2 Corinthians 4:10

Analysis & Commentary

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus (pantote tēn nekrōsin tou Iēsou en tō sōmati peripherontes, πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες)—nekrōsis (νέκρωσις, 'death, putting to death, mortification') refers to the dying process, not just death itself. Paul's sufferings aren't random—they're conformity to Christ's passion. Peripherō (περιφέρω, 'to carry around') suggests constant, mobile bearing, like carrying a burden everywhere.

That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body (hina kai hē zōē tou Iēsou en tō sōmati hēmōn phanerōthē, ἵνα καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι ἡμῶν φανερωθῇ)—zōē (ζωή, 'life') is resurrection life, manifested (phanerōthē, φανερωθῇ, 'revealed, made visible') precisely through dying. Paul's physical sufferings display Christ's death, but his supernatural endurance displays Christ's resurrection power. Death produces life—the gospel pattern enacted in apostolic flesh.

Historical Context

This 'cruciform existence' was Paul's consistent theology (Gal 2:20, 6:14; Phil 3:10). In a culture that valued power, health, and success as divine favor, Paul's insistence that dying displays life was paradoxical. Yet this pattern—death yielding life—is the central reality of the gospel and of grain-of-wheat fruitfulness (John 12:24).

Questions for Reflection

• Where do you experience 'the dying of Jesus' in your daily life—what practices or sufferings conform you to His cross?
• How have you seen Christ's resurrection life manifested through experiences of death, loss, or weakness?
• In what ways does American Christianity avoid 'bearing about the dying of Jesus' in favor of triumphalism?