2 Corinthians 2:16–17

2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 2

Paul’s Triumph in Christ, 2 Cor. 2, 12–17.

V.16. To the one we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? V.17. For we are not as many, which corrupt the Word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.

Paul, speaking specifically of himself and his fellow workers, says that they are a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish, that are engaged in the process of being saved and of perishing; to some indeed a savor out of death unto death, but to others a savor out of life unto life.

The glorious odor of the name and of the message of Christ goes forth upon all men with equal sweetness, but there is a great difference in the effect. Those that are saved become partakers of this salvation because they receive life out of the merciful odor which arises wherever the Gospel is preached. But those that perish deliberately take poison out of that same glorious odor which is originally intended for life only. Because they persist in their unbelief and will not accept the truth of redemption, therefore the odor which alone can give life has a deadly effect upon their hearts and minds.

Those that are lost are offered the same grace which saves all sinners, but the gospel in their case succeeds only in working disgust, resistance, contradiction against the holy love of God, the result being that the Word of the Cross is to them foolishness and an offense, 1 Corinthians 1, 23. Christ is to them a sign to be spoken against, Luke 2, 34, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, 1 Peter 2, 8, and thus they bring upon themselves the condemnation of blindness, John 9, 39.

No wonder that Paul, who is fully aware of this result of his work, cries out: And for these things, who is sufficient? The answer is partly implied: No one of himself, and certainly at no time such as adulterate God’s Word.

But in defense of himself and the other teachers he adds: For we are not as the majority, including the false apostles at Corinth, who adulterate the Word of God, who corrupt the divine message as contained in the Gospel. Then as now there were many that resorted to such tricks for the sake of filthy gain, who took the strength out of the Lam and the beauty and consolation out of the Gospel. With such Paul did not want to be identified.

But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, in Christ, we speak. His personal feeling and attitude was one of strict sincerity, his entire ministry being open before the eyes of all men. His commission was of God; he had not desired nor sought the office, but was doing his work as one sent by God. He was ever conscious of the presence of God and of the consequent necessity of walking blameless in His sight.

And in Christ he spoke, in fellowship with Him, a lover of truth and an enemy of falsehood; in Christ he had found the precious content of the Gospel, and this treasure he was trying to impart to others by his teaching. Thus he triumphed in Christ and gave all honor to Christ and God, just as should be done by all faithful ministers of Jesus to this day.