THE TRIUMPHANT LIFE

"Now thanks be unto God which always causes us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place." II Cor. 2:14.

Wherever I go, thank God, he makes my life a constant pageant of triumph in Christ, diffusing the perfume of his knowledge everywhere by me." -- (Moffatt's translation).

Among the elements of the triumphant or Victorious life Paul had in Christ in the immediate context he mentions his victorious itinerary: "And maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place" Troas, Macedonia, Corinth, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, he had victory everywhere in Christ. Whether the advance agent had all the arrangements perfected or had secured the cooperation of all the priests or had a guarantee of fifty thousand from the leading business men or had secured Paul accommodations at the leading hotel, is not mentioned. Or whether the time was auspicious for revival or whether it was the psychological moment does not appear in the text. There is not any mention of a delegation of prominent citizens meeting his train or a brass band escorting him out, or arches of welcome to "Our Big Chief" erected, (or to "The King of Missions,") -- appellations which only belong to Christ, for sometimes Paul was received coldly and went out in a shower of stones and was left for dead, but God did always accomplish his purpose in Paul, and though there was little evidence of what the modern mind would call "success," God so anointed Paul, that a lasting impression was made on those whom He ordained to eternal life, that in every place coexistent with Paul's bonds and imprisonment a vigorous company of believers resulted.

We may not seem successful but if we are faithful in our God-appointed finery, "To all I send thee thou shalt go," in every place there will be worth-while fruit -- Moffat says, "real fruit."

Paul mentions ability to preach a self-effaced type of message as another fruit of his victory in Christ. ,"For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord." "Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life." 2nd Cor. 3:6. Paul was a scholar but he did not depend on his scholarship. Well he knew the flesh profited nothing and that no preaching at all was better than "letter" preaching as it was a positive source of death.

"And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto you the testimony of God..." And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." Now Paul gives his weighty reason for the effacement of his scholarship, to avoid the calamity of devotion to poor human leaders. "That" (introducing a purpose clause) "your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." I Cor. 2:1-5. How great, in our day is the need of the Pauline type of self-effacement in minister and message! As has been said, "Preach Christ Crucified in a crucified style." Even Paul's message originated outside of his own resources. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." II Cor. 3:5 he wrote in connection with the reference to his God-given ability to minister the glorious gospel message. Victory over Official Importance. is another contextual characteristic. Paul disclaims any right of lordship. Although God had used him in their salvation and sanctification and anointing and sealing and establishment, that was incidental and of God's sovereignty, -- Paul, the instrument, stands on common ground with them, as needy as they, and having no priority to God's favor over them on this account, rather, he wrote, "together He establishes, anoints and seals us.." Any authority he had over them was not ecclesiastical, but spiritual, by reason of helpful service, hence Paul reminds them he would exercise no primacy over them, he leaves that for the Pope and numerous protestants who covet a following and authority; he is content with helpful ministry of "spiritual gifts," a "second benefit" or grace, etc.. By this we would not intimate that there should not be proper reverence for those over us in the Lord. "Not for that we have dominion (Lordship R. V.) over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith (in God and not Paul, as he before wrote) ye stand." II Cor. 1:24.

He writes further of victory over self exaltation and complacency (II Cor. 3:1) as well as of self effacement.

"Do we begin to commend ourselves?" "Not he who commends himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth." Do we remember that this spirit of self-complacency with achievements, attainments, successes, organizations, machinery, work, or wisdom, is akin to the self-exaltation of the angels who fell? "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." We should discriminate between gratitude for fruits and complacency. Whatever power Paul had was contained in an earthen vessel that the "excellency of the power might be of God and not of us."

He writes of victory of forgiving love toward an offending brother. He took Christ as his forgiveness. Christ became to him a forgiving spirit to an offending brother. That was Paul's simple, easy way, to forgive those who had injured him. Christ is our life; our fullness. He was forgiving to his enemies and His life in us includes His forgiving Spirit through us to others. He exhorted the Corinthians to show forgiving love to the offending brother and then showed them how he had easy victory in forgiving by Christ the forgiving One being his forgiveness. "To whom you forgave anything, I forgive also; for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes, forgave I it in the Person of Christ." II Cor. 2:10. Paul immediately adds that the instilling of the unforgiving Spirit is one of Satan's grand devices. "Lest Satan should get an advantage over us, for we are not ignorant of his devices." II Cor. 2:11. The heart Christ does not occupy in His Person as a Spirit of forgiveness, Satan indwells as an unforgiving spirit.

