time to consider this today. I know that I have been blessed by this.
Friday, July 08, 2011
"Our" Ministry
2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
1 Διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν
This verse picks up where we left off in the previous post. The verb in the first clause is ἠλεήθημεν, which is in the aorist passive. This means that Paul is telling them that God gave them ministry at some point in the past. It doesn't tell us how it happened, but it does tell us that it was given to them. Also, the verse does not expressly state that it comes from the mercy of God, but it does say that it came by mercy. It's pretty safe to infer that God is the one who granted them mercy.
As someone who is in the middle of planting a church, I find this to be an encouragement. I think it is safe to extrapolate this verse to describe ministry in general. Really the word is τὴν διακονίαν, which is the word from which we get "deacon." It refers to ministry or service. What I get out of this is that any ministry or service we get to do for God's people comes from the mercy of God. This verse starts with the phrase Διὰ τοῦτο, which literally means "therefore this." This explains the phrase at the end. Why don't we give up hope? We don't give up hope because we received ministry from the mercy of God.
This gives me hope because that I trust God to do His will. I enjoy the blessing of being an instrument in His hands, but really it is His ministry. If we assemble a fellowship it will be because God in His mercy brought a fellowship to us. My concern is my personal holiness. Although God can use anyone at anytime to do His will, I also know that it will be a lot easier for me if I am walking closely with Him. I've often heard it said that if you want to know God's will you need to think the way He thinks. How do you do that? You walk in close fellowship with Him through prayer, time in the Word, fellowship, worship, etc.
The point of all this is that I find great encouragement knowing that this is God's ministry and that it is enabled by His mercy. That takes the pressure off of me to make it succeed. I certainly must do my part as well as God has gifted me to do it, but I don't need to think that it is all about me. As with all of life, it is all about Him.
As someone who is in the middle of planting a church, I find this to be an encouragement. I think it is safe to extrapolate this verse to describe ministry in general. Really the word is τὴν διακονίαν, which is the word from which we get "deacon." It refers to ministry or service. What I get out of this is that any ministry or service we get to do for God's people comes from the mercy of God. This verse starts with the phrase Διὰ τοῦτο, which literally means "therefore this." This explains the phrase at the end. Why don't we give up hope? We don't give up hope because we received ministry from the mercy of God.
This gives me hope because that I trust God to do His will. I enjoy the blessing of being an instrument in His hands, but really it is His ministry. If we assemble a fellowship it will be because God in His mercy brought a fellowship to us. My concern is my personal holiness. Although God can use anyone at anytime to do His will, I also know that it will be a lot easier for me if I am walking closely with Him. I've often heard it said that if you want to know God's will you need to think the way He thinks. How do you do that? You walk in close fellowship with Him through prayer, time in the Word, fellowship, worship, etc.
The point of all this is that I find great encouragement knowing that this is God's ministry and that it is enabled by His mercy. That takes the pressure off of me to make it succeed. I certainly must do my part as well as God has gifted me to do it, but I don't need to think that it is all about me. As with all of life, it is all about Him.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
True Transformation
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
18 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος.
This is the end of an argument Paul makes as he contrasts Jews and believers. He discusses how Moses kept a veil on his face to hide his loss of glory. He also talks about how the Jews cannot believe because their hearts are hardened and the same veil remains. And then he talks about how this veil is only lifted by Christ.
This is another one of those times where being a 21st century American Gentile can get in the way of really grasping the depth of a biblical truth. Keep in mind that the New Testament was written in a Jewish context. The whole question about the Judaizers in Acts 15 and the book of Galatians came about because the Jews considered it absolutely vital to be a Jew if one was to have access to God.
Now Paul comes along and destroys all of that. Not only do we have access to God, but we have it with ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ. This was unbelievable to the Jews. Moses couldn't even look at God directly and now you're saying that we can behold His glory with unveiled face?
The answer is a resounding yes. And as we continue to behold His glory we are transformed by the experience. We end up looking more like Him as we spend more time beholding His glory. This is something that can only come to us through the power of the Spirit.
Where are you with this? Are you beholding His glory regularly? Do you have an unveiled face? If you do, pray that you would continue to seek His glory. If your heart is still hard and your face veiled what stops you from repenting and turning to Christ?
18 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος.
This is the end of an argument Paul makes as he contrasts Jews and believers. He discusses how Moses kept a veil on his face to hide his loss of glory. He also talks about how the Jews cannot believe because their hearts are hardened and the same veil remains. And then he talks about how this veil is only lifted by Christ.
This is another one of those times where being a 21st century American Gentile can get in the way of really grasping the depth of a biblical truth. Keep in mind that the New Testament was written in a Jewish context. The whole question about the Judaizers in Acts 15 and the book of Galatians came about because the Jews considered it absolutely vital to be a Jew if one was to have access to God.
Now Paul comes along and destroys all of that. Not only do we have access to God, but we have it with ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ. This was unbelievable to the Jews. Moses couldn't even look at God directly and now you're saying that we can behold His glory with unveiled face?
