![being the captives of Christ in His triumphal procession scattering His fragrance [in the picture: 2 Cor. 2:14]](https://i0.wp.com/agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/captives-triumphal-Christ.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 "being the captives of Christ in His triumphal procession scattering His fragrance [in the picture: 2 Cor. 2:14]")
In 1 Corinthians we see that Paul writes to the Corinthian believers who were fleshly and even fleshy that they would aspire to grow in life and be governed, dominated, led, moved, controlled, and guided by their mingled spirit.
In 2 Corinthians we see the apostle’s speaking concerning their ministry and he used five metaphors to describe and illustrate what they were, how they were constituted, and how they were behaving as ministers as the new covenant.
These five metaphors are: captives of Christ (2 Cor. 2:14), incense bearers (2:14-16), letters of Christ (3:1-3), mirrors beholding and reflecting (3:18), and earthen vessels with a priceless treasure (4:7).
Being the captives of Christ
We as believers in Christ and as ministers of the new covenant are captives of Christ – He took captive those taken captive by Satan and now we are His captives (2 Cor. 2:14)! Here this verse means leading men as captives in a triumphal procession (Conybeare).
Christ is a victorious General: He defeated Satan, and He took his captive to be Christ’s! Now we all the believers in Christ need to allow Christ daily to defeat us and subdue us so that we may follow Him as the General in His triumphal procession to scatter the fragrance of Christ everywhere!
A captive of Christ is one who lives and serves in his spirit, caring for the rest in his spirit more than for the outward circumstances and environments. Paul was such a pattern – a door was opened to him in the Lord to go somewhere, but he had no rest in his spirit (2 Cor. 2:13). He didn’t care for the outward circumstances, but for the rest in his spirit.
MY SPIRIT – this is the center of God’s economy! We as captives of Christ should care for the rest in our spirit and we should be a lover of the church! In 2 Cor. 12:14-15 Paul was glad to spend and be utterly spent on behalf of the Corinthian believers’ soul. Regardless how the church treats you, you love the church!
Who is whose captive in your experience?
In our experience we all have to admit that many times Christ is captive to us, and we “defeat Christ” by living in our natural man, in our flesh, and guided by our self. We may not have problems with sin or with the world, but the question is, Who is Whose Captive? This is why we all need to pray, Lord, make me Your captive – never let me win! Defeat me all the time!
The Lord doesn’t need “spiritual giants” but He needs little captives, those who have been defeated by Christ and who are subdued by Him. We need to cooperate with the Lord’s defeating work by praying in such a way, so that He may have a gateway to enter in and defeat us all the time.
Oh, Lord Jesus… We should consider whether we have this desire to be defeated and subdued by Christ – has our self-will ever been conquered? Even in our seeking the Lord, in our reading the Bible, in our meeting with the saints – are we defeated and subdued by Christ or are we opponents of Christ?
May the Lord have mercy on us that we would allow Him to defeat us and conquer us. May it not be He being a captive in our fleshly victory but may it be us who are defeated, subdued, conquered, and captured by Him to be His captives in His triumphal procession…
Scattering the fragrance of Christ
The ones who have been defeated and subdued by the Lord to be His captives in His triumphal procession scatter the fragrance of Christ – they are incense bearers scattering the savor of the knowledge of Christ in His triumphant ministry.
Our knowledge of Christ as captives of Christ is fragrant and savoury – when we are subdued and captured by Him, we bear the fragrance of Christ wherever we are! We will pray like the loving seeker in Song of Songs 4:10-16, Come Beloved in my garden… Awake north wind and come south wind, let my fragrance flow… The Lord uses difficult environments and pleasant environments to help us scatter the fragrance of Christ!
Lord Jesus, You are the General leading us in Your triumphal procession! Oh, Lord, never let us win. Defeat us all the time. Subdue us and conquer us. Save us from defeating You and winning a fleshly victory in which You are our captive. Lord, we are delighted to be just little captives in Your triumphal procession, scattering the fragrance of Christ. May we know You to such an extent that it is fragrant and savoury!
References and Further Reading
- Sharing inspired from, Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msgs. 5, 18; An Autobiography of a Person in the Spirit, chs. 2-3, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Focus of the Lord’s Recovery, week 5;
- A lovely hymn on this topic, The new covenant ministers / Are captives in a procession, / Defeated and subdued by Christ / For His victorious celebration.
- Purchase the Morning Revival book online via LSM;
- Picture source: 2 Corinthians 2:14 from online.
About aGodMan
There is a wonderful paragraph in the life-study talking about these qualifications of the new covenant ministers – such a wonderful ministry!
In the apostles' speaking concerning their ministry for God's new covenant, five very significant and expressive metaphors are used to illustrate how they, as the ministers of the new covenant, and their ministry are constituted, how they behave and live, and how their ministry is carried out. These metaphors are: captives in a triumphant procession for the celebration of Christ's victory (2 Cor. 2:14a); incense-bearers to scatter the fragrance of Christ (2:14b-16); letters written with Christ as the content (3:1-3); mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of Christ in order to be transformed into His glorious image (3:18); earthen vessels to contain the Christ of glory as the excellent treasure (4:7). (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 82)
I am touched that the Lord doesn’t need “spiritual giants” but He needs little captives,
those who have been defeated by Christ and who are subdued by Him.
