Andrew’s Live Bible Study Notes – 5/9/17 1 of

Andrew’s Live Bible Study Notes – 5/9/17  1 of

Scriptures used:
2 Corinthians 4:16–5:8
2 Corinthians 11:22‐33

2 Corinthians 4:16
 –
For which cause we faint not; but
 though our outward man perish
, yet the inward man
is renewed day by day.

Life for Today Study Bible Notes
Note 17 at 2 Corinthians 4:16:
 Paul’s physical body was decaying and suffering adversity daily, just as
everyone else’s does. His strength didn’t lie in some exemption
 from trouble. Instead, it was the indwelling
presence of Christ that made the difference. His inward man was
 receiving supernatural strength daily.
In the same way, it’s not our problems, or lack thereof, that should
determine our victory.
 We have the indwelling presence
 of Christ, and that is more than enough to supply any need we will face.
Stress and burnout come from facing our problems in our own strength
instead of drawing on the spiritual life of Christ inside us.
When the Lord is in control, we can“run, and not be weary; and...walk, and not faint”
 (Is. 40:31).
 If we look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith,
 we will not be weary and will not faint
(Heb. 12:2‐3).

2 Corinthians 4:17
 –
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us
 a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
Note on 2 Corinthians 4:17

How could the Apostle Paul call his afflictions “light”?
It certainly wasn’t because he didn’t have any problems.
Second Corinthians 11:23‐30 lists some of his
“light”  afflictions. He was beaten with rods and whips multiple times,
 stoned and left for dead, imprisoned many  times, shipwrecked,
and suffered hunger, cold, and nakedness all for the sake of the Gospel.
 Plus he had  the burden of caring for all the churches as
no one else did. Paul suffered more than anyone reading this.
Yet his afflictions were only “light.”
 If Paul’s afflictions, which were greater than ours, were only light,
 then none of us have any right referring to our heavy afflictions.
How did Paul do this? How did he take the heavy problems he
encountered and turn them into just light afflictions?
It was all in his focus. The way we think about things is what makes
our problems BIG or small.
Paul did three things that diminished his sufferings.

First, Paul knew all the things suffered in this life were only like a moment
in comparison to eternity. Paul put everything in  perspective.
Those who are crumbling under their heavy loads are always shortsighted.
They become consumed with what is happening to them at that mom
ent and forget that bad things don’t last forever. Everything in this life
is only temporary. One of  my favorite scriptures is, “It came to pass.”
That’s why it came—so it could pass. The sun will come up tomorrow.
 It always does. And even if we find ourselves in a situation that may last a lifetime,
 that’s only temporary too. We will live much longer in the
blessings of heaven than we ever live in the hardships of earth.

Second, Paul knew that all the things he was suffering would work out
to his eternal benefit. We have great things awaiting us in glory. Jesus endured
the cross by focusing on “the joy that was set before him”
(Heb. 12:2). The night before they entered into their greatest
trials, Jesus told His disciples about the mansions He would prepare for th
em (John 14:2‐3). This was for the same purpose of getting their
attention focused on the prize instead of the effort put forth
to obtain the prize. Comparing our hardships here to the benefit
awaiting us will always tip the scale in favor of the positive.
 As Paul said in Romans 8:18,
“For I reckon that the suffering s of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Third, Paul focused his attention on the permanent things of the spiritual realm
 instead of the temporary things of this physical world
(see my note at 2 Cor. 4:18).
Life for Today Study Bible Notes
Note 18 at 2 Corinthians 4:17:
 Paul’s afflictions were not “light”  because they were few in number
 or not very severe. He gave a partial list of some of the afflictions
he endured for the Lord’s sake in 2 Corinthians 11:23‐30.
There he listed beatings , stonings, imprisonments, and many other
 forms of persecution that were much greater than most Christians
today have suffered. Paul’s afflictions were “light”  because of his
attitude toward them.
The difficulties we face in our  service to Christ are small, little, slight,
 and momentary, compared to our future lives of eternal glory with the
 Lord. Nothing—no afflict ion, no troubles, and no persecution that we
face in this life—can compare to the more exceeding and eternal
 weight of glory reserved in heaven for us (1 Pet. 1:4).

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