One of the most outstanding things apart from victory over sin which Paul triumphed over in Christ, was Tribulation, -- Affliction. -- An element accompanying victory in Paul's time little recognized as contingent with victory now. It was no "unconscious suffering" either, but dominant, painful, conscious, ever-present suffering. The very letter to them descriptive of his victory was written from a suffering heart. "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears." II Cor. 2:4. So conspicuous is the element of suffering that after his salutation to the church, he immediately launches into a description of the God of all comfort: "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation (R. V. affliction) that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort (measure of power to comfort) wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." For as (only as) the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted (in affliction) it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is steadfast knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God which raiseth the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death (past), and doth deliver (present) in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us" (future) II Cor. 1:4-10.

The foregoing extended quotation relative to Paul's suffering precedes the text. We subjoin below very explicit words descriptive of Paul's suffering which follow the text in such close proximity as to suggest that when Paul wrote of triumphant victory he had in mind the kind which empowered him to overflow with joy in all his afflictions: "We are troubled on every side," "we are perplexed," "persecuted," "cast down," "always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus." "For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake." "So then death worketh in us." II Cor. 4:8-12. He also wrote of our "light afflictions" and his "perishing outer man" in which he endured afflictions, necessities, tumults, labors, watchings, fastings, evil reports, accusation of deception, daily dying, chastisement, sorrow, poverty, of such dire degree that he had nothing, and within the brief compass of the thirteen chapters there is the amazing array of nearly one hundred and fifty words descriptive of sorrow, trial, trouble on every side, affliction, tribulation, pain, weariness, hunger, opposition and persecution. Turning to the history of Paul's travels in Acts where the scenes of his conflicts are more minutely recorded, we find, as he himself spoke under the influence of the Holy Spirit's inspiration, literally "bonds and afflictions abide me" in every city with the possible exception of Berea and yet from this city persecuting Jews shadowed his trail to the next city on his itinerary and there executed bitter persecution.

At Antioch "they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming." Again they raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts.

At Iconium Paul "so spake that a great multitude of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed." But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evil affected towards the brethren (Paul and Barnabas). And here, though the Lord gave gracious confirmation to his word and sealed their ministry both with signs and wonders, the apostles were rewarded for their labor of love by "an assault made both of the Gentiles and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully and to stone them."

Escaping the shower of stones the Farewell Committee gave him at Iconium, Paul reaches Lystra. Here he healed the poor lame man impotent in his feet, crippled from his "mother's womb" and though at first the grateful inhabitants would have sacrificed to, and worshipped them, they ultimately yielded to the importunity of the "Indignation Committee" which followed Paul from Antioch and Iconium filled with hatred and determined to close all doors against the messenger of Jesus Christ. These false religionists persuaded the people (of Lystra) and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Here it seems God raised him from the dead through the prayer of the disciples who formed a prayer circle about his prostrate, bleeding body, for shortly he rises up and returns to the city and the next day is able to travel to Derbe.

In a short while Paul returns to Iconium and Lystra where he had been stoned and later to Antioch where the Stoning Committee was organized. Here he exhorts the disciples to continue in the faith (rather than the system) and informs them that tribulation and suffering are not only appointed for him but that they too "must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."

At Phillipi where Lydia of Thyatira was converted and Paul delivered, in Jesus' Name, the damsel who was possessed with a spirit of divination, the magistrates instead of giving Paul and Silas justice, commanded them to be beaten. "And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely." Here God intervenes by an earthquake to deliver His persecuted preacher.

At Thessalonica Paul only affirmed "This Jesus whom I preach is Christ." Here the unbelieving Jews "moved with envy, took unto themselves certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company and set all the city on an uproar," accusing Paul of turning the world upside down, finally arresting him but letting him go on receiving security from Jason.

