For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.
Parallel Translations
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For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.
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For we which live are alwayes delyvered vnto deeth for Iesus sake that the lyfe also of Iesu myght appere in oure mortall flesshe.
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For we which liue, are alwaies deliuered vnto death for Iesus sake, that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to 2 Corinthians 4:11 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Corinthians 15:49 As we have borne the image of those made of dust, let’s also bear the image of the heavenly.
- Psalms 44:22 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.
- 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
- Romans 8:36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
- Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
- 2 Corinthians 5:4 For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Subject to that miserable condition.
Subject to that miserable condition.
Which live, that life, to wit, by the Spirit of Christ, amongst so many and so great miseries.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto…
11 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.
Ver. 11. For we which live, &c.] Good men only are heirs of the grace of life, 1Pe 3:7. Others are living ghosts and walking sepulchres of themselves.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain We who are yet alive, as having breath still…
We who are yet alive, as having breath still in our bodies; in another sense we do not live, viz. as life signifies prosperity and happiness; for we
are always delivered unto death, that is, under continual threats and dangers of death, so that we have always the sentence of death in ourselves;
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for Jesus’ sake, for our owning, preaching, and professing Christ, and the doctrine of the gospel. We are not delivered to death for evil doing, nor merely as innocent persons, but for well doing; and that in the noblest sense, for obeying the commands and for publishing the gospel of Christ.
That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh; and the infinitely wise providence of God permitteth this, that he might make manifest in our mortal flesh, that Christ is risen from the dead, and liveth for ever, making intercession for us; and, as a living Head, giving necessary influences of strength, support, and comfort, as to all those who are his members, so more particularly to us, who are some of the principal members of that mystical body, of which he is the Head. So that our sufferings are so far from being an evidence against the truth of our doctrine and of our ministration, that they are rather an evidence of the truth of both; as testifying, that he whom we preach, having died for our sins, is also risen for our justification, and exalted at the right hand of God; from whence he dispenseth his spiritual influences, as to the souls of all his people, so to our souls in particular, by which we are enabled, without fainting, to suffer such things with boldness, courage, and patience.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain For we who yet live - Who are not…
For we who yet live - Who are not yet killed for the testimony of Jesus. Are always delivered unto death - Are perpetually in the very jaws of destruction; which we willingly submit to, that we may "obtain a better resurrection."
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 11. For we which live] And yet, although…
Verse 11. For we which live] And yet, although we are preserved alive, we are in such continual dangers that we carry our life in our hands, and are constantly in the spirit of sacrifice. But the life-the preserving power, of Christ is manifest in our continual support.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain For we which live - Those of us, the…
For we which live - Those of us, the apostles and ministers of the Redeemer who still survive. James the brother of John had been put to death Act 12:2; and it is probable also that some other of the apostles had been also. This verse is merely explanatory of the previous verse.
Are alway delivered unto death - Exposed constantly to death. This shows what is meant in 2Co 4:10, by bearing about in the body the dying the Lord Jesus; see the note on 1Co 15:31.
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In our mortal flesh - In our body. In our life on earth; and in our glorified body in heaven; see the note on 2Co 4:10.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain we which live--in the power of Christ's "life" manifested…
we which live--in the power of Christ's "life" manifested in us, in our whole man body as well as spirit (Rom 8:10-11; see on Co2 4:10; compare Co2 5:15). Paul regards his preservation amidst so many exposures to "death," by which Stephen and James were cut off, as a standing miracle (Co2 11:23).
delivered unto--not by chance; by the ordering of Providence, who shows "the excellency of His power" (Co2 4:7), in delivering unto DEATH His living saints, that He may manifest LIFE also in their dying flesh. "Flesh," the very element of decay (not merely their "body"), is by Him made to manifest life.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 11. For—Explanatory of the last verse. We, apostles, which…
11. For—Explanatory of the last verse. We, apostles, which live, are daily martyred in possibility, that the divine conserving life of, or from, Jesus, may appear by our very immortalized mortality.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 11. For we which live] We, the possessors of…
11. For we which live] We, the possessors of the Divine life in Christ, the spiritual life which takes the place of the natural. Cf. ch. 2Co_3:3; 2Co_3:6; 2Co_3:17, and 1Co_11:12; 1Co_11:16; 1Co_15:45-46, and notes.
are alway delivered unto death] Literally, are alway being delivered unto death, i.e. while we are engaged in this ministry on behalf of Jesus Christ our Lord, calling on us as it does for a perpetual conflict with enemies without, and the weakness of our mortal flesh within.