May the Lord have mercy on us that we would allow Him to defeat us and
conquer us. May it not be He being a captive in our fleshly victory but
may it be us who are defeated, subdued, conquered, and captured by Him
to be His captives in His triumphal procession… " The new covenant
ministers/ Are captives in a procession,/Defeated and subdued by
Christ/ FOR HIS VICTORIOUS CELEBRATION. May words of this precious hymn
will be also my prayer…
"Lord, make me Your captive.
Never let me win.
Defeat me all the time.
Lord, make home in me."
The Lord uses difficult environments and pleasant environments to help us scatter the fragrance of Christ! Amen.
"Come Beloved in my garden… Awake north wind and come south wind, let my fragrance flow… "
"By Your all-fitting life,
Lord, I learn to live.
By Your sufficient grace,
Lord, make home in me."
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ and manifests the savor of the knowledge of Him through us in every place." (2 Cor 2:14) It is amazing – I love this verse.
amen… hallelujah for the word of God.
Before we can be incense bearers we need to be firstly subdued and captured by Christ! We need to learn to cooperate with the Lord's subduing work by asking Him to constrain us with His love and never let us win!
Concerning Song of Songs 4:10-16, most of us don't pray, "Awake, North Wind, and Come, South Wind" since the north wind is so cold and not pleasant… we may pray, "Awake, South Wind, and Come, South Wind"… – but the Lord wants to show us that all the environments He puts us in, whether pleasant or not so pleasant, are helping us to scatter the fragrance of Christ! As we spend time with the Lord in a personal and private way, He is filling us with His riches and His fragrance, and then these fragrances flow as the wind blows… Oh, Lord, may the fragrance of Christ flow from our garden so that others may smell Christ and receive Christ!
Amen! There's a wonderful quote in the life-study that speaks about the qualifications of the ministers of the new covenant and their ministry,
In the apostles' speaking concerning their ministry for God's new covenant, five very significant and expressive metaphors are used to illustrate how they, as the ministers of the new covenant, and their ministry are constituted, how they behave and live, and how their ministry is carried out. These metaphors are: captives in a triumphant procession for the celebration of Christ's victory (2 Cor. 2:14a); incense-bearers to scatter the fragrance of Christ (2:14b-16); letters written with Christ as the content (3:1-3); mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of Christ in order to be transformed into His glorious image (3:18); earthen vessels to contain the Christ of glory as the excellent treasure (4:7). (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 82)
There is a wonderful paragraph in the life-study talking about these qualifications of the new covenant ministers – such a wonderful ministry!
In the apostles’ speaking concerning their ministry for God’s new covenant, five very significant and expressive metaphors are used to illustrate how they, as the ministers of the new covenant, and their ministry are constituted, how they behave and live, and how their ministry is carried out. These metaphors are: captives in a triumphant procession for the celebration of Christ’s victory (2 Cor. 2:14a); incense-bearers to scatter the fragrance of Christ (2:14b-16); letters written with Christ as the content (3:1-3); mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of Christ in order to be transformed into His glorious image (3:18); earthen vessels to contain the Christ of glory as the excellent treasure (4:7). (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 82)
I am touched that the Lord doesn’t need “spiritual giants” but He needs little captives,
those who have been defeated by Christ and who are subdued by Him.
May the Lord have mercy on us that we would allow Him to defeat us and
conquer us. May it not be He being a captive in our fleshly victory but
may it be us who are defeated, subdued, conquered, and captured by Him
to be His captives in His triumphal procession… ” The new covenant
ministers/ Are captives in a procession,/Defeated and subdued by
Christ/ FOR HIS VICTORIOUS CELEBRATION. May words of this precious hymn
will be also my prayer…
“Lord, make me Your captive.
Never let me win.
Defeat me all the time.
Lord, make home in me.”
The Lord uses difficult environments and pleasant environments to help us scatter the fragrance of Christ! Amen.
“Come Beloved in my garden… Awake north wind and come south wind, let my fragrance flow… ”
“By Your all-fitting life,
Lord, I learn to live.
By Your sufficient grace,
Lord, make home in me.”
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ and manifests the savor of the knowledge of Him through us in every place.” (2 Cor 2:14) It is amazing – I love this verse.
amen… hallelujah for the word of God.
Before we can be incense bearers we need to be firstly subdued and captured by Christ! We need to learn to cooperate with the Lord’s subduing work by asking Him to constrain us with His love and never let us win!
Concerning Song of Songs 4:10-16, most of us don’t pray, “Awake, North Wind, and Come, South Wind” since the north wind is so cold and not pleasant… we may pray, “Awake, South Wind, and Come, South Wind”… – but the Lord wants to show us that all the environments He puts us in, whether pleasant or not so pleasant, are helping us to scatter the fragrance of Christ! As we spend time with the Lord in a personal and private way, He is filling us with His riches and His fragrance, and then these fragrances flow as the wind blows… Oh, Lord, may the fragrance of Christ flow from our garden so that others may smell Christ and receive Christ!