For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.—2 Corinthians 2:15–17

Introduction

Suffering in Paul’s Day and Suffering in Our Day

Last week, we saw Paul give thanks for the spreading that takes place through his suffering. We cannot talk about Paul’s suffering in a glib way. The sheer intensity of Paul’s suffering that came while laboring to spread the gospel is shocking:

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.—2 Corinthians 11:23–28 

This list is overwhelming. Our own suffering is different in America. Attempts to spread the gospel here will make us feel an acute sense of awkwardness, and the response of others will often be agitation and sometimes anger.

Why Is the Path of Spreading Lined With Suffering?

Some of the stands we take are offensive. Our message about sinners being damned to hell apart from Christ is deeply offensive to people who feel that they are basically good. There are also some moral standards that are becoming cultural flashpoints. For example, it is deeply offensive to claim that homosexuality a sin. One evangelist was arrested in Great Britain for doing this in an open-air sermon. On our side of the pond, two other evangelists in the U.S. were mocked and beaten at a Seattle gay-pride event for holding up signs that said “Repent or else” and “Jesus saves from sin.” Why do some respond this way? Why is the path of spreading lined with the pain of suffering?

Paul takes us further in our understanding of both spreading and suffering by telling us that we are the aroma of Christ. The text really has three parts. First, we see what is called a chiasm. Paul talks about being a fragrance to those who are being saved and to those who are perishing. Notice how the order is connected: the saved, the perishing—from death to death, from life to life. Then he introduces a question at the end of verse 16 that he answers in verse 17. This reading of the text gives us three points concerning being the aroma of Christ: (1) the aroma to the perishing, (2) the aroma to those being saved, and (3) our sufficiency for spreading the aroma.

1. The Aroma of Christ to the Perishing (vv. 15–16)

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

With this verse we switch metaphors. Some think Paul continues the picture of the triumphal procession because incense would be offered during the parade. But it is far more likely that the metaphor is drawn from Old Testament sacrifices. The two words here “aroma” and “fragrance” are found together almost as a technical term in the Old Testament. It refers to a sacrifice, a sweet-smelling aroma, which is pleasing to God (Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:25; Leviticus 1:13, 17; Numbers 15:3; Ezekiel 16:19).

In the New Testament, both words are used in Ephesians 5:2.

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

One notices that the vertical nature of this sweet-smelling aroma because it ascends up to God: “we are the aroma of Christ to God.”

But there is also a horizontal dimension to the aroma and fragrance. It is not a sweet smell to the perishing. This verse thus shows us why suffering comes to those who try to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. On the one hand, people need the gospel because they are perishing. But the problem with most perishing people is that they do not know that they are perishing. In fact, they are quite offended when you tell them that they are perishing. But there is an even deeper reason for this rejection.

A couple of questions will help unearth more of what Paul intends for us to see. First, what does it mean when Paul says, “For we are the aroma of Christ to God”? Second, what does the phrase mean “from death to death” in the case of those who are perishing?

1. First, the word “for” shows that Paul is giving the basis for what he said in the previous verse that the fragrance of the knowledge of him spreads “through us” (v. 14). If you compare verse 14 and verse 15, you notice that the word “fragrance” gets spelled out by “aroma.” You will also see that the phrase “through us” is defended by the claim that “we are the aroma of Christ.”

This phrase begs the question. What is the aroma? Does the aroma come from the messenger or the message? The answer is “yes.” The messenger and the message are interwoven. Both are stressed. Verse 14 talks about the spread of the fragrance of the knowledge of him—that is, the knowledge of Christ through the gospel. Verse 15 puts “of Christ” right at the front of the sentence for emphasis. Paul says emphatically—it is the “of Christ” fragrance that we are.

But do you hear the “we are?” Verse 14 has the spreading of his knowledge “through us.” Verse 15 has the stupendous claim that “we are” Christ’s sweet smell. The point of bringing these together would be a powerful word of warning to the Corinthians. To reject Paul’s apostleship is to reject Paul’s gospel. Paul is highlighting the danger for the Corinthians in their past response to his suffering and weakness. People have rejected the cross because Christ’s suffering looks so unimpressive and so weak. The same response is true of Paul.

Some of the Corinthians have rejected him because he looks so unimpressive and weak in his suffering. He wants to show them that their negative response to him reflects a negative response to the gospel.

