Dwell in the Word: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17

Contemplate these questions as you dwell in 2 Corinthians 2:12-17:

1. Paul discusses the concept of believers being "the aroma of Christ." How can this metaphorical idea of emitting a fragrance, either pleasant or unpleasant, help modern believers reflect on their conduct, actions, and impact within their communities or relationships?

2. The passage distinguishes between the aroma of Christ perceived differently by believers and non-believers. How does this notion challenge individuals to examine their attitudes toward sin, repentance, and the Gospel message? How might this understanding influence interactions between believers and those who do not share the same faith?

3. Paul emphasizes the importance of sincerity and the focus on Christ, contrasting it with deceptive practices. How can contemporary believers ensure their motives and actions align with the sincerity Paul advocates? How might this dedication to Christ-centered living manifest in daily interactions, conversations, and service within the church and the broader community?

Transcript:

 As we start off this passage today, we see Paul telling us a little bit of a story. He goes to Troas to preach the gospel. A door had been opened for him, so he should be nothing but excited. But what do we see? That his spirit was not at rest because Titus wasn't there. Now, was it because he didn't feel confident without Titus?

Obviously not. He's Paul, right? What he was looking for was a word from Titus on how his letter to the Corinthian church. First Corinthians was received there. He was hoping to say, hey, they're here. Titus say, hey, that went over. Well, they are turning away from what has happened, but Titus was not there to give him that good word.

So, Paul went the other direction to give it time. Remember, we've, we've seen that, that there was some accusation that Paul didn't keep his word, that he didn't come, but Paul was, was holding off, he was giving them time to take in what he had written and not be overbearing to them, but to let, uh, give them time to repent.

But, what happened? We see that Paul is using this once again for an opportunity to bring praise to Jesus. He says, thanks be to God. When Christ always leaves us, leads us in triumphal procession, something good came in this. The people did come to repentance. They did try to amend their lives. And so, Paul is using this opportunity here for us to be able to understand what this means in regards to who we are in Christ.

Notice the word he uses here for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved.  So as Believers people are able to see us See what we're able to see one another and we understand the beauty of the gospel Paul is talking about a pleasant aroma here, right?  You can think about many different things.

Maybe there's a pleasant flower or a perfume or A cologne that's the big things that come to mind with an aroma or food that pleasant smell that you're able to say Ah, I see my brothers and sisters in Christ and I can see their lives I can see the fruit of repentance in their lives I can see the servanthood that is going on and this is the aroma the good stuff of What God is doing in our lives  But there's also terrible fragrances, aren't there?

Uh, many of us, if not all of us, have been driving down the road and we perhaps come upon A wind from a particular generation, or generation, particular direction, and that wind is blowing the smell of a hog barn or a cattle yard towards us. And everybody in the car is very displeasing, right? There are bad fragrances, fragrances.

And so we see here, Paul saying that there's, there's fragrance and we're a good fragrance to one another because we understand the beauty of the gospel.  But for those who do not believe for those who do not have faith, there's another fragrance from death to death those who are dead in trespasses and sins and don't understand the gospel are not going to smell the aroma of our servanthood for Christ and the forgiveness of sins that we celebrate and be able to appreciate it.

But then there's other smells that that.  This death to death smell, right?  They find that what they're doing in their sin to be just fine. It's fine to them even though us as Christians We would see what is happening there and we would be very concerned that the fruit of their life is not something that We would find To be appealing to be a pleasant aroma, but instead it's perhaps a smell of death.

And so, we see here that Paul is wanting this message to get out. He wants to hear the stories of repentance. He wants to hear the stories of people serving one another. He wants this to be the focus. And so, Paul says, Hey, we're not like other peddlers of God's word who are out there doing it for their own benefit.

We're not people who are trying to deceive anyone. Paul says no, we're men of sincerity. We have been called by God in the sight of God.  They speak of Christ They speak of him. They speak not of themselves but they speak of this life this pleasant aroma that they have in Jesus And so as we think about what this means for us, may we be desiring to chase after that pleasant aroma that we can be to one another in Christ and that That happens when we are focused on Him and not ourselves. When we're not seeking our own benefit, but when we acknowledge that our life is in Him. That our love comes from Him because He has first loved us. So may we desire to be that aroma to one another.

That others may see and know that we love God because He has loved us. And we love one another and bring glory to God alone.