Note 7 at 2 Cor. 2:16: The sweet savour (aroma) of the knowledge of Christ (v.14) and of those who bring his message (v.15) have two different affects upon two different kinds of people. For those who reject the gospel of Christ, this message produces the smell of death (Acts 24:24-25), but to those that receive this message of Christ it releases the smell of life (Jn. 11:26).

Most people take this "savour" symbolically, but there are scriptures about our righteous actions being a sweet savour to the Lord that could be taken literally (see ref. j, p. 986). Is it possible that there is smell in the spiritual realm that come from our actions? Who knows? If so, negative actions give a stench of death that attracts demonic activity just as righteous actions give off the smell of life that is pleasing to the Lord.

Simply stated, The gospel and those who preach it are a sweet aroma unto God, whether mankind believes it and is saved or rejects it and is damned. The rejection of the gospel for one leads to death; for another, who believes the gospel, it is the sweet aroma of life everlasting (v.16).

Note 8 at 2 Cor. 2:16: The realization that the proclamation of the gospel message results in life for some and death for others causes Paul to cry out, "And who is sufficient for these things?" i.e. "Who is adequate for this task and responsibility?" Paul answers this question in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 by stating, "...our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the New Covenant."