The answer is a resounding yes. And as we continue to behold His glory we are transformed by the experience. We end up looking more like Him as we spend more time beholding His glory. This is something that can only come to us through the power of the Spirit.
Where are you with this? Are you beholding His glory regularly? Do you have an unveiled face? If you do, pray that you would continue to seek His glory. If your heart is still hard and your face veiled what stops you from repenting and turning to Christ?
Saturday, July 02, 2011
How Do You Smell?
2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
15 ὅτι Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ θεῷ ἐν τοῖς σῳζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, 16 οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα τίς ἱκανός;
I have to admit that I did not get a lot out of this chapter when I read it in Greek. Paul's language is rather figurative, which made it hard for me to see what he was getting at. However, this is one passage that did make sense. There is no special exegetical clue that jumps out of the Greek. The ESV captures it very well.
But what does it mean? It means that we should not become too discouraged in our evangelism. To those who are perishing we are a fragrance of death to them. Death stinks. The house I grew up in had these huge windows in the living room. One of them was like a magnet for robins. I can remember playing outside the house on summer days and discovering the sickly-sweet smell of rotting robin. It's not a pleasant smell. In fact, it is repulsive.
The words σῳζομένοις and ἀπολλυμένοις are present passive participles, just as you see in the ESV. Given what we know about the nature of election from Ephesians 1, I would maintain that those who are not elect will always find the gospel to be repulsive because it is a message of death. But to the elect it is a wonderful aroma of life.
However, we need to be careful here. I think that there is still room for someone being "broken down" by the gospel. In other words, most who hear the gospel for the first time do not immediately repent and believe. Yet some of them eventually will. What I'm getting at is that we cannot give up on someone just because of a single rejection of the gospel. But we also cannot be too discouraged when people do not believe because the gospel is going to be an aroma of death to them.
How do you see the gospel? Is it an aroma of life or death? If it is life to you, what are you doing to spread the gospel?
But what does it mean? It means that we should not become too discouraged in our evangelism. To those who are perishing we are a fragrance of death to them. Death stinks. The house I grew up in had these huge windows in the living room. One of them was like a magnet for robins. I can remember playing outside the house on summer days and discovering the sickly-sweet smell of rotting robin. It's not a pleasant smell. In fact, it is repulsive.
The words σῳζομένοις and ἀπολλυμένοις are present passive participles, just as you see in the ESV. Given what we know about the nature of election from Ephesians 1, I would maintain that those who are not elect will always find the gospel to be repulsive because it is a message of death. But to the elect it is a wonderful aroma of life.
However, we need to be careful here. I think that there is still room for someone being "broken down" by the gospel. In other words, most who hear the gospel for the first time do not immediately repent and believe. Yet some of them eventually will. What I'm getting at is that we cannot give up on someone just because of a single rejection of the gospel. But we also cannot be too discouraged when people do not believe because the gospel is going to be an aroma of death to them.
How do you see the gospel? Is it an aroma of life or death? If it is life to you, what are you doing to spread the gospel?
Friday, July 01, 2011
Fulfilled Promises
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
20 ὅσαι γὰρ ἐπαγγελίαι θεοῦ, ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ ναί· διὸ καὶ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀμὴν τῷ θεῷ πρὸς δόξαν δι᾽ ἡμῶν.
This is one of those verses where we need to look at the language a little bit. The phrase ὅσαι γὰρ ἐπαγγελίαι θεοῦ, ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ ναί does not translate into English in a one-for-one manner. Quite literally it is something like, "For as many as the promises of God, in Him the yes." The New American Commentary understands the ὅσαι to refer to an indeterminate number of OT promises of God. That seems to make good sense of the passage.
The point is that the promises of God in the OT are not fulfilled in Israel. They are fulfilled in Christ. Now Romans 9-11 tells us that there is a future hope for some remnant of ethnic Israel, but if we focus on Israel we have missed the point. The point is Christ.
The Bible is not a book about Israel, though Israel is in it. The Bible is about Christ. Specifically, it is about how God created man, man fell, and what God did to redeem His people back to Himself. Why was it such a long history instead of redeeming them right away? Ultimately it was for His glory, which He deserves. Also, keep in mind that if He had done it sooner then you would not be reading this and would not have a future hope of eternity with Him.
If you are in Christ, rejoice that He saved you. If you are not, what keeps you from repenting and believing?
The point is that the promises of God in the OT are not fulfilled in Israel. They are fulfilled in Christ. Now Romans 9-11 tells us that there is a future hope for some remnant of ethnic Israel, but if we focus on Israel we have missed the point. The point is Christ.
The Bible is not a book about Israel, though Israel is in it. The Bible is about Christ. Specifically, it is about how God created man, man fell, and what God did to redeem His people back to Himself. Why was it such a long history instead of redeeming them right away? Ultimately it was for His glory, which He deserves. Also, keep in mind that if He had done it sooner then you would not be reading this and would not have a future hope of eternity with Him.
