God in Christ “always leads us in triumphal procession” (v. 14). Some say Paul means the Church is a victorious army of soldiers marching in the train of its glorious commander. But there were others who participated in such Ancient Roman parades which commemorated the victory of a conquering general – the prisoners of war that he had captured. And given the whole context of chapter 2, it is likely that Paul has the latter meaning in mind.

For think about the punishment he discusses in verse 5. It seems that the Corinthian church had administered discipline to one of their members in some painful sort of way. And why is that sometimes necessary? Because all of us not only have the remnants of sin in our lives which occasionally deceive us and drag us into rebellious behavior. We also tend to be blind to our sin, needing others to point it out to us. Blind rebels look a whole lot more like prisoners of war than conquering soldiers, don’t they?

Oh, and look at Paul’s frank admission of his dependence on partners in ministry. Yes, the city of Troas had provided a great opportunity for him to preach the gospel (v. 12), but because his friend and partner Titus was not there, he left that mission field and went on to Macedonia (v. 13). That’s not exactly what we expect heroic warriors to do, is it?

And how likely would it be that a soldier would openly discuss his “affliction and anguish of heart,” admitting that he had shed many tears because he had to confront other Christians with their sin (v. 4)? No, the unbelieving world only sees success in terms of power and strength and comfort. To unbelievers, humility and honesty and weakness smell like death (v. 16).

In contrast, Christians know all too well that following Jesus in His triumphal procession means living the way He did – confronting sin in all its forms, no matter how painful the process might be, and living in radical reliance on Him and on one another. We know that sharing in His earthly example of honesty and humility and weakness today is the only way to share in His triumph when He comes again, the only way to share in His eternal life.

II Corinthians 2:1-17 (ESV)

For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.
2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained?
3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all.
4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure– not to put it too severely– to all of you.
6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough,
7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.
9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.
10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,
11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord,
13 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.
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.
15 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?
17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.