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

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

13I 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.

14But 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.

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

16To 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?

17For 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

NowδὲG1161Conjunctionwhen I wentἘλθὼνG2064Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartoεἰςG1519Preposition-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularTroasΤρῳάδαG5174Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular[to preach]εἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingulargospelεὐαγγέλιονG2098Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof ChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctiona doorθύραςG2374Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularstood openἀνεῳγμένηςG455Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Feminine Singularfor meμοιG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person SingularinἐνG1722Preposition[the] LordΚυρίῳG2962Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 13

Original words

I hadἔσχηκαG2192Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularnoοὐκG3756AdverbpeaceἄνεσινG425Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularinτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularmyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person SingularspiritπνεύματίG4151Noun - Dative Neuter Singular[because] IμεG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular-τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularvvvμὴG3361Adverbdid not findεὑρεῖνG2147Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivemyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularbrotherἀδελφόνG80Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularTitus [there]ΤίτονG5103Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular[So]ἀλλὰG235ConjunctionI said goodbyeἀποταξάμενοςG657Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Singularto themαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural[and] went onἐξῆλθονG1831Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositionMacedoniaΜακεδονίανG3109Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

ButδὲG1161Conjunctionthanks [be]χάριςG5485Noun - Nominative Feminine SingulartoΤῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularGodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine SingularwhoτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularalwaysπάντοτεG3842Adverbleads us triumphantly as captivesθριαμβεύοντιG2358Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular. . .ἡμᾶςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person PluralinἐνG1722Preposition-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularChristΧριστῷG5547Noun - Dative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionthroughδι’G1223PrepositionusἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person PluralspreadsφανεροῦντιG5319Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine SingularvvvἐνG1722PrepositionvvvπαντὶG3956Adjective - Dative Masculine SingulareverywhereτόπῳG5117Noun - Dative Masculine SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularfragranceὀσμὴνG3744Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularofτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singular[the] knowledgeγνώσεωςG1108Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof HimαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 15

Original words

ForὅτιG3754Conjunctionwe areἐσμὲνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine Singularto GodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine Singular[the] sweet aromaεὐωδίαG2175Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularof ChristΧριστοῦG5547Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularamongἐνG1722Prepositionthose who areτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Pluralbeing savedσωζομένοιςG4982Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-ἐνG1722Prepositionthose who areτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine PluralperishingἀπολλυμένοιςG622Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 16

Original words

To [the] oneοἷςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Plural[we are]μὲνG3303Conjunctionan odorὀσμὴG3744Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularthat bringsἐκG1537PrepositiondeathθανάτουG2288Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular. . .εἰςG1519Preposition. . .θάνατονG2288Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-δὲG1161Conjunctionto the otherοἷςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Plurala fragranceὀσμὴG3744Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularvvvἐκG1537Prepositionthat brings lifeζωῆςG2222Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular. . .εἰςG1519Preposition. . .ζωήνG2222Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularAndκαὶG2532Conjunctionwho [is]τίςG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularqualifiedἱκανόςG2425Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularforπρὸςG4314Prepositionsuch [a task]ταῦταG3778Demonstrative 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

ForγάρG1063Conjunctionwe areἐσμενG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralnotΟὐG3756AdverblikeὡςG5613Adverbso many othersπολλοὶG4183Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralwhoοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralpeddleκαπηλεύοντεςG2585Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularwordλόγονG3056Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof God {for profit}ΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularOn the contraryἀλλ’G235ConjunctioninἐνG1722PrepositionChristΧριστῷG5547Noun - Dative Masculine Singularwe speakλαλοῦμενG2980Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralbeforeκατέναντιG2713PrepositionGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularwithὡςG5613Adverb. . .ἐξG1537PrepositionsincerityεἰλικρινείαςG1505Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-ἀλλ’G235ConjunctionasὡςG5613Adverbmen sent fromἐκG1537PrepositionGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - 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.