2 Corinthians 4:16

Contextual Overview

⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁸We are surrounded by things that could kill us, but we ain't even been whipped yet. We may not know what we're doing, but we know better than to give up. ⁸ we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁸in every way afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁸ Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them; ⁸ every way afflicted, but not straitened; seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up; ⁸ We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; ⁸ We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; ⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not crushed;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we: 2 Corinthians 4:1, Psalms 27:13, Psalms 119:81, Isaiah 40:29, 1 Corinthians 15:58

though: 2 Corinthians 12:15, Job 19:26, Job 19:27, Psalms 73:26, Isaiah 57:1, Isaiah 57:2, Matthew 5:29, Matthew 5:30

the: Romans 7:22, Ephesians 3:16, 1 Peter 3:4

is: Psalms 51:10, Isaiah 40:31, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:10, Titus 3:5

day by: Luke 11:3

Reciprocal: Judges 8:4 - faint Job 4:5 - thou faintest Job 29:20 - renewed Psalms 41:3 - strengthen Psalms 103:5 - thy youth Proverbs 3:11 - neither Jeremiah 45:3 - I fainted Acts 16:25 - sang Acts 16:40 - they comforted Acts 20:24 - none Romans 2:7 - glory Romans 12:1 - a living 1 Corinthians 2:3 - General 2 Corinthians 4:8 - yet Galatians 6:9 - if Ephesians 4:24 - new Ephesians 6:16 - the shield 2 Thessalonians 3:13 - be not weary Hebrews 12:3 - lest Revelation 2:3 - hast not

Cross-References

Genesis 3:8
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:8
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:8
Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God in the midst of the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:8
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the voyce of the Lord God, walkyng in the garden in ye coole of the day: and Adam and his wyfe hyd themselues from the presence of the lord God amongst ye trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:8
During the cool part of the day, the Lord God was walking in the garden. The man and the woman heard him, and they hid among the trees in the garden.

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:8
And whanne thei herden the vois of the Lord God goynge in paradijs at the wynd after myddai, Adam and his wijf hidden hem fro the face of the Lord God in the middis of the tre of paradijs.

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the voyce of the LORD God, walking in the garden in the coole of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the LORD God, amongst the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For which cause we faint not,.... Since our afflictions are overruled for the good of others, and the glory of God, we are not discouraged by them; our spirits do not sink under the weight of them; we do not give out from the work of the ministry because of them, but go on cheerfully therein: and the more so, since

though our outward man perish; our outward circumstances of life are very mean and despicable; we are oftentimes in a very distressed condition through hunger, thirst, nakedness, and want of the common necessaries of life; our bodies are almost worn out with fatigue, labour, and sorrow; our earthly tabernacles are tottering, and just ready to fall in pieces:

yet the inward man is renewed day by day; that is, continually; it answers to ויום יום, an Hebraism; see Esther 2:11 the internal hidden man of the heart, the new man is in a prosperous condition; our souls are in good health; the work of God is comfortably carried on in us; we have sweet and repeated experiences of the love of God; we are growing in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ; and, like the palm tree, the more weight is hung upon it, the more it thrives; and, like the children of Israel in Egypt, the more they were afflicted the more they grew.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For which cause - With such an object in view, and sustained by such elevated purposes and desires. The sense is, that the purpose of trying to save as many as possible would make toil easy, privations welcome, and would be so accompanied by the grace of God, as to gird the soul with strength, and fill it with abundant consolations.

We faint not - For an explanation of the word used here, see the note on 2 Corinthians 4:1. We are not exhausted, desponding, or disheartened. We are sustained, encouraged, emboldened by having such an object in view.

But though our outward man perish - By outward man, Paul evidently means the body. By using the phrases, “the outward man,” and the “inward man,” he shows that he believed that man was made up of two parts, body and soul. He was no materialist. He has described two parts as constituting man, so distinct: that while the one perishes, the other is renewed; while the one is enfeebled, the other is strengthened; while the one grows old and decays, the other renews its youth and is invigorated. Of course, the soul is not dependent on the body for its vigor and strength, since it expands while the body decays; and of course the soul may exist independently of the body, and in a separate state.

Perish - Grows old; becomes weak and feeble; loses its vigor and elasticity under the many trials which we endure, and under the infirmities of advancing years. It is a characteristic of the “outer man,” that it thus perishes. Great as may be its vigor, yet it must decay and die. It cannot long bear up under the trials of life, and the wear and tear of constant action, but must soon sink to the grave.

Yet the inward man - The soul; the undecaying, the immortal part.

Is renewed - Is renovated, strengthened, invigorated. His powers of mind expanded; his courage became bolder; he had clearer views of truth; he had more faith in God. As he drew nearer to the grave and to heaven, his soul was more raised above the world, and he was more filled with the joys and triumphs of the gospel. The understanding and the heart did not sympathize with the suffering and decaying body; but, while that became feeble, the soul acquired new strength, and was fitting for its flight to the eternal world. This verse is an ample refutation of the doctrine of the materialist, and proves that there is in man something that is distinct from decaying and dying matter, and that there is a principle which may gain augmented strength and power, while the body dies; compare note, Romans 7:22.

Day by day - Constantly. There was a daily and constant increase of inward vigor. God imparted to him constant strength in his trials, and sustained him with the hopes of heaven, as the body was decaying, and tending to the grave. The sentiment of this verse is, that in an effort to do good, and to promote the salvation of man, the soul will be sustained in trials, and will be comforted and invigorated even when the body is weary, grows old, decays, and dies. It is the testimony of Paul respecting his own experience; and it is a fact which has been experienced by thousands in their efforts to do good, and to save the souls of people from death.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 16. For which cause we faint not — ουκ εκκα κουμεν. See note on 2 Corinthians 4:1. Here we have the same various reading; εγκακουμεν, we do no wickedness; and it is supported by BDEFG, and some others: but it is remarkable that Mr. Wakefield follows the common reading here, though the various-reading is at least as well supported in this verse as in verse first. The common reading, faint not, appears to agree best with the apostle's meaning.

But though our outward man — That is, our body-that part of us that can be seen, heard, and felt, perish-be slowly consumed by continual trials and afflictions, and be martyred at last;

Yet the inward man — Our soul-that which cannot be felt or seen by others, is renewed-is revived, and receives a daily increase of light and life from God, so that we grow more holy, more happy, and more meet for glory every day.

It was an opinion among the Jews that even spirits stood in need of continual renovation. They say that "God renews the angels daily, by putting them into the fiery river from which they proceeded, and then gives them the same name they had before." And they add, that in like manner he renews the hearts of the Israelites every year, when they turn to him by repentance. It is a good antidote against the fear of death to find, as the body grows old and decays, the soul grows young and is invigorated. By the outward man and the inward man St. Paul shows that he was no materialist: he believed that we have both a body and a soul; and so far was he from supposing that when the body dies the whole man is decomposed, and continues so to the resurrection, that he asserts that the decays of the one lead to the invigorating of the other; and that the very decomposition of the body itself leaves the soul in the state of renewed youth. The vile doctrine of materialism is not apostolic.