God’s Aroma-2 Cor 2:14-3:6

2 Corinthians, New Testament, Sermons

 

2021-04-20 15:31:23

What’s your “smell“? What do others “smell” from you? Do they smell Jesus? What aroma do you give off? Cool like Clint Eastwood or Denzel or Keanu Reeves or Will Smith? Cute like Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit? Tough and strong like Captain America? Often I feel physically like a slouching person who can’t sit up or stand up straight, or like one who can’t say the right thing in the right way. Paul says that God uses him “to spread the aroma of the knowledge of [God] everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ” (2 Cor 2:14-15). Does your “smell” spread the pleasing aroma of Christ?

Competency in ministry (2:14 – 4:6). [Celebrating and Communicating (2:14-3:6); Led in Triumph; Confident and Competant; Aroma of Life; Opposition]. After not meeting Titus in Troas as he had hoped, Paul digresses [resuming in 2 Cor 7:5-7] to balance a depressing account of his ministry:

  1. affliction in Asia (2 Cor 1:8-9),
  2. criticisms of his integrity (2 Cor 1:12, 17-18),
  3. the pain experienced in Corinth because of the offender (2 Cor 2:4-5), and
  4. his inability to settle to missionary work in Troas (2 Cor 2:12-13).

To balance this depressing account, Paul strikes a positive note (2:14-4:6):

  • God always and everywhere enables him to carry on an effective ministry despite many difficulties (2 Cor 2:14-17).
  • He asserts that he doesn’t need letters of recommendation, because their very existence constitutes a ‘letter’ from Christ validating his ministry (2 Cor 3:1-3).
  • His competency for ministry comes from God who made him an able minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:4-6).
  • He compares the greater glory of his ministry under the new covenant with the lesser glory of Moses‘ ministry under the old covenant (3:7-18). [A wonderful new relationship.]
  • He concludes with how he conducts his ministry (4:1-6). [The clear shining of a great light.]

Led in triumph (2:14-17). Despite the difficulties of his mission, Paul says, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession (2 Cor 2:14a). Leads us in triumph means that God, having ‘conquered’ Paul, now leads him as a ‘captive’ in his ‘triumphal procession.’ Paul’s imagery is of a triumphal procession of a victorious Roman general leading his army through the streets of Rome up to the Capitoline Hill exhibiting the spoils and captives of war.

“And uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Cor 2:14b). During the procession, incense was burnt to the gods and the aroma wafted over the spectators and those in the procession. For the victorious, the aroma was pleasing (2 Cor 2:15, 16b), but for the vanquished, it was not (2 Cor 2:16a). The one led in triumph as a captive is the one God uses to spread abroad the aroma of the knowledge of him, namely Christ, in whom the knowledge of God’s glory is displayed (2 Cor 4:6). Paul, a pleasing aroma of Christ. “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15). Why? Because, preaching of the word (2 Cor 2:17) spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Christ. In the Roman procession, the incense was offered to the gods, but the people smelt its aroma. So, Paul says that the proclamation of Christ is pleasing to God: it is “to God the pleasing aroma of Christ.” But the smell of incense burnt to the gods in the procession has different connotations to different people. For the victorious general, his soldiers and the welcoming crowds, the aroma is the joy of victory. But for the prisoners, the aroma means slavery or death which awaits them. Likewise with gospel preaching (2 Cor 2:16).Responsibility. “To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life” [lit. ‘to those [who are perishing] an aroma from death to death; to those [who are being saved] an aroma from life to life’] (2 Cor 2:16a). ‘For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God’ (1 Cor 1:18). With such a heavy responsibility Paul asks, “And who is equal to such a task?” (2 Cor 2:16b). Paul’s answer: ‘Not that we are competent in ourselves . . . our competence comes from God’ (2 Cor 3:5). “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit” (2 Cor 2:17a). Paul refuses to tamper with God’s word (2 Cor 4:2), or to act like many other open air speakers/orators (1 Cor 1:17; 2:1) who peddle the word of God for profit and prey on them (2 Cor 11:20), like petty traders who adulterate their wine with water or use false weights. Possibly these “peddlers” were already operating in Corinth. To distinguish himself from them, Paul refused financial support from those he was ministering to, while accepting it from elsewhere (2 Cor 11:7-12; 12:13-15). Cf. such people, Paul describes 4 aspects of his preaching, “On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God” (2 Cor 2:17b):

  1. in Christ–belonging to Christ and taught by him;
  2. before God–accountable to God (2 Cor 5:10-11);
  3. with sincerity–his motives are pure and transparent (2 Cor 1:12);
  4. sent from God–commissioned “by the will of God”  (2 Cor 1:1) and so he must be faithful.