If you are in Christ, rejoice that He saved you. If you are not, what keeps you from repenting and believing?
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Self-Examination
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
5 Ἑαυτοὺς πειράζετε εἰ ἐστὲ ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἑαυτοὺς δοκιμάζετε· ἢ οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκετε ἑαυτοὺς ὅτι Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν; εἰ μήτι ἀδόκιμοί ἐστε.
There are those who espouse that so-called "Lordship salvation" is akin to works-righteousness. I'm not sure what they do with a verse like this. It seems that you have one of two options with this:
5 Ἑαυτοὺς πειράζετε εἰ ἐστὲ ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἑαυτοὺς δοκιμάζετε· ἢ οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκετε ἑαυτοὺς ὅτι Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν; εἰ μήτι ἀδόκιμοί ἐστε.
There are those who espouse that so-called "Lordship salvation" is akin to works-righteousness. I'm not sure what they do with a verse like this. It seems that you have one of two options with this:
- You need to work to stay in the faith. Those who fail to work lose their salvation. This would be an Arminian viewpoint.
- Those who are truly saved will exhibit good works. This meshes well with James 2:24
Paul makes it very clear here. If the Corinthians Ἑαυτοὺς πειράζετε and find that there is no evidence of salvation then they have ἀδόκιμοί, or failed the test. I find it interesting that Paul uses the particle μήτι here. He expects them to give a negative answer to his negative question. In other words, he expects that they will find that they are truly in the faith, but there is a chance that they are not.
What about you? If you are truly saved then your life will demonstrate it. There will still be sin and it may be some terrible bondage to sin. I think that someone can be truly saved and yet struggle with habitual sin. But is there any fruit? Or did you just raise your hand at the end of a service or pray a prayer and consider that to be enough? Are you seeking after the Lord or are you either indifferent to Him or running from Him? How you respond to these questions will give you some clues as to where you stand.
If you fail the test then I urge you to repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. He is the Lord. Do you acknowledge Him as yours?
Friday, July 16, 2010
Power in Weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
9 καὶ εἴρηκέν μοι· ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται. ἥδιστα οὖν μᾶλλον καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
This comes at the end of Paul talking about how he has a "thorn in the flesh" that he asked God to remove. He asked three times and this was God's response. I think any of us who have struggled with besetting sin have used this verse as a crutch. I eat a lot and that is my "thorn in the flesh." Or I look at porn because it is my "thorn in the flesh." Although I am free from porn I still find myself getting too close to it sometimes. That happened last night, which was frustrating to me. While I didn't see anything that you couldn't see on broadcast TV I knew where my heart was. That frustrates me.
So while I do not use this verse as an excuse, it does encourage me a little bit. It seems every time I get a little too far away from the cross I start to move closer to porn. And when that happens I think of this verse. I am reminded that it is only by grace that I can walk in freedom. And I am also reminded that I cannot do this on my own. I need God's grace for my daily life. The cross is not a "one and done" experience.
I have been set free from some things and that is the basis of my testimony. This way I can καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου. Why do I do this? ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. There is no mystery in the Greek here. It means what it looks like in English.
Such a simple, beautiful truth. I want nothing more than to see Christ magnified and exalted in my life. I do not want to sin to make this happen (may it never be!) but when I am tempted I want to turn that into a way to bring Him glory. The fact that I am not who I was just amazes me.
9 καὶ εἴρηκέν μοι· ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται. ἥδιστα οὖν μᾶλλον καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
This comes at the end of Paul talking about how he has a "thorn in the flesh" that he asked God to remove. He asked three times and this was God's response. I think any of us who have struggled with besetting sin have used this verse as a crutch. I eat a lot and that is my "thorn in the flesh." Or I look at porn because it is my "thorn in the flesh." Although I am free from porn I still find myself getting too close to it sometimes. That happened last night, which was frustrating to me. While I didn't see anything that you couldn't see on broadcast TV I knew where my heart was. That frustrates me.
So while I do not use this verse as an excuse, it does encourage me a little bit. It seems every time I get a little too far away from the cross I start to move closer to porn. And when that happens I think of this verse. I am reminded that it is only by grace that I can walk in freedom. And I am also reminded that I cannot do this on my own. I need God's grace for my daily life. The cross is not a "one and done" experience.
I have been set free from some things and that is the basis of my testimony. This way I can καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου. Why do I do this? ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. There is no mystery in the Greek here. It means what it looks like in English.
Such a simple, beautiful truth. I want nothing more than to see Christ magnified and exalted in my life. I do not want to sin to make this happen (may it never be!) but when I am tempted I want to turn that into a way to bring Him glory. The fact that I am not who I was just amazes me.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
True Apostles
2 Corinthians 11:12 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.
12 Ὃ δὲ ποιῶ, καὶ ποιήσω, ἵνα ἐκκόψω τὴν ἀφορμὴν τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμήν, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καυχῶνται εὑρεθῶσιν καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς.
