Lovekr07
Member
- May 25, 2024
- 74
- 72
A Pleasing Aroma
'Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.' (2 Corinthians 2:12-17)
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/2CO.2.12-17
'Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.' (2 Corinthians 3:1-6)
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/2CO.3.1-6
At first, I had accidentally skipped 2 Corinthians 2:12-17, but once I read 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, I wanted to go back and see why Paul was asking if they were beginning to commend themselves again and realized that I had not made it to that section, yet. I noticed that the reason Paul said that was because he often had to defend his ministry against false accusations and probably felt embarrassed by that and did not want to give the impression that he was arrogant. However, he was not wrong in what he said because he gave God the Glory as the one who leads us in triumphal procession and causes us to be spread the “pleasing aroma” which is the Gospel everywhere. Paul was not touting himself, but the Lord.
I also realized how similar the end of 2 Corinthians 2 is with the first six verses of 2 Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 2:12-17, Paul describes the disciples as spreading the pleasant aroma of Christ everywhere and in 2 Corinthians 3, he describes the Corinthians as being letters of recommendation for Paul’s ministry. Not only do we spread the pleasing aroma of Christ by sharing His Truth, but we are letters of recommendation of Jesus to others by how we act and speak when we are walking by the Spirit. Each day, we need to search our hearts before the Lord and keep our hearts clean so that we walk in a manner worthy of His Gospel and so that we are letters of recommendation of Him, bringing Him glory. When we spend time in the Lord’s presence every day, repent of our sins, and obey Him, we will naturally spread His “pleasing aroma” everywhere we go. That is so awesome! That is my goal every day, and whenever I fall short, I confess and repent and am given a fresh start the very next day! Praise the Lord for His grace and mercy!! He is so awesome!!
'Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.' (2 Corinthians 2:12-17)
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/2CO.2.12-17
'Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.' (2 Corinthians 3:1-6)
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/2CO.3.1-6
At first, I had accidentally skipped 2 Corinthians 2:12-17, but once I read 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, I wanted to go back and see why Paul was asking if they were beginning to commend themselves again and realized that I had not made it to that section, yet. I noticed that the reason Paul said that was because he often had to defend his ministry against false accusations and probably felt embarrassed by that and did not want to give the impression that he was arrogant. However, he was not wrong in what he said because he gave God the Glory as the one who leads us in triumphal procession and causes us to be spread the “pleasing aroma” which is the Gospel everywhere. Paul was not touting himself, but the Lord.
I also realized how similar the end of 2 Corinthians 2 is with the first six verses of 2 Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 2:12-17, Paul describes the disciples as spreading the pleasant aroma of Christ everywhere and in 2 Corinthians 3, he describes the Corinthians as being letters of recommendation for Paul’s ministry. Not only do we spread the pleasing aroma of Christ by sharing His Truth, but we are letters of recommendation of Jesus to others by how we act and speak when we are walking by the Spirit. Each day, we need to search our hearts before the Lord and keep our hearts clean so that we walk in a manner worthy of His Gospel and so that we are letters of recommendation of Him, bringing Him glory. When we spend time in the Lord’s presence every day, repent of our sins, and obey Him, we will naturally spread His “pleasing aroma” everywhere we go. That is so awesome! That is my goal every day, and whenever I fall short, I confess and repent and am given a fresh start the very next day! Praise the Lord for His grace and mercy!! He is so awesome!!