Letters of recommendation (2 Cor 3:1-3; 4:2; 5:12; 6:4; 10:12, 18; 12:11). When Apollos came to Corinth he brought a letter of recommendation from the Ephesian Christians (Ac 18:27) and Paul wrote letters of recommendation for many other people (Rom 16:1-2; 1 Cor 16:10-11; 2 Cor 8:22-23; Eph 6:21-22; Col 4:7-8, 10; Phlm 10-12, 17-19). But Paul didn’t need a letter of recommendation from them or for them to prove the authenticity of his apostleship to them. It’s not his disapproval of such letters, but as their founding apostle who planted the church it’s proof enough of his apostleship.

Attacked and criticized. Paul questioned the letters of recommendation, likely because he didn’t bring one with him to Corinth and was criticised by someone in the church, likely the offender–the one who caused pain (2 Cor 2:5) and who did wrong (2 Cor 7:12) who, in personally attacking Paul, criticized his lack of such a letter. The offender was likely supported by the ‘false apostles’ who had already infiltrated the church and were themselves vehemently opposed to Paul (chs. 10-13).

“Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?” (2 Cor 3:1). Self-commendation in itself was not reprehensible and even necessary where commendation by a 3rd party was not possible. Paul did commend himself (2 Cor 4:2; 6:4), but was reluctant to overdo it (2 Cor 5:12; 10:18). Criticism that he didn’t bring letters of recommendation forced him to ask, “Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you” (2 Cor 3:1b)? Some came to them with letters of recommendation because they needed them. They, the false apostles, were probably critical of Paul for not doing so. To Paul it was absurd that he was required to bring such letters to them or to ask them for such letters when he’s their founding apostle. Paul’s question expects an emphatic ‘No.’ “You yourselves are our letter, written on [y]our hearts, known and read by everyone” (2 Cor 3:2) is Paul’s defense against criticisms for not bringing a letter of recommendation when to them. The letter written on Paul’s heart, consists of the knowledge of what God had done in their lives through his preaching of the gospel. ‘…your hearts’ also fits well: ‘You yourselves are our letter,’ and ‘you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry’ (2 Cor 3:3). Through Paul’s ministry Christ constituted them as a letter of recommendation for him, with the letter written on their hearts. The believers in Corinth was testimony to the effectiveness and authenticity of Paul’s ministry. They were his letter of recommendation, “written on our/your hearts, known and read by everyone” (2 Cor 3:2).

“You show that you are a letter from Christ” (2 Cor 3:3a). If they are Paul’s letter of recommendation, the author of that letter is Christ, for Christ himself produced this letter for him. This ‘letter’ carries more weight than those written by human authors that ‘some people’ presented. Christ was the author of the letter, and it was “the result of our ministry” (2 Cor 3:3b). In a metaphor of letter writing an author and a scribe are envisaged: a ‘living letter’ dictated by Christ, and ‘inscribed’ in their hearts through his ministry of gospel proclamation. Taking the analogy a step further Paul says this scribal work was performed “not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God” (2 Cor 3:3c), which empowered his ministry, so changes in their lives were effected by the Spirit (Rom 15:17-19; 1 Cor 2:4-5).