Paul is giving the Corinthians a pretty stern rebuke here in chapter 11. In fact, it kind of seems like he uses guilt as a rhetorical tool. That's interesting, but I find the section that this verse starts fascinating. He is writing to them about false apostles, though the false apostles say that they are working καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς or "just as also us," if you want to be quite literal.
The fact is that there are some pretty grave doctrinal differences within groups that call themselves Christian. I'm not talking about pre-mil vs. post-mil or Calvinist vs Arminian. Those are in-house debates. I'm talking about the nature of Jesus. Was He fully God and fully man? Was He the product of the Holy Spirit or did God somehow have actual relations with Mary as the Mormons teach? Was He just a spirit man who was the first created being as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach? Or was He fully God and fully man?
You also can get Jesus right but then get the gospel wrong. What must we do to be saved? Is it faith alone or is it some combination faith and then good works as the Roman Catholics teach? We can't all be right on this because God is God and does not change.
What is the result of this? Those nice young men in their white shirts and blue pants riding around on bikes and knocking on doors passing out The Book of Mormon are teaching a false gospel. The Roman Catholic Church teaches a different gospel than the one I believe. Either the Catholics are right or I (and historic Protestants) am. We can't both be right. Either the Catholic view of salvation will save someone or the Protestant one will.
We will get into this more in a few days when we hit Galatians 1, Lord willing. But for now do think this through. There is a gospel. Many people will claim to preach it. Some of those will actually be preaching something different. This is why it is so vital for us to know our Bibles that we may be able to discern the truth.
12 Ὃ δὲ ποιῶ, καὶ ποιήσω, ἵνα ἐκκόψω τὴν ἀφορμὴν τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμήν, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ καυχῶνται εὑρεθῶσιν καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς.
Paul is giving the Corinthians a pretty stern rebuke here in chapter 11. In fact, it kind of seems like he uses guilt as a rhetorical tool. That's interesting, but I find the section that this verse starts fascinating. He is writing to them about false apostles, though the false apostles say that they are working καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς or "just as also us," if you want to be quite literal.
The fact is that there are some pretty grave doctrinal differences within groups that call themselves Christian. I'm not talking about pre-mil vs. post-mil or Calvinist vs Arminian. Those are in-house debates. I'm talking about the nature of Jesus. Was He fully God and fully man? Was He the product of the Holy Spirit or did God somehow have actual relations with Mary as the Mormons teach? Was He just a spirit man who was the first created being as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach? Or was He fully God and fully man?
You also can get Jesus right but then get the gospel wrong. What must we do to be saved? Is it faith alone or is it some combination faith and then good works as the Roman Catholics teach? We can't all be right on this because God is God and does not change.
What is the result of this? Those nice young men in their white shirts and blue pants riding around on bikes and knocking on doors passing out The Book of Mormon are teaching a false gospel. The Roman Catholic Church teaches a different gospel than the one I believe. Either the Catholics are right or I (and historic Protestants) am. We can't both be right. Either the Catholic view of salvation will save someone or the Protestant one will.
We will get into this more in a few days when we hit Galatians 1, Lord willing. But for now do think this through. There is a gospel. Many people will claim to preach it. Some of those will actually be preaching something different. This is why it is so vital for us to know our Bibles that we may be able to discern the truth.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Reason to Boast
2 Corinthians 10:17 "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
17 Ὁ δὲ καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω· 18 οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἑαυτὸν συνιστάνων, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν δόκιμος, ἀλλὰ ὃν ὁ κύριος συνίστησιν.
We seem to have a natural inclination toward boasting to some degree. I suspect that we like to cover up our own insecurities with bluster. This is pretty evident in the sports world. I'm from Cleveland and I know what it's like to see your team lose time and time again. The folks there want a championship because it is such a part of their identities. They want to boast in one of their teams winning a championship because they feel like they're always looking up to other cities. In the sports world that is certainly true.
I suppose that if you're a Yankee fan you can boast in your team. After all, they have historically been the best franchise in baseball history. A Cardinal fan can do the same. Indians, Cubs, and Pirates fans can't do that as well. This is one reason why LeBron's departure was so hard for the people of Cleveland. They don't really care about the Cavs or about LeBron, but they desperately want a championship.
Paul turns this kind of thinking on its ear. After all, even the Yankees don't win every year. They even missed the playoffs in 2008. This kind of boasting is always going to leave us empty. Boasting in ourselves is going to do the same no matter how good we may be at something. This is a truth that all athletes discover sooner or later. Life is uncertain and bodies break down.
