Encouragement from Within
For 15 verses, Paul has described his attitude towards suffering as a believer (2 Cor 4:1-15). He did not view his recurring bouts with suffering as a bad omen, as a sign of God's disfavor or of his spiritual failure. Instead, he viewed his suffering as an experience he shared with faithful believers in centuries gone by. He also viewed his suffering as a motivation to keep on speaking the gospel and not a reason to stop. Furthermore, he believed that by responding to his suffering in a godly way, he would strengthen the faith of other believers looking on, who would in turn reach out to others with the gospel - setting off a chain reaction or "ripple effect" for the gospel through his suffering.
Refuse to Be Discouraged
Having affirmed these core beliefs in the face of suffering, Paul refused to tolerate discouragement. He said, "Therefore we do not lose heart" (2 Cor 4:16). The word therefore points back to the previous discussion about his many reasons for pushing forward in the face of suffering. These many factors prevented him from losing heart, which means to "be discouraged, give up, or lose your motivation." When you consider the many difficulties that Paul endured on a repeated basis, you would agree that he had many reasons to be discouraged and quit (2 Cor 6:4-10; 11:23-27). But for all the reasons he mentioned in 2 Cor 14:1-15, he responded in the opposite way. These reasons encouraged him to keep on going and to keep on pressing toward his goal of influencing the world with the gospel as much as possible.
An Important Contrast
To further explain his perspective on suffering (which guarded him against discouragement), Paul explained an important dichotomy, a strong contrast between to things. He introduces this contrast using two elements: (1) the outer and inner contrast and (2) the perishing and renewing contrast (2 Cor 4:16).The outer and inner contrast highlights a distinction between the external, visible part of our existence as human beings. As we go through life, we steadily march towards death. The visible part of our existence wears out and experiences suffering. Injuries and scars, aches and pains, gray hair and wrinkles, sicknesses, diseases and disorders - all of these things take their toll over time (cf. Eccl 12:1-8). That is what Paul highlights with the word perishing, a word which means "to become gradually incapacitated—‘to lose one’s strength, to waste away' ... to be destroyed" [1]. Furthermore, he uses this word in a passive form, which indicates that this downward process of degenerative decay is something that happens to you, whether you accelerate it yourself or not. In Paul's case, he experienced an extraordinary amount of suffering which expedited this process more than usual.In contrast to this slow process of outward disintegration, Paul highlighted an internal reality moving in the opposite direction. He announced that his inner man was being renewed "day by day." This word renewed means "to restore something back to its original and optimal condition." In our case as believers, like Paul, this does not refer to our condition earlier in life. Instead, it refers to our condition as God originally designed us to be at the beginning when he made us in his image (Gen 1:26-27). Because of our sin, we have departed from this condition. But anyone who has returned to God for salvation from sin through Christ has been restored to a functioning, spiritual relationship with God even better than before. From this new position, we change gradually over time to become more and more like Jesus.
We change gradually over time to become more and more like Jesus.
To describe this process, Paul uses another passive verb, indicating that this change happens to us and is not something that we do for ourselves. As we respond the right way to suffering, God brings about increasing change in our inner being (but when we run and hide from God-ordained suffering, then we miss this opportunity to change). We become more and more the kind of person who reflects the goodness and grace of God from within. Paul also describes this inner transformation as something that happens day by day. This means that we change within on a gradual basis, one day at a time - not all at once or in large bursts. We can't "cram" the change God wants to bring about all at once into one day, but we must take what we receive each day and respond accordingly. God sets the schedule for our suffering; it is our responsibility to respond to whatever comes our way.
Change Through Suffering
Finally, when you consider what Paul goes on to say in the following verses, you learn that it is through experiences of suffering (not in spite of it) that God is able to bring about true inner change (2 Cor 4:17-18). Knowing this, we discover that Paul is presenting one more reason - among many - for pushing forward through suffering rather than escaping it. It is through suffering that God accomplishes certain kinds of inner change which yields extraordinary, eternal value.Ultimately, Paul needed to describe this contrast of outward destruction with inner transformation because of the natural way that people viewed his life - or anyone's life for that matter. You and I see the outer aspects of a person, but God sees the inner aspects which are invisible to you and me (1 Sam 16:7). You may not "see" the inner transformation that is occurring when you "see" their outward suffering and the external effects in their lives. That is why we need this reminder.
You may not "see" a believer's inner transformation when you "see" his or her outward suffering.
When you suffer as a believer, are you self-aware of the inner transformation that God is bringing about in your life as you trust in him and keep on going? When you witness the suffering and hardship of another believer, do you recognize that God is doing (or attempting to do) something far more significant (and positive!) within them that yields everlasting reward? Though the outward appearance of a person may reveal some truth about his or her inner condition, this is a very limited gauge for sure. Looks can be deceiving! Learn to listen carefully instead to the way a believer speaks when he suffers, for he will speak from the true condition of his heart, just as Paul is doing here in 2 Corinthians 4 (Luke 6:45). Do not rush to judgment but support a suffering person in their need and be encouraged with them that God is working out another daily dose of inner change if they will respond in a godly way.
[1] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 269.
