2 Corinthians 1:9

Yea (alla). Confirmatory use as in Acts 7:11 , rather than adversative. The answer of death (to apokrima tou qanatou) This late word from apokrinomai, to reply, occurs nowhere else in N.T., but is in Josephus, Polybius, inscriptions and papyri (Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 257; Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary), and always in the sense of decision or judgment rendered. But Vulgate renders it by responsum and that idea suits best here, unless Paul conceives God as rendering the decision of death. We ourselves have had within ourselves (autoi en eautoi eschkamen). Regular perfect of ecw, to have. And still have the vivid recollection of that experience. For this lively dramatic use of the present perfect indicative for a past experience see also eschka in Acts 2:13 (Moulton, Prolegomena, p. 143f.; Robertson, Grammar, p. 896f.). That we should not trust in ourselves (ina mh pepoiqote wmen ep eautoi). A further purpose of God in affliction beyond that in verse Acts 4 . "This dreadful trial was sent to him in order to give him a precious spiritual lesson ( Acts 12:7-10 )" (Robertson and Plummer). Note periphrastic perfect active subjunctive of peiqw, to persuade. In (epi), upon, both ourselves and God.