“not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor 3:4d). The law is written in stone at Mount Sinai (Exo 31:18). But the gospel is written on human hearts, alluding to the new covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:24-32), paving the way for Paul to describe himself as a minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:4-6) and to compare/contrast the ministry under the old and new covenants (3:7-18). An exalted view of ministry is implied (3:1-3). Paul and his colleagues were privileged to be the agents by whom ‘living letters’ from the exalted Christ were inscribed in the hearts of men and women. For this ministry the apostles were entrusted with the precious ink of the Spirit. By the grace of God, what was effected in their hearts through Paul’s ministry became a letter authenticating and commending his ministry. ‘The virtues of disciples commend the teacher more than any letter.’ Chrysostom. Ministers of the new covenant (3:4-6). To the question ‘Who is equal to such a task?’ (2 Cor 2:16) Paul says that his competence as a minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:3; Jer 31:31) comes from God (2 Cor 3:5). Then he contrasts ministries under the old and new covenants (3:7-18). [Law vs Spirit.]

“Such confidence we have through Christ before God” (2 Cor 3:4) is based on seeing God’s work in them through Christ (3:1- 3), for he’s seen God transform their lives through Christ who produced ‘living letters’ in their hearts. Before God (or ‘towards God’) is the one who leads him in triumph and through him spreads abroad the aroma of the knowledge of God (2:14-17). Paul’s confidence is not self–confidence: “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God” (2 Cor 3:5). His competence in ministry comes from God, answering the question he raised: ‘Who is equal to such a task?’ (2 Cor 2:16). His denial of self-sufficiency isn’t an exaggerated humility, but a sober recognition that spiritual ministry is done only by the power of God at work in the minister and released through the preaching of the gospel (Rom 15:17-19; 1 Cor 1:18 -2:5).

“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant” (2 Cor 3:6a) repeats his answer to the question ‘Who is equal to such a task?’ (2 Cor 2:16) by stressing that it is God who made him a competent minister of the new covenant. ‘Minister‘ (diakonos) means either an agent acting as an intermediary, or an assistant who acts at the behest of a superior. In his ministry, Paul functioned in both ways (2 Cor 5:20; 1 Cor 3:5).

“New covenant.” [1 other place: ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood’ (1 Cor 11:25)]. Jesus’ words of institution and Paul referring to the new covenant show that Jeremiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled: ‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD’ (Jer 31:31-32). Jesus’ words of institution which Paul quotes (1 Cor 11:25) and the exposition in Heb 9:15-28 of Jer 31:31 make clear that Christ’s death established the new covenant that supersedes/surpasses the old Mosaic covenant, as Paul makes plain (3:7-11).

The new covenant ministry is “not of the letter but of the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:6b)–a ministry which doesn’t focus upon the literal meaning of the OT (‘letter’), but on its real underlying intention (‘spirit’). ‘Letter’ and ‘Spirit’ refers to the law of Moses [‘engraved in letters on stone’ (2 Cor 3:7)] and the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:8)–the primary features of ministry under the old and new covenants. “…for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3:6c). How does the letter, the law of Moses, kill? There’s nothing wrong with the law, for the law is holy, righteous, good and spiritual (Rom 7:12, 14). But it’s powerless to curb human sin (Rom 8:3) or to bring life and be a means to establish righteousness (Gal 3:21). Instead, it pronounces God’s judgment on sinners and brings death (Rom 7:10). So a ministry of the letter is a ministry of death. On the other hand…

“…the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3:6d) and does what the law could never do, i.e., bring about the fulfilment of its own demands (Rom 8:2-4). The ministry of the Spirit–cf. the ministry of the letter–is a ministry of the new covenant where sins are forgiven and remembered no more and God’s law is written on people’s hearts (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:25-27)–where people are motivated and enabled by the Spirit to overcome their sinful tendencies and live lives pleasing to God (Rom 7:4, 6), the final outcome of which is eternal life (Gal 6:8).

No diminished role of Scripture in Christian life and ministry, even though the letter kills and the Spirit gives life (2 Cor 3:6). The letter that kills is the law of Moses that pronounces judgment on all who sin. But that same law testifies to the saving gospel of Christ (Rom 3:21; 4:1-25; 10:5-8). ‘All Scripture is God–breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim 3:16-17).

Reference:

  1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
  2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
  3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
  4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.
  5. Paul Barnett. The Message of 2 Corinthians. 1988.
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