But the Lord is always worthy of boasting. We can commend ourselves all day long, but it means nothing if we do not have God's favor. How do we get God's favor? We need to be in Christ. Apart from Christ nothing we do is truly commendable. It's nice when a Mother Teresa feeds the poor, but evangelism was forbidden at her shelter. In other words, she was sending people to hell with full bellies. And, based on her theology and testimony, I suspect that she did not really know Christ either. In other words, even someone as seemingly selfless as a Mother Teresa has no reason to boast.
We are all sinners who are worthy of one thing -- God's righteous wrath. Therefore, we must run to Christ. At the cross we will find sanctuary. Then we will receive commendation from the Lord because He will see Christ's imputed righteousness in us. We need this righteousness that comes from outside of us or else we are still dead in our sins.
What is your reason for boasting? Is it in a team? Is it in yourself and your talents or works? Or is it in the finished work of Christ? If you are in Him then He died to save you. It has nothing to do with your merit, but we certainly can boast in what He did to defeat death, amen?
17 Ὁ δὲ καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω· 18 οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἑαυτὸν συνιστάνων, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν δόκιμος, ἀλλὰ ὃν ὁ κύριος συνίστησιν.
We seem to have a natural inclination toward boasting to some degree. I suspect that we like to cover up our own insecurities with bluster. This is pretty evident in the sports world. I'm from Cleveland and I know what it's like to see your team lose time and time again. The folks there want a championship because it is such a part of their identities. They want to boast in one of their teams winning a championship because they feel like they're always looking up to other cities. In the sports world that is certainly true.
I suppose that if you're a Yankee fan you can boast in your team. After all, they have historically been the best franchise in baseball history. A Cardinal fan can do the same. Indians, Cubs, and Pirates fans can't do that as well. This is one reason why LeBron's departure was so hard for the people of Cleveland. They don't really care about the Cavs or about LeBron, but they desperately want a championship.
Paul turns this kind of thinking on its ear. After all, even the Yankees don't win every year. They even missed the playoffs in 2008. This kind of boasting is always going to leave us empty. Boasting in ourselves is going to do the same no matter how good we may be at something. This is a truth that all athletes discover sooner or later. Life is uncertain and bodies break down.
But the Lord is always worthy of boasting. We can commend ourselves all day long, but it means nothing if we do not have God's favor. How do we get God's favor? We need to be in Christ. Apart from Christ nothing we do is truly commendable. It's nice when a Mother Teresa feeds the poor, but evangelism was forbidden at her shelter. In other words, she was sending people to hell with full bellies. And, based on her theology and testimony, I suspect that she did not really know Christ either. In other words, even someone as seemingly selfless as a Mother Teresa has no reason to boast.
We are all sinners who are worthy of one thing -- God's righteous wrath. Therefore, we must run to Christ. At the cross we will find sanctuary. Then we will receive commendation from the Lord because He will see Christ's imputed righteousness in us. We need this righteousness that comes from outside of us or else we are still dead in our sins.
What is your reason for boasting? Is it in a team? Is it in yourself and your talents or works? Or is it in the finished work of Christ? If you are in Him then He died to save you. It has nothing to do with your merit, but we certainly can boast in what He did to defeat death, amen?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Giving the Increase
2 Corinthians 9:10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
10 ὁ δὲ ἐπιχορηγῶν σπόρον τῷ σπείροντι καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν χορηγήσει καὶ πληθυνεῖ τὸν σπόρον ὑμῶν καὶ αὐξήσει τὰ γενήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑμῶν.
This is a great chapter for anyone who is in any kind of vocational ministry. Paul makes clear exhortations for giving financially. Everyone knows the line in verse 7 about how the Lord loves a cheerful giver. This is certainly true. However, I want to focus on this verse for a minute.
Here we see the promise that God will χορηγήσει καὶ πληθυνεῖ τὸν σπόρον ὑμῶν . We have to be careful here. There are plenty of teachers out there who will use this as justification for giving their ministry a "seed" with the promise that God will make you rich if you just provide that "seed" money. That's not what this is saying here. It is true that God does indeed make some people wealthy. However, He does not do that for their benefit. He does it to αὐξήσει τὰ γενήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑμῶν.
In other words, financial prosperity is something that requires wise stewardship because it is for God's glory, not for our own. Any blessings we enjoy are for His glory as we use them for His service. We may be able to enjoy some nice things as a result of these financial blessings, but ultimately that is not the goal. The goal is that we may use them to further the kingdom of God.
If you are an American you are rich compared to most of the world. Plug your salary in to this little utility. It's pretty sobering. What are you doing with your wealth? How are you furthering God's kingdom?
10 ὁ δὲ ἐπιχορηγῶν σπόρον τῷ σπείροντι καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν χορηγήσει καὶ πληθυνεῖ τὸν σπόρον ὑμῶν καὶ αὐξήσει τὰ γενήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑμῶν.
This is a great chapter for anyone who is in any kind of vocational ministry. Paul makes clear exhortations for giving financially. Everyone knows the line in verse 7 about how the Lord loves a cheerful giver. This is certainly true. However, I want to focus on this verse for a minute.
