Recapitulation is an important part and an essential element when teaching, and it is vital the teacher does not rush ahead at times, and that is why I pause and remind you all of the supremacy of Christ. He is higher over all every prophet that ever existed and he is higher than every angel.

There were some people in the early church who regarded Jesus Christ as some superior angel rather than the Son of God and God, the Son!

It took me back to another passage, dealing with that phrase 'in Christ', which is to be found in II Corinthians Chapter 2 verses 12 to 17.

This Church of Jesus Christ in Corinth had problems and it had all kinds of problems. There were moral problems and physical problems and even problems at the table when the believers gather to share the bread and wine.

Paul's aim was to preach the Gospel. He is one of my heroes! Paul had no peace of mind, at this time because of the issues arising, and we seldom think of Paul being restless in his mind.

His sins were forgiven. The debt had been paid by Jesus Christ, but consider what he had been through, and many are going through similar situations.

He was looking for Titus. He needed a friend, but from Troas on he went over into Macedonia.

He writes of and describes christian mystic  triumph and that the Roman procession or the parade, which is the celebration of a victory which has already been won.

We have a picture of his life in this passage, and to some it was sweet and to others it was a pong.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ needs to spread like a sweet smell and an acceptable aroma.

There man with the smelly feet. This is a strange illustration but with a most pointed and pertinent lesson. He was an African and he was just about to be told about his feet by a European pastor when he took his shoes off, and his African brothers said, "Ah, this man has walked miles, and he has been walking everywhere preaching the Gospel." To some it was a fragrant smell, and no one could comment. The European pastor could no longer point this matter out.

The smell of the Gospel does not please everybody. It divides the world. We saw that in John. To some the smell of the Gospel is a stink.

Paul goes on to speak about the peddlers, who bought wine by the gallon but sold by the pint. They would water down the wine making eight pints into ten.

Such people cheated.

We do not traipse around preaching the Word of God for profit. We do not adulterate the Word of God. We are not peddlers of ecclesiastical trinkets!

Noah did not fill the Ark with people, yet his life was a success.

Why do people always want to water down the Gospel of Jesus Christ and compromise?

Why were these believers in the book of Hebrews resisting maturity and why had they no desire to develop and grow spiritually?

There is an enemy who has an interest in that!