Proclaim
We celebrate that our God is a speaking God who has revealed Himself to us. The Bible is our inspired text, which He will never contradict. We are commissioned to proclaim His message in word and deed. We will “not be ashamed of the gospel” but serve as “Christ’s ambassadors.” And so we ask ourselves, “Are we students of the Scripture? Do our sermons and life messages arise from the Word? Do we have a listening ear for His voice? Are our words and lives proclaiming His truth? Do we both ‘show’ and ‘tell’ the truth?”
Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16; 2 Cor. 2:17, 4:5, 13; 5:11–21; 1 Tim. 4:15–16; 2 Tim. 3:14–4:6; 1 Peter 2:10–12
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:17 KJV)
What is the context of this verse? If we are to PROCLIAM God’s word we must first understand the context. Verse by verse from 2:12 – 3:5.
2 Corinthians 2:12
And, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,
First, we see verse 17 is referring back to verse 12 when Paul said “speak we in Christ” Paul is PROCLAIMING the Gospel.
2 Corinthians 2:13-15
13 I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find Titus my brother. But taking my leave of them, I went from there into Macedonia.
14 Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and He revealing through us the odor of the knowledge of Him in every place.
15 For we are to God a sweet savor of Christ, in those being saved, and in those being lost;
Even through our trials (like Paul not knowing where Titus was) He still came to PROCLAIM God’s word and so can we! In trials our PROCLAIMATION can be our action, words, and deeds in those trials. As Paul says in verse 15 to the saved and to the lost (unsaved).
2 Corinthians 2:16
to the one we are the savor of death to death, and to the other we are the savor of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
The PROCLAIMATION of the gospel will prick the conscience of those who are lost and saved. It reveals their soul’s condition and eternal destiny. The Gospel is the power unto salvation to everyone that believes. (John 3:18-19) says, “He who believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil.” (MKJV)
What could it hurt they are already condemned PROCLAIM the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:17
For we are not as many, hawking (corrupting, adulterating) the Word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God. We speak in Christ in the sight of God.
When we PROCLAIM God’s word we don’t have to use anything to beat them with it is done in all sincerity, (love) as God’s ambassadors to reconcile others back to God as He reconciled us. Don’t add or subtract from God’s word. And if you don’t know tell them you don’t know or you will find out for them.
2 Corinthians 3:1-4
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, like some, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
3 it having been made plain that you are the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, not having been written with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not on tablets of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart.
4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God,
We don’t need others to say “Yes (s)he is right.” It is by our testimony. God changed me from being ____. And now my heart breaks to see you without the truth…. Besides this there are those who believe and their actions and deeds are a letter, a book of what God has done and can do for all who believe. And trust in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and God the Father that He has changed the hearts and their hearts PROCLAIM God’s salvation.
2 Corinthians 3:5
not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God;
(MKJV)
Finally, it is not of ourselves in which we PROCLAIM the Gospel but it is His word and the Holy Spirit Who takes the words we PROCLAIM and touches the hearts of the listeners. Some are just seeds planted. Others water the PROCLAIMATIONS and it is GOD Who creates the increase which works repentance, acceptance, and salvation in the her=arts of those who here the Gospel PROCLAIMED!
Go and PROCLAIM the Words with all sincerity that God has given you and your testimony, knowing that we overcome the devil by the blood of the LAMB and our testimony. Rev 12:11
In Christ,
Greg