Here we see the promise that God will χορηγήσει καὶ πληθυνεῖ τὸν σπόρον ὑμῶν . We have to be careful here. There are plenty of teachers out there who will use this as justification for giving their ministry a "seed" with the promise that God will make you rich if you just provide that "seed" money. That's not what this is saying here. It is true that God does indeed make some people wealthy. However, He does not do that for their benefit. He does it to αὐξήσει τὰ γενήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑμῶν.
In other words, financial prosperity is something that requires wise stewardship because it is for God's glory, not for our own. Any blessings we enjoy are for His glory as we use them for His service. We may be able to enjoy some nice things as a result of these financial blessings, but ultimately that is not the goal. The goal is that we may use them to further the kingdom of God.
If you are an American you are rich compared to most of the world. Plug your salary in to this little utility. It's pretty sobering. What are you doing with your wealth? How are you furthering God's kingdom?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Giving Proof
2 Corinthians 8:24 So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.
24 τὴν οὖν ἔνδειξιν τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμῶν καὶ ἡμῶν καυχήσεως ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐνδεικνύμενοι εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν.
I found this to be a somewhat difficult chapter in Greek. However, this verse is pretty plain. Paul has been exhorting them about giving and how they will receive Titus. He's telling them to act according to his boasting about them.
I think that this is yet another verse speaking to the Lordship of Christ in the life of the believer. You see, if we have love we will have actions. Paul is basically making an appeal to their salvation. If they are truly part of the church then they will behave a certain way. The two go together like peanut butter and jelly.
This stands in stark contrast to the watered-down message given to many who are left to languish in their sins with a false assurance of salvation. If there is no life change then there probably is no heart change. We do not work to merit anything, but if we have no desire for good works then we should check our hearts. Too often we get this backwards and do good works hoping to earn something or change something. The works are the result of the change.
Where are you? Does your life reflect a changed heart? I pray that mine would more and more each day.
24 τὴν οὖν ἔνδειξιν τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμῶν καὶ ἡμῶν καυχήσεως ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐνδεικνύμενοι εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν.
I found this to be a somewhat difficult chapter in Greek. However, this verse is pretty plain. Paul has been exhorting them about giving and how they will receive Titus. He's telling them to act according to his boasting about them.
I think that this is yet another verse speaking to the Lordship of Christ in the life of the believer. You see, if we have love we will have actions. Paul is basically making an appeal to their salvation. If they are truly part of the church then they will behave a certain way. The two go together like peanut butter and jelly.
This stands in stark contrast to the watered-down message given to many who are left to languish in their sins with a false assurance of salvation. If there is no life change then there probably is no heart change. We do not work to merit anything, but if we have no desire for good works then we should check our hearts. Too often we get this backwards and do good works hoping to earn something or change something. The works are the result of the change.
Where are you? Does your life reflect a changed heart? I pray that mine would more and more each day.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Godly Grief
2 Corinthians 7:9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
9 νῦν χαίρω, οὐχ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε εἰς μετάνοιαν· ἐλυπήθητε γὰρ κατὰ θεόν, ἵνα ἐν μηδενὶ ζημιωθῆτε ἐξ ἡμῶν. 10 ἡ γὰρ κατὰ θεὸν λύπη μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀμεταμέλητον ἐργάζεται· ἡ δὲ τοῦ κόσμου λύπη θάνατον κατεργάζεται.
I'm not sure why, but I don't get a ton out of 2 Corinthians when I go through it. However, this short passage is one of the most important passages in my life, so I guess it kind of balances out. I think that this passage tells us much about effective Christian discipleship as well as what the Christian life should look like.
First we see how Paul addressed the Corinthians. He knows that he caused them pain. He does not rejoice because of their pain, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε εἰς μετάνοιαν. What I get out of this is that there is a time when our message must cause a little pain. My stepdad just had a hip replaced. It hurts. But it will ultimately hurt a lot less than his bad hip did. In the same way, we need to preach a tough message sometimes. In the same way, we need to hear a tough message sometimes too. What does this buy us?
It brings us to godly grief. Paul contrasts τοῦ κόσμου λύπη with ἡ γὰρ κατὰ θεὸν λύπη (it's hard to pick apart the phrase for godly grief from Greek to English). Worldly grief leads to death. Godly grief leads to repentance, which leads to life.
My daughter provided a good example of worldly grief this morning. She had a terrible attitude and eventually called her mother an "idiot," which is something that leads to a spanking in our house. Then she hit me after I spanked her, which led to another spanking. We went through this about four times total, which was not much fun for either of us.
What was interesting is that she yelled "Sorry!" when she realized that each infraction was leading to another spanking. I later explained to her that if she was truly sorry then she would stop doing it. She had worldly grief in that she wanted to avoid the consequence of her actions, but she wanted to keep doing it.
