I.　Second Timothy is a book written forinoculators, those who would inoculate others against the decline of the church-2:1-7, 15:

A.　The inoculator is a teacher-v. 2; Eph. 3:2:

1.　If someone in a local church hasa deposit of theLord's healthy words, he should train thefaithful onesso that they alsomayhave a good deposit fromtheLord andbe competent to teach others-1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 2:12-14.

2.　We must shepherd thesaints with theteaching of God's economy-Eph. 4:11; cf.1 Tim. 3:2; 4:11-16:

a.　We should shepherd peopleby dispensing thedivine life inthehumanity of Jesus to cherish them andby teaching them thedivine truths in thedivinity of Christ to nourish them-Eph. 5:29.

b.　Shepherding theflock of God by declaring to them all the counsel of God, the economyof God,protects thechurch fromthedestroyers of God's building, mingles them with theTriune God asgrace, andbinds them together in His oneness-Acts 20:26-30;Eph. 4:14; 1 Tim.1:3-4; Rom. 16:17;cf. Ezek. 33:1-11;34:25; Zech. 11:7.

3.　Theinoculating teacher, asagoodminister of Christ Jesus, isnourished with thewordsof thefaith andexercises hisspirit to liveChrist inhisdailylifefor thechurch life-1 Tim. 4:6-7.

B.　The inoculator is a soldier-2 Tim. 2:3-4:

1.　Theapostles considered their ministry a warfare for Christ, just asthepriestly service wasconsidered a military service, a warfare-Num. 4:23,30, 35; 1 Tim.1:18; 2 Tim. 4:7.

2.　TheLord'sministry is thesounding of the trumpet for the army to go to war;to warthegood warfare is to waragainst thedifferent teachings of the dissenters andto carry outGod's economyaccording to theapostle's ministry-1 Cor.14:8;1 Tim. 1:18; Num. 10:9; Judg. 7:18.

3.　To fighta good fightfor theLord'sinterests on this earth, we must clear away allearthly entanglements andlayholdontheeternal life,nottrusting inour human life-2 Tim. 4:7; 1 Tim. 6:12; cf. 2 Cor. 5:4.

4.　We must fightthebattle against death, thelast enemy of God,by beingfullof life to reign in life-Num. 6:6-7, 9; 2 Cor. 5:4; Rom. 5:17; 8:6, 11.

5.　Ourwillmust besubdued andresurrected byChrist tobelikethetower ofDavid, thearmory for spiritual warfare-S. S. 4:4; cf. 1 Chron. 11:22.

C.　The inoculator is an athlete-2 Tim. 2:5:

1.　We must run theChristian raceuntil we finish ourcourse, fullyaccomplishing ourministry intheunique ministry of God's economysothat wemayreceive Christ as our prize-1 Cor. 9:24-25.

2.　We must subdue ourbody andmake it a conquered captive to serve us as a slave forthefulfilling of ourholypurpose, notby our owneffort butby theSpirit- vv. 26-27; Rom. 8:13.

3.　We must live thenormal church life by pursuing Christ asrighteousness, faith, love, andpeacewith those who call on the Lordout of a pure heart-2 Tim. 2:22.

D.　The inoculator is a farmer-v. 6:

1.　Thechurch is God's farm, God's cultivated land, andwe areGod's fellowworkers,working together with Himby anall-fitting life to sow theseedof life into peopleandtowater them with the Spirit of lifebyHishealthywords-1 Cor.3:6, 9; 2 Cor. 6:1a; Luke 8:11; John 7:38; 6:63; 2 Cor. 3:6:

a.　Thewordof God, as a grain of wheat, dispenses God as life intous to nourish us;it is alsoa fireanda hammer to purify usandbreak downourself,our natural life, our flesh,our lusts, andour concepts-Jer. 23:28-29.

b.　God hassent forth Hiswordas rain andsnowto water Hispeoplein order to sanctify them, transform them, andconform them to Hisimage that theBody maybe built up-Isa. 55:8-11;John 17:17; Eph. 5:26.

2.　Inourcontact with thesaints, weshould havejust onemotive-to ministerChrist to them so that they might grow in theLord-1Tim. 5:1-2.

E.　The inoculator is a workman-2 Tim. 2:15:

1.　To cutstraight thewordof thetruth means tounfold thewordof Godinits various parts rightly andstraightly without distortion (as in carpentry).

2.　There is theneedof thewordof thetruth, rightly unfolded, to enlighten the darkenedpeople,inoculate against thepoison,swallow upthedeath, andbring the distracted backto theproper track-cf. Acts 26:18; Psa. 119:130.

II.　Second Corinthians uses five very significant and expressive metaphors to illustrate how the ministers of the new covenant and their ministry were constituted, how they behaved and lived, and how their ministry was carried out:

A.　Theministers of thenewcovenant arecaptives inatriumphalprocession forthe celebration of Christ's victory-2 Cor. 2:12-14:

1.　Paul uses themetaphor of a procession heldinhonor of thevictory of a Roman general to illustrate what he wasin theministry-v. 14.

