2 Corinthians 4 Verses 10-12

In 2 Corinthians 4, verses 10-14, Paul continues to build on his eschatology of the resurrection. Today, the controversy heats up over whether Paul argues for the resurrection of the physical body from the grave at the Parousia

Or, does he view the resurrection from a "spiritual-body-at-death view? This view is maintained by Murray J. Harris' view, (From Grave to Glory. We propose an altogether different perspective, by studying the text in 2 Corinthians 4, examining the one which we feel is more in line with the text.

2 Corinthians 4 - Paul and Bodily Transformation

"Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So then death is working in us, but life in you.

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up and present us with you." (2 Corinthians 4, 10-14)

The reason for the "dying" of the apostles is the persecution they are facing for preaching the cross through which the transition from the Old aeon occurs.

"We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4, verses 8-9)

The persecutions which the apostles endured evidenced that they were carrying about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jesus.

Here, Paul distinguishes the work and somatic (bodily)experience of the apostles [Jews] from that of his Gentile converts. Theirs was a process of dying, which means dying to the Old Covenant aeon, an experience which was not shared by the Gentiles who never came in and were in fact forbidden as Christians to submit to the law. (Acts 15)

The rare term used here and Romans 4:19, is "nekrosis" compared to the preferred term thanatos (death), used 45 times elsewhere to denote the demise of the earthly Jesus on the cross. "The nekrosis strictly refers to a process or a state of dying rather than the act when death supervenes." See comments on 2 Corinthians 4, (Ralph P. Martin, 2 Corinthians, Biblical Word Commentary, Vol. 40, p. 87.)

Paul's sufferings as an apostle were certainly in his physical body, but that did not set him apart from other disciples who were persecuted.

What appears to be the meaning here is that for the apostles, (again Jews) is that they suffer a different experience in "the body" than either their persecutors or the saints. Theirs is one of dying in "the body" for the express purpose that the "life of Jesus" might be manifested in our body.

What is "the body" in which the apostles see themselves as dying? It is the body or cosmic world, the age to which Jesus died. As the transformation from the old aeon was incomplete, the apostles were carrying out the dying in that covenantal cosmic body through the transition period from Pentecost to the Parousia, until the consummation was complete. That is the only manner in which "death works in us while life works in you."

Were not both the apostles and the Corinthians subject to physical death? Yes. Could he then mean that spiritual death worked in the apostles and physical life in the Corinthians? This would deny physical life to the apostles. They were not dead corpses in preaching the gospel.

What about spiritual death in the apostles and spiritual life in the Corinthians? Again, not likely, as this would means the apostles were in no fashion participating in the salvation which was in Christ Jesus. How about then, physical death in the apostles and physical life in the Corinthians?. Such would deny that the Corinthians would experience physical death, an untenable posit.

Further, it could not be physical death in the apostles and spiritual life in the Corinthians. Once again, the apostles would be excluded from the life in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4 forms a bridge between chapters 3 and 5, continuing the same theme and is a divine commentary on 1 Corinthians 15.

2 Corinthians 4 - Manifesting the Life of Jesus in Our Body

Our earthly house of this tabernacle equates with "our body" of 2 Corinthians 4, verse 10, and the use of the term body in 5:8, 10. Paul's future desire was to be absent from the body, not through physical death, but through the complete outworking of dying with Christ to the old aeon of death.

"For we who live" again is argued from the Jewish perspective of living in the body where they are "absent from the Lord." This is not physical death. Absent from the body (Old Covenant aeon) is completed only at the parousia, i.e. presence of Christ. The apostles could not perform any service pleasing to God in an "out of physical body state."

Inasmuch as Paul has contrasted their life in the old aeon as "death working in us" versus "life in you" we must not confuse the two. The life in you refers to the new life experienced in the new aeon, apart from an experience in the Old.

This is why Paul says in verse 11,

"For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."

What he desired was that at the consummation of the Old covenant aeon, they would be freed from that body, and fully experience the life in Christ post transition.

In their mortal flesh, used here to denote particularly their physical life shows that Paul understood the eschatological somatic change to occur within living saints, not physically dead ones. "So death [to the old aeon" is working in us, but life [to the new aeon] is working in you." (2 Corinthians 4, verse 12) Our goal is that as this life is working in your mortal flesh, that it will work in our mortal flesh at the consummation.

Paul sees no "out-of-the-body" goal for these living saints. The life of Christ is designed for the living to work in their mortal flesh, i.e. their physical existence on earth.

Thus, his hope is expressed. "And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak. Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you." (2 Corinthians 4, verse 14)

Therefore, at the age-ending parousia, the apostles would be presented with the Corinthian. Their dying to the body of Moses consummated at Christ's parousia. At that time they too experienced the fullness and freedom of life in the body of Christ. See other studies related to 2 Corinthians 4 and other resurrection passages.

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