A Surprising Secret

We are inadequate.  vv. 12-13

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

We are captives of God for His glory.  vs. 14

 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 

We are perfume spreading the knowledge of God.  Vv. 14b-16

…  through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶ to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Who is sufficient for these things?  Vv. 16b, 3:5

“Who is sufficient for these things?” 16b

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” 3:5

Take Home Idea:  Our usefulness to God is in our inadequacy and weakness, not in our celebrity and success.