Frankly, that's where most of us are most of the time, aren't we? We hate the consequences, but we don't mind the intrinsic sinfulness of some action. Godly grief is getting to the point where we realize how our sin offends a holy God. I believe that we get to that place as a result of the Spirit's work in us. Also, I can tell you from experience that it is quite dangerous to pray for godly grief because it is terrible to experience. Yet it is something we must go through if we are to walk with Christ.
9 νῦν χαίρω, οὐχ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε εἰς μετάνοιαν· ἐλυπήθητε γὰρ κατὰ θεόν, ἵνα ἐν μηδενὶ ζημιωθῆτε ἐξ ἡμῶν. 10 ἡ γὰρ κατὰ θεὸν λύπη μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀμεταμέλητον ἐργάζεται· ἡ δὲ τοῦ κόσμου λύπη θάνατον κατεργάζεται.
I'm not sure why, but I don't get a ton out of 2 Corinthians when I go through it. However, this short passage is one of the most important passages in my life, so I guess it kind of balances out. I think that this passage tells us much about effective Christian discipleship as well as what the Christian life should look like.
First we see how Paul addressed the Corinthians. He knows that he caused them pain. He does not rejoice because of their pain, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε εἰς μετάνοιαν. What I get out of this is that there is a time when our message must cause a little pain. My stepdad just had a hip replaced. It hurts. But it will ultimately hurt a lot less than his bad hip did. In the same way, we need to preach a tough message sometimes. In the same way, we need to hear a tough message sometimes too. What does this buy us?
It brings us to godly grief. Paul contrasts τοῦ κόσμου λύπη with ἡ γὰρ κατὰ θεὸν λύπη (it's hard to pick apart the phrase for godly grief from Greek to English). Worldly grief leads to death. Godly grief leads to repentance, which leads to life.
My daughter provided a good example of worldly grief this morning. She had a terrible attitude and eventually called her mother an "idiot," which is something that leads to a spanking in our house. Then she hit me after I spanked her, which led to another spanking. We went through this about four times total, which was not much fun for either of us.
What was interesting is that she yelled "Sorry!" when she realized that each infraction was leading to another spanking. I later explained to her that if she was truly sorry then she would stop doing it. She had worldly grief in that she wanted to avoid the consequence of her actions, but she wanted to keep doing it.
Frankly, that's where most of us are most of the time, aren't we? We hate the consequences, but we don't mind the intrinsic sinfulness of some action. Godly grief is getting to the point where we realize how our sin offends a holy God. I believe that we get to that place as a result of the Spirit's work in us. Also, I can tell you from experience that it is quite dangerous to pray for godly grief because it is terrible to experience. Yet it is something we must go through if we are to walk with Christ.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Testimonies
2 Corinthians 4:5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
5 Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν ἀλλὰ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν.
I was tempted to write on the verse before this that speak to how God is sovereign in election, but I decided to go with this because it is something that has been on my mind lately. The name of my blog comes from my own journey out of habitual sin. Roughly eight years ago I was a slave to pornography as well as gluttony and laziness. God first set me free from sexual sin then about six months later He set me free from gluttony and laziness. I am certainly not perfect with respect to either of these temptations, but I would call myself walking in freedom.
That's my story in a nutshell. I worked with the ministry that helped me find freedom for six years. One part of that ministry is the testimonies. Every lesson in every course ends with a testimony. These testimonies are tremendous encouragements in the pursuit of freedom from habitual sin. You begin to realize that God works in the lives of regular people and it is by His Spirit that one finds lasting freedom.
However, there is an element of proclaiming ourselves when we give a testimony. No matter how much we try to give God all the glory, we are still telling the story of something that happened to us. We want for God to be magnified and glorified in that story, but ultimately it is our story.
I do not think that testimonies are the best way to witness to someone about the gospel. There are a myriad of ways to lose weight and stop surfing porn. I could wear a rubber band and snap it on my wrist and I could change my behavior. I could look to an amorphous "higher power" and find sobriety. Ultimately my witness is based on the fact of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If that was a true historical event then we can talk about testimonies. If not, then it doesn't really matter what happened to me.
I think Paul certainly used his very powerful conversion story. It's written in Scripture, after all. But I think that was secondary to the story of Christ's resurrection. That is the real story and that is what we must remember as we proclaim Him.
5 Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν ἀλλὰ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν.
I was tempted to write on the verse before this that speak to how God is sovereign in election, but I decided to go with this because it is something that has been on my mind lately. The name of my blog comes from my own journey out of habitual sin. Roughly eight years ago I was a slave to pornography as well as gluttony and laziness. God first set me free from sexual sin then about six months later He set me free from gluttony and laziness. I am certainly not perfect with respect to either of these temptations, but I would call myself walking in freedom.
That's my story in a nutshell. I worked with the ministry that helped me find freedom for six years. One part of that ministry is the testimonies. Every lesson in every course ends with a testimony. These testimonies are tremendous encouragements in the pursuit of freedom from habitual sin. You begin to realize that God works in the lives of regular people and it is by His Spirit that one finds lasting freedom.
