Triumph in Christ

2 Corinthians 2:12–17 ESV

12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:12 ESV

12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord,

Paul came with a goal to preach the Gospel

He even states that God opened the door for him

This is interesting

Paul knows the door has been opened by God for him to be there

Yet he does something I think would be unexpected in the next verse

2 Corinthians 2:13 ESV

13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

Paul then states that his spirit was not at rest

He did not find Titus there

This is a switch in Paul’s planning

As he is explaining the mission he has been on to the church

Paul is being thorough to attest to the church that he has been about God’s business

In doing so Paul speaks of the ways that God was leading and working along his journey

Paul then states that he took leave over Titus’ absence

Even though the Lord had opened the door for Paul to share

Why would Paul move from the open door in Troas to find Titus?

One we see that his spirit was not at rest

he had feared for the safety of his brother

He knew the consequences of sharing the Gospel in some areas

seeing that Titus was not where he was expecting Paul took leave

He was unsettled and unable to focus

The concern for his brother had caused grief within his heart

to the point that he moved on to hopefully find Titus in a healthy state

We also cannot forget about the letter

Paul had written a letter of which we had no copy

This letter was very direct

possibly abrasive

full of passionate correction

Full of terrible warnings

all of these statements Paul had already been lamenting over

As Paul is anxiously awaiting Titus in Ephesus

The people turned and life got rough and he feared for his life

Thus he went to Troas

Paul’s desire to go to Troas was based off of his second missionary journey

Acts 16:6–8“6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.”

While in Troas

Paul could not rest his heart

Knowing he had sent a harsh letter to Corinth

he desired to seek out Titus

Check for his safety and see the response in Corinth

Paul was lamenting and searching to see how the trip for Titus went

thus he could not stay in Troas as he felt the need to seek out Titus to give peace to his soul

2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Paul then moves on to triumph

In all of Paul’s travel woes

In all of his lament

He is reminded of who leads him

He does not leave out detail in depicting the leader of his Savior either

Paul moves on to tell the church

but thanks be to God

This would imply that he had found Titus and received good news

Paul begins a thankful portion of his letter

Triumph in all things comes through Christ

The leader

Paul even details him as the triumphal leader

leading in triumphal procession

When I think of this passage I reflect on the Triumphal entry of Christ

This entry no Palm Sunday was the entrance devoted to a king

This is the type of leadership Paul is referring too

The leadership of a king

This type of leadership is unmatched by anything else the world has to offer

What makes the leadership we receive through Christ so powerful?

Since the leadership we receive through Christ is so powerful why do we have a tendency to ignore the calls of our leader?

Then Paul brings up the result of that leadership

Christ’s leadership uses us!

what a powerful calling

the triumphal king uses us

to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere

Fragrance typically refers to a sweet smelling scent

Jesus as our leader uses us to spread the sweet scent of Him everywhere

Not just around us but everywhere

we are to be witness to the fragrance of Christ that covers us

Paul’s use of fragrance is so strong

A fragrance is usually a strong smell

a smell that is easily noticed

This is what Paul is implying in this passage

the knowledge of Christ should produce an understanding to those around us that something is different

2 Corinthians 2:15–16 ESV

15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

we are the aroma of Christ

Paul yet again brings up a scent

an aroma

to those being saved and to those who are perishing

we are the aroma of christ to the saved and the lost

We are to expel a sense of the Gospel everywhere we go

Paul then goes into detail about the fragrances

What does Paul mean by a fragrance for one of death to death and for the other life to life?

Paul’s statement gives those that interact with the knowledge of Christ a decision

a chance to turn to life or death

a chance to accept or deny the Savior

Those who reject Christ get the scent of death as the have rejected and it brings about death

those who accept who get the scent of life as acceptance of the Gospel brings eternal life to the believer

The Gospel has a death side and a life side

We don’t commonly think about this because as Christians the Gospel means life

To those who reject it means eternal death and damnation

This is a powerful analogy for the decision of the Soul

Who does the soul decide to follow

death or life

Then Paul asks who is sufficient

not even Paul we see that ahead in

2 Corinthians 3:5–6 “5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

The only one sufficient is Christ

the one who leads in Triumph

the one who Saves

the one who is Eternal

God provides sufficiency

nothing we do for Christ is of ourselves

instead it is provided by God

thus our Triumph can only lie in one spot and that is the Savior, Jesus

Lastly Paul says they are not peddlers of the word 2 Corinthians 2:17

2 Corinthians 2:17 ESV

17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Another word for peddlers here is trader or corrupter

Paul is referring to yet again the many people who had corrupted the word of God

They had watered down the truth

The truth of the Gospel should not be delivered deceitfully

not for personal gain

not to deceive the world into falsehood

Instead Paul calls for men of sincerity to spread

those who sincerely follow the Lord

are commissioned by God

understanding that what they say is in the sight of God

Those who deliver the Gospel are held accountable to God for how it is delivered

We are all commissioned to share the Gospel if we have accepted Christ

We must make sure we are delivering the Gospel in truth, sincerity, under the commission given by God Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Understanding that God is a witness to the things we declare about His name in and in the name of His Son

What can we do to ensure we deliver the fragrance of the Gospel with sincerity and truth?