2 Corinthians 2:14-17

The Unavoidable Aroma

Introduction: The Failed Marketing of the Modern Church

The modern evangelical church is obsessed, utterly consumed, with the task of marketing Jesus. We have focus groups, branding consultants, and demographic studies. We want to make the gospel palatable, attractive, and inoffensive to the watching world. We labor under the delusion that if we could just find the right packaging, the right slogan, or the right worship aesthetic, then the world would flock to our doors. We want the fragrance of Christ to be a universally appealing air freshener, something that everyone agrees is pleasant, like vanilla or fresh linen.

But the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us something entirely different. The gospel is not a product to be marketed; it is a reality to be declared. It is not a negotiable commodity; it is the aroma of God Himself invading the world. And this aroma does not have a neutral setting. It is a sharp, distinct, and polarizing scent. To some it is the fragrant smell of life, of a home-cooked meal after a long journey. To others it is the acrid stench of death, the smell of the executioner's block. The one thing it can never be is ignored.

This passage is a potent antidote to the poison of seeker-sensitivity and the cowardice of man-pleasing ministry. Paul is not describing a strategy for church growth. He is describing the objective reality of what happens whenever the true gospel is proclaimed. We are not called to be salesmen who adjust the pitch based on the customer's reaction. We are called to be the aroma of Christ, and to let God sort out the smelling. This is a declaration of the profound effects of faithful ministry in a world that is divided into two camps and two camps only: those being saved, and those perishing.


The Text

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and manifests through us the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.
(2 Corinthians 2:14-17 LSB)

The Triumphal Procession (v. 14)

Paul begins with an explosion of thanksgiving, grounded in a powerful metaphor from his world.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and manifests through us the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." (2 Corinthians 2:14)

To understand this, you must picture a Roman triumph. When a Roman general won a great victory, he was awarded a parade through the streets of Rome. This was the highest honor. The procession would include the victorious general in his chariot, his loyal soldiers, the spoils of war, and, crucially, the captured enemies in chains, marching toward their execution. All along the parade route, priests would be burning incense on altars, filling the air with a thick, aromatic smoke.

Now, consider that aroma. For the victorious general and his soldiers, it was the sweet smell of victory, life, and honor. But for the captives being led to their death, that very same smell was the stench of defeat, humiliation, and doom. It was the smell of their own funeral.

Paul seizes this image. God the Father is the conquering general. The victory is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and in His resurrection. And who are we? We are in the parade. God "always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ." We are not stragglers hoping to win a battle; we are participants in a victory that has already been secured. This is a declaration of profound, postmillennial optimism. History is not a toss-up. God is not wringing His hands. He is parading His victory through the cosmos, and He has drafted us into the celebration.

And our role in this parade is to be the incense. God "manifests through us the aroma of the knowledge of Him." We are the walking censer from which the fragrance of Christ emanates. Our lives, our words, our faithfulness, our proclamation of the gospel, this is what spreads the knowledge of God everywhere. We are not trying to create a victory; we are the aroma of a victory already won.


The Great Antithesis (v. 15-16a)

Next, Paul explains the two distinct reactions to this one, singular aroma.

"For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life." (2 Corinthians 2:15-16a LSB)

Notice first to whom we are this fragrance. We are "a fragrance of Christ to God." Our primary audience is God. The success of our ministry is not measured by the response of the crowd, but by the pleasure of God. When we are faithful to proclaim the whole counsel of God, when we live lives that are consistent with that proclamation, God smells the pleasing aroma of His Son on us, and He is well-pleased. This liberates us from the tyranny of results.

This one fragrance has a dual effect on its human hearers. It divides humanity. There is no middle ground, no third category. There are only those "who are being saved" and those "who are perishing." This is the great antithesis that runs through all of Scripture and all of human history. And the gospel is the catalyst that makes this division apparent.

To the one, the perishing, we are an aroma "from death to death." The gospel message smells like death to them because it is the death of their autonomy, the death of their pride, the death of their self-righteousness. It confronts their sin, pronounces them guilty, and points to a judgment they are desperately trying to ignore. The smell of Christ hardens them in their rebellion, confirming the spiritual death they are already in and leading them to the second death. The fault is not in the perfume, but in their diseased spiritual nostrils.

But to the other, the saved, we are an aroma "from life to life." To the elect, the gospel is the sweetest scent imaginable. It is the smell of forgiveness, of righteousness, of adoption, of hope. It is the news of a life that conquers death. It takes a person who is spiritually dead and brings them to spiritual life, which leads to eternal life. The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay. The same gospel that saves, also hardens.


The Honest Question and the Counterfeit Ministry (v. 16b-17)

Faced with this monumental reality, that our ministry is a matter of eternal life and eternal death, Paul asks the only sane question.

"And who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Corinthians 2:16b LSB)

This is not the false humility of a man fishing for a compliment. This is the cry of a man who understands the weight of glory and the gravity of his calling. Who is adequate for this? Who can bear the responsibility of being God's instrument for salvation and judgment? The answer is, of course, no one. No mere man is sufficient. This question is designed to crush any sense of self-reliance. If you think you are sufficient for the work of the ministry, it is definitive proof that you are not.

This question then drives Paul to make a sharp distinction between his own ministry and that of his opponents.

"For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ." (2 Corinthians 2:17 LSB)

He says "we are not like many." The problem of counterfeit ministry is not a new one. The Corinthian church was being troubled by spiritual hucksters, and Paul calls them out. The word for "peddling" is kapeluo. It refers to a dishonest street vendor, a man who adulterates his goods for profit. He might water down the wine or use false weights. He is a charlatan.

The spiritual peddler waters down the Word of God. He removes the offensive parts, the hard teachings about sin, judgment, and the necessity of repentance. He mixes it with worldly wisdom, pop psychology, and self-help fluff to make it more sellable. His goal is not the glory of God, but his own gain, whether that be money, fame, or the approval of men.

In stark contrast, Paul describes the authentic ministry with four characteristics. True ministers speak:

Our sufficiency is not in our cleverness or our strength, but in the source, the motive, and the sphere of our ministry, all of which are God Himself.


Conclusion: Be the Aroma

So what does this mean for us? It means we must abandon the foolish and faithless project of trying to make the gospel smell nice to everybody. Our task is not to be successful marketers; our task is to be faithful messengers. Our job is to be so saturated with the knowledge of Christ, so steeped in His Word and His presence, that we cannot help but give off His aroma wherever we go.

We are in a triumphal procession, not a desperate marketing campaign. The victory is already won. As we march, we spread the aroma of that victory. Some will smell it and rejoice, recognizing the scent of their coming King. Others will smell it and recoil, recognizing the stench of their own coming judgment. We are not in charge of the reactions. We are simply in charge of being the aroma.

Who is sufficient for these things? We are not. But thanks be to God, our sufficiency is from God, who has made us ministers of a new covenant (2 Cor. 3:5-6). Therefore, let us speak boldly, sincerely, as from God and in His sight, knowing that in Christ, we are a pleasing fragrance to our God, the sweet smell of a victory already accomplished.