Focused Passage

2 Corinthians 2:12-17

Painful Correction, Forgiving Love, and the Aroma of Christ

Paul moves from explaining sorrowful correction, to calling the church to forgiving restoration, to describing his restless search for Titus, and finally to celebrating God's triumphal spread of the knowledge of Christ through sincere gospel ministry.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord,

13 I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

15 For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

16 To the one we are an odor that brings death, to the other a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

17 For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Original words

Now δὲ G1161 Conjunction when I went Ἐλθὼν G2064 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular to εἰς G1519 Preposition - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular Troas Τρῳάδα G5174 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular [to preach] εἰς G1519 Preposition the τὸ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Singular gospel εὐαγγέλιον G2098 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular of Christ Χριστοῦ G5547 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction a door θύρας G2374 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular stood open ἀνεῳγμένης G455 Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Feminine Singular for me μοι G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular in ἐν G1722 Preposition [the] Lord Κυρίῳ G2962 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 13

Original words

I had ἔσχηκα G2192 Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular no οὐκ G3756 Adverb peace ἄνεσιν G425 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular in τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Singular my μου G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular spirit πνεύματί G4151 Noun - Dative Neuter Singular [because] I με G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular - τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Singular vvv μὴ G3361 Adverb did not find εὑρεῖν G2147 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active my μου G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular - τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular brother ἀδελφόν G80 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Titus [there] Τίτον G5103 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular [So] ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction I said goodbye ἀποταξάμενος G657 Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Singular to them αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural [and] went on ἐξῆλθον G1831 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular to εἰς G1519 Preposition Macedonia Μακεδονίαν G3109 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction thanks [be] χάρις G5485 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular to Τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular God Θεῷ G2316 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular who τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular always πάντοτε G3842 Adverb leads us triumphantly as captives θριαμβεύοντι G2358 Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular . . . ἡμᾶς G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition - τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular Christ Χριστῷ G5547 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction through δι’ G1223 Preposition us ἡμῶν G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural spreads φανεροῦντι G5319 Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular vvv ἐν G1722 Preposition vvv παντὶ G3956 Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular everywhere τόπῳ G5117 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular fragrance ὀσμὴν G3744 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular of τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular [the] knowledge γνώσεως G1108 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular of Him αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 15

Original words

For ὅτι G3754 Conjunction we are ἐσμὲν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural - τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular to God Θεῷ G2316 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular [the] sweet aroma εὐωδία G2175 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular of Christ Χριστοῦ G5547 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular among ἐν G1722 Preposition those who are τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Plural being saved σωζομένοις G4982 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction - ἐν G1722 Preposition those who are τοῖς G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Plural perishing ἀπολλυμένοις G622 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 16

Original words

To [the] one οἷς G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Plural [we are] μὲν G3303 Conjunction an odor ὀσμὴ G3744 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular that brings ἐκ G1537 Preposition death θανάτου G2288 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular . . . εἰς G1519 Preposition . . . θάνατον G2288 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular - δὲ G1161 Conjunction to the other οἷς G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Plural a fragrance ὀσμὴ G3744 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular vvv ἐκ G1537 Preposition that brings life ζωῆς G2222 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular . . . εἰς G1519 Preposition . . . ζωήν G2222 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular And καὶ G2532 Conjunction who [is] τίς G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular qualified ἱκανός G2425 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular for πρὸς G4314 Preposition such [a task] ταῦτα G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural

BSB notes

  • Literally To the one, indeed, an aroma from death to death; but to the other, an aroma from life to life.
Verse 17

Original words

For γάρ G1063 Conjunction we are ἐσμεν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural not Οὐ G3756 Adverb like ὡς G5613 Adverb so many others πολλοὶ G4183 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural who οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural peddle καπηλεύοντες G2585 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural the τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular word λόγον G3056 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular of God {for profit} Θεοῦ G2316 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular On the contrary ἀλλ’ G235 Conjunction in ἐν G1722 Preposition Christ Χριστῷ G5547 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular we speak λαλοῦμεν G2980 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural before κατέναντι G2713 Preposition God Θεοῦ G2316 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular with ὡς G5613 Adverb . . . ἐξ G1537 Preposition sincerity εἰλικρινείας G1505 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular - ἀλλ’ G235 Conjunction as ὡς G5613 Adverb men sent from ἐκ G1537 Preposition God Θεοῦ G2316 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.