2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Butler's Commentary

SECTION 3

Destiny (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, 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, 16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17For 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 2:14-16 Earnest: The vocation of a minister of God's word is conducive to loneliness. Because they preached the truth, the ancient Hebrew prophets were men who had to suffer loneliness. Jeremiah is the classic, of course, but even Elijah thought that he was the only one who stood for truth in all Israel in his day (1 Kings 19:14-18). Jesus had to suffer the loneliness of being misunderstood and disbelieved by his own family!

Paul's words here are well paraphrased by J. B. Phillips:

Thanks be to God who leads us, wherever we are, on Christ's triumphant way and makes our knowledge of him spread throughout the world like a lovely perfume! We Christians have the unmistakable -scent-' of Christ, discernible alike to those who are being saved and to those who are heading for death. To the latter it seems like the deathly smell of doom, to the former it has the refreshing fragrance of life itself.

Paul is portraying the earnestness of the ministry of the gospel here. It is a life and death ministry. Some (a minority) will welcome the man preaching the truth of God as a refreshing fragrance of life itself. Others (the majority) will be offended at the minister of the gospel because he discerns in his message the unmistakable smell of doom!

The imagery used by the apostle to portray the awesomeness of a gospel preacher's task is taken from the Roman triumphal ceremony. We here quote from William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, Daily Study Bible Series, pgs. 183-184.

In his mind is the picture of a Roman Triumph and of Christ as a universal conqueror. The highest honour which could be given to a victorious Roman general was a Triumph. To attain it he must satisfy certain conditions. He must have been the actual commander-in-chief in the field. The campaign must have been completely finished, the region pacified and the victorious troops brought home. Five thousand of the enemy at least must have fallen in one engagement. A positive extension of territory must have been gained, and not merely a disaster retrieved or an attack repelled. And the victory must have been won over a foreign foe and not in a civil war.

In a Triumph the procession of the victorious general marched through the streets of Rome to the Capital in the following order. First came the state officials and the senate. Then came the trumpeters. Then were carried the spoils taken from the conquered land. For instance, when Titus conquered Jerusalem, the seven-branched candlestick, the golden table of the shew-bread and the golden trumpets were carried through the streets of Rome. Then came pictures of the conquered land and models of conquered citadels and ships. There followed the white bull for the sacrifice which would be made. Then there walked the captive princes, leaders and generals in chains, shortly to be flung into prison and in all probability almost immediately to be executed. Then came the lictors bearing their rods, followed by the musicians with their lyres; then the priests swinging their censers with the sweet-smelling incense burning in them. After that came the general himself. He stood in a chariot drawn by four horses. He was clad in a purple tunic embroidered with golden palm leaves, and over it a purple toga marked out with golden stars. In his hand he held an ivory sceptre with the Roman eagle at its top, and over his head a slave held the crown of Jupiter. After him rode his family; and finally came the army wearing all their decorations and shouting Io triumphe! their cry of triumph. As the procession moved through the streets, all decorated and garlanded, amid the cheering crowds, it made a tremendous day which might happen only once in a lifetime.

The risen King Jesus leads his preachers of the gospel in an awesome triumph through the streets of this world. To the victors comes the perfume of joy and triumph. But they are few and far separated from one another. To the wretched prisoners, the condemned, the gospel is the scent of death, impending their doom. This makes the pilgrimage of the preacher of the word of God on earth a lonely journey. Preacher's have little time for frivolity, for foolishness. They have no time to waste on inanities. They walk in a procession of life and death. To most of those walking with them, their message smells of doom, and they are not appreciated or welcomed.
Those dead in sin are surprised that there are men of God who take their work with such seriousness. Those who spend their leisure hours in reveling wonder why preachers choose to miss out on the good life of living in licentiousness, passions, carousing and the like (see 1 Peter 4:1-6).

Noah condemned the world by his preaching (Hebrews 11:7) and wound up practically alone (he saved only his own family). Jeremiah was alone in his preaching (see Jeremiah 5:1; Jeremiah 11:18-20; Jeremiah 15:10; Jeremiah 18:18-20; Jeremiah 20:7-18). The truth preached exposes sin for what it really is, and the world hates (John 3:19-21; John 15:18-25) anyone who does that! All who propose to follow Jesus in the ministry of God's word must count the cost. Part of that cost is loneliness.

Some in the Corinthian church had evidently wandered from the faith far enough that to them the preaching of Paul had become a fragrance from death to death. And Paul was feeling the depressing loneliness of their antagonism toward him.

