2 Corinthians 2:14-17 - Triumphant through Christ

In the previous last two verses we saw Paul’s restlessness. Instead of seizing the opportunity provided by the open door, he left Troas for Macedonia looking for Titus. The minute he met Titus, he burst into an expression of thanksgiving to God. Although we only get to read his meeting with Titus in 2 Corinthians 7:7, we sense Paul’s exuberance as he shares the grand thoughts that he had.

This triumphant expression of thanksgiving to God in verse 14 begins with the connective, “But”. Here Paul was implicitly saying that instead of bewilderment, discontentment, apprehension, anxiety, and setback, God gave the experience of peace, gladness, celebration, victory and triumph. Notice the word ‘always’ is used. It tells us that God does it all the time. He leads us into victory all the time. He doesn’t lead us half way and abandon us, leaving us in a lurch.

Paul was illustrating here with the triumphant celebration of a victorious army. This was a scene that the Corinthians were accustomed to. This is describing a Roman general returning from a battle and on a triumphant march. The streets where he led the triumphant procession would be lined with incense holders burning incense with the favorite fragrance of the general. Right in front of the procession would be the general followed by his troops. At the back would be the spoils from the battle and all the humiliated captives and prisoners of war. All these were put on for public display to show his triumph. It was to show that the humiliated prisoners were now the general’s captives. They no longer had any autonomy and freedom. They were now owned by another and were at the disposal of the general to do as he desired.

Paul implied here that he was being led in a triumphant celebration. Like the Roman general, Christ was leading this celebration. The apostle made it explicitly clear here that Christ was the one who had brought the victory in the situation confronting him in Corinth. He wanted them to know that he wasn’t the cause of the victory and he was only marching behind Christ, His Lord.  

In Paul’s description of the procession, we see three pictures. Firstly every Christian is a captive of Christ. He now leads us in a triumphant procession. As His captives we now submit our will to His to serve him. Secondly, as Christians we are the fragrant aroma of Christ. As the Roman general would have his favorite incense burned in the holders, Christ would have us as his favorite fragrance. We should emit the fragrance of our knowledge of Him. From our lives, people should be able to see Christ. And similar to a fragrance that could either attract or repel, we either attract others to Christ or we repel them from Him. Those who accept the fragrance would have life and those who reject, death. It is important therefore that our words and deeds emit the fragrance of the message of Christ. It is such a weighty matter that Paul then asked in verse 16, “Who is adequate for these things?”  

And finally, as Christ’s, Christians are now God’s spokesmen. We should be different from those who merely peddle the message of God. A spokesman of God speaks for the benefit of others. He brings a sincere message because he is sent by God. He comes in humility realizing his personal inadequacy so he depends on God. Besides, he seeks to be Christ-like regardless of the results. A peddler, on the other hand, will speak only for self-profit. He won’t be sincere and he is not sent by God. His arrogance will be displayed in his self-sufficiency. He justifies his method by the results it brings.          

We need to be careful how we conduct ourselves. For what we say and do can discredit us from being an effective aroma of Christ. We either draw others to Christ or we repel them from Him. We must seek perpetually to rely on Christ and act in submission to His will. Let’s not even think that we are the master of our own lives. The minute we become self-centered and self-sufficient is the minute we lose our fragrance of Christ and hence, our effectiveness.

In the previous last two verses we saw Paul’s restlessness. Instead of seizing the opportunity provided by the open door, he left Troas for Macedonia looking for Titus. The minute he met Titus, he burst into an expression of thanksgiving to God. Although we only get to read his meeting with Titus in 2 Corinthians 7:7, we sense Paul’s exuberance as he shares the grand thoughts that he had.

This triumphant expression of thanksgiving to God in verse 14 begins with the connective, “But”. Here Paul was implicitly saying that instead of bewilderment, discontentment, apprehension, anxiety, and setback, God gave the experience of peace, gladness, celebration, victory and triumph. Notice the word ‘always’ is used. It tells us that God does it all the time. He leads us into victory all the time. He doesn’t lead us half way and abandon us, leaving us in a lurch.

Paul was illustrating here with the triumphant celebration of a victorious army. This was a scene that the Corinthians were accustomed to. This is describing a Roman general returning from a battle and on a triumphant march. The streets where he led the triumphant procession would be lined with incense holders burning incense with the favorite fragrance of the general. Right in front of the procession would be the general followed by his troops. At the back would be the spoils from the battle and all the humiliated captives and prisoners of war. All these were put on for public display to show his triumph. It was to show that the humiliated prisoners were now the general’s captives. They no longer had any autonomy and freedom. They were now owned by another and were at the disposal of the general to do as he desired.

Paul implied here that he was being led in a triumphant celebration. Like the Roman general, Christ was leading this celebration. The apostle made it explicitly clear here that Christ was the one who had brought the victory in the situation confronting him in Corinth. He wanted them to know that he wasn’t the cause of the victory and he was only marching behind Christ, His Lord.  

 

In Paul’s description of the procession, we see three pictures. Firstly every Christian is a captive of Christ. He now leads us in a triumphant procession. As His captives we now submit our will to His to serve him. Secondly, as Christians we are the fragrant aroma of Christ. As the Roman general would have his favorite incense burned in the holders, Christ would have us as his favorite fragrance. We should emit the fragrance of our knowledge of Him. From our lives, people should be able to see Christ. And similar to a fragrance that could either attract or repel, we either attract others to Christ or we repel them from Him. Those who accept the fragrance would have life and those who reject, death. It is important therefore that our words and deeds emit the fragrance of the message of Christ. It is such a weighty matter that Paul then asked in verse 16, “Who is adequate for these things?”  

 

And finally, as Christ’s, Christians are now God’s spokesmen. We should be different from those who merely peddle the message of God. A spokesman of God speaks for the benefit of others. He brings a sincere message because he is sent by God. He comes in humility realizing his personal inadequacy so he depends on God. Besides, he seeks to be Christ-like regardless of the results. A peddler, on the other hand, will speak only for self-profit. He won’t be sincere and he is not sent by God. His arrogance will be displayed in his self-sufficiency. He justifies his method by the results it brings.          

 

We need to be careful how we conduct ourselves. For what we say and do can discredit us from being an effective aroma of Christ. We either draw others to Christ or we repel them from Him. We must seek perpetually to rely on Christ and act in submission to His will. Let’s not even think that we are the master of our own lives. The minute we become self-centered and self-sufficient is the minute we lose our fragrance of Christ and hence, our effectiveness.