By Sidharth Mohandas
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” (II Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV)
Many of us who read this passage think it is talking about us walking in victory and overcoming hurdles in our day-to-day living. However, if we come to understand the analogy that Paul is using in this passage, we will realize that the truth he is trying to convey has far greater significance, and has to do with much greater realities. So, what did Paul actually have in mind when he wrote this? What is this analogy all about? It is a picture of what is known as the Roman triumph.
Now the Roman triumph involved the triumphal march of a military hero with his trophies and the defeated captives from the enemy camp. In this parade, there were also incense bearers who marched along with a bowl of incense. The smell from the burning incense had two messages depending on who smelt it: to the victorious Romans, it conveyed the message of victory and liberty, but to the defeated captives, it was the horrible smell of death that awaited them.
Understanding this picture will help us to picture the amazing truth Paul is trying to paint for us. Let’s read II Corinthians 2:14-16 again in the Amplified Version:
“But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory] …”(II Corinthians 2:14 AMP)
As you can see, Paul here is not simply talking about us living a victorious life, rather he is referring to the far greater truth of Christ’s triumphal procession, where He publicly declares His victory over principalities and powers ranged against us (Colossians 2:15 ESV). And WE are the trophies of HIS victory!
Paul then goes onto say,
“…and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere, For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God…” [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]…” (II Corinthians 2:15-16 AMP)
In the above passage we read that, it is through us that God spreads this fragrance. What fragrance? The fragrance of knowing God. A fragrance that arises out of union with Christ, and through intimate knowledge of the heart of God revealed to us in the Gospel. To those who reject it, the fragrance conveys the smell from death to death, while to those who believe and respond to Him, it is an aroma from life to life.
As I conclude, I want you to remind yourself that you are the trophy of Christ’s victory and that you are the sweet fragrance of Christ. Far from just being victors and conquerors, God has called us to be witnesses of His victory on the Cross.
I thought this was a very good article: well written, vivid, and a clear exposition. It’s often easy to read passages of scripture too quickly and miss some vital point (as here, where triumph should be seen in the context of a Roman Triumph), and articles like this perform a useful service. As well as being inspirational!
Wow.
Humbling :0
Inspiring…now to remember this throughout our days…