What does 2 Corinthians 2:14 mean?

Paul suddenly breaks off the story of why he delayed so long in returning to Corinth. He leaves it at a tense moment, not to pick it up again until much later in this letter (2 Corinthians 7:5). Paul was so disturbed at that point that he left behind Troas, where God had opened the door to the gospel, to return to Macedonia. Apparently, he wanted to get back and find Titus, if possible, to learn about what had happened in Corinth.

Paul's description of his restless spirit in the previous verse, however, turns to a sudden exclamation of victory. He declares, "Thanks be to God" and describes God's work as something many of his readers would have been familiar with: a Roman victory procession. This was a parade in which a victorious Roman general would march his soldiers and captured enemies through the streets in triumph. Paul compares that to what God does for believers in Christ. He leads us in a triumphal procession, making use of us as prisoners captured from the enemy, in a sense, now available to accomplish His purposes.

In the Roman victory parades, incense was burned in celebration of the defeat of Rome's enemies. In that way, people could both see and smell the evidence of a captured foe as it passed by. Paul describes God's use of His willing captives, Christians, in a similar way. He uses us to spread the fragrance of His knowledge everywhere we go. We serve His purpose of spreading the truth of the gospel down every street He leads us along.