2 CORINTHIANS 1:9 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
“But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:”
Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead — the sentence of death (apokrisma thanatou) was pedagogical, not accidental. God permits crushing pressure to wean us from self-reliance and cultivate dependence on divine power (the God who raises the dead — see Rom 4:17). This is not suffering for its own sake but suffering as the training ground of faith.
Church Fathers on 2 Corinthians 1:9
“But we had the answer of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead.” What is this, “the answer of death?” The vote, the judgment, the expectation. For so spoke our affairs; our fortunes gave this answer, “We shall surely die.” To be sure, this did not come to the proof, but only as far as to our anticipations, and stopped there: for the nature of our affairs did so declare, yet the power of God allowed not the declaration…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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