A Ministry of Life or Death

14 But thanks be to God,(A) who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.(B) 15 For to God we are the fragrance(C) of Christ among those who are being saved(D) and among those who are perishing.(E) 16 To some we are an aroma of death(F) leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life(G) leading to life. Who is adequate for these things? 17 For we do not market the word of God(H) for profit like so many.[a] On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:17 Other mss read like the rest

14 But thank God, who is always leading us around through Christ as if we were in a parade. He releases the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere through us. 15 We smell like the aroma of Christ’s offering to God, both to those who are being saved and to those who are on the road to destruction. 16 We smell like a contagious dead person to those who are dying, but we smell like the fountain of life to those who are being saved.

Who is qualified for this kind of ministry? 17 We aren’t like so many people who hustle the word of God to make a profit. We are speaking through Christ in the presence of God, as those who are sincere and as those who are sent from God.

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