Paul wrote, “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish” (2 Corinthians 2:15). The word translated “sweet savour” (“fragrance”—NKJV; “aroma”—ESV) was used in the Septuagint (cf. Genesis 8:21; Exodus 20:18) about the burnt sacrifices offered on the altars to God. Not to be disrespectful, but who does not love the smell of delicious barbecue as it slowly cooks for a summer picnic? Just the thought is perhaps making you hungry as you contemplate the idea! Though those Old Testament sacrifices could never atone for even one sin, God was pleased by the obedience of those who offered them.

In our passage, Paul seems to refer to himself, particularly as a preacher of the Gospel, as that same sweet smell. In the summer cookout, the grill master nearly always manages to come away smelling like the meat he is preparing. As he passes his guests, they get a hint of the flavor of the dish they will soon consume. The cook is not the meal; he merely spreads the aroma that has attached itself to him. The same is true with Paul. The real sweet savour was Christ and the knowledge of him for Paul had previously written, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14). As a preacher, Paul was diffusing the sweet smell of salvation in Christ! To those who would accept his teaching, it was the sweet smell of life. For those who rejected, it was a foul odor of death (2 Corinthians 2:16).

The real beauty of preaching is not necessarily in whether everyone accepts the message preached. The real beauty is in faithfully spreading the message (i.e. the savour of Christ) so that all who will have the opportunity to accept. With this God is pleased!