2.　Paul andhisco-workers hadbeenconquered byChrist andhadbecomeHis captives inthetrain of Histriumph, celebrating Hisvictory; therefore,Paul's ministry wasa triumphal procession of the victorious General, theLordJesus, leading many captives-Eph. 4:8; Col. 1:18b:

a.　Inourexperience, however, much of thetime we must admit that instead of beingcaptives to Christ, Christ is a captive to us-cf. Acts 26:14.

b.　A captive of Christ is dailyconquered, defeated, andcaptured by Christ; for this we should pray, "Lord, make me Your captive. Never let me win.Defeat me all thetime."

B.　Theministers of thenewcovenant areincense-bearers toscatter thefragrance ofChrist-2 Cor. 2:14b-17:

1.　Ascaptives of Christ inChrist's triumphalprocession, wearesimultaneously incense-bearers; through usGod manifests thesavor of theknowledge of Christ in everyplace-v. 14.

2.　Actually, to scatter theincense of Christ is to live Christ-Phil. 1:19-21a.

3.　Because we have beencaptured, subdued, possessed, andgained by Christ, He hastheliberty to saturate us to make us a fragrance of Christ-2 Cor. 2:15.

4.　Theministers of Christ, theloversof Christ, areprepared to giveforth Christ's fragrance in all circumstances andin anykind of environment-S. S. 4:10-16.

5.　Thosewho scatter thefragrance of Christ arenot like themany, adulterating the wordof Godforprofit; butthey speak asoutof sincerity, asout of God,before God, andin Christ for thebuilding up of theBody of Christ-2 Cor. 2:17; cf. 13:3.

6.　As incense-bearers scattering thefragrance of Christ, we aretheambassadors ofChrist-5:20.

C.　Theministers of thenewcovenant areletters written with Christ asthecontent to conveyandexpress Christ-3:1-3:

1.　Christ is written intoeverypart of ourinner beingwith theSpirit of theliving God to make us His livingletters, that He maybe expressed, read, andknown by others in us-vv.2-3; cf. Eph. 3:17a.

2.　TheSpirit of thelivingGod,whoisthelivingGodHimself, isnot theinstrument, likeapen,buttheelement, likeinkusedinwriting, with whichthe apostles minister Christ asthecontent forthewriting oflivingletters that conveyChrist-Phil. 1:19; Exo. 30:23-25.

3.　Theheavenly, compound inkis thecompound Spirit, theessence of this Spirit- inkisChrist with allHisriches, andwearethepen;to have this inkinour experience, we must enjoyandbe thoroughly saturated with Christ asthelife- givingSpirit; then wewillspontaneously minister Christ tothose whomwe contact, making them livingletters of Christ-Phil. 1:19; 2 Cor. 3:3, 6.

4.　On theone hand, thebelievers weretheletter of Christ; on theother hand, they weretheletter of theapostles inscribed in their hearts-vv. 2-3.

D.　Theministers of thenewcovenant aremirrors beholding andreflecting thegloryofChrist in order to be transformed intoHis glorious image-vv. 16-18; 4:1:

1.　Whenever ourheart turns totheLord,theveilistaken awayfromourheart, andwe can behold theLordof glory with an unveiled face-3:16, 18.

2.　Actually, ourturned-away heart istheveil;to turn ourheart totheLordisto take awaytheveil.

3.　An unveiled face is anunveiled heart to behold thegloryof theLord-vv. 16, 18;1 Sam. 16:7; Eph. 1:18a.

4.　Thegloryof God is in theface of Christ, andHisface, Hisperson, is theindwelling treasure in our spirit-2 Cor. 4:6-7; 1 Pet.3:4:

a.　We areearthen vessels whoareworthless andfragile, butwithin ourspirit wecontain apriceless treasure,theface,the person, of Christ Himself-2 Cor. 2:10; 4:6-7.

b.　Inthewholeuniverse, there isnothing so precious asto behold the faceofJesus-Gen. 32:30; Exo. 25:30; 33:11; Psa. 27:4, 8; Rev. 22:4.

E.　Theministers of thenewcovenant areearthen vessels to contain theChrist of glory as theexcellent treasure-2 Cor. 4:7:

1.　These vessels areliketoday'scamera, intowhichChrist, thefigure, enters through theflash of God's shining-vv. 4, 6-7.

2.　Christ asthepriceless treasureiscontained inus,theworthless andfragile vessels; this makes theworthless vessels ministers of thenewcovenant with a priceless ministry-v. 7; cf. Gen.4:26.

3.　Thistreasure, theindwelling Christ, inus,theearthenvessels, isthedivine supply andpowerfortheChristian life;God'spowerismanifested inman's weakness, andman'sweakness cannot limit God's power-2 Cor. 4:7; 12:10.

4.　Thenewcovenant ministers areChrist's chosen vessels to contain andexpressHim-Acts 9:15; Rom. 9:21, 23; cf. 2 Cor. 4:5; Dan.5:2-3, 23.