In 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:13, Paul had been defending himself against the charge that he didn’t care about the Corinthians because he changed his travel plans. In fact, the opposite was true: he loved them! But he didn’t want to cause them unnecessary grief, because, if he had visited, it would have not gone well. Instead of visiting personally, Paul wrote the Corinthians a letter which provided an opportunity for them to obey his word, which they did. If the Corinthians could obey the instructions of his letter, they were now in a position to accept his apostolic authority in all things. His defense sets the stage for a larger section which reveals how true apostles do ministry (2:14-7:4). As he begins describing the way of life of a true apostle, Paul points out that true apostles can speak forthrightly and with confidence. They don’t need to peddle the word of God nor do they need human commendation (2:14-3:6). 

Translation

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads as captives in Christ’s triumphant procession and manifests the fragrance of his knowledge in every place through us. 15 Because we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the ones who are perishing, we are the aroma from death to death. To the ones who being saved, we are the aroma of life to life. As a result, who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we do not peddle the word of God just like many do. But as those who speak from sincerity and as those who speak from God, we speak in the presence of God and in Christ. 

1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or we do not need to have letters of recommendation to you or from you as some others do, do we? 2 You are our letter! You are the letter which has been written on our hearts, known and read by all people. 3 You are demonstrating that you are a letter of Christ, having been cared for by us, having been written on not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Moreover, we have such confidence before God through Christ. 5 It is not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as if it comes from ourselves. But our sufficiency is from God.  6 This God made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, which is not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills but the Spirit gives life. 

Commentary

Paul gives all the thanks to God! Why? Because God is leading him as a captive in a victory parade, and God also uses Paul to spread the fragrance of his knowledge all around (2:14). Paul further explains that ministers are like a “Jesus perfume” smelled by those who are being saved and those who are perishing apart from Christ (2:15). He pushes the metaphor even further: When those who are perishing “smell” him, he is like the stench of death. When those who are being saved “smell” him, he is like a substance that breathes life into someone. Therefore, because gospel ministry has this powerful effect on people, who is really up to the task (2:16)? Implicitly, Paul argues that he is up to the task, not because he is so great but because of God’s work through him. Paul is able to fulfill the task of gospel ministry because he refuses to peddle the word of God for gain. Instead, he speaks the unvarnished truth of God (2:17). 

Yet Paul is not praising himself. And he definitely doesn’t need letters of recommendation written for himself (3:1-2). He doesn’t need these letters because the Corinthians are his letter (3:3-4)! The Corinthians themselves are proof of the power of God working through his ministry. Because God is at work through Paul, he has confidence to do the work of ministry (3:5). Specifically, Paul is a minister of the new covenant through Christ. Only the new covenant has the power to make dead sinners alive and form a new community in the church (3:6). 

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads as captives in Christ’s triumphant procession and manifests the fragrance of his knowledge in every place through us. 

Paul moves from defending himself and praising the Corinthians about their response to his letter, to a long section on the marks of true apostleship (2:14-7:4). He thanks God because God leads him as a captive in Christ’s victory parade. The word used for “triumphant procession” has historical background in the Roman Empire’s triumph parades. When a conquering general would return to Rome, he would march his captives through the streets as a display of his greatness. There would be feasting and celebrating, and the burning of incense would often accompany the processional. In a rather arresting image, Paul likens himself to a captive led along in this victory procession, pointing to the victorious Christ (cf. Col. 2:15; Eph. 4:8). Paul’s ministry spreads “the fragrance” of God’s knowledge around the world. Just as a sweet-smelling perfume can fill a whole room, so God is using his apostles to spread his knowledge across the world. The Old Testament prophets looked forward to a day when the glory of God would cover the earth (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14). Paul indicates the fulfillment of these prophetic promises is beginning through the ministry of the apostles. 

15 Because we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the ones who are perishing, we are the aroma from death to death. To the ones who are being saved, we are the aroma of life to life. 

Paul’s ministry of the gospel is like a “Jesus perfume” to the world. Yet the proclamation of the gospel has different effects on people. For those who believe the gospel, the message is like a life-giving aroma. For others, it is like a stench of death and it is rejected. Paul amplifies what he wrote to the Corinthians the first time about the power of the gospel: “The word 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). 

The language of “aroma” has its roots in the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. Sacrifices offered to the Lord were frequently described as sweet-smelling aromas (Gen. 8:21; Exod. 29:18, 25, 41; Lev. 1:9, 13). Paul likens himself as a sacrifice and the resulting “aroma of Christ” being offered “to God” (1:15). Paul seeks to please the Lord with how he conducts himself and his ministry and this is all done “among” those in the world. Some hear the gospel and accept it, finding life, while others hear the gospel and reject it, finding death (John 3:19; 1 Pet. 2:7-8). 

As a result, who is sufficient for these things? 

Given the immense power of the gospel—to save or to damn—who could possibly carry the weight of such a responsibility? In one sense, no mortal human being could do so. No one would be “sufficient, ” or qualified, for the task in themselves. Yet Paul also realizes that the responsibility to proclaim the gospel rests upon him, not because he is so great but because he later mentions: “Our sufficiency comes from God” (3:5). Therefore, Paul implies that he and all other faithful apostles are qualified for the tasks of proclaiming the gospel in contrast to the false teachers, the “super-apostles.”   

17 For we do not peddle the word of God just like many do. But as those who speak from sincerity and as those who speak from God, we speak in the presence of God and in Christ.  