At Corinth he was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that "Jesus was the Christ." He was reassured here by a vision in the night that God was with him and would protect him from bodily harm. The Jews being restrained from violence a year and six months, finally broke loose and "made insurrection against Paul, and brought him to the Judgment seat." In Corinth also was the scene of the trouble with the false exorcists. Paul had trouble everywhere.

At Ephesus where Paul preached the Kingdom of God and magnified the Name of the Lord, his enemies spoke evil of the way. Here he had the strife over Diana, the goddess of the Ephesians, boldly preaching that there are no gods that are made with hands. The people were filled with wrath against the fearless preacher and the city was filled with confusion. When the uproar had ceased and the tumult subsided, Paul found the disciples, embraced them and departed for Macedonia.

In Macedonia he was harassed by the Jews who lay in wait for him as he was about to leave for Syria.

At Traos he preached all night and was interrupted by an auditor falling down through the third loft, to whom Paul descended and raised him from the dead and then continued his sermon until day break.

On one occasion forty men bound themselves with an oath to kill Paul. At another time he was in danger of being torn to pieces.

At Philip's house in Caesarea he was Warned by the prophet Agabus that if he assayed to go to Jerusalem he would be bound hand and foot. His friends sought to dissuade him from the hazardous journey but only to bring from his lips the noble, burning words of devotion to Jesus: "I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." Here they went about to kill him. Thus the record of unprecedented suffering, sorrow and persecution continues until he is beheaded at Rome.

The first objection to the Pauline life of suffering being typical for all believers is that Paul as the Lord said, was a chosen vessel, and would be shown how great things he must suffer for Jesus' sake. We recognize the exceptional element in Paul's persecutions. And yet he frequently intimates to the disciples that they too must expect opposition: "Yea all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" A greater than Paul said of His disciples: "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake;" and "in the world ye shall have tribulation."

Again Paul wrote "If I please men I am' no longer the servant of Christ." Is not the sentiment now to study to accomplish what annuls our claim of servants to Jesus -- men pleasing? Has the offense of the cross ceased? Is the woe still true that the Master pronounced on His disciples when all men speak well of them? Does history prove that anything worth while in the Kingdom of God ever came to men without strong antagonism? Would it be worth while if the element of opposition were lacking? What claim have we to relationship with the Crucified Founder of Christianity and to His sixty-five million love martyrs who sealed their faith with their blood, when we have the commendation of the world which martyred Him and them? Do we not often have the approbation of men at the cost of God's displeasure? If good men praise us we may well praise God but some men's praise should cause us to tremble and drive us to our knees. If our type of ministry rebukes, instead of justifies the wicked for reward, we will still find men who will hate the prophet of God who reproves within the gates and they must antagonize him in some form. In olden time the penalty was the dungeon or the stake, now the cost in branding, and false, unfair representation and ecclesiastical excommunication and anonymous communications and the severe letting alone. The reproaches of those who, reproached God fell on: Christ. Will not men who are not His, reproach those who are Christ's? There is enmity between Christ and Satan, will there not be between Christ's and Satan's?

It is not a fair victory message to keep in abeyance the element of suffering. Jesus assured His disciples there would be persecutions and afflictions and promised peculiar divine aid in that hour. "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you." Matt. 5:10-12. "If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye: for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you." I Peter 4:13.

Has the "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you" been annulled? What did Jesus mean when He said if men persecuted Him they would persecute His followers also? And if the world hated Him it would also hate His? Really it would seem that without some measure, at least, of opposition, we may well doubt the genuineness of our victory. Let us fairly state the matter: Victory in Christ is not all roses; it is not a perpetual honeymoon; not all mountain-top ecstasy; it is not like the placid lake, smooth and calm always. There are terrible conflicts and storms and fiery trials of faith and fierce opposition from men, demons and devils. There will be times when we shall be called to fellowship His sufferings and experience His loneliness. Times when the Father will seem to hide His face from us, as from Christ when lie hung in agony on the Cross, when we will have to walk by naked faith, stripped of all feeling.

There will be times when "the exceeding great and precious promises" will seem hidden from us. There will be tunnel experiences. We will know the world's hate, at which we are told not to "marvel" (or think it strange), since it hated Him before it hated us. "Woe unto you when all men speak well of you."