fragrance (literally or figuratively) · noun — nominative singular feminine
life
ζωῆςzōēs
G2222
life (literally or figuratively) · noun — genitive singular feminine
unto
εἰςeis
G1519
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
life
ζωήν.zōēn
G2222
life (literally or figuratively) · noun — accusative singular feminine
And
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
who
τίςtis
G5101
an interrogative pronoun · interrogative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
sufficient
ἱκανός;hikanos
G2425
competent (as if coming in season) · adjective — nominative singular masculine
for
πρὸςpros
G4314
a preposition of direction · preposition
things
ταῦταtaûta
G5023
these things
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
John 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
1 Peter 2:7-8 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is ma…
Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a…
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they a…
Acts 13:45-47 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting an…
Acts 20:26-27 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
2 Corinthians 12:11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefes…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 2:12–end
After these directions concerning the excommunicated person the apostle makes a long digression, to give the Corinthians an account of his travels and labours for the furtherance of the gospel, and what success he had therein, declaring at the same time how much he was concerned for them in their affairs, how he had no rest in his spirit, when he found not Titus at Troas (Co2 2:13), as he expected, from whom he hoped to have understood more perfectly how it fared with them. And we find afterwards (Co2 7:5-7) that when the apostle had come into Macedonia he was comforted by the coming of Titus, and the information he gave him concerning them. So that we may look upon all that we read from thi…
savour of death unto death . . . of life unto life--an odor arising out of death (a mere announcement of a dead Christ, and a virtually lifeless Gospel, in which light unbelievers regard the Gospel message), ending (as the just and natural consequence) in death (to the unbeliever); (but to the believer) an odor arising out of life (that is, the announcement of a risen and living Saviour), ending in life (to the believer) (Mat 21:44; Luk 2:34; Joh 9:39).
who is sufficient for these things?--namely, for diffusing aright everywhere the savor of Christ, so diverse in its effects on believers and unbelievers. He here prepares the way for one purpose of his Epistle, namely, to vindicate his apos…
To the one we are the savour of death unto death - There are several sayings among the ancient Jewish writers similar to this. In Debarim Rabba, sec. i. fol. 248, it is said: "As the bee brings home honey to its owner, but stings others; so it is with the words of the law;" סם חיים לישראל sam chaiyim leyisrael, "They are a savour of lives to the Israelites:" וסם המות לאומות העולם vesam hammaveth leomoth haolam, "And a savour of death to the people of this world." The learned reader may see much more to this effect in Schoettgen. The apostle's meaning is plain: those who believe and receive the Gospel are saved; those who reject it, perish. The meaning of the rabbins is not less plain: the Is…
The Church Fathers
To unbelievers the preaching of the cross is the smell of death. On hearing the Word of God they receive it as if it were a plague from which death knocks on the door. But to others it is the fragrance of life. To believers the Word of God is a messenger of eternal life. It affects them in accordance with their faith.
Through an evil man divine providence can both punish and comfort. For the impiety of the Jews was the Jews' downfall and yet provided salvation for the Gentiles. Again, divine providence through a good man can both condemn and help, as the apostle says: "To some we are the scent of life to life, but to others we are the scent of death to death." But every tribulation is either a punishment of the impious or a testing of the just.… Further, peace and quiet from disruptive times can both profit the good and corrupt the evil.
"And who is sufficient for these things?" Seeing he had uttered great things, that 'we are a sacrifice of Christ and a sweet savor, and are every where made to triumph,' he again useth moderation, referring all to God. Whence also he saith, "and who is sufficient for these things?" 'for all,' saith he, 'is Christ's, nothing our own.' Seest thou how opposite his language to the false Apostles'? For they indeed glory, as contributing somewhat from themselves unto the message: he, on the contrary, saith, he therefore glorieth, because he saith that nothing is his own. "For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world." And that which they considered it a glory to acquire, I mean the wisdom from without, he makes it his to take away. Whence also he here saith, "And who is sufficient for these things?" But if none are sufficient, that which is done is of grace.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Thessalonians, Second Epistle To The — appears to have been written from Corinth not very long after the first, for Silvanus and Timotheus were still with St. Paul. (2 Thessalonians 1:1) In the former letter we saw chiefly the outpouring…
Preaching · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Roman Empire, The · Allusions to military affairs of: Triumphs of victorious generals — Allusions to military affairs of: Triumphs of victorious generals
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
To the one we are the savour of death unto death,.... Who are for death, or appointed to it; see Jeremiah 43:11. What the apostle says of the Gospel, and Gospel ministers, the Jews his countrymen used frequently to say of the law, and to which he seems to refer;
"saith Rabba (f), to them that go on the right hand of it, (the law,) it is , "the savour of life"; but to them that go on the left hand of it, it is , "the savour of death".''
Again (g),
"everyone that studies in the law for the sake of it, to him it becomes , "the savour of life", according to Proverbs 3:18, but everyone that studies in the law, not for the sake of it, to him it becomes , "the savour of death";''
once more (h),…
2 Corinthians 2:12-17
12. Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,
12. Porro quum venissem Troadem in Evangelium Christi; etiam ostio mihi aperto in Domino,
13. I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.
13. Non habui relaxationem spiritui meo, eo quod non inveneram Titum fratrem meum; sed illis valedicens profectus sum in Macedoniam.
14. Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
14. Deo autem gratia, qui semper triumphare nos facit in Christ…
Incense was scattered along the parade route of a victorious Roman general, and it was received in one of two ways. For the captives, who were on their way to the arena and death, it was a dreadful smell of death and doom. For the victors, it was a life-giving perfume. So it is with the lives of those who proclaim the Good News, which either leads to eternal life or seals the fate of the person who rejects it (cp. 1 Cor 1:18).
