Fragrance of Life or Stench of Death
The gospel—embodied in Christ’s atoning death and resurrection—divides humanity to those being saved the aroma signals triumph and life; to the defeated, it heralds death.
Eternal Life or Eternal Death
The message of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Suffering Servant, elicits polarized responses, as depicted in 2 Corinthians 2:14–16 (CSB). Paul describes the gospel as an aroma that spreads through faithful proclamation, pleasing God but dividing humanity: to those being saved, it is the fragrance of life; to those perishing, it is the stench of death. This dichotomy reflects the eternal stakes of accepting or rejecting Christ, a theme woven throughout Scripture. Below, I exposit this theme, integrating Old and New Testament passages, using the CSB as the primary translation, with LSB, NASB95, or ESV for clarity where needed.
The Aroma of Christ: Life or Death
In 2 Corinthians 2:14–16, Paul employs the imagery of a Roman triumphal procession, where the victorious general’s parade spreads incense through the streets. To the victors, the aroma signals triumph and life; to the defeated, it heralds death. Similarly, the gospel—embodied in Christ’s atoning death and resurrection—divides humanity. Paul marvels at God’s pleasure in this fragrance (v. 15), which glorifies Him regardless of human response, and he acknowledges human inadequacy for such a task (v. 16), pointing to divine empowerment (2 Cor 3:5).
This dual response is rooted in the nature of the Messiah as the Suffering Servant, who humbles Himself to death on a cross (Phil 2:8). His sacrifice fulfills Old Testament prophecy and demands a response that Scripture consistently shows as either reverent acceptance or defiant rejection.
Old Testament Foundations
The Messiah’s divisive impact is foreshadowed in Isaiah’s Suffering Servant. Isaiah 53:3–5 (CSB) describes Him as “despised and rejected by men,” yet bearing the sins of many:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was... But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.
The Servant’s suffering is redemptive, but not all receive it. Isaiah 53:1 asks, “Who has believed what we have heard?” (cf. John 12:38), anticipating rejection by some. The LSB underscores this: “Who has believed our report?” highlighting the incredulity of those who dismiss the message.
Similarly, Isaiah 8:14–15 (CSB) portrays the Lord as both a sanctuary and a stumbling block:
He will be a sanctuary; but for the two houses of Israel, he will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Many will stumble over them; they will fall and be broken.
This passage, echoed in the New Testament (1 Pet 2:6–8), shows God’s provision as a refuge for the faithful but a judgment for the rebellious. The NASB95 clarifies: “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,” emphasizing the offense taken by those who reject God’s way.
Psalm 118:22 (CSB) further illustrates this: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” The Messiah, though rejected, is God’s chosen foundation, a truth that divides those who build on Him from those who cast Him aside.
New Testament Fulfillment
The New Testament amplifies this theme, showing how Jesus, the incarnate Messiah, fulfills these prophecies and elicits extreme responses. In John 3:16–18 (CSB), Jesus explains the stakes of belief:
For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life... Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
Here, belief leads to life, while unbelief confirms condemnation, echoing the “aroma of life” and “aroma of death” in 2 Corinthians 2:16. The ESV adds nuance: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already,” emphasizing the pre-existing state of alienation that rejection perpetuates.
Jesus Himself predicts this division in Matthew 10:34–36 (CSB):
Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother... a person’s enemies will be the members of his household.
The gospel, though offering peace with God, disrupts human allegiances, forcing a choice that can fracture even families. This aligns with Simeon’s prophecy in Luke 2:34–35 (CSB) about the infant Jesus:
This child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed—and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Jesus exposes hearts, becoming a sign of salvation or judgment based on one’s response.
Peter ties these threads together in 1 Peter 2:6–8 (CSB), quoting Isaiah and Psalm 118:
For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame... But for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected—this one has become the cornerstone, and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over.
To believers, Jesus is precious, leading to honor; to unbelievers, He is an offense, leading to stumbling and eternal loss. The NASB95’s rendering of “they stumble because they are disobedient to the word” underscores willful rejection.
Joy of Acceptance vs Tragedy of Rejection
For those who accept the gospel, the response is overwhelming joy at God’s undeserved grace.
Romans 5:1–2 (CSB) captures this:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Believers rejoice in reconciliation, standing in grace and anticipating glory. Acts 8:39 (CSB) illustrates this joy when the Ethiopian eunuch, after believing and being baptized, “went on his way rejoicing.”
Conversely, rejection brings tragic consequences.
Hebrews 10:26–29 (CSB) warns:
For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment... How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God?
Rejecting Christ’s sacrifice leaves no other means of salvation, only judgment. The LSB emphasizes the gravity: “trampled under foot the Son of God,” depicting the contempt of rejection.
Application
The polarized responses to the gospel—reverent joy or defiant rejection—reflect the eternal weight of Christ’s work as the Suffering Servant. Scripture calls believers to proclaim this message faithfully, trusting God to use it as an aroma pleasing to Him, whether it leads to life or death (2 Cor 2:15). As Paul asks, “Who is adequate for these things?” (2 Cor 2:16), we rely on God’s sufficiency (2 Cor 3:5), empowered by the Spirit to spread the knowledge of Christ.
Believers should marvel at the privilege of being the fragrance of Christ, even amid opposition, and rejoice in the grace that saves them. For those yet to respond, the gospel remains an urgent call: embrace the cornerstone, the Suffering Servant who died and rose, for He is the only way to life (John 14:6). Rejection leads to stumbling, but faith brings eternal joy.
Passages Summary
These Bible passages underscore the gospel’s divisive power, fulfilled in Christ, and urges all to choose life in Him.
Old Testament:
Isaiah 53:1–5 (Servant’s rejection and redemption);
Isaiah 8:14–15 (sanctuary and stumbling stone);
Psalm 118:22 (rejected cornerstone).
New Testament:
John 3:16–18 (belief vs. condemnation);
Matthew 10:34–36 (division by the gospel);
Luke 2:34–35 (fall and rise through Christ);
1 Peter 2:6–8 (cornerstone and offense);
Romans 5:1–2 (joy of justification);
Hebrews 10:26–29 (judgment for rejection).
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