That was my take home from the sermon on Sunday. My little Presbytarian church has been walking through the book of 2nd Corinthians for the past few weeks. We arrived at 2nd Corinthians 2:12-17 this week. Here are verses 14-17.
"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."
Why share this well known passage? I memorized this verse as a kid. I've certainly read it many times but I've never understood what it means to be the aroma of Christ. I know that I've wanted to be a good smell, so I usually picture deodorant when I hear this. True story. It's also usually some Old Spice Pure Sport. I'm weird. I know. [True story side-note. I wore Old Spice Pure Sport from June of 2000 until September of 2010. I started wearing it on a Mission Trip to Mexico because of the lack of showers. I stopped wearing it because I was getting married and decided it wasn't great to have the same deodorandt as your husband.]
ANYWAYS... here's what I learned on Sunday that was news to me:
I'm sure you could have discovered this on your own in your Seminary class or in your studies of the passage - but as much as I love backstory and knowing the origins of the illustrations used in the Bible - this one had totally passed me by. I couldn't help but share.
Incense of Victory sounds way cooler than Old Spice... and it smells better too.
1 comment:
That was fascinating! I totally didn't know that! Thanks for sharing.
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