2 Corinthians 2:12-17

                                                                     2 Corinthians 2:12-17

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there.  So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.  But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?  For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

As believers in the Lord Jesus, we are called to preach the Gospel.  The message that saved us is to be proclaimed to people everywhere.  This is a great privilege and responsibility and should be seen as such.  As Paul relates his experience as a preacher of the Gospel, we gain an understanding of what this mission entails and requires.

 

PREACHING THE GOSPEL MUST BE WITH CONVICTION: Paul felt that he had and open door to preach the Gospel in Troas.  However, because Titus was not there as apparently was expected, Paul determined he should go to Macedonia.  We do not know what all was expected about the role of Titus in Paul’s preaching in Troas, but it was a factor important enough for Paul to pass us the open door there.  Had Paul gone ahead with the preaching in Troas, it would have been without rest in his heart.  Apparently, Paul thought that his preaching would have been affected enough by the situation that he could not preach the Gospel with the conviction required.  The Gospel is such an important message that it must be preached with conviction.  

 

PREACHING THE GOSPEL MUST BE CENTERED ON CHRIST: The Gospel is the message of Christ.  He is the one who is leading us in the advancement of the Gospel, and He is the reason for the preaching of the Gospel.  We preach so that the knowledge of Christ might be known and spread throughout the nations.  Preaching Christ is not always going to be popular or well received.  For some who hear the Gospel, it imparts life to them because it leads them to faith and repentance.  For others, the Gospel is repugnant, and they reject the truth only causing their condemnation to be more severe.  When armies would return from battle there would be a parade where the victorious solders would parch down the street with the prisoners of war in tow.  Priests would join the procession burning incense as part of the victory celebration.  The smell of that incense was associated with victory for the soldiers but for the prisoners, it was associated with the death and defeat.  The preaching of Christ will bring about justification for some but only confirm the condemnation of others.  No matter what the response, out task is to preach Christ.

 

PREACHING THE GOSPEL MUST BE COMMISSIONED BY GOD: There are some people who preach the Gospel as “peddlers” of God’s Word.  That is they use the preaching of the Gospel as a means of personal gain and are willing to compromise the truth in order to gain popularity and a following that they would like to establish.  Paul makes it clear that he and his companions know none of this kind of false teaching.  They have been commissioned by God to preach the Gospel and they are motivated by the glory of God and the salvation of the lost and not for personal gain.  It is a solemn responsibility to proclaim Christ and it should be done by God’s people and for God’s glory.

 

APPLICATION: Understand that not every open door represents a requirement for accepting a responsibility. When we preach the Gospel, it should be done with conviction, assurance, and sincerity.  No matter how people respond to the message of the Gospel, we must continue to preach Christ alone.  Understand that we are authorized by God to preach the Gospel of Christ, however, we must do it for His glory and not our own personal pride or gain.