2 Corinthians 4:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

NIV: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

NASB: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.

CSB: Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.

NLT: That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.

KJV: For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

NKJV: Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

A main point of this passage is that God uses fragile vessels to carry his powerful truth. Paul, for his part, never pretended to be Superman. He was merely human. All the suffering he experienced truly hurt him. It left scars. He was discouraged at times. For those looking from the outside, he must really have seemed to be wasting away. Perhaps some wondered—and some in Corinth might even have said—"Why are you doing this to yourself? Haven't you done enough? Why not take some time to focus on yourself?"

Paul, though, insists that he is not going to give up. He refuses to lose heart, meaning that he will not give in to the temptation to live in despair. He wants his readers to know that his outward appearance is deceiving. Yes, he is physically wasting away because of his suffering for preaching about Jesus. Inwardly, though, he is being made as good as new every day. He is strong and determined and more convinced than ever of his purpose to carry the light of the gospel to the world.

Second Corinthians 4:7–18 explains that the priceless treasure of knowing God's glory through faith in Christ is kept in the fragile containers of human beings. In this case, this refers to Paul and his co-workers who preach the gospel. Their suffering is enormous, but God keeps them from being wiped out. They don't quit because even after they die, they know they will be resurrected, as Christ was. Then they will spend eternity with Him in a glory that will far outweigh and outlast the comparatively lightweight and momentary suffering of this life.

Paul insists that he and his co-workers for Christ would never act in a way that is disgraceful or dishonest, though he knows some are blinded by Satan from believing their message about Jesus. They cannot see the light of knowing Christ as God. That knowledge is a priceless treasure stored in the fragile containers of Paul and his friends. No matter how difficult their suffering in this work, Paul refuses to quit. He is confident that he will be resurrected after his death and then all his pain on this side of eternity won't even be worth comparing with the glory there.

Second Corinthians 4 follows Paul's teaching in the previous chapter about the transformation that happens for those who see God's glory in Christ. Some are blinded to it by sin and by the god of this world. Paul knows that he and his co-workers are fragile containers for the priceless message of God's grace through faith in Jesus. They won't quit, though, because God sustains them and will eventually resurrect them. Once in eternity, all the suffering in this life won't be worth comparing with sharing God's glory forever. Chapter 5 expands on the idea that believers in Christ look forward to something much better than this life.

Second Corinthians returns to similar themes as those Paul mentioned in his first letter to this church. Paul is glad to hear that the church in Corinth has heeded his advice. At the same time, it is necessary for Paul to counter criticisms about his personality and legitimacy. Most of this text involves that subject. The fifth chapter, in contrast, contains comforting words which Christians have quoted often in times of hardship. Paul also details his expectations that the church in Corinth will make good on their promise to contribute to the needs of suffering believers in Jerusalem.

Accessed 5/1/2024 8:53:47 PM