As captives of Christ in His triumphal procession, the believers celebrate and participate in Christ’s triumph in their New Testament ministry, ministering Christ to others. Paul likens the apostles’ ministry to a celebration of Christ’s victory. Their move in their ministry for Christ was like a triumphal procession from one place to another under God’s leading. 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. This indicates that the ministry of the New Testament is a triumphal procession celebrating Christ’s victory. Inwardly we should have the sense that we are captives in Christ’s triumphal procession. As such captives, we are witnesses that once we were enemies of Christ, but we have been defeated, subdued, captured, and made submissive to Him.
The ministry of the New Testament is to testify of Christ as the Victor. I believe that as Paul was marching in Christ’s triumphal procession, he could praise the Lord for His victory and in this way testify of Him. Likewise, as captives of Christ, we can testify that we have been defeated, captured, and subdued by Him. Now we are submissive captives, saying “amen” to the Lord’s victory. This is our ministry.
As captives in Christ’s triumphal procession, we are simultaneously incense-bearers. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:14b that through us God manifests the savor of the knowledge of Christ in every place. This indicates that as conquered and captured captives in the train of Christ’s triumph, we are incense-bearers, scattering the savor of the knowledge of Christ in His triumphant ministry as in a triumphal procession. The believers are such incense-bearers in their ministry of Christ as well as captives in the train of His triumph. Concerning the phrase “the savor of the knowledge,” Vincent says, “According to the Greek usage, savor and knowledge are in apposition, so that the knowledge of Christ is symbolized as an odor communicating its nature and efficacy through the apostle’s work.” Therefore, our excellent knowledge of Christ becomes a sweet savor.
Because we have been captured, subdued, possessed, and gained by Christ, He has the liberty to saturate us with His fragrance. As a result, we become a savor spreading His sweet fragrance. The metaphor of the incense-bearer illustrates this. As captives of Christ, we are being saturated with His fragrance. In this way, the captives in His procession become incense-bearers.
Actually, to scatter the incense of Christ is to live Christ. The Christ we live has incense, and He even is this incense. Therefore, when we scatter the incense of Christ, we scatter Christ Himself. We praise the Lord that it is possible for us to be those who scatter the incense of Christ. When we have been captured, subdued, and led, we shall scatter the incense of Christ.
The scattering of Christ as incense has an effect: it is a matter of life or death. For those who have been chosen by God, the scattering of incense is unto life. But to others, it is unto death. This is a very serious matter. In 2 Corinthians 2:15 Paul says, “We are a fragrance of Christ to God in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing.” The apostles, being permeated with Christ, become a fragrance of Christ. They are not merely a sweet savor produced by Christ, but Christ Himself is the savor being exhaled in their life and work to God, both in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing.
In verse 16 Paul continues, “To the one a savor from death unto death, to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” The phrases “unto death” and “unto life” mean resulting in death or resulting in life. This refers to the different effects of the apostles’ ministry upon different persons. It is a matter of life or death! Only the captives of God in Christ, who are saturated with Christ by the Spirit, are sufficient and qualified for this.
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