2 Corinthians 4:8

8 We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn't make us lose hope.

2 Corinthians 4:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Corinthians 4:8

We are troubled on every side
Or afflicted; (en panti) , either "in every place", wherever we are, into whatsoever country, city, or town we enter, we are sure to meet with trouble, of one sort or another; for wherever we be, we are in the world, in which we must expect tribulation: or "always", every day and hour we live, as in ( 2 Corinthians 4:10 2 Corinthians 4:11 ) we are never free from one trial or another: or "by everyone"; by all sorts of persons, good and bad, professors and profane, open persecutors and false brethren; yea, some of the dear children of God, weak believers, give us trouble: or "with every sort" of trouble, inward and outward; trouble from the world, the flesh and the devil:

yet not distressed;
so as to have no hope, or see no way of escape; so as to have no manner of comfort, or manifestations of the love of God; or so as to be straitened in our own souls; for notwithstanding all our troubles, we have freedom at the throne of grace, and in our ministry; we can go with liberty to God, and preach the Gospel boldly to you:

we are perplexed;
and sometimes know not what to do, which way to take, what course to steer, or how we shall be relieved and supplied; we are sometimes at the utmost loss about things temporal, how we shall be provided for with food and raiment; nor are we without our perplexing thoughts, doubts, and fears, about spiritual affairs:

but not in despair;
of the Lord's appearing and working salvation, both in a temporal and spiritual sense.

2 Corinthians 4:8 In-Context

6 God said, "Let light shine out of darkness."(Genesis 1:3) He made his light shine in our hearts. It shows us the light of God's glory in the face of Christ.

7 Treasure is kept in clay jars. In the same way, we have the treasure of the good news in these earthly bodies of ours. That shows that the mighty power of the good news comes from God. It doesn't come from us.

8 We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn't make us lose hope.

9 Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us. We are knocked down. But we are not knocked out.

10 We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies. In that way, the life of Jesus can be shown in our bodies.