2 Corinthians 2:17 Exacting: The fish bowl kind of life preachers must lead only intensifies the loneliness they must suffer. Congregations expect of their spiritual leaders, rigid standards of personal integrity and conduct. And that is rightly soso long as those expectations square with scripture. Paul wrote to both Timothy and Titus about the godly behavior they were required to exhibit in their ministries. But sometimes, as in the case with the apostle Paul here, congregations demand and accuse on false bases.

Paul firmly contradicts the false claims some in Corinth were making that he preached the gospel as a peddler. The Greek word is kapeleuontes which signifies someone who is a small-time retailer, actually, a huckster, in contrast to the Greek word emporos which means to be a merchant. The idea of the word kapeleuontes is marketing something dishonestly in order to line one's own pockets. Some in Corinth were accusing Paul of using the gospel, exploiting the gospel, as an excuse to line his own pockets.

Evidently, in Paul's day some were exploiting the gospel for personal gain. But Paul certainly was not doing soespecially with Corinth, for from them he received no financial remuneration or assistance (see 1 Corinthians 9:12; 1 Corinthians 9:18; 2 Corinthians 11:7-9; 2 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 12:16).

Needless to say, there are many self-appointed religious giants today peddling the gospel for their own financial gain. And so many of them are plainly dishonest in their huckstering. This in turn, makes a cynical world think all preachers have a racket. And many a struggling, suffering messenger of God has served out his life on earth hurting and lonely because the world categorizes all preachers as hucksters. It wasn-'t true of the apostle Paul and it isn-'t true of a host of faithful spokesmen for God today! But the world's cynicism makes for an exacting and isolated life for the true preacher of God's word.
But Paul was sure of his own integrity. He knew he preached the gospel as a man of sincerity. The Greek word translated sincerity is eilikrineias and is sometimes translated purity. Some scholars think the word eilikrineias is etymologically related to the Greek word helios (sun) and therefore means, pure as tested by the sunlight. If this is so, Paul means his ministry will be able to stand the penetrating rays of the sunhis ministry is open to the light and may be seen by all to be pure. He knew his ministry would stand the very scrutiny of God himself. The preacher who is true to God will be true to men. If he knows his ministry will stand the scrutiny of God himself, he need not be anxious about the false exactions and hurtful isolations of cynical men.

Applebury's Comments

Triumph In Christ
Scripture

2 Corinthians 2:14-17. But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place. 15 For we are a sweet savor of Christ unto God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; 16 to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as the many, corrupting the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.

Comments

But thanks be unto God.Paul began this letter with an expression of praise to God for His mercy and comfort which had been shown him in all his afflictions. Having reminded his readers that he had gone into Macedonia, he turned to the expression of thanks to God for his triumphant ministry in Christ. It is not until 2 Corinthians 7:5 that he tells about finding Titus in Macedonia and learning what had happened in Corinth. Some speak of this as a long digression. The digression, however, if there is one, is the brief reference to the fact that he had not found Titus, and that when he did meet him he had learned the truth about the Corinthians-' situation.

leadeth us in triumph in Christ.God who comforted him in Asia led him in triumph in Christ in Macedonia and everywhere he went in his ministry. The figure which Paul uses to describe this fact is that of the victorious general leading his army in triumphal procession before the people. Some assume that Paul is thinking of himself as a captive of Christ having been taken captive on the Damascus road. It is true that Paul refers to himself as the prisoner of the Lord, but in a different context. See Ephesians 4:1. Captives in the triumphal Roman march were being displayed to the people just before being put to death. The triumph which Paul referred to was the victory God gave him in the gospel as an apostle of Christ wherever he wentAsia, Troas, Macedonia, and Corinth. Regardless of his personal suffering, Paul thought only of victory for the gospel.

the savor of his knowledge in every place.The gospel message was one of triumph over Satan. It told of God's power to save the believer (Romans 1:16). It told of the whole armor of God that enabled the Christian to stand against the wiles of the devil. With the shield of faith they were able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. See Ephesians 6:10-18. The knowledge about God, as revealed in Christ and preached by His apostles, was like the sweet smelling fragrance of incense offered with the sacrifices of the worshippers. This fragrance accompanied those marching with the triumphant general and his soldiers.

for we are a sweet savor of Christ.The messengers as well as the message were acceptable in the sight of God. Their lives and their work were like the sweet smelling fragrance that accompanied the triumphal march.

in them that are saved and in them that perish.The gospel message is one of salvation for those who accept it, but one of destruction. for those who reject it. Jesus said to the apostles, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned (Mark 16:15-16).

