Peddling the Word?!

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one, we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

To different people, we will evoke different reactions. Our lives, lived as we ought to as Christians, diffuse, or manifest (as the Greek implies) the fragrance and aroma of Christ. People around us will react. We should expect it if we are living as we ought. Strong reactions too!

How should we live? Well, Paul uses a another strong image here - peddling.

What is a peddler? When I checked the synonyms, I got this - transient, sells cheap things, itinerant. Another gave this definition - adulterating for gain! Wow! What pictures!

Paul says that he is not peddling the word of God. Rather, out of sincerity, as from God, he speaks. His audience is God Himself. The audience of ONE.

When we go about our daily lives, let's remember this too. We are not in this world for our own pleasure and self-gratification.

More about that in my next post.