Paul can fulfill the task of gospel proclamation because he does not “peddle” the word of God. Peddling something refers to engaging in a task for money. One thinks of a salesperson who attempts to manipulate customers into buying things they don’t really need. Paul subtly jabs at these so-called “super-apostles,” who are really in it for the money and prestige (cf. Phil. 1:17). Paul, on the other hand, speaks with “sincerity.” Paul is genuine and speaks with no ulterior motives. He doesn’t want the money. He only wants people to believe the gospel. He speaks as a genuine ambassador sent from God. He also realizes the gravity of the ministry. Every time he opens his mouth to teach the Scripture, Paul understands he is “in the presence of God.” Gospel ministry is not a game for Paul. It is not something as a way to bring himself glory and acclaim. It is something of the utmost seriousness. 

1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or we do not need to have letters of recommendation to you or from you as some others do, do we? 

By reminding the Corinthians of his status as an apostle with the authority to proclaim the very words of God, Paul is not trying to praise himself. Paul later admits that he has to reluctantly speak about his credentials in order to defend himself against the super apostles (11:21-12:11). But he’s not really praising himself. He also has no need of “letters of recommendation” from the Corinthians. Most likely, the “super-apostles” showed up to the church with letters of recommendation, attempting to prove how great they were. But Paul doesn’t need any mere human letter to validate his ministry.  

2 You are our letter! You are the letter which has been written on our hearts, known and read by all people.

The Corinthians are Paul’s letter! They are his validation of his ministry. The very fact that a church exists in Corinthians is only because of Paul. He planted the church there (Acts 18:1-8). Therefore, he doesn’t need to rely upon any external validation; he only needs to point out their changed lives. And their change is not only evident to Paul but to “all people.” What has been happening to the Corinthian is now “known” by others. They understand that God has worked powerfully in the Corinthian church. 

 3 You are demonstrating that you are a letter of Christ, having been cared for by us, having been written on not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 

The Corinthians were not only Paul’s letter, but, more importantly, Christ’s. While Paul uses the same imagery of a letter, he shifts the meaning of his metaphor slightly. In the first instance, the Corinthians were the source of Paul’s ministry validation. But here, Paul indicates that while the Corinthians have been “cared for” by Paul and his co-workers, they actually have been made alive in Christ because God wrote on their hearts by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Corinthians have been included in the new covenant. 

Paul is going to write about the differences between the old and new covenant at length in the following verses, but he begins to show their difference by pairing two sets of contrasts together:

You are a letter written…

not with ink

but by the Spirit of the living God

not on tablets of stone

but on tablets of human hearts

In the first pair, Paul designates the means of their salvation: the Spirit of the living God. In the second second, Paul highlights the location of their salvation: their hearts. Paul clearly alludes to the difference between the old and new covenant by referencing “tablets of stone.” The Old Testament describes the Ten Commandments as being inscribed on tablets of stone (Exod. 24:13; 31:18; 32:15-16; 34:1; 34:28; Deut. 4:13; 9:10; 10:4). Significantly, the Ten Commandments stand for the whole covenant God had made with Israel. Yet the Ten Commandments, and by extension, the covenant with Israel (“the Law”), could not save anyone. Paul indicates that God’s covenant could only show Israel’s flaws, but did not have the power to bring spiritual life to the people (Gal. 3:21; Rom. 3:20; 7:7-10; 8:3-4; Gal. 5:18). In fact, the people were sent away into exile because of their inability to obey God’s commandments perfectly. 

Yet not all hope was lost for the people in exile. God promised to one day make a new covenant with the people (Deut. 30:6; Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:26-27). For Paul, as well as the other New Testament authors, the two most significant new covenant texts were Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:26-27. Language and concepts of both texts wind up here. In Jeremiah 31:33, God promises to write his law on the “hearts” of the people as opposed to the law standing as an external code to which the people must conform. In the new covenant, the people will have the motivation to obey the Lord. In Ezekiel 36:26, God promises to put his Spirit within the people so that they obey. Paul interprets these Old Testament verses as speaking to the reality of the Holy Spirit works of spiritual regeneration and indwelling in the life of the believer.  

 4 Moreover, we have such confidence before God through Christ.

Because God is the one who brings new life to sinners, Paul has confidence before God. He is able to accomplish the ministry, not because of his eloquence or persuasiveness, but because ultimately, it is God who is at work. That would make anyone confident. 

 5 It is not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as if it comes from ourselves. But our sufficiency is from God.  

Paul’s ability to complete his ministry does not come from himself, but God. As the cliche goes, God does not call the equipped but equips the called. 

6 This God made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, which is not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills but the Spirit gives life. 

Paul does not preach the Law, or the old covenant. Instead, God had commissioned him to bring people into a relationship with the Lord through a new covenant. Paul’s emphasis on the new covenant probably stems from the fact that the “super-apostles” seemed to be claiming that the old covenant was still binding on Christians. The old covenant, however, was “of the letter.” It was filled with letters that, when put together, formed commandments. But these commandments could not give life; they could only kill. The commandments “kill” by condemning sinners when they inevitably fail to reach God’s perfect and holy standards. As Paul says elsewhere, “This commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me” (Rom. 7:10). By contrast, the new covenant provides new life through the Holy Spirit. Throughout the New Testament, the Spirit is the giver of life. Jesus declares, “It is the Spirit who gives life” (John 6:63). And Paul describes the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2). Through the act of regeneration, God imparts new spiritual life to sinners through the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-6).