Troubled and Perplexed without Distress or Despair 2 Corinthians 4:8

Paul the apostle shared with the church members in Corinth, “we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us”, and in chapter four and verse eight of Second Corinthians, Paul shared with the church members how he and his companions were, “troubled on every side, yet not distressed”, where we read:

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

The verse begins, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;” Paul began with the words, “we are troubled” which means “Paul and his companions were pressed hard, narrow straitened, contracted, afflicted and distressed” “on every side” or “from each, all, the whole and everyone of the ways”, “yet” which means “nevertheless and notwithstanding” “not distressed” or “not straitened, compressed, cramped and sorely reduced in spirit”. Though Paul and his companions suffered “afflictions” from everywhere, they did not allow themselves to become “sorely reduced in spirit” by them.

The verse continues, “... we are perplexed, but not in despair;” Paul added the words, “we are perplexed” which means “Paul and his companions were without resources, in straits, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt and did not to know which way to turn”, “but” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “not in despair” which means “not utterly at loss, destitute of measures or resources and renouncing all hope”. Although Paul and his companions many times were “left wanting and embarrassed”, they did not act as though they were without “hope” and “utterly at a loss”.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how purposed and resolved he and his companions were in their difficulties. They were not exempt from “troubles” just because they were sharing the “gospel of Jesus Christ”, and so it is with Christians today. The difference between Paul and his companions and others is they would not allow their “distresses” to make them “distressed”. They purposed to follow Jesus Christ and knew He was able to “keep” them in any situation they incurred. Let us examine our own attitudes when “troubles” and “perplexities” come, and when we encounter them, may we be without “distress” or “despair” as they arise.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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