2 Cor 2:12-17

2 Cor 2:12-17

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ,
even though a door was opened for me in the Lord,
my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there.
So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

Open doors do not equal God's will.


Note on the text: This ends Paul's treatment of sin and reconciliation. In the following section, Paul turns his attention to encouragement. In the next email, I will snip out all the statements of purpose. But first, let us jump in to the first word of encouragement:


But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Dear Jesus, How we long to be an aroma of life in and with You. That fragrance is the knowledge of You. May all who see Carmen and I together sense that fragr"