THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST IN PREACHING (2)
2 Corinthians 4:5

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We previously considered I. The persons here distinguished: "we"; and II. The activity here required: "we preach". We here consider in conclusion:

III. The theme here preeminent: "we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord". "Christ" is His title; "Jesus" is His name; "Lord" is His position. "Ourselves" includes first of all divinely-ordained preachers of Christ Jesus the Lord, and then by extension every other person and thing.

1. We preach Him as "Christ", Anointed Mediator. The name "Christ" (Greek Christos) is the equivalent of the Old Testament name "Messiah" (found in Daniel 9:25, 26; cp. John 4:25; 1:41). The word means "anointed", and denotes something consecrated to God in a ritual involving the application of oil. This anointing was a visible sign of appointment to a mediatorial office between God and men, as for prophets representing God to His people (as Elisha in 1 Kings 19:16), priests representing God's people to Him (as Aaron and his sons in Exodus 28:41), and kings ruling in the place of God (as David in 1 Samuel 16:12). This anointing oil was also a visible sign of the sacred relationship of the anointed to God, and of the sacrosanct status of the anointed to men – for God said, "Do not touch My anointed ones, and do [them] no harm" (Psalm 105:15; cp. 1 Samuel 24:6). When the officer was anointed, "the Spirit of the LORD came upon [him] from that day forward" (1 Samuel 16:13f) to enable him to fulfill his office.

All these truths are true of Christ, the antitype or fulfillment or "Truth" of all the Old Testament anointed but typical prophets, priests, and kings. They all were eminent officers, but Christ is the preeminent one, "the one holding first place". He as the "one Mediator between God and men" (1 Timothy 2:5) is our mediating Prophet, Priest, and King. Christ as Prophet represents God to His people, instructing them; Christ as Priest represents God's people to Him, making atonement and intercession for them; Christ as King restores the original dominion of man and rules over it as God, protecting His people. Christ as Prophet announces salvation; Christ as Priest performs salvation; Christ as King applies salvation. Jehovah calls Christ "My Anointed" (Psalm 2:2), and then gives His Anointed to His people so they may acknowledge Him as "our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 1:3, et.al.). God anointed Christ in His incarnation in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (Luke 4:16-21 / Isaiah 61:1f). God anointed Christ not with ordinary oil, but preeminently "with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38). God then told Christ, "Your God has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions" (Psalm 45:7 / Hebrews 1:9). Christ therefore is the preeminent Prophet, Priest, and King. He furthermore is the only mediating Prophet, Priest, and King. And He is the only man who ever occupied all three mediatorial offices – for He is the Priest sitting on His throne as the King and speaking the Word of God as the Prophet (Zechariah 6:13, 15).

i. Christ is the anointed "Prophet who is to come into the world" (John 6:14), in fulfillment of divine prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Old Testament prophets represented God to His people in declaring His word to them in former times. That office is now occupied by Christ (Hebrews 1:1f): "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son." Christ is not only the Prophet declaring God's Word, but also the declared Word itself - for He is the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1, 14). (A word is a vehicle of communication expressing the thought of one mind to another.) As the mediatorial Prophet Christ has said enough, so that there is no more need of such a prophet. Therefore, "we do not preach ourselves" as mediatorial prophets, as did Mohammed and Joseph Smith. Nor do we devise any system of doctrine contrary to Christ our Prophet, as did certain men whose doctrines are named for them, such as Pharisaism, Pelagianism, Arminianism, Sandemanianism, Wesleyanism, Campbellism, Russellism, ...

ii. Christ is the anointed "High Priest over the house of God" (Hebrews 10:21), in fulfillment of divine prophecy (Psalm 110:4; cp. Hebrews 5:6, 9f; 7:17, 21). Old Testament priests represented God's people to Him in their sacrifices for their sins, and made intercession for them. Christ the Priest has made the once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of God's people that made the ministry of all other priests obsolete (Hebrews 10:1-18), and presently makes intercession for them before the Father's throne (Hebrews 7:24f). Therefore, "we do not preach ourselves" as mediatorial priests, as do the clergy of Judaism and Romanism. Nor do we minister at an altar or offer sacrifices for sins, as Romanist priests do in their Mass.

iii. Christ is the anointed "King of the saints" (Revelation 15:3), in fulfillment of divine prophecy (Psalm 2:6; cp. John 12:15). Old Testament kings sat on Israel's throne in the place of God, ruling over them and protecting them. Christ the King now sits on that throne in glory (Acts 5:31), ruling over a universal dominion and kingdom that shall never cease (Daniel 7:13f). Therefore, "we do not preach ourselves" as mediatorial rulers or "lords over those entrusted to you" (1 Peter 5:3), as does the pontiff of Romanism.

Christ as Prophet has said enough, and will condemn anyone who adds to or takes from His prophecy (Revelation 22:18f). Christ as Priest has sacrificed enough, for those for whom He died are perfected forever (Hebrews 10:12-14). Christ as King has authority and power enough, for He possesses all authority in the universe (Matthew 28:18). Recognizing His preeminence in all these things, we dare not preach ourselves.

2. We preach Him as "Jesus", our Savior. The name "Jesus" (Greek Iesous) is a transliteration of the Hebrew "Joshua" (or Jehoshua), meaning "Jehovah is salvation" (i.e., "Jehovah is the Savior"). This name was given to Him at His birth for this reason (Matthew 1:21): "you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Therefore, "we do not preach ourselves" in claiming we have power to absolve you of your sins, as do priests of Rome (see Luke 5:21). Nor do we preach yourself in claiming you may find forgiveness of sins through any work of, or merit in, yourself, as do preachers of freewillism (see Romans 3:10-19).

3. We preach Him as "the Lord", the God of heaven and earth. "He is Lord of all" (Acts 10:36) – "Lord of lords" and "King of kings" and "God of gods" (Revelation 7:14; Deuteronomy 10:17). We therefore do not deny His deity, or any divine attribute to Him, as do those in man-made religion who deny His absolute sovereignty over all things, especially in the salvation of sinners (as in Romans 9:13-21).

4. We preach Him as "Christ Jesus the Lord", the God-man. His humanity is set forth in the name "Jesus", for He was born of a woman (Matthew 1:21), and is therefore "Son of Man". His divine Sonship is set forth in the title "Christ", for He is "Son of God" by eternal generation (Psalm 2:2, 7). His express deity is set forth in the title "Lord", for this English word is used of God's name par excellence (as in Exodus 3:13-18), and is expressly cited of Christ (Jeremiah 23:6). In preaching "Christ Jesus the Lord" we declare to you that in this one person are found both the human and the divine natures. He therefore is the one and only God-Man, "God manifested in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). We therefore exhort you to confess that "there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5), and that "Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:9-11). We therefore do not preach the mediation of any other person, as do those who claim the mediation of priests, Mary, or canonized saints.

5. We preach Him alone - to the total exclusion of our selves! We declare Him as "Christ Jesus the Lord" (v.5a), and ourselves as merely "your bondservants for Jesus' sake" (v.5b). "[W]e have this treasure [i.e., the ministry of the gospel of Christ Jesus the Lord] in earthen vessels [we being weak, suffering, perishing men], that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" (v.7). We confess "that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18), and condemn any "Diotrephes who loves to have the preeminence" (3 John vv.9-11). We desire no personal glory for what we have done, but rather confess when we have done so, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do" (Luke 17:10). We furthermore confess that "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

Our message to you is this: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).

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