2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Study Guide: Triumph in Christ

Community Group Study Guide — Triumph in Christ

2 Corinthians 2:12-16

Study Information:

There are certain smells that we all associate with good news, like the smell of baked cookies, fresh rain or a cup of tea or coffee. Likewise, there are smells that remind us of bad news like a food that made you sick, the mushroom farms in Morgan Hill or the smell of death. In fact, the same smell could be good news to one person or bad news to another. Think about a vegetarian attending a Texas BBQ. In our passage, Paul wrote about the triumph of Christ in the midst of his suffering and how God used the Apostles in particular, and Christians in general to spread the aroma of Christ to the world and that news would be life to some and death to others. This passage is rooted deeply in Roman historical practices, so we will explore the imagery Paul used and then think through the implications. 

When You Don’t Walk Through The Open Door

2 Corinthians 2:12-13

Going back to what we learned a few weeks ago, Paul was in Ephesus when he received the report of the Corinthians that prompted his “painful letter.” The report was around the growing division in the church, their anti-Paul sentiments and their lack of spiritual growth in sexual morality and love for one another, all of which were topics of 1 Corinthians (2 Corinthians 2:1-4). While in Ephesus, Paul experienced a great trial that brought him near the point of death and despair. This could have been what was described in Acts 19, but Paul did not tell us directly. Paul then left Ephesus and went north to Troas, which was a major city in Asia minor (modern day Turkey). His goal was to preach the gospel and either plant a church or build up the existing church there and Paul wrote that the door for that kind of work was wide open (2 Cor 2:12). Yet when he got to Troas his spirit was not settled because Titus wasn’t there. Communication in the ancient world wasn’t just slower, it was qualitatively different than what we are used to. Paul was so unsettled in his spirit that he decided to move on to Macedonia to find Titus, but just imagine the slowness of writing letters or the possibility of passing each other on different roads. 

There were two things creating Paul’s unsettledness that drove him to find Titus in Macedonia. First, was the Corinthian problem. Paul still waited to hear back if they had changed their attitudes, if they had repented and how God was at work. Titus would know the answer, because he had been there in Corinth when the painful letter was received. Second, Paul had just gone through a massive season of suffering. The Corinthians in particularly questioned why Apostles suffer so much if God was behind them, so Paul offered them an illustration. 

Triumphal Procession 

2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Paul erupted in praise to God for the victory of Christ. Even though they were suffering, Christ declared his victory through it and confirmed that he was leading his people in triumph. The image Paul used was the Roman Triumphal Procession something Paul wrote about in Colossians 2:15 to talk about God’s disarming of the spiritual powers on the cross. Paul makes a similar point here in 2 Corinthians, with a focus on God’s victory and the Apostle’s role in that parade of triumph. 

The Triumphal Procession was the Roman parade after a military victory. This parade was led by the conquering general and soldiers, followed by the captured spoil and prisoners of war. Along the streets there’d be incense and smell of worship as the parade made it’s way through the city to the temple of Jupiter where sacrifices were offered for the victory. There is some debate here on whether Paul was picturing himself as one of the conquering soldiers following Christ, or if Paul pictured himself as a prisoner of war because the phrase “being led” was usually applied to those who were going to their death. If Paul was imagining himself as a prisoner being led to death you could imagine the parallel to Christ being led outside the city of Jerusalem for his execution. If Paul imagined himself as a conquered prisoner of war, we have to wrestle with the implications of that illustration meaning that God conquers and them condemns his subjects to death. The gospel seems to focus more on freedom and life. On the other hand, if Paul intended to picture himself as one of the soldiers following Christ’s victory march, then we have to wrestle with the shift to the sacrifice imagery? It may be best to not get lost in the debate here and instead focus on what Paul directly concluded and what he called us to as the outcome of this parade of triumph. 

First, for Paul his service of Christ meant suffering. The Corinthians had previously critiqued Paul over his suffering, but Paul saw it is authentic evidence of his call from God. So, even if Paul pictured himself as a soldier in the victory Parade, that calling would still be a hard and difficult road that would require sacrifice and suffering. Yet, this suffering was in service of a triumphant king. The victory of Christ over the powers of darkness and the enemies of God was not in question. 

Second, they saw their ministry as spreading the fragrance of Christ and knowledge of Christ everywhere. They smelled like Jesus! Historically, these Triumphal Processions would have smells associated with them often perfumes and incense and the smells of sacrificial animals. Paul used the idea of a fragrance here similarly to how Jesus used the image of light and the role of the Christian to reflect God to the world. For Paul, his life and ministry was the “aroma of Christ” to those who were being saved and to those perishing. That phrasing is an echo of 1 Corinthian 1:18 where Paul talked about the message of the cross being folly to those who were perishing, but to those beings saved it was the power of God. Note that two people can see the same event or hear the same message, and come to two radically different outcomes. For one it is life and for the other it is death. 

Third, the gospel is a dividing line. The good news of Jesus and the forgiveness of sin we have in him is always a warning and an invitation. God’s triumph over sin, death and Satan will be good news for many who are following Christ at the head of the parade, but for others it is a warning because they’re being led to death and separation from God as unrepentant enemies of the cross. 

Jesus taught that Christians have a role in the world as salt and light. Paul made a similar application here, with the focus on his authentic ministry as an Apostle of God. Paul’s suffering was not without purpose, it served to highlight the ministry of Christ and Paul functioned as the aroma of Christ, a fragrant leading to live and salvation for some and for those who would not put their faith in Christ, it was an aroma of death. God uses you to spread a knowledge of him and his victory over sin, death and the devil. Some will see Christ like beauty in your life and be attracted to it, others will be repulsed by it. We cannot control that, but we can follow Christ who leads the Triumphal Procession. 

At your community group:

Take 15-20 minutes to share about how God has been at work in your life, prayer concerns and pray for one another.

How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week? 

Discussion Questions:

2 Corinthians 2:12-16

Describe the situation in Troas and why Paul did not stay even though there was an “open door” for him. 

What was the Roman Triumphal Procession? Look at Colossians 2:13-15 to compare how the term is used. Who did Christ triumph over and what was Paul’s connection to that?

We may be familiar with the images of light and salt from Jesus’s teaching that his followers are light to the world. Paul uses a similar image with the “aroma of Christ.” What was Paul’s teaching here and how should we think about the role of our lives and words in the world?

It can often be difficult to see how God is victorious and in control when so much suffering happens in our world. What are some things you’ve learned over the course of studying 2 Corinthians about God and suffering? What are some ways you’re approaching hardship and difficulty in your life now that is different than before we began the study?