12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. 14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 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? 17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
Commentary
Vs. 12-13 12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.
The Apostle Paul now returns to further explain why he did not visit the Corinthians as he had initially planned. Earlier Paul stated it was his not wanting to see them again while they were still working out the various issues of which he wrote them, so that when he came to them again it would not be a time of sadness him (through his having to see and rebuke their waywardness again) but rather a time of joy filled fellowship after they had done the will of God (2:1-4). And so in that vain of no longer wanting to see the Corinthians disobedient, divisive, or disgruntled, but rather well established in the Gospel of God, the Apostle had urged the Corinthians to forgive and restore the repentant offender (2:5-11), something which could also be a catalyst for their own sense of having received it, and or need of the same grace and love of God. For in giving grace to another, one always heightens ones own sense of having received it, or need of it, and thus thanksgiving too God for it.
And so returning to the context, the Apostle Paul now explains that when he came to Troas, he also had his own internal conflicts. On the one hand a door was opened to him by the Lord to preach the Gospel there, while on the other Paul had no rest (gr. ánesis) in his spirit, because he did not find Titus as they planned to meet up there. And so the Apostle Paul had both the internal issues of the Corinthians weighing heavy on his shoulders, as well as his immediate concern for Titus' well being. And so though wanting to preach the Gospel in Troas, Paul made a decision to seek Titus' first, seeing Titus' welfare as the most pressing and urgent need at that moment. And with that the Apostle took his leave of the brethren there, and headed into Macedonia, so as to find Titus. Now instead of this being an end to the Apostle Paul's Gospel ministry in that region. God took these troubling times and circumstances in the Apostle's ministry and life and continued to pour out His fragrance through the Apostle Paul, wherever the Apostle went (vs. 14). Something which the Apostle Paul became increasingly aware of over time, which leads us to verse fourteen.
Vs. 14 "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."
And so the Apostle Paul now exults in the Lord. For as he discovered, it is "God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place." And so though believers maybe moved or shaken by circumstances beyond our control, God's designs and plans to reveal His Son in us, and through us, to bring the Gospel to light to one and to all, is never altered by these. For we who believe are always being led by God in the triumph of Christ wherever we are, and wherever we go. Therefore through us God always diffuses a fragrance of His knowledge in every place. And so whether by Word, or by deed, or simply by Christ's Spirit fragrance emanating through us all who believe, we are the fragrance of Christ and His victory to one and to all.
Vs. 15-16 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 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?
Every believer is a chosen vessel of God through whom God brings forth the fragrance of Christ to others. The reality then of Jesus' Christ's Person is undeniable as we are His vessels through whom He pours out His fragrance of His Person to one and to all. And so it is to the one we are the aroma of death, leading to death, that is Christ's Presence within us signifies to them the reality of God's wrath and judgment that is coming on this unbelieving and unrepentant world. While to the other we are the fragrance of life leading to life, that is Christ's life within us signifies to all those longing souls God's salvation In Christ that is freely available to all. Now the Apostle's historical analogy here is likely lost on us unless we have access to a well versed Bible Commentary, such as the Believer’s Bible Commentary which states in 2:15: "In the triumphal processions to which Paul refers, the fragrance of the incense meant glorious victory to the conquerors, but it spoke of doom for the captives. Thus the apostle notes that the preaching of the gospel has a twofold effect. It signifies one thing among those who are being saved, and something altogether different among those who are perishing. To those who accept it, it is a pledge of a glorious future; to others it is an omen of doom. But God is glorified in either case, for to Him it is the fragrance of grace in the one case and of justice in the other."
Therefore we will be welcomed and loved by the one, and hated and reject by the other. Now for those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ through us it will be to their eternal salvation (John 1:12), and thus their victory over sin, Satan and death. But for those who reject Christ, it will be to their own eternal condemnation (Matt. 10:14-15; 11:40-42; Luke 10:16; Rev 21:8).
Vs. 17 "For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ."
The Apostle Paul now makes it clear that he and those who with him were qualified to be Christ's fragrance everywhere and in everyplace because they were not peddling the Word of God; that is using it to make profit for themselves; instead their preaching of the Gospel, or teaching of the Word of God was to make disciples for Christ, and or build up the church. And so the Apostle Paul here wants the Corinthians to know that what he did, and what he wrote to them, was from pure motives. Thus neither Paul's person, nor his Gospel was adulterated by either a desire for financial gain, or by wanting to sow into the Gospel of God his own ideas or preferences. For the Apostle Paul's Gospel was from God, and thus it, like his own person was transparent, easily read by one and by all. Now Paul also says "we speak in the sight of God in Christ." Meaning when Paul preached and taught he did so in God's authority, and in the knowledge that He was speaking in the sight of God and Christ, to whom he, and we all must give an account, and thus he took his responsibility very seriously. Something which everyone who Names Christ as Lord should do when they are given opportunity to do so, whether this is the public reading of the Scriptures, or teaching a Sunday school class, or leading a small group, in the home or church, everyone who Names Christ as Lord should take their God given opportunities to serve Him, and or share the Word of God seriously and reverently (Heb 12:28-29).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources Consulted
Vs. 17 "For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ."
The Apostle Paul now makes it clear that he and those who with him were qualified to be Christ's fragrance everywhere and in everyplace because they were not peddling the Word of God; that is using it to make profit for themselves; instead their preaching of the Gospel, or teaching of the Word of God was to make disciples for Christ, and or build up the church. And so the Apostle Paul here wants the Corinthians to know that what he did, and what he wrote to them, was from pure motives. Thus neither Paul's person, nor his Gospel was adulterated by either a desire for financial gain, or by wanting to sow into the Gospel of God his own ideas or preferences. For the Apostle Paul's Gospel was from God, and thus it, like his own person was transparent, easily read by one and by all. Now Paul also says "we speak in the sight of God in Christ." Meaning when Paul preached and taught he did so in God's authority, and in the knowledge that He was speaking in the sight of God and Christ, to whom he, and we all must give an account, and thus he took his responsibility very seriously. Something which everyone who Names Christ as Lord should do when they are given opportunity to do so, whether this is the public reading of the Scriptures, or teaching a Sunday school class, or leading a small group, in the home or church, everyone who Names Christ as Lord should take their God given opportunities to serve Him, and or share the Word of God seriously and reverently (Heb 12:28-29).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
Additional Resources Consulted
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1826). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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