This gives a deeper rationale for the rejection of lost people. The gospel and Paul’s ministry of the gospel are not outwardly all that impressive. Suffering by its very nature looks weak. Paul draws the parallel in 2 Corinthians 13:4.

For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

Look at the parallels between 2 Corinthians 2:15–16 and 1 Corinthians 1:18:

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.— 2 Corinthians 2:15–16

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.—1 Corinthians 1:18

We are talking about something that theologians like to call a theology of the cross as opposed to a theology of glory. Proud men like to think that they get to choose how they will approach God. Proud people want to be overpowered through performance. "Show me your power so that I can decide if you are powerful enough to impress me and earn my worship. If you are, then I will bow. You have to prove yourself to me." That makes man the judge and measure of even God. God must perform for man. 

But God is not a genie like Aladdin. God would be like the genie in Aladdin in a theology of glory. We would admire the great things he can do, but we would still be in control of them. Like a genie, chained to a bottle, who has to say “Yes, master what is your wish?”

God chooses to turn this power-as-performance talk on its head and turns it upside down into power as weakness. He will not bow to the proud demands of man. He allows people to know him not through showing how strong his strength is, but by showing off strong his weakness is.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.—1 Corinthians 1:22–25

God reveals himself in the crushing of his Son. Those who are proud have a gag reflex against weakness, and it does not fit their proud pretensions. That is what leads us to the second question on this first point.

2. Second, “from death to death” can be taken in three different ways. It could be an intensifier like “death from first to last” or “really, really dead.” Or it could be stressing a journey from one point to the next. The smell reeks like death, and so you avoid it like the plague, which leads you permanently away from life, and thus the final result is death. Or it could be talking about a source and a result. The “spiritually dead” nature of the person determines the nature of the person’s response (final spiritual death or destruction).

Though all three of these are true theologically, the one that best fits the grammar and the context is the third option. A spiritually dead nature will result in the final reality of spiritual death and destruction. 

2 Corinthians 3:14–15 and 4:3–4 both bear this out:

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.—2 Corinthians 3:14–15

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.—2 Corinthians 4:3–4

The perishing are spiritually hardened; they have a veil over the heart. Satan has blinded their minds. But that is not the whole story. Paul says that there are two types of people in the world: those perishing and those being saved. Not all turn away from Paul and the gospel; some turn to the gospel.

2. The Aroma of Christ to Those Being Saved (vv. 15–16)

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

This verse shows that the state of affairs for those who are being saved is much different than the state of those who are perishing. What does “from life to life” mean concerning those who are being saved? It means originating from life and resulting in life.

God must intervene for someone to have the source of life that leads to life. We see the origins of life in the power of God once more in the context.

In 2 Corinthians, the Spirit gives life (3:6). When Paul preaches Christ (4:5), God intervenes in the heart by “shining in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (4:6)."

Remember that this is part of Paul’s defense of his ministry. He says that he is a litmus test for someone’s spiritual state. How they respond to his ministry manifests their true spiritual colors. Those who are being saved respond favorably to the fragrant aroma of Christ on us (it is pleasing to God!). Those who are perishing reject the fragrance as a stench, and they show that they are spiritually dead. What about you, Corinthians? How does my ministry of the message of Christ smell to you? We know how it smells to God. It is a sweet smell!

Some forget that Paul is defending his apostleship, and that maybe why so many people draw the wrong conclusion from the question at the end of verse 16 that verse 17 answers. "Who is sufficient for these things?" We instinctively think that the answer must be “no one.” No human being is equal to the task of such a momentous calling. Right? Wrong. Read verse 17.

3. Our Sufficiency for Spreading (v. 17)

For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Paul is sufficient. Three things support this interpretation:

1. First, notice the word “for.” He gives reasons for his sufficiency by saying what he is not and what he is. The implied answer “no” simply does not work. 
    
2. Second, this word is used in a positive way in the life of other ministers. The most powerful parallel is found in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures concerning Moses’ Ministry: Exodus 4:10–12.
   
   But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, [LXX: I pray, Lord, I am insufficient … I am weak-voiced and slow-tongued] either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
   
   But the Lord does not take no for an answer. He promises to make Moses sufficient for ministry.
   
   Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
    
3. Third, Paul himself affirms his Spirit-endowed sufficiency for ministry in 2 Corinthians 3:4–6.
   
   Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Therefore, let us look at why Paul is sufficient. First, because of what he is not. He is not a peddler of the word, like so many (i.e., his opponents). The relationship between money and ministry has always been contentious. The Corinthians believe that Paul has robbed them by not accepting their support. The opponents have used it to suggest that he must be inferior to the Jerusalem apostles because they accept money for their ministry. The false apostles apparently patterned themselves after this model. They probably used it to highlight Paul’s inferior ministry in a “you get what you pay for” kind of way. Paul did not think highly enough of his own ministry to think it merited money.

Paul turns the tables of suspicion on them. He says that their practice of taking money for their ministry smacks of being a retail peddler like in the marketplace. This was not a favorable comparison. Retailers were notorious for unjust practices and corruption.

Paul, by contrast, is a man of integrity and sincerity. He does not put himself in situations where people have to wonder if he is in it for the money. His life is the gospel; he gets his livelihood from making tents. Part of his integrity in ministry is the validity of his commissioning. God sent him. The opponents are like the false prophets that God never sent.

I have not sent them, declares the LORD, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.—Jeremiah 27:15

Another aspect of Paul’s sufficiency for ministry is the source of his speaking. He speaks “from God.” This is part of his commissioning and his speaking the Word. He speaks “in the sight” or “in the presence of God.” He speaks as a conquered, loved, slave of Christ— “in Christ.”

Application: What Are Our Expectations in Evangelism?

1. Expect Rejection

The problem with a gospel that says “you are perishing” is that perishing people do not think that they are perishing. They think they are basically fine. If they ever think about the afterlife, they have some vague notion that everything is going to be all right for them because they are basically good people. Yes, they know that no one is perfect, but they have been good enough. 

The problem is that no one can be good enough. Without the perfect work of Christ, they do not have any hope to face an infinitely holy God who cannot stand the presence of sin. No sin will be found in his presence or in his heaven. They need to see that there are only two categories: “those who are perishing and those who are being saved.” The first category will get perfect justice because they will pay for their sins in hell. Those who are being saved get mercy through justice. Jesus pays for their sin on the cross so they get mercy and eternal life. There is no middle category for those who are basically good enough (no justice).

Therefore, the problem with most people is convincing them that they are lost and not saved. They need to “get lost” before they can “get saved.” Do you see what we are up against? People refuse to accept an identity found in a destiny that they will face a future in the fires of hell unless they repent. The message of salvation is not a sweet-smelling fragrance to them; it is a repulsive stench. It is so repulsive that it creates a kind of fight or flight response. These two different responses can be summarized as (1) turning away, or (2) turning against. They turn away in flight from the gospel message and the gospel messenger. Or they become “fighting mad” and turn against the gospel message and the gospel messenger. The phrase “don’t kill the messenger” is very appropriate here. People sometimes hate the message and want to kill the messenger.

We do not do evangelism to get anything in return from man. We are not like Mormon missionaries who think that they have to witness so that they will be saved. We witness because we are saved. We do not speak to get anything (like money, fame, or applause). We do not speak in order to get things we do not have; we speak because of all that we already have—eternal life and acceptance in Christ. We speak because what God has given us is much better than anything man could give us.

2. Redefine Success As Stewardship

We do not wait for God to remove our weakness and give us the power to witness. We already have the power: the gospel, which is the power of God to save everyone who believes. When we witness, we testify to the sufficiency of Scripture. The word of God, the gospel, is the power. It breaks hard hearts. It does not return to him void. We must completely reorient what we think success means.

It is easy to think that we failed if people did not respond positively. But that is taking something on our shoulders that we were never meant to carry. God is responsible for the results. Where is the line of responsibility?

When the truth is preached, the responsibility of stewardship shifts from the preacher to the hearer. If someone has preached what is false, then judgment falls upon the preacher, and the hearer must judge it to be false. I think this principle is abundantly clear from Scripture. I will limit myself to two examples (Ezekiel 3:18-21; Acts 20:26-27).

Ezekiel 3:18–21 shows that the herald must not remain silent when the Lord summons him to speak. He must speak when, where, and what the Lord wills. If he does not, then judgment falls upon him.

