BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION OF 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18

A RESEARCH PAPER ON THE BACKGROUND, INTERPRETATION, AND

APPLICATION OF 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18
PRESENTED TO
DR. JAMES LORETO C. PISCOS



IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SEMINAR 01






MARK JULIUS P. CABALLES
1N
NOVEMBER 11, 2013



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Acknowledgement
The completion of this paper was made possible through the help of certain individuals
who have contributed immensely each in his or her own way. I would like to extend my utmost
gratitude to the following people:
To my parents, Dr. Gerry Caballes and Theresa Caballes, for serving as an inspiration
and support system throughout my rough first semester at San Beda College of Law. I would not
even be here were it not for you two. Same goes for my siblings, Louis and Jeremy, who have
been very cooperative as per my request to not be disturbed throughout the course of my writing.
To my Sem01 professor, Dr. James Loreto C. Piscos, for the patience, virtue, and
guidance that you have given me throughout this very memorable and rewarding experience.
To my block, 1N, you guys have made Sem01 and the entire first semester of our first
year at San Beda College of Law that more interesting and fun. May we share more knowledge,
laughs, and memories for the years to come.
To my highschool, St. Marys College of Marinduque, for equipping me with a
substantial education background in religion and catechism that has served me well in this
subject.
To the San Beda College of Law, for giving me the opportunity to learn law that is
grounded on the fundamental laws of God. It is here that I rekindled my relationship with God
Almighty. I will be forever grateful.
Last, but certainly not the least, to our All Might God, for the countless blessings that you
continue to give me. It is without a doubt that the people I have mentioned in this part of my
thesis are your greatest gifts to me. To God be the glory!
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Abstract
The Bible is replete with writings that inspire courage, faith, perseverance, and strength
in times of struggles and hardships. Some of these writings express their messages either through
a direct interpretation of the textual form of the verses, or in a more sophisticated approach that
delves into the historical background of the time when such texts were written by their respective
authors.
Hermeneutics, through the process of Exegesis and Eisegesis, provides us with the tools
needed to better understand biblical writings so as to allow appreciation of the words written by
Gods followers written hundreds of years ago. Although old, many of these writings are very
much applicable and powerful if given the right interpretation and application in the daily life of
a faithful.
One such verse is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, a biblical verse written by St. Paul for the
Corinthians. In the same manner as these writings were intended to inspire faith and
perseverance through struggles and hardships in its readers back in the old days, this paper seeks
to interpret the text through hermeneutics, and apply such interpretation to the present day.
This endeavor is significant as it aims to extract a message beyond than that which can be
seen or read in the plain text of the biblical verses. A careful recount of the historical background
of the author himself, the times when such words were written, its intended readers, and the
context in which such factors are to be reconciled to come up with its true meaning and purpose.


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Table of Contents
I. Acknowledgement 1

II. Abstract 2


III. Introduction 4

IV. The World Behind the Text 5


V. Exegesis 6

VI. Eisegesis 7


VII. Conclusion 9

VIII. Bibliography 10







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Introduction

There are countless biblical verses that inspire courage and faith to persevere amidst
lifes most trying hours. These verses possess the unexplainable power to uplift a persons being
on a number of levels, may it be physical, emotional, or spiritual. One such verse is masterfully
embodied in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, which reads:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we
fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Hermeneutics, teaches us that to better understand biblical verses, such as that above-
quoted, one may study its background in relation to the message expressed in the textual form of
the verse. This, in turn, allows us to apply the message contained in the verse to our everyday
lives or for any purpose one seeks in studying such texts.
1
This research paper shall delve into
the historical background that has paved the way for Marks writings to the Corinthians and how
such writing is to be interpreted and properly applied.



1
Walter Kaiser and Moiss Silva, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning, revised and
expanded, Zondervan, 2007.
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The World Behind the Text
Paul established a church in Corinth in 52 A.D. when he visited there on his second
missionary journey and stayed for one and a half years. The second letter of Paul to the
Corinthians was written as a response to a report brought back by Titus informing Paul of the
reception of the Corinthians to his first letter. While Titus report contained encouraging news, it
also brought troubling ones. It contained the growing concern as some of those at Corinth were
already questioning Pauls authority as an apostle. The Corinthians stopped repenting and went
back to their licentious behavior. In a response, he writes the second letter in hopes of
vindicating his apostleship and way of life.
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As a solution to the growing chaos, Paul traveled to Corinth, but such action only fueled
the Corinthians resistance. When Paul returned to Ephesushe, he wrote again to the church,
compelling them to repent so as to avoid Gods judgement. Fortunately, Paul received good news
that the Corinthians had repented, although a small faction continued to preach against him. In
his second letter, Paul laid out his defense, refuting and condemning the false teachers. He
sought to encourage the faithful to stay committed to the truth. He also expressed a reaffirmation
of his deep love for them.
Pauls Second Letter to the Corinthians is a deeply personal and inspiring letter. It was
written as a response to the growing issues between himself and the Church he founded in
Corinth. The letters gave readers a perspective of the difficulties of life in the ministry. Among
all the letters written by Paul, this letter shows readers his heart as a pastor and apostle.
3


2
2 Corinthians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline. Daniel Wallace. https://wwww.bible.org
3
Robertson, F. (1859). Expository Lectures on St. Pauls Epistles to the Corinthians. The British Library.
6

