2 Corinthians 4:12 (KJV)

Passage

So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

2 Corinthians 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

2 Corinthians 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "death", "worketh", and "life". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "death" and "worketh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "For we which live are alway delivered..." into verse 13's "We having the same spirit of faith...", so "death" and "worketh" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "death" and "worketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.