2 Corinthians 4 10

2 Corinthians 4:10 kjv

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:10 nkjv

always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:10 niv

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:10 esv

always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4:10 nlt

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4 verses

2 Corinthians 4 10 Meaning

This verse encapsulates the profound paradox of Christian existence and ministry, asserting that believers, particularly apostles, are constantly, physically undergoing experiences akin to the death and sufferings of Jesus. This continual embrace of hardship, persecution, and self-denial in their mortal bodies serves a singular, divine purpose: to make visibly evident the very resurrection life and power of Jesus Christ through them. It reveals that God's overcoming life shines most brightly in the midst of human fragility and suffering endured for Christ's sake.

2 Corinthians 4 10 Context

2 Corinthians chapter 4 forms a crucial part of Paul's vigorous defense and explanation of his apostolic ministry against critics in Corinth. Following his majestic description of the superior "new covenant" ministry in chapter 3, Paul addresses the perceived weakness and suffering inherent in his service. He clarifies that his outwardly frail appearance and the severe persecutions he endures (as cataloged in 2 Cor 4:8-9 and elsewhere) are not signs of God's disfavor or inadequacy. Rather, drawing on the metaphor of "jars of clay" containing a glorious "treasure" (2 Cor 4:7), Paul demonstrates that these very weaknesses are divinely orchestrated to reveal the surpassing power of God, not of human origin. Verse 10 builds directly upon this, stating how Christ's divine power and life are made evident precisely through the constant experience of hardship that mimics Jesus's own suffering and death. This challenges both Jewish expectations of a glorious Messiah and Hellenistic ideals of strength, presenting the Cross as the paradoxical source of ultimate power.

2 Corinthians 4 10 Word analysis

• always (πάντοτε - pantote): Emphasizes the continuous and constant nature of this experience. It's not a singular event but an ongoing state of life for those deeply involved in Christ's work, particularly apostles.
• carrying about (περιφέρων - peripheron): A present active participle, denoting a continuous action. It means "to bear around" or "to carry about publicly." This implies a visible, conscious, and constant demonstration of suffering that accompanies Paul's life and ministry.
• in the body (ἐν τῷ σώματι - en tō sōmati): Specifies the physical, mortal body as the arena of this experience. The suffering and its manifestation are not merely spiritual but physically tangible through affliction, illness, and persecution.
• the dying (τὴν νέκρωσιν - tēn nekrōsin): A key Greek term. Unlike thanatos (θάνατος - "death" as a completed state), nekrōsis refers to "the process of dying," "mortification," "deadness," or "the liability to death." It denotes the active suffering, the ongoing experience of being brought close to death or experiencing the effects of mortal weakness and persecution for Christ's sake. It points to a continual subjugation to the conditions of death.
• of Jesus (Ἰησοῦ - Iēsou): Establishes that this dying is explicitly linked to and shared with Jesus Christ. It is a participation in His sufferings, mirroring His path to the cross. It means being conformed to Christ's pattern of suffering and self-sacrifice.
• so that (ἵνα - hina): A purpose clause. This "carrying about the dying" is not aimless or futile, but serves a definite, divine goal. It highlights God's redemptive intention behind suffering.
• the life (ἡ ζωὴ - hē zōē): Signifies divine, vigorous, and conquering life, specifically resurrection life. It refers to the power and vitality of Christ that triumphs over death, not mere biological existence (bios).
• of Jesus (Ἰησοῦ - Iēsou): Reinforces that this manifested life is unequivocally Christ's own, sourced in His resurrection power and victory over death.
• also (καὶ - kai): Implies a corresponding and reciprocal relationship: as suffering (the dying) is consistently present, so too is the resurrection life. It links the two states as inextricably connected outcomes.
• may be manifested (φανερωθῇ - phanerōthē): A passive subjunctive verb, meaning "may be made visible," "revealed," or "displayed clearly." This manifestation is God's doing, making Christ's life observable to others, turning Paul's weakness into a public testimony.
• in our body (ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν - en tō sōmati hēmōn): Reaffirms that the same physical body that endures the "dying" is also the vehicle through which the triumphant "life of Jesus" is revealed. This emphasizes a present reality rather than solely a future eschatological hope.

Words-group analysis:

• "always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus": This phrase paints a picture of Paul and his colleagues embodying the constant, physical reality of sharing Christ's self-giving and suffering in their earthly walk. It is an active and deliberate bearing of Christ's cross as a lifestyle, experiencing affliction, humiliation, and vulnerability just as He did, rather than shunning them.
• "so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body": This specifies the divine design behind this painful reality. The vulnerability to death becomes the paradoxically fertile ground where the unconquerable, divine, resurrection life of Jesus becomes conspicuously evident. It implies that true spiritual power is unveiled not in human strength, but when the frailty of humanity acts as a transparent conduit for God's eternal life.

2 Corinthians 4 10 Bonus section

The "dying of Jesus" (nekrōsis) has both an external dimension (persecutions, physical hardships for the gospel) and an internal one (mortification of sinful desires, yielding to God's will) that align a believer with Christ's self-emptying. These two dimensions work together to create an environment where the spiritual vibrancy and resilient power of Christ's resurrected life can undeniably flow forth. This verse serves as a powerful theological cornerstone explaining why hardship is often an unavoidable, even desirable, component of profound Christian witness and transformation. It highlights that the manifestation of divine life through suffering is a present reality, not merely a future hope; it happens "in our body" now, a tangible display of God's power in the temporal realm.

2 Corinthians 4 10 Commentary

2 Corinthians 4:10 distills the heart of Pauline theology regarding suffering and ministry into a profound statement of purpose. It articulates that the constant physical experience of affliction, self-denial, and facing mortality for the gospel ("the dying of Jesus") is not an unfortunate detour, but an integral part of God's redemptive plan. The Greek term nekrōsis here is crucial, describing an ongoing process of being put to death or living under the threat of death, linking the apostolic suffering intimately with Christ's path to the cross. This active embrace of Christ's suffering creates the very conditions under which His "life"—His resurrection power, divine vitality, and ability to sustain and transform—can be most gloriously "manifested" (made visible) through fallible human beings. The paradox lies in God's choosing the "weak things" (like mortal bodies undergoing persecution) to display His all-surpassing power. It confirms that the ultimate power lies not in human might or worldly success, but in Christ working supernaturally through fragile, suffering servants, validating the Gospel message and glorifying Jesus, the conqueror of death. This dynamic empowers endurance, sanctifies suffering, and transforms outward weakness into a potent witness of Christ's triumph.