Exegesis
It was evident in Pauls First Letter to the Corinthians, the church in Corinth was growing
weak, struggling with division and spiritual immaturity. Pauls authority has been lambasted and
undermined by those who are against his leadership of the said church through deception,
defamation of Pauls character, and false teachings.
Pauls writings inspired his readers to pursue a holy life amidst trials and hardships. Paul
himself lived such life. The above-quoted verse was intended by Paul for the Corinthians who
were trapped in the material aspect of life, things that could be valued by money or wealth. In
todays society, the Corinthians would not have considered any church or religion successful
unless such were characterized by economic and material growth. What success means for the
Corinthians were lavish buildings, trendy clothes, a huge budget, and lots of resources. Through
this writing, Paul sought to inspire them to go back to the life worthy of Jesus love.The words of
Paul for the Corinthians contain three valuable messages.
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In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Paul conveyed three very important lessons for his readers: (1)
a strong acceptance of the realities of life, (2) that trials and hardships are as constant as life
itself, and (3) as Gods followers, we must learn to look at life in an entirely new light, one that
is in accordance to Gods teachings.



4
Fairchild, M. Introduction to the Book of 2 Corinthians. Accessed at
http://christianity.about.com/od/newtestamentbooks/a/2-Corinthians.htm
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Eisegesis
First, Corinthian 4:16 speaks about a strong acceptance of the realities of life. One such
reality is aging, the constant decline of our physical body. It is a constant process that starts from
the very day we are born. Although we have all the technology today to slow aging down, we
cannot do anything to stop it. Therefore, we should not dwell or be obsessed with material or
bodily possessions for such treasures are temporary and are only as good as the length of our
lives in which we can enjoy them. Instead of focusing on the temporary things as we get through
life and as we age, we must also be weary of our inner spiritual health and being. As Paul speaks
of a constant process of renewal, he speaks of Gods daily graces and blessings that are not
physical in form but spiritual strength, something that is far more valuable as we near death. No
amount of money or material possessions can prepare us for the inevitable, for in death, it is only
our faith that we can cling to.
Second, Pauls words speak about trials and hardships that are as constant as life itself.
Corinthians 4:17 gives us a new perspective of such hardships. As expressed in 1 Pt 4:12, we
should not be surprised by the hardships that we currently endeavor. Life is a constant struggle
not only to survive, but also to live a life that would render us worthy of eternal salvation. We
must face these challenges and hardships with courage and perseverance for such are only light
and temporary for those who have faith. We must look at these events, however bad they may be,
as challenges that we must overcome to further strengthen our resolve and better prepare
ourselves for those that are yet to come, and more importantly, we must look at these events as
opportunities to garner Gods grace and favor. If our faith is strong, no problem or calamity will
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weaken our resolve to live a life in accordance to Gods will for He promises something better in
the end.
Lastly, Pauls words in 2 Corinthians 4:18 teach us to look at life itself in an entirely new
light. While it is only human of us to experience pain and weakness, we must never be caught up
with lifes struggles and sorrows. We must never be worldly-minded in that we lose ourselves
and our relationship with God in pursuit of what society dictates as worth having in life. We
must look at our lives in light of the great purpose that God has for each and every one of us and
not settle for the petty things this material world has to offer. We must not be too focused on
living and surviving day by day while compromising our chances of having eternal life with God
for the latter is so much more important.
Gods love and His plan of salvation may only be seen by the eyes of those who have
faith in Him. It cannot be touched, felt, seen, or sensed. Although such notion may seem
completely absurd to a man who does not believe, we must take pride in our faith and remain
steadfast for His promise is one that of tomorrow.






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Conclusion
Pauls Second Letter to the Corinthians was written to inspire strength, perseverance, and
commitment to faith despite lifes struggles and hardships. His words were reflective of his
mission to serve out his apostolic and evangelical purpose through the Corinthians, who like
many of the people today, continue to live in a struggle of lifes hardships and the challenge to
remain faithful to God despite such occurrences.
The message crafted by St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 undoubtedly followed such
theme and can be applied to the lives of men today through the careful use of the tools of
hermeneutics so as to come up with an interpretation that will not only be relevant to the faithful
of today, but also remain consistent with the historical background of the author and the times in
which it was written.
Like the Corinthians, the current generation of Christs followers faces various
challenges, hardships, and struggles. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 emphasizes on three basic messages:
(1) that we, as faithfuls, need to accept the realities of life no matter how harsh it may be. That
we must not dwell with the worldly and temporary whilst jeopardizing the very life that we have
been promised with God if we are to pursue a life according to his teachings; (2) that we, as
faithfuls, need to accept that pain and struggle is as constant as life itself. That we must persevere
and not lose focus of what is more important Gods will and eternal salvation; (3) and finally,
that we, as faithfuls, must adopt a new perspective of life a life that is not limited to the pursuit
of what society dictates as what is ought to be or is worth having but a life that is worthy of
salvation.

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Bibliography
Walter Kaiser and Moiss Silva, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search
for Meaning, revised and expanded, Zondervan, 2007.
Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition 2010.
2 Corinthians: Introduction, Argument, and Outline. Daniel Wallace accessed at
https://wwww.bible.org
Robertson, F. (1859). Expository Lectures on St. Pauls Epistles to the Corinthians. The
British Library (digitalized in May 2013)
Fairchild, M. Introduction to the Book of 2 Corinthians. Accessed at
http://christianity.about.com/od/newtestamentbooks/a/2-Corinthians.htm