16 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?
And who is sufficient for these things?
The burden of sharing the gospel makes Paul recognize his insufficiency. However, he later acknowledged that his qualification for service came from God (2 Co 3:5-6). He was not the source of the aroma; it came from his message. The answer to his question of who is adequate is no one other than God.
PRINCIPLE:
No one can evangelize in his or her own strength.
APPLICATION:
No minister, however gifted, is adequate to minister the gospel. No human resource is enough to do it independent of God. It is by the grace of God that we do what we do (1 Co 15:10; Eph 1:18-20; 3:7; Php 2:13; Co 1:29).
No one who shares the gospel is adequate to deliver a message with such eternal consequences. Finite human beings are not equal to this task. Those who share their faith must rely on God, not themselves.