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that the life also of Jesus] Not only is what was stated in the last verse the fact, but it was God’s purpose that it should be so. The labours and trials of the Apostles are due to the working of a principle of death which is ever hostile to life and God. But the operation of that principle in the mortal bodies of the Apostles is destined only to display the working of a still stronger principle, the life that comes from God. See next note.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (11) We which live are alway delivered unto death.—Better,…
(11) We which live are alway delivered unto death.—Better, are always being delivered. The opening clause emphasises the paradox of the statement: “We live, and yet our life is a series of continual deaths. We are delivered as to a daily execution.” The words are often interpreted—but, it is believed, wrongly—of the dangers and sufferings caused by persecution. The whole tenor of the Epistle suggests rather (see Note on preceding verse) the thought of the daily struggle with the pain and weakness of disease. It has been urged that the words “for Jesus’ sake” determine the sense of the context as referring to the trials of persecution. The position is, however, scarcely tenable. The words, of course, as such, include the idea of such trials; but a man who laboured ceaselessly, as St. Paul laboured, as in a daily struggle with death, and yet went on working for the gospel of Christ, might well describe himself as bearing what he bore “for Jesus’ sake.”
In our mortal flesh.—The reason for the change in the last two words has been given in the Note on the preceding verse. The very “flesh” which, left to itself, is the source of corruption, moral and physical, is by the “excellence of the power of God” made the vehicle of manifesting the divine life. As has been well said: “God exhibits DEATH in the living that He may also exhibit LIFE in the dying” (Alford).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain For Jesus" sake. St. Paul, as Bengel says, constantly…
For Jesus" sake. St. Paul, as Bengel says, constantly thus repeats the name of Jesus, as one who felt its sweetness. The verse contains a reassertion and amplification of what he has just said. In our mortal flesh. This is added almost by way of climax. The life of Jesus is manifested, not only "in our body," but even by way of triumph in its lowest and poorest element. God manifests life in our dying, and death in our living (Alford).
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 11. For we which live are always delivered unto…
11. For we which live are always delivered unto death. This verse more fully explains the meaning of verse 10. The ministers of the gospel were always exposed to death, and at their cost bore the precious charge of life to men.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain For we who live are always delivered unto death…
For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh .
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain (1Co 15:31).
(1Co 15:31).
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 We who are alive are always carrying around in…
We who are alive are always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus
Carrying the death of Jesus represents being in danger of dying because of being loyal to Jesus. AT: "For those of us who are alive, God is always leading us to face death because we are joined to Jesus" or "People are always causing us who are alive to be in danger of dying because we are joined to Jesus" (See: Metaphor)
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so that the life of Jesus may be shown in our body
God wants Jesus' life be shown in us. Possible meanings are 1) "our bodies will live again, because Jesus is alive" or 2) "the spiritual life that Jesus gives also may be shown in our bodies." See how you translated this phrase in 2 Corinthians 4:10.
so that the life of Jesus may be shown in our body
This can be stated in active form. See how you translated this phrase in 2 Corinthians 4:10. AT: "so other people may see the life of Jesus in our body" (See: Active or Passive)
death is at work in us, but life is at work in you
Paul speaks of death and life as if they are persons who can work. This means that they are always in danger of physical death so that the Corinthians can have spiritual life. (See: Personification)
translationWords
life
hand
die
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 4:11 Believers often share the humiliation of the Lord…
4:11 Believers often share the humiliation of the Lord with confidence that they will also share in his triumphant risen life (4:14).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.