October 30 Click on verses for Full Scripture	previous - - - - - - - - - - next
Today's Pathway: II Corinthians 4:10-12 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. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

In today's passage Paul is continuing his teaching about the purpose of suffering. Yesterday he said that he had been troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down. Now he summarizes that by saying that he was always carrying in his body the dying of Jesus. Throughout His life on earth, Jesus faced persecution and opposition, and ultimately suffered a horrible and violent death. Paul and his coworkers were willing to do the same. There are several things we can note about this. First, we see that Paul's sufferings identified him with Christ. Paul was not ashamed to be connected with Christ's message (Romans 1:16), and he was also not ashamed to be connected with His sufferings. He wrote in II Timothy 1:12,

"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed".

"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf" (I Peter 4:16).

"From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus."

Paul also knew that the hardships he faced were allowing him to proclaim the message that the world needed to hear. The validity of his message was shown by the fact that he was willing to suffer so much anguish in order to deliver it. The fact that he was even able to endure such deprivations showed the reality that Christ was not only alive, but was alive in him. John MacArthur wrote,

"The apostle’s courageous, faithful, patient enduring of suffering manifested the power of the living Christ in his life… there was no explanation for the impact of Paul’s ministry except that God’s power flowed through him."

"Paul had learned at the very beginning of his Christian life that Jesus regarded persecution directed against Christians as actually against Him (Acts 9:4-5). The purpose, however, was not to undergo suffering for suffering’s sake, but that 'the life of Jesus also may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.' The proclamation of the new life in Christ became more clearly demonstrated when it was set against such a dramatic background. The eternal life provided by Jesus, Who said, “I am … the life” (John 14:6), enabled His messengers to be victorious in spite of physical weakness, and would ultimately make them triumphant even though many of them would experience a martyr’s death."

In verse 12 Paul reaches this conclusion:

"So then death worketh in us, but life in you".

"It is the unconquerable life of the risen Jesus within that enables His servants willingly and perpetually to be handed over to death for His sake, in order that the same life of Christ may be kindled in the hearts of others, enabling them to win others."

Is your dedication to Christ strong enough to allow you to strive to overcome the obstacles that might destroy you in order to deliver His message to those around you?