Focused Passage

2 Corinthians 4:7-15

Merciful Ministry, Treasure in Jars of Clay, and Unseen Eternal Glory

Because Paul has received mercy, he refuses manipulative ministry, proclaims Christ rather than himself, carries gospel treasure in fragile humanity, and interprets affliction through resurrection hope and unseen eternal glory.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.

8We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

11For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body.

12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13And in keeping with what is written, “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak,

14knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence.

15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow, to the glory of God.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 7

Original words

NowδὲG1161Conjunctionwe haveἜχομενG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralthisτοῦτονG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingulartreasureθησαυρὸνG2344Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionjarsσκεύεσινG4632Noun - Dative Neuter Pluralof clayὀστρακίνοιςG3749Adjective - Dative Neuter Pluralto show thatἵναG2443Conjunction[this]G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singularsurpassingly greatὑπερβολὴG5236Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularpowerδυνάμεωςG1411Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularisG1510Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularfrom GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionnotμὴG3361AdverbfromἐξG1537PrepositionusἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Verse 8

Original words

We are hard pressedθλιβόμενοιG2346Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralonἐνG1722Prepositionall [sides]παντὶG3956Adjective - Dative Neuter Singularbutἀλλ’G235ConjunctionnotοὐG3756AdverbcrushedστενοχωρούμενοιG4729Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralperplexedἀπορούμενοιG639Verb - Present Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Pluralbutἀλλ’G235ConjunctionnotοὐκG3756Adverbin despairἐξαπορούμενοιG1820Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Verse 9

Original words

persecutedδιωκόμενοιG1377Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Pluralbutἀλλ’G235ConjunctionnotοὐκG3756AdverbforsakenἐγκαταλειπόμενοιG1459Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Pluralstruck downκαταβαλλόμενοιG2598Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Pluralbutἀλλ’G235ConjunctionnotοὐκG3756AdverbdestroyedἀπολλύμενοιG622Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Verse 10

Original words

{We} alwaysπάντοτεG3842Adverbcarry aroundπεριφέροντεςG4064Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722Preposition[our]τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularbodyσώματιG4983Noun - Dative Neuter SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulardeathνέκρωσινG3500Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singular[of] JesusἸησοῦG2424Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularso thatἵναG2443ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularlifeζωὴG2222Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof JesusἸησοῦG2424Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular{may} alsoκαὶG2532Conjunctionbe revealedφανερωθῇG5319Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural-τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularbodyσώματιG4983Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Verse 11

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionweἡμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person PluralwhoοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralare aliveζῶντεςG2198Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural{are} alwaysἀεὶG104AdverbconsignedπαραδιδόμεθαG3860Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person PluraltoεἰςG1519PrepositiondeathθάνατονG2288Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularfor Jesus’ἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularsakeδιὰG1223Prepositionso thatἵναG2443ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularlifeζωὴG2222Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof JesusἸησοῦG2424Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular{may} alsoκαὶG2532Conjunctionbe revealedφανερωθῇG5319Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person PluralmortalθνητῇG2349Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularbodyσαρκὶG4561Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Verse 12

Original words

So thenὥστεG5620Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingulardeathθάνατοςG2288Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularis at workἐνεργεῖταιG1754Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionusἡμῖνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person PluralbutδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singularlife [is at work]ζωὴG2222Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Verse 13

Original words

AndδὲG1161Conjunctionin keeping withκατὰG2596Preposition-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularwhat is writtenγεγραμμένονG1125Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter SingularI believedἘπίστευσαG4100Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularthereforeδιὸG1352ConjunctionI have spokenἐλάλησαG2980Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularweἡμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Pluralwho haveἜχοντεςG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluraltheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularsameαὐτὸG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person SingularspiritπνεῦμαG4151Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof faithπίστεωςG4102Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularalsoκαὶG2532ConjunctionbelieveπιστεύομενG4100Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionthereforeδιὸG1352ConjunctionspeakλαλοῦμενG2980Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural

BSB notes

  • Psalm 116:10 (see also LXX)
Verse 14

Original words

knowingεἰδότεςG1492Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralthatὅτιG3754Conjunctionthe [One who]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularraisedἐγείραςG1453Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingulartheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularLordΚύριονG2962Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦνG2424Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularvvvκαὶG2532Conjunctionwill also raise usἐγερεῖG1453Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .ἡμᾶςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person PluralwithσὺνG4862PrepositionJesusἸησοῦG2424Noun - Dative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionpresent [us]παραστήσειG3936Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularwithσὺνG4862Prepositionyou [ in His presence ]ὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural

BSB notes

  • SBL who raised Jesus
Verse 15

Original words

-γὰρG1063Conjunction-τὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralAll this [is]πάνταG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter Pluralfor your benefitδι’G1223Preposition. . .ὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Pluralso thatἵναG2443ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulargraceχάριςG5485Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularthat is extendingπλεονάσασαG4121Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine SingulartoδιὰG1223Preposition-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralmore and more [people]πλειόνωνG4119Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural - Comparativemay cause thanksgiving to overflowπερισσεύσῃG4052Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singular. . .εὐχαριστίανG2169Noun - Accusative Feminine SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingulargloryδόξανG1391Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.