5 Metaphors that Describe Genuine Christian Ministers and Their Ministry

Today there is an ever increasing amount of “Christian ministry” available in nearly every form imaginable–especially over the internet. But how much of this can really be considered as genuine “ministry” when measured according to the New Testament pattern.  In 1 Timothy 1:16, Paul said, “But because of this I was shown mercy, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ might display all His long-suffering for a pattern to those who are to believe on Him unto eternal life.” So God set forth Paul as a pattern to the believers, not only of salvation, but also of a life and work that fulfills God’s purpose.

In this post we’ll consider the constituting of genuine ministers and their ministry in light of the pattern of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2-4.

Five expressive metaphors that describe how genuine ministers and their ministry are constituted

In 2 Corinthians 2-4, Paul uses five expressive metaphors to describe how genuine ministers are constituted, live, behave, and carry out their ministry. These five metaphors are: 1) captives in Christ’s triumphal procession (2 Cor. 2:12-14), 2) incense-bearers scattering the fragrance of Christ (vv. 14-16), 3) letters written with Christ as the content (vv. 3:1-3), 4) mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of the Lord (vv. 3:16-18), and 5) earthen vessels containing Christ as their treasure (vv. 4:6-7).

First, ministers are captives in Christ’s triumphal procession—2 Cor. 2:12-14; Eph. 4:8-12. As a genuine minister, Paul did not have the freedom to move and act according to his own preference—even when a door was open to him by the Lord (v. 12). Rather, as a captive of Christ, he was restricted by the rest in his spirit. For Paul to be a captive of Christ meant that he was one who lived and acted in his spirit (v. 13)—walking by and being led by the Spirit in all his living and service (Rom. 8:4, 14).

However, in our experience we may not be Christ’s captive, but we may make Him our captive. So we need to pray, “Lord, defeat me, never let me win. Lord, make me your captive.”

Second, ministers are incense-bearers scattering the fragrance of Christ—2 Cor. 2:14-16. The incense borne by these ministers is the savor of the knowledge of Christ spreading through them in every place. The real experiential knowledge of Christ is a kind of savor, an odor communicating its nature and efficacy. Experientially, captives and incense-bearers are one. If we are those who have been captured and gained by Christ, He will have the ground to saturate and permeate us with Himself making us a fragrance of Christ (v. 15).

Third, ministers are living letters of Christ inscribed with the Spirit—vv. 3:1-3, 6. Today, the Spirit is not just the Spirit of God as in the Old Testament times, but the compound Spirit of Jesus Christ (John 7:38-39; Phil. 1:19) including all the elements of Christ’s Person and process as its ingredients. (For more development of this point, you may want to read my post on the “The Spirit as our Bountiful Supply.”)

So to be such a genuine minister of Christ, we need to be those who are full of Christ as the “life-giving Spirit ink” (2 Cor. 3:2-3, 6). Then we need to contact people as a “pen” full of this “inking-Spirit” and write Christ all over them. Christ is the irremovable pigment in this ink. When people contact us, they should be forever changed, because the Christ with Whom we’ve been constituted is written into their hearts. Also with a genuine minister, there are two originals of the letter—one in the recipient’s heart and the other in the minister’s heart. Our receivers, along with the Christ we minister to them become a letter in our heart! How tender and intimate!

Fourth, ministers are mirrors beholding and reflecting the glory of the Lord—2 Cor. 3:16-18; 4:1.  To be such ministers who carry out the genuine ministry of reflecting the glory of the Lord requires a costly process. First, our heart, as our reflecting mirror, must be fully unveiled. Our heart must be turned from  everything else to the Lord Himself (v. 3:16). With the Jews, it was their Jewish religion that veiled them. But what is it with us? We can only go to the Lord, humble ourselves and inquire of Him as to what veils us from beholding the glory of the Lord (v. 3:18).

Then we need to spend time before the Lord like Moses, the psalmists, and the apostles did (Exo. 34:1-35; Psa. 27:4, 8; 2 Cor. 3:16-18; Acts 6:4). We need to behold His glory by contacting Him in His word by prayer. Through such times of beholding the Lord, we come from His presence, not just with more knowledge with which to teach people, but with more of the image, the expression of Christ, through the transforming work of the Spirit. As such reflecting mirrors, transformed by the Spirit, we reflect the glory of the Lord. In this way, the Christ transfused into us becomes the content of our ministry (2 Cor. 3:18; 4:1).

Fifth, ministers are earthen vessels that contain and convey the Christ of glory as their indwelling treasure—2 Cor. 4:4-7.  Actually, the mirrors in 2 Corinthians 3 and the earthen vessels in chapter 4 are  not separate. The glory of Lord in 3:18 becomes the treasure in the earthen vessels, the indwelling treasure in our spirit in 4:6-7. For us to be such ministers requires that the glory of the Lord, like the divine scenery, be impressed upon “the film” of our spirit to become the treasure within us. (For more on this point you may also want to read my post, “Preparing “Our Camera”—Our Faith—to “Photograph” the Scenery of Grace.”)

So it is not we, in ourselves, that have any worth as a minister with a ministry. Rather, as Paul said, we are just “earthen vessels,” but with a priceless treasure contained in us. This treasure gives these worthless vessels a priceless ministry. It is this treasure, the indwelling Christ,  that becomes the “excellency of the power,”  the power for us to live the Christian life and to faithfully carry out the genuine ministry for the building up of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16).

“Lord Jesus, I praise You that You have captured me, not by force, but by Your glory. Lord, defeat me all the time. Never let me win. Make me Your captive, fully gain me and saturate me with Yourself until I am Your incense-bearer spreading the fragrance of Christ. Daily fill me with Yourself as the “inking-Spirit” until I am a living letter of Christ. Keep my heart always turning to You so that with an unveiled face, I can behold and reflect Your glory so that others may see You. May I, as an earthen vessel, be filled with You the indwelling treasure, as the power to live the Christian life and carry out the genuine ministry to fulfill God’s eternal purpose.”

This post was inspired by Week 5 of the Holy Word for Morning Revival on the Focus of the Lord’s Recovery which was based on The Life-study of 2 Corinthians, Messages 5-10, 18-19. You can read it online at ministrybooks.org. You may also want to read similar posts at agodman.com.