THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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on the way to Damascus, and He had con tinued to ' set Paul forth as His triumph again and again throughout the years o f His service for Him. ' “ In our spiritual course, our only true triumphs are God’s triumphs over us. His defeats o f us are our only real victories.” Through such tri umphs the knowledge o f God is diffused as odors were scattered along the pathway o f the ancient conquerors (cf. Ephesians v. 2; Philippians iv. 18). God had made the ministry o f the apos tles life-giving or death-dealing. To those who looked upon the gospel o f Christ as mere fiction or the empty announcement of the story o f a crucified man, and who, in spite o f the apostolic testimony, witnessed by the Spirit, refused to believe—to them the gospel was a ministry o f death: an odor wafted from death, just as the Roman triumphal processions often ended in the death o f some captives. On the con trary, to those who believed and received the apostolic message concerning Christ crucified, risen, and glorified, it was a mes sage o f life : an odor wafted from life. The gospel works both ways (cf. Matthew xxi. 44; Luke ii. 34; John ix. 39; 1 Peter ii. 7, 8 ). T o which class a man belongs, whether o f life (cf. iii. 1 ; iv. 2 ) or o f death (cf. iv. 4-6), is determined by his attitude towards the person and work o f Christ. The minister o f the gospel should think o f the permanent and eternal results o f his preaching (life or death) as they will seem in another world (cf. 1 Thessalonians ii. 19; Hebrews xiii. 17; Ezekiel iii. 16-20; xxxiii. 7-9). The power,. efficacy, and suffering o f the gospel, and the Producer o f these triumphs is God (ii. 16; cf. iii. 5). The question asked in ii. 16—“And who is sufficient for these things?”—is answered in iii. 5—“ Not that we are sufficient o f ourselves to think anything as o f ourselves; but our sufficiency is o f God.” This dependence, upon God for success leads to the mention o f those false teachers who were hucksters of the divine Word, adulterating it, according to their own
tion calling for such an expression. Such discipline, however, should not be without end. It should be discontinued when the end and purpo'se o f the punishment has been secured and the penitence o f the offender has been expressed. Thus by the proper demonstration o f discipline, punish ment has been meted out to the offender and the righteousness o f the church vindi cated. (d ) The News from, Titus Comforts the Apostle and Makes Possible a Visit Char acterized by Joyfulness (it. 12 - 17 ). This section is really a continuation of the thought following ii. 4, from which the apostle digressed to deal with the matter of the offending brother. The fact that God had caused the apos tolic message and instruction to triumph in Corinth as He had elsewhere is a source o f rejoicing to the apostle and an encour agement to further labor. The unrest of spirit which the apostle had endured pend ing the .knowledge o f such a triumph in relation to the church at Corinth had inter fered with his labors at Troas (cf. Acts xx. 1, 2; 6-13; 1 Corinthians xvi. 5-9) where otherwise he could have done a great work for God (cf. 1 Corinthians xvi. 9; Revelation iii. 8 ). It is evident from this statement that not every “ open door” is to be entered. There fore, every opportunity, call, or open door is not the will o f God. There may be a greater need and call elsewhere (Acts xvi. 6 , 7). This is a word o f caution which Christians are in sore need o f today, for too easily are our relations in our fields o f labor uprooted by what purports to be another call o f God or an open door to work elsewhere. God had again, as always, caused the apostle to triumph—not in himself, but in Christ, to whose service he had devoted himself, and whose gospel he has given his life to proclaim. And so God had not only caused them, the apostolic ambassadors, to triumph, but God had also exhibited them as divine triumphs in themselves. God had triumphed in the conversion o f the apostle
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