If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.—Ezekiel 3:18–19; cf. Ezekiel 33:7–9

Acts 20:26–27 clarifies that preachers will not be judged for the unfaithful response of the people if they have faithfully declared the whole counsel of God.

Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

The reference in Acts 20 is important because Paul explicitly states that some will not respond positively: and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them (Act 20:30; my emphasis). Even so, he remains innocent of their blood.

Our success is seen in the trustworthy stewardship of what we have been entrusted to share. Successful stewardship means not shrinking back from a full presentation of the gospel. We do not aim at sharing some of the things that are a little more likeable ("Did you know you can have greater joy? Just add what I am offering to what you have and you will have more!") Success comes when we do not shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God to someone.

3. Expect Conversions

Yes, people will turn away from and turn against the gospel and us. But some will turn toward the gospel. Our expectation is that successful stewardship and sowing will lead to bountiful reaping. If we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly. Yes, it is difficult for perishing people to see that they are perishing. But God can and will open the eyes of the blind. He does remove the veil. He does say, “let there be light” so that some have the light of the gospel shining in their hearts. We learned last week that God takes enemies of the gospel and conquers them by making them trophies of grace so that they testify too.

Remember Luke 16? An unbeliever thinks that if heaven can produce a sign that is sensational enough then it will “wow” people into paying attention and repenting. Father Abraham says that the word of God is more powerful than a performance from someone who returns from the dead.

“No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent." He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”—Luke 16:30-31

God will not put on a performance for the pride of man; he will perform a light show within the dark, proud heart and flood it with the light of the beauty and radiance of how great Christ is. That is how he saves. It happened in the book of Acts as the disciples preached Christ as the fulfillment of Moses and the Prophets.

4. Dethrone Your Comfort Zone

Last week I tried to look at some of the reasons why I have a holy dissatisfaction with my efforts at personal evangelism. One of the lessons God taught me was the fallacy of asking God to remove my weakness before I witness. He has chosen instead to keep my weakness and use it to demonstrate that his power is found in the gospel, not in me.

A fear of being beaten is not what keeps me from witnessing; most often it is a fear of stepping out of my comfort zone. Many times, I say that Jesus is King, but I prove that my comfort zone is king when I refuse to leave it at the bidding of the real King, King Jesus. My new rallying cry is this: dethrone your comfort zone.

It is not just a slogan. There is a powerful incentive to leave my comfort zone. We must believe that we cannot lose our shelter when we leave our comfort zones. We must make the presence of God our source of comfort. We experience it most when we leave other shelters so that all we have is his shelter. A woman in our church recently gave me permission to tell everyone what happened to her while listening to last week’s sermon.

Story of a Congregational Member Experiencing and Sharing God’s Love 

I got permission from someone in the congregation to tell you her testimony of experiencing God’s love last week. This person has been abused (very painful to hear the story). Counselor after counselor had tried to tell her that she has worth or value and was not worthless. But there was a barrier that these words could not cross. She could not believe it. But God. There was a moment of prophetic piercing through the story of the cardinals shared last week, in which God broke through all the barriers and said to her heart, "I care for you more than cardinals." She testified that she was walking in the joyful embrace of God’s love for the first time.

That is what it takes to share the gospel. We know we are the loved ones, and leaving our comfort zone cannot separate us from that sheltering love. We are the sheltered. We are recipients of the promise that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. We are conquered trophies of God’s grace and love.

We must also see the wisdom of God in making us witnesses this way. He could have demonstrated his greatness by crushing our rebellion. God could be like a big game hunter—showing his conquest by mounting our heads on his wall somewhere. God makes a different kind of trophy. We are living sacrifices, living trophies. We are not set up on a wall—we are sent out to the world. Living, moving, talking trophies that testify to being conquered by the great King. Look how he loves! Look how he treats his trophies of grace—he makes them his children! Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God! These glorious things help us dethrone our comfort zone so that we can testify to the gospel of grace. We expect rejection, but we aim to sow profusely, in the hopes that God will intervene in the heart that the lost might become found and the strangers would come home.

Closing Song: "O Church Arise"

Discussion Questions

• What are your expectations for evangelism? Do they line up with what Paul says in this text? What does “success” look like?
• Do you struggle with the idea that you actually are armed with what you need to evangelize?
• Share stories about sharing the gospel. Have you ever led someone to Christ? What is the strongest barrier to sharing your faith?