In 2:15 and 16 Paul goes on to say, “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing: to the one a savor from death unto death, to the other a savor from life unto life.” The apostles, being permeated with Christ, became a fragrance of Christ to God. They were not merely a sweet savor produced by Christ, but Christ Himself was the savor being exhaled in their life and work to God, both in those who were being saved, as a savor from life to life, and in those who were perishing, as a savor from death unto death.
The Greek word rendered “unto” in verse 16 means resulting in. Therefore, “unto death” means resulting in death, and “unto life” means resulting in life. This refers to the different effects of the apostles’ ministry upon different persons. It is a matter of life and death! Only the captives of God in Christ, who are saturated with Christ by the Spirit, are sufficient and qualified for this (3:5-6).
As captives and incense-bearers, the apostles scattered incense. To some, this incense was unto death; to others, it was unto life. Therefore, these incense-bearers became a savor from life to life and from death to death. This is a description of Paul’s ministry.
In his preaching of the gospel, Paul was spreading abroad the fragrance of Christ. Whenever we speak Christ, this speaking is the spreading of the sweet fragrance of Christ. Paul also says that this is a sweet fragrance to God. This means that when we speak Christ to others, in our speaking the fragrance of Christ ascends to God for His enjoyment. Furthermore, to some, to those who are God’s chosen ones, this fragrance will be life; however, to others this fragrance will be death. Whenever we speak Christ to others, we need to realize that our speaking is the spreading of the sweet fragrance of Christ. While we are speaking, God is enjoying this fragrance.
I doubt that many of us have realized that when we speak forth the riches of Christ in the meetings, we are spreading Christ as a sweet fragrance. God enjoys this fragrance, for He is happy to be able to enjoy our speaking of Christ.
We have seen that in chapter two Paul says that God is always leading us in triumph in the Christ and manifesting through us the savor of the knowledge of Him. This is to speak Christ with our spiritual knowledge. Furthermore, the apostles were a fragrance of Christ to God because they were saturated and permeated by Christ and with Christ. Because they were permeated in this way, they became the fragrance of Christ to God. When they spoke to others, the very Christ of whom they were constituted spread Himself forth out from their being. Because they were full of Christ, they became the fragrance of Christ. When they spoke, the Christ of whom they were constituted came forth as a sweet fragrance to God for His enjoyment.
This should also be our experience today. While we are speaking Christ, He should come forth as a sweet fragrance out from our being. God enjoys this fragrance. Once again, this is a matter of the divine dispensing.
From experience we know that whenever we give a genuine testimony for the Lord, we are the first to enjoy this testimony. After the meeting we may be filled with praise to the Lord. However, we also know what it is like inwardly when we do not obey the inner sense to speak for the Lord in the meeting. In such a case, we may feel deeply disappointed and deadened. What a difference it makes to speak for the Lord in the meetings!
Some saints may not speak because they are afraid of saying something wrong. Do not be held back by this. Sometimes we are happy in the Lord even though we may have made some kind of mistake in our speaking, for we still spread forth Christ in our testimony.
We have seen that God has attached all of us firmly to Christ. We have been linked to Christ, and Christ has been linked to us. Furthermore, Christ is one with the Spirit, and the Spirit is one with God. Therefore, the Triune God is joined to us. Now when we speak, the Spirit functions, the Lord serves, and God operates.
Through the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity we can mature in life and triumph in our ministry. We all can have a triumphant ministry. When we open our mouths to speak for Christ, we shall be triumphant. We can allow Christ to spread His sweet fragrance to God for His enjoyment. This fragrance will also have an effect on others, either to life or to death. All this takes place by God’s dispensing, by the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity into our being.