However, there is an element of proclaiming ourselves when we give a testimony. No matter how much we try to give God all the glory, we are still telling the story of something that happened to us. We want for God to be magnified and glorified in that story, but ultimately it is our story.
I do not think that testimonies are the best way to witness to someone about the gospel. There are a myriad of ways to lose weight and stop surfing porn. I could wear a rubber band and snap it on my wrist and I could change my behavior. I could look to an amorphous "higher power" and find sobriety. Ultimately my witness is based on the fact of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If that was a true historical event then we can talk about testimonies. If not, then it doesn't really matter what happened to me.
I think Paul certainly used his very powerful conversion story. It's written in Scripture, after all. But I think that was secondary to the story of Christ's resurrection. That is the real story and that is what we must remember as we proclaim Him.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
True Freedom
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
17 ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία.
I admit that I didn't get a lot out of this chapter when I read it in Greek. But as I review it in English I see the blessed promise of this verse. Paul has been speaking to how the Law brings death. In contrast, we as Christians have the Spirit. The promise οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία is incredible. More woodenly it is, "and where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom." Incredible!
Think about this for a few minutes. Are you in Christ? If so, you are freed from the requirements of the Law. I was going to write about freedom from habitual sin, but I don't think that this is what this verse is about. It is about freedom from the Law. It is almost impossible for us 21st century Gentiles to get our minds around this.
A first-century reader would think, "You mean I don't have to observe the feast days? I don't have to wait for Yom Kippur for my sins to be atoned for?" and other such thoughts. This is so completely contrary to the system that they knew.
This freedom comes by grace. There is nothing we can do to add to it. We cannot merit grace or it would cease to be grace. We are free in Christ. I hope that you embrace this promise with me.
17 ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία.
I admit that I didn't get a lot out of this chapter when I read it in Greek. But as I review it in English I see the blessed promise of this verse. Paul has been speaking to how the Law brings death. In contrast, we as Christians have the Spirit. The promise οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου, ἐλευθερία is incredible. More woodenly it is, "and where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom." Incredible!
Think about this for a few minutes. Are you in Christ? If so, you are freed from the requirements of the Law. I was going to write about freedom from habitual sin, but I don't think that this is what this verse is about. It is about freedom from the Law. It is almost impossible for us 21st century Gentiles to get our minds around this.
A first-century reader would think, "You mean I don't have to observe the feast days? I don't have to wait for Yom Kippur for my sins to be atoned for?" and other such thoughts. This is so completely contrary to the system that they knew.
This freedom comes by grace. There is nothing we can do to add to it. We cannot merit grace or it would cease to be grace. We are free in Christ. I hope that you embrace this promise with me.
Monday, July 05, 2010
The Aroma of Christ
2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
15 ὅτι Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ θεῷ ἐν τοῖς σῳζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, 16 οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα τίς ἱκανός;
This is some strange imagery, at least to me. What is the "aroma of Christ?" Paul explains it in verse 16. He tells us that to those who reject Christ we are a fragrance of death. To those who accept Christ we are a fragrance of life.
This explains a lot as we talk to people about the gospel, doesn't it? Some folks are going to hear us talk and become intrigued. They want to know more about Christ and they eventually repent and believe. But many are not going to want to hear what we have to say. When we mention the gospel it will convict them of their sinfulness, but they will cling stubbornly to their own desires and refuse to repent. To those folks we are an aroma of death.
I think I have made the mistake of trying to be an aroma of life to those who should smell death. You can spray Glade air freshener in a bathroom and make it smell better, but the underlying smell is still there. The same goes with the aroma of death to those who are perishing. But the important thing is to let them smell it so that we have done our jobs as evangelists. We need to at least let them hear it.
This really convicts me. I keep praying for more boldness. We will see what happens.
15 ὅτι Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ θεῷ ἐν τοῖς σῳζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, 16 οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα τίς ἱκανός;
This is some strange imagery, at least to me. What is the "aroma of Christ?" Paul explains it in verse 16. He tells us that to those who reject Christ we are a fragrance of death. To those who accept Christ we are a fragrance of life.
This explains a lot as we talk to people about the gospel, doesn't it? Some folks are going to hear us talk and become intrigued. They want to know more about Christ and they eventually repent and believe. But many are not going to want to hear what we have to say. When we mention the gospel it will convict them of their sinfulness, but they will cling stubbornly to their own desires and refuse to repent. To those folks we are an aroma of death.
I think I have made the mistake of trying to be an aroma of life to those who should smell death. You can spray Glade air freshener in a bathroom and make it smell better, but the underlying smell is still there. The same goes with the aroma of death to those who are perishing. But the important thing is to let them smell it so that we have done our jobs as evangelists. We need to at least let them hear it.
This really convicts me. I keep praying for more boldness. We will see what happens.
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