Podcast: Download (14.5MB)
Captives of Christ in His Triumphant Procession
2 Corinthians 2:12-17
Introduction: One of the biggest challenges we have as Christians is to not picture ourselves in the same way that the average believer in Jesus pictures themselves in our religious culture. Our culture tends to define us and we have a constant struggle of “swimming upstream” when it comes to being who Jesus wants us to be. Becoming like our surrounding culture, whether religiously or morally is something that has happened historically in every culture. Corinth is an excellent example: 1 Cor. 4:8-16. We would be foolish to think we are immune.
This was Paul’s constant challenge with the church at Corinth, especially because false teachers were pressuring them to excel as Corinthian citizens instead of citizens of the Kingdom of God. And the same for us today! Carrying the cross through hardship, self-denial, and sacrifice is not a popular message. As Paul preached the “message of the cross” it caused a rift between him and those who argued for a more convenient and pleasant gospel message.
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians
The false preachers had obviously taken every opportunity to tell the church that Paul did not care about them and was instead trying to take advantage of them. His change of plans in visiting them and the need for him to send a harsh letter instead certainly fueled the fire.
Therefore, in verses 12-13, Paul revealed to them that after sending his letter, he was so anxious in waiting for Titus’ return and meeting at Troas, that he actually left an open door for preaching the gospel in favor of seeking Titus so he would know how they fared spiritually.
Now why would Paul, who was all about saving souls, do such a thing? Even the Corinthians would know a man like Paul would not pass on such an opportunity lightly. Therefore, just as Paul is in the midst of explaining his search of Titus, he breaks off and writes a large section of his letter (2:14 – 7:4) explaining why he would make such decisions, why God is always his comfort, and why the Corinthians should live in the same way. This is one of the most definitive sections of scripture in depicting the way disciples of Christ should see themselves and how they should serve God.
Captives for Christ
The first principle I want you to notice is the phrase, “thanks be to God.” It is important to understand that though Paul will speak of great suffering as a disciple of Christ, he is jubilantly thankful to God that he has put him in this position. Paul wants to transfer that attitude to all Christians.
This is especially important because the false preachers live a soft, carnally based life in which they focus on earthly comforts, and they are urging the church in the same direction.
Therefore, Paul uses a picture of a Roman triumphal procession following a great victorious campaign by a conquering general or king. The procession included the King riding in a chariot clothed in a purple toga. Behind him would be wagons carrying the spoils of war, gold and other valuables. Then came a multitude of captives from kings and rulers to the common soldiers often arrayed in their native costumes. Following this there were pagan priests burning incense to the gods and a group of musicians. At the end of the procession, some of the captives would be put to death as a sacrifice to the Roman gods.
Paul’s analogy is made more clear in the translations of the NIV and NLT:
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (NIV)
“But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.” (NLT)
This fits Paul’s statement in our opening text: “For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.” (1 Cor. 4:9). This also fits Paul’s later description (1 Cor. 4:10-12).
The idea of the ultimate triumph is that the procession of the captives in combination of the incense and sacrifices, is a proclamation, pictured as an aroma, of the conquering king. Even if death awaits at the end of the parade, it is in honor of the king. It is the greatest triumph.
In fact, in verse 15, Paul said that we become like the incense burned in the parade spreading the aroma of the knowledge of Christ everywhere. In other words, in being taken captive by Christ, Jesus is honored and glorified wherever we go, like incense that permeates the air, we tell others about our conquering King.
Notice also the beginning phrase of verse 15: “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ…” What a thought of God looking down at us and seeing us marching in Christ’s triumphal procession, giving ourselves up to death for both those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To be sure, to some we are an aroma of death because they reject a life of sacrifice for Jesus. That is exactly the nature of the false preachers & their followers! That kind of life is nothing but death to them. But to others, we are an aroma of life as they see that by being conquered by Christ, their death produces eternal life.
“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” (Romans 6:22 ESV)
“Not peddlers of the word…but we speak before God as those sent from God.”
Living in Christ’s Triumphal Procession
- The need to be inconvenienced for the joy of being his captive.
- We cannot change the message so the smell is more acceptable. That was exactly the philosophy of the false preachers.
- We cannot change the way we live so the “smell of our lives” better fits the world’s philosophy. The message of the cross is that we die with him.
- The need to properly perceive our place in this world in the sight of God.
- We are sent from God!
- We are Christ’s captives. We live to glorify him through our life and death. Never think differently!