2 Corinthians 2:12-17 – Triumph in Christ Through The Gospel
This is a passage that lays out Paul’s approach to gospel ministry. It teaches his approach to evangelism, and he sees God doing the work of evangelism in a significant way through the preaching of the Word. Paul uses four different, very colourful illustrations to help us understand that. Paul describes an open door, an aroma of life, an aroma of death, and a sneaky salesman.
Paul describes what God was doing through the preaching of the Word as an open door. He is saying that in Troas is an opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And his heart is stirred by that opportunity because he knows that God is at work by this means to save sinners. God has ordained that the preaching of the Word will bring salvation.
That open door idea is one that helps us to begin to understand how God uses the preaching of the Word to save sinners. It comes up in the next two colourful illustrations that Paul uses. He talks about an aroma of life and an aroma of death. Paul says that you are that type of aroma, and even more specifically, that the gospel is that type of an aroma in the world. He’s saying, in Christ, the gospel ministry goes out like a fragrance and infuses the entirety of the world. It’s an aroma of life leading to life. God has ordained that through evangelism, through the work that he is doing, through gospel preaching, it will lead not just to spiritual hunger, but to spiritual life. Paul has in mind a victorious king marching into the defeated city and leading a triumphal procession. The proclamation of the Gospel is God’s means of declaring that victory and celebrating it and bestowing out upon the church this blessing of triumph and the aroma of life leading to life.
Paul says the preaching of the gospel of Christ is the stench of death to those who are perishing. The preaching of the gospel has another purpose besides the leading to life. It has a purpose of confronting those who are in their rebellion and their sin, and confronting them in such a way that without the work of Christ to lead them to repentance, they are confirmed and condemned in their rebellion against Christ. It’s a message of impending judgment.
Question
- How is the preaching of the Gospel both a good and bad smell?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching of God’s Word.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.