“2 Corinthians 2:12-17”

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

“Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet 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 adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”

---End of Scripture Verses---

Paul used the time that he gave the Corinthians (to work out their issues and repent of their sins) to go about and preach and teach the Gospel. A “door” of opportunity was “opened” for him to do the Lord’s work (verse 12). There is no “idle” or “down” time for the faithful child of God. We should always be looking for opportunities to do good works, and the Lord will always make them available to us if we just keep our eyes open for them.

Paul’s spirit was restless, anxiously wanting to meet with Titus and hear his report as to whether the brethren were receptive to Paul’s warnings and admonitions or not (2 Corinthians 7:5-6; 11:28). Paul loved his brothers and sisters in Christ so intensely that he was hanging on what their response would be to his message. The Good News that Paul had spread throughout Troas and Macedonia and Achaia (to the brethren in Corinth), was a “sweet aroma” that ultimately led souls to “triumph in Christ” over sin and death and Satan and hell (verse 14).

“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (verse 15). When someone preaches or teaches the truth to the lost people of the word, they are a “sweet smelling savor to God.” This is the Old Testament language of animal sacrifices that were “pleasing to the Lord.” Paul is telling us here that, when we teach the truth to others, whether they believe it and accept it or reject it and ignore, the Lord is pleased with us and our efforts, and the love and concern we have for the people He created in His own image.

“And who is adequate for these things” (verse 16). Paul is admitting his own personal inadequacy to undertake such an enormous task of securing the eternal salvation of immortal souls. And yet, this is the very thing that he had dedicated his life to. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:4, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” Unlike other (false) teachers who were “peddling the word of God,” Paul and his companions taught the word in “sincerity” and truth and love for humanity (verse 17). God not only makes those who love the truth (like Paul) ADEQUATE to teach it, He also OBLIGATES us to teach it (Romans 1:14)!

Please read 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

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