a savor from death unto death.This explains the fact that the gospel message is one of salvation to the believer and destruction to the one who rejects it. The expressions, from death unto death and from life unto life have been understood in various ways. It is quite possible that we do not have the exact meaning of these intensified forms. There can be no doubt about the fact that they refer to destruction on one hand and salvation on the other. Death unto death may suggest endless death, and life unto life eternal life. This lesson is clearly taught by Our Lord in these words, and these shall go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25:46). The gospel deals with the death of Christ which also indicates the deaththat is, eternal separation from Godof the one who remains in sin. It also deals with the life of Him who arose from the dead, and depicts the eternal life of the one who dies to sin with Him and is buried with Him through baptism into death that he might arise to walk with Him in the new life.

and who is sufficient for these things?Since the gospel deals with eternal life and eternal death, the conscientious apostle raises the question about the one who is adequate for the task of preaching this gospel. He leaves no doubt in the minds of the readers, for he immediately answers, We are not as the many who corrupt the word. In this he clearly implies that the apostles of Christ were adequately equipped to preach this gospel message. It also suggests that those who were claiming to be apostles but actually were false apostles were not qualified. This was not idle boasting on the part of Paul for he had already written I am the least of the apostles that am not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).

corrupting the word of God.The footnote in the American Standard Version reads, making merchandise of the word of God. The word actually refers to the corrupt practice of some merchants who diluted their wares or in some manner falsely displayed them. Paul says that some were handling the Word of God as if they were dishonest peddlers.

but as of sincerity, but as of God.Paul who was an apostle through the will of God declares his absolute sincerity in dealing with this all important task of preaching the gospel of Christ. This was not arrogant boasting for he was speaking in Christ.

Summary

Paul was waiting to find out about the response of the Corinthians to his first letter before visiting them again. He had given them specific directions in it about many things, among them what to do with the man who had been living with his father's wife. A deferred visit did not mean cancellation. He would come, as he had said in his first letter, even if it meant using a rod of chastisement. But he had decided to delay the coming so that he might not cause them sorrow. They had gladdened his heart by their response to the gospel which he preached to them. He wanted to give them time to correct any disorder in their midst so that he might not cause them sorrow, for it would be a painful thing for him to be forced to punish them.
Paul was confident that they would be looking forward to his next visit with joy just as he was. It was true that he had written them out of affliction and anguish of heart. Perhaps the very manuscript was stained with his tears. But this was not intended to cause them grief. As their father in the gospel, Paul wanted them to know about his genuine love for them.
The brother who had done wrong had not caused sorrow to Paul alone, but, in part, to all of them. They had acted upon his instruction in the first letterhe had learned this from Titusand had delivered him to Satan. The remedy, though severe, was effective. The man had repented. The next move was up to them: they were to forgive him! Paul had, just as he had joined in administering the punishment to the one who had sinned. Forgiveness was necessary to defeat Satan's scheme to keep the brother in his clutches forever. An unforgiving attitude on their part would serve his purpose just as well as the temptation that had led the man to sin in the first place. Paul was not ignorant of Satan's schemes, nor did he want the brethren at Corinth to be.
Paul had gone to Troas, hoping to learn from Titus what the church had done about correcting their many sins. He was writing this second letter, of course, after he had met Titus in Macedonia, but he wanted the brethren to know of his deep concern over the situation at Corinth. That is why, even though he had a wonderful opportunity to further the gospel in Troas, he went to Macedonia. They could not fail to see his great anxiety over them that resulted from his sincere love for them.
The Corinthians were aware of the meeting with Titus in Macedonia, although Paul did not actually mention it until after he had written a somewhat lengthy explanation of the triumphant ministry in which the Lord had led him everywhere. No personal grief, no joy that ever came to him stirred him more deeply than the awareness that it was God who always led him in triumph in Christ. His thanksgiving knew no limits as he thought of the privilege that had been given to him to be a messenger of the gospel that had been accepted everywhere he had preached it.
The ministry of Paul was like a sweet smelling fragrance of Christ unto God. The message was also acceptable to God as it brought salvation to those who believed, even though some chose to perish because of disobedience. God's love was so great that He gave His Son to die for them that they might live through Him.
Who was adequate for the task of carrying such a message? Unflinchingly, Paul indicated, We are. He gave two reasons for his response to the staggering task of preaching the gospel that brought salvation to those who obeyed it and destruction to those that rejected it. He was not guilty of diluting the message of God. With complete sincerity, knowing that God was watching every move he made, he was preaching the message of Christ.