What is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 13:4? For He was indeed crucified in weakness • Jesus chose the path of humble submission, taking on flesh that could suffer and die (Philippians 2:7-8). • Isaiah foretold a Servant “despised…and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3-5), a picture fulfilled at the cross. • The apparent weakness of the crucifixion exposes human sin and magnifies God’s wisdom, “because the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25). • Paul reminds the Corinthians that the gospel’s foundation is not human strength but the Savior’s willingness to be vulnerable for our redemption. yet He lives by God’s power • Resurrection reversed every appearance of defeat: “God raised Him up, releasing Him from the agony of death” (Acts 2:24). • That power is decisive and ongoing—“Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again” (Romans 6:9-10). • Believers can trust that the same “incomparably great power” displayed in Christ’s resurrection is at work toward us (Ephesians 1:19-20). For we are also weak in Him • Union with Christ means sharing not only His glory but His sufferings (Romans 8:17). • Paul’s own ministry looked unimpressive—marked by hardship and frailty—yet he was content, because “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). • Our weakness keeps us dependent on the Lord, guarding us from pride and spotlighting His sufficiency (Galatians 2:20). yet by God’s power we will live with Him concerning you • The Spirit who raised Jesus “will also give life to your mortal bodies” (Romans 8:11), assuring future resurrection and present vitality. • Paul anticipates standing alive—both spiritually now and physically at the resurrection—alongside the Corinthian believers he loves (1 Thessalonians 4:14). • This promise undergirds ministry: God places “treasure in jars of clay” so “this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). • Practical takeaway: our service may look weak, but God’s power makes it effective, sustaining both messenger and hearer (2 Timothy 2:11). summary Christ’s journey moved from real weakness to triumphant life by God’s power. Joined to Him, we embrace our own frailty, confident that the same power will animate us—now in service, later in resurrection—so that others see